Packaging InDesign files that contain AI files with linked objects

[Barry5FAC]

Wondering if anyone has a solution for packaging InDesign files that contain Illustrator files with their own object links. I receive a lot of Illustrator files that have links and those AI files are imported into InDesign for final production. Problem is when using the Packaging feature it doesnt recognize the links within the AI file so they they are not collected. It requires manually transfering those linked images, which is a pain. Thoughts?

[Scott Falkner]

This is a feature that has been requested. You can add your voice to the discussion here: https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601021-adobe-indesign-feature-requests/suggestions/34549234-wo...

This is the sort of thing InDesign should have been able to do years ago. There's no reason Adobe can’t add metadata to linked files with the names and locations of — what? — sublinks?

[Eugene Tyson]

This might be of interest to you https://markzware.com/flightcheck/batch-package-indesign-photoshop-illustrator-dtp-print-files/

Besides that - all I can think of is to embed the images in the Illustrator file as standard practice.

[BobLevine]

When you place AI files you are actually only placing the PDF portion. That's the way it has always been and I suspect we're a long way from anything changing. While you can add your voice, there is a long, long list of way more important things I'd like to see done and I won't be voting for it.

As you said in your post, it's for final output...everything there is ready for that.

[Scott Falkner]

Packaging a job isn’t exclusively used to prepare a file for output. I often use it to archive a job or send final files to a client. In that case a more comprehensive archive is invaluable. Besides, if someone is sending native files with links instead of an exported PDF for print it is reasonable to assume the printer will be editing the files. In that case they will certainly benefit from having all files necessary for output.

I see this as both a very useful feature and as low hanging fruit. I'm not a developer, but I doubt it would be difficult to add metadata to PSD and PDF files with the names and location of linked images so that InDesign can package those files as well.

[BobLevine]

I'm guessing that such a "feature" could be scripted.

[rob day · Accepted solution]

Hi Scott, It would be possible to place .ai files with unembedded links into other .ai files, and the nesting could be infinite. If we want to assume it’s only one level (which I don’t think the engineers can), a script could gather the unembedded placed files. Before PDF was the normal output format and a package was expected, I always embedded placed files in the save dialog. That works for archiving because you can always unembed a link—you don’t need the original file path.

[Luke Jennings3 · Accepted solution]

Illustrator files can also be packaged. The packaged illustrator files would need to be manually added to the links folder of the InDesign package, for possible use by the recipient of the packaged InDesign file.