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ByteBowser
Inspiring
August 23, 2017
Answered

Placing PDFs in InDesign

  • August 23, 2017
  • 4 replies
  • 3022 views

How can I place a PDF in InDesign with all Acrobat DC edits and markups intact?

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Dov Isaacs

To expand on Bob's response…

If you actually edit the contents of a PDF file using the edit tools, those changes in a PDF file (after the PDF file is saved) are indeed reflected in a PDF file placed into an InDesign document.

Anything that is a PDF annotation, including text markup annotations, comments, measurements, etc. are not reflected in the PDF content placed into an InDesign document.

As others in this thread have pointed out, if you “flatten” the annotations into the PDF page contents (not to be confused with transparency flattening), such markup and comments will appear in PDF placed into an InDesign document.

          - Dov

4 replies

JonathanArias
JonathanArias
Legend
August 23, 2017

i take screenshots of the comments and make a nice layout with the .pdf on the side of the screenshot of the comments... but its a bit of work.

Luke Jennings
Luke Jennings
Inspiring
August 23, 2017

There is an Acrobat preflight that moves annotations into the page contents and works for drawn comments, but not sticky notes.

Document Geek
Community Expert
Document GeekCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 23, 2017

You can flatten the markups using a script, and then they will show up in InDesign, but they will no longer be true "comments" viewable in the Comment pine in Acrobat. Here is a script that will let you flatten the comments: Add a Flatten Document Menu Item to Acrobat

    Jongware
    Community Expert
    JongwareCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 23, 2017

    Kelly, "The link will take you to my Acrobat.com account" doesn't do that anymore. Is the script downloadable from somewhere else?

    Document Geek
    Community Expert
    Document GeekCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 23, 2017

    Here is the script:

    event.target.flattenPages();

    I make it a custom command and add it to my Quick Tolls at the top.

    BobLevine
    Community Expert
    BobLevineCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 23, 2017

    You can’t.

      B
      ByteBowserAuthor
      Inspiring
      August 23, 2017

      Well, you can do it by saving the pdf as an image file and then placing it, but that's a brute force rasterized method. I was looking for a more elegant vector graphic solution. C'mon Adobe, get it done. Come up with something useful in an update, for a change!

      Derek Cross
      Community Expert
      Derek CrossCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      August 23, 2017

      This forum is supported by none-Adobe staff volunteers – if you have a feature request post it here: InDesign Feature Requests

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