Sharing indesign files

[emily_0606]

I design a magazine and I need to share files with someone. She wants me to package everything but other than fonts if I give her the files with the linked assests won't they stay linked when she opens the file. 

[Eugene Tyson]

Yeh, use File>Package and then zip the folder and the links should be linked to the relative Links folder rather than a specific file path. 

That's generally how it works. 

If it's not working - they can use the link panel to relink to the folder anyway. 

Another option - and everyone says not to - but I disagree - is you can embed the images in the InDesign file and when they get the InDesign file all files are embedded so there's no need for a links folder.

I operate a workflow for the past 5 or so years that embeds many links in files and never had a single issue with it. So maybe the advice of others come from a good place or a workflow issue from many moons ago.

But I've certainly not encountered any problems with it. 

You have options. 

[emily_0606]

How do you embed photos and ads?

[Eugene Tyson]

If it's a link you can embed them - it's in the Links Panel submenu you can select the option.

I have created a script and put it in my startup folder that when saving a document it Embeds all the links. 

I can share it if you like.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

The act of Packaging creates an overall folder within which it creates a Links folder with the assets and then updates and saves a copy of the INDD file beside it that links to the files located in that folder. As long as you don't move or rename the Links folder, when you open the INDD file, it should already know where the links are. Even if you do, it's not a diffcult task to point to the new location.

As a person who works in prepress, DO NOT EVER EMBED your images. It makes the INDD file unnnecssarily large and if you don't have the separate assets for your shared person to be able to work on, you are only making their life difficult.

[Eugene Tyson]

As a person who works in prepress, DO NOT EVER EMBED your images. It makes the INDD file unnnecssarily large and if you don't have the separate assets for your shared person to be able to work on, you are only making their life difficult.

By Brad @ Roaring Mouse

I understand your point, Brad @ Roaring Mouse, but I think the concerns about embedding images can sometimes be overstated. While embedding does increase the file size, it's not fundamentally different from the overall size of a packaged folder containing the same images, it’s just stored in one place rather than split between the INDD file and a Links folder.

If someone needs to edit the assets, they can easily unembed the images, make their changes, and re-embed them. In my experience, this workflow doesn’t create difficulties; rather, it solves a lot of problems, especially when links to files stored on desktops, servers, or external drives get broken.

For years now, embedding images has worked flawlessly for me and others I collaborate with. We’ve found it eliminates the hassle of missing links and ensures that everything stays intact, especially when files are shared or moved across different systems. It’s just another viable option, depending on the workflow.

That said, I’d love to hear more about why you’re so strongly against embedding. Could you share specific examples of situations where embedding has caused problems? It’d be great to understand the potential pitfalls I might not have encountered yet.

[emily_0606]

This person I am sharing with is essentially a coworker so I am not that concerned about embedding but I have never done that  because I honestly don't know how. I recently had a problem that a file would not package. Indesign would crash every time I tried. I told her to simply relink the files but she thought that was difficult. But I have never had trouble relinking files. 

[leo.r]

I told her to simply relink the files but she thought that was difficult. But I have never had trouble relinking files. 

By @emily_0606

If she finds it difficult to relink the files, she can move all links into the same folder as the InDesign file. InDesign should find them automatically then.

[BobLevine]

Why not use a shared Dropbox or OneDrive folder? Unless you're really turning over files you'll never need again, it's way more efficient.

As for embed vs link debate, I'm in the "it depends" camp. If you have gigabytes of assets, embedding is a recipe for disaster. A few small ones? Go right ahead and embed them.

[emily_0606]

I have an FTP site I use so that is not the issue. It is whether I can just send her the InDesign files and the assets and not package them and she can just relink the assets. She considers that too much trouble. 

[BobLevine]

Well, for what it's worth, I agree with her. This is not at all a smart way to work.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Well, for what it's worth, I agree with her. This is not at all a smart way to work.

By @BobLevine

Working with FTP - and TotalCommander or something like that to keep everything synchornised - is almost the same as DropBos / OneDrive - the only drawbacks are the lack of auto versioning and the need to initiate synchornisation manually.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@emily_0606 

If it's the same platform - Windows or Mac - and you have an FTP server - then you can just keep everything synchronised.

Or, as @BobLevine suggested - use some sharing service - it will keep everything in sync automatically - as long as you won't work on the same INDD file at the same time.

Embedding is never a good option - it makes INDD file bigger and slower and much easier to get corrupted.