• Global community
    • Language:
      • Deutsch
      • English
      • Español
      • Français
      • Português
  • 日本語コミュニティ
    Dedicated community for Japanese speakers
  • 한국 커뮤니티
    Dedicated community for Korean speakers
Exit
0

Spinning ball - when document contains linked indesign documents

Explorer ,
Jan 11, 2021 Jan 11, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

I have some documents that are a "catalogue" that show artwork reference for a job.

When opening these documents I end up with the spinning ball taking forever to cross-check something. It hangs for ages.

In the InDesign pages, I have content boxes with InDesign files inside them. I'd rather use the InDesign file than a pdf because when changes are made the original linked InDesign document it is updated in the "catalogue".

I have also had this problem happen with Books.

Is there a reason this is happening?

I thought linking InDesign documents inside of other documents was a feature Adobe pushed.

Looking for help so I don't have to sit for 10 mins while InDesign does its thing.

TOPICS
Performance

Views

136

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Jan 11, 2021 Jan 11, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

It sounds like you've really answered your own question. Having multiple InDesign documents imported into a "master" InDesign document pushes this feature to its limits. What is happening when you open your document is that the program has to check all of the links and fonts in the master document as well as checking the links and fonts of all of the imported ID files.  Depending on the size of the images in all of the Links folders this would, by necessity, take time. Additionally, I don't know that this feature is one that has been "pushed" so much by as Adobe as much as a feature that was always available but usually seemed to me, at least, as one that was generally too cumbersome for general use. After all, it requires keeping an art file for the imported ID files as well as an art file for the master file. I've always felt that the easiest files to work with are the ones that have efficiently managed graphics sized correctly and with sufficient but not overly high effective resolution for raster images.  

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Explorer ,
Jan 11, 2021 Jan 11, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Thanks for your insight.

I totally understand it taking time to check images and your comment about sizing graphics correctly is correct for efficient files. I agree that this may have been the case with the book I have worked on in the past which had a lot of images.

However, the file I worked with yesterday did not contain images. All the linked InDesign files were for signage and they only contained text and colour boxes for sections. The files were limited to 3 or 4 font styles and these fonts were active so I'm looking at reasons this might be occurring on this file.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Jan 11, 2021 Jan 11, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

If they were for signage were the files large in dimension? Were there a lot of imported InDesign files? If you're looking for an efficient workflow for signage is it possible to do the files in Illustrator and save as .ai files? Then you could have the files as links that InDesign has less clunkiness with and which will update in  InDesign when changes are made to them in illustrator.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Explorer ,
Jan 12, 2021 Jan 12, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

LATEST

This isn't really a conversation about which program the original artwork should have been created in. For this particular job, InDesign is the better option for a lot of reasons.

 

So I guess the bottom line is - InDesign can't handle lots of its own linked files even when the files are basic. I don't believe size should be an issue in this case either.

 

I do wonder however if some of the files linked are created in older InDesign versions and still saved as such. Could this add to InDesign's checking length?

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines