Olav Martin Kvern and David Blatner discuss the possibilities of InDesign for the rich media producer. Many of these tools don't have any visible effect on your InDesign pages, but they do change the behavior of the exported PDF or Flash SWF files.
From the book
From the book
Adobe InDesign CS4 from the real world
Learn more Vergleich
From the book
From the book
Adobe InDesign CS4 from the real world
Learn more Vergleich
A hundred years ago, when David was a puppy, he handed in a school essay that he had typed on an amazing new device called a personal computer and printed on that technological marvel called the dot matrix printer. His teacher was so impressed that she wrote his numerous corrections on a separate page so as not to spoil the appearance of David's "professionally published" work. Today, a certificate is printed on a color laser or inkjet printerstrict,and teachers can question a student's work ethic if they don't have an appropriate website and PR team.
Data communications have come a long way, and while print is far from dead, you can bet the future of publishing isn't just about putting more ink on paper. Today's communicators need to be able to create interactive, printed documents—files that contain buttons, sounds, and movies. Luckily, InDesign offers a range of features for the rich media producer. Many of these tools don't have any visible effect on your InDesign pages, but they do change the behavior of the exported PDF or Flash SWF files.
Interactive only after export
The most important thing to know about InDesign's interactive features is that they only work if you export the file to a format they support, such as PDF, SWF, or XHTML. And different formats support different functions.
Acrobat-PDF.
You might not expect the PDF format to have the broadest support for interactive media — at least in terms of what you can export from InDesign. However, you should plan to use the Acrobat 6 (or higher) format. Earlier Acrobat 4 or 5 formats (i.e. PDF versions 1.3 and 1.4) support some file formats, embedding movies in PDF, CMYK, non-rectangular posters (more on what posters are later in this chapter), or do not support interactive objects on the same page as transparency effects (such as gradient and opacity).
However, even Acrobat 6, 7, and 8 files do not support all of the desired rich media tools. For example, there is still a limited number of page-turning transitions, and MP3 sound files do not work. Also note that you must be using Acrobat Reader or Acrobat Pro to view interactive PDF files - although other PDF readers (e.g. Preview on Mac OS X) can open them, most media features will not.
Unfortunately, while you can import most types of SWF files into InDesign (as we explain later in this chapter), when you export a PDF file, Acrobat has significant problems displaying the SWF file—even Acrobat 9, which has the built-in Flash Player features. 🇧🇷 So if you want to add SWF files to your interactive PDF files, we recommend adding them manually in Acrobat Pro after exporting the PDF file from InDesign. We hope this will be fixed soon.
We covered how to export PDF files in Chapter 7, "Importing and Exporting."
XHTML and ePub.
InDesign has very limited support for XHTML and ePub documents. However, hyperlinks created in InDesign are exported correctly. We covered how to export XHTML and .epub documents from InDesign in Chapter 7, "Import and Export."
SWF.
InDesign can export one or more pages of your document directly to SWF (Shockwave Flash) format. We'll discuss this in more detail later in this chapter, but it's important to note that only buttons, hyperlinks, and page transitions are reflected in your final SWF file—imported sounds and movies are removed. And in fact, buttons that interact with transparency effects and some button actions (e.g. go to next view) are also ignored.
XFL
InDesign SWF export works well for simple projects, but is limited to a few simple effects. If you are familiar with ActionScript or work with a Flash developer, consider exporting your InDesign document in XFL format, an exchange format that Flash CS4 Professional can read. But there are caveats here, too: the XFL format takes away from you all the interactivity you added in InDesign; So if you use XFL, you can skip creating hyperlinks, buttons, movies, and page transitions.
Hyperlinks
What is an interactive page without links? Links help your readers to search your file, jump between pages, to other documents or even websites. You can also add links to files for your readers to download and you can add links to email them. PDF files provide three types of links: hyperlinks, bookmarks, and buttons. Let's look at them in turn.
A hyperlink is essentially a button - it's a "hot" area that performs an action when you click it. There are two major differences between a hyperlink and a button: First, you can apply a hyperlink directly to an area of text—though behind the scenes, InDesign still sort of draws a button around that text. Second, you can save a hyperlink destination and use it more than once.
To create a hyperlink, you need to open the Hyperlinks panel from the Interactive flyout in the Window menu. The Hyperlinks panel also contains the Cross References panel. We cover cross-references in Chapter 3, “Text”.
Named hyperlinks versus unnamed hyperlinks
When you create a hyperlink, you must decide whether you want it to be a shared hyperlink (referred to as a shared hyperlink target in InDesign) or a one-time link. Because they are similar in concept to named and unnamed color swatches, we usually call them named and unnamed hyperlinks.
Named hyperlinks are actually easier to create, but they can slow you down if you create dozens (or hundreds) of them, since each hyperlink you add occupies a position in the Hyperlinks panel's URL pop-up menu. Searching through 100 URLs is tedious. Therefore, although we tend to avoidKorFor example, we mostly use unnamed hyperlinks.
On the other hand, if you use a hyperlink multiple times in a document, it's great to give it a name. That way, if you ever need to edit the link, you can change it once and it'll be updated throughout the file.
fast hyperlinks
The quickest way to create a hyperlink is to select text (using the Text tool) or frame (using the Select tool) and enter a web address in the URL field at the top of the Hyperlinks panel (seeFigure 13-1🇧🇷 After you press Enter, the link will appear in the list in the middle of the Hyperlinks panel.
Figure 3.1 New named hyperlink
Unfortunately, this method has several significant disadvantages: first, it always creates a named hyperlink; There is no choice here. Second, InDesign often puts a big ugly black rectangle around the text or object. Third, you can only link to URLs (no sidelinks and other things we'll explain in a moment). Finally, once you've selected a frame, the link will appear in the dashboard as something generic like "Hyperlink". If you have text selected, the text itself will appear in the list, which is often a source of confusion.
Editing hyperlinks
If you want to create a named hyperlink, using the URL field works well. But immediately after you create the link, you need to edit it. First, you can rename any link in the Hyperlinks panel by clicking on it and choosing Rename Hyperlink from the panel menu. If you do this often, create a custom keyboard shortcut.
Then double-click the link in the Hyperlinks panel to open the Edit Hyperlink dialog box. (You can also edit a hyperlink by selecting the text or frame and choosing Hyperlink Options from the panel menu.) You have several options.
link to and target.
You can tell InDesign what to link to by choosing one of six options from the Link To pop-up menu. The first three allow you to create untitled or named links; the last one is for named and shared links. If you've already created a named link using the URL field, you can convert it to a local link, but the original named link you created will still remain in the URL list - we'll explain later in this chapter how to remove it.
- URL.To target a URL, choose URL from the Link To pop-up menu and enter the address in the Target URL field. A URL is usually a location on the internet, e.g. B. an HTTP or FTP site. Note, however, that Acrobat or Flash simply redirects this URL to the default web browser.
- File.If you want your hyperlink to open another PDF file or file on your hard drive or server, you can choose File from the Link To pop-up menu. Unfortunately, Acrobat and Flash also offer these links to open your web browser, which is pretty crazy. If the browser knows what to do with it, it shows it; otherwise the file will probably download. To jump from one PDF to another, it's usually best to use a button, which we'll discuss in a later section.
- Email.If you want your link to email you, create a URL link that begins withmailto://, but it's easier to set the Link To pop-up menu to Email and then fill in the Address and Subject fields. When the viewer clicks this type of link, Acrobat launches their default web browser and creates a new addressed email message.
- book page.To create a link to another page in your document (but not to specific text or an object on the page), choose Page from the Link To pop-up menu. Enter the page number you want to link to in the Page field and the magnification you want to use to view that page in the Zoom Setting pop-up menu. Most zoom settings (like adjust window width) are fairly self-explanatory; The only two that we found confusing are Inherit Zoom and Fixed. Inheriting the zoom does not change the viewer's magnification setting. Fixed should be similar to the zoom setting in InDesign when you created the hyperlink target, but it seems to have exactly the same effect as zooming in on. Zoom settings are ignored in SWF files.
- Text anchor.If there's text you want to target, choose anchor text from the Link To pop-up menu. We'll discuss how to create anchor text later in this chapter.
- Common goal.If you want your hyperlink to point to a link you've already created as a named link, choose Common Target, then choose Link from the Name pop-up menu.
(By the way, if you open a SWF file with a hyperlink on your local hard drive, the Flash plugin will probably warn you that there is a potential security vulnerability. This is one of many crazy problems with Flash, in our opinion. You However, you can avoid the warning by clicking Settings and then telling Flash Settings to always trust your local computer. If you post the SWF file to the web, the warning should not appear.)
Note that you can also choose a different file from the Document pop-up menu (if you have another InDesign document open). That sounds good, but it doesn't really work - after all, you're asking Flash or Acrobat to open your other InDesign file, which it can't.
drawing style.
If the hyperlink is in selected text, you can tell InDesign to apply a character style to it. For example, you might want to underline the text in light blue to indicate to the reader that it is "clickable". Very helpful. What you cannoTo do this, you need to create a drawing style that automatically applies a hyperlink. We hope to see this in a future version of InDesign.
Looks.
Remember that a hyperlink is technically a button in the PDF. In the Appearance section you can control how this object is displayed in the PDF file. If you want it to be invisible, set the Type pop-up menu to Invisible Rectangle. If you do this, be sure to apply a character style to the text; Otherwise someone will only know the link exists if the cursor changes when hovering over it.
The other appearance options are pretty dumb. Perhaps one day InDesign will offer more interesting hyperlinking options, like highlighting text when you mouse over it and then glowing or bursting into flames when you click it. Until then, only buttons provide interesting link effects (see “Buttons” later in this chapter).
By the way, if you import a Word document with a lot of words surrounded by rectangles, they are probably hyperlinks. You can quickly make all those rectangles disappear by selecting all hyperlinks in the Hyperlinks panel (click the first one, then Shift-click the last one), choose Hyperlink Options from the panel menu, and change the Type pop-up menu ' in the Appearance panel from Visible Rectangle to Invisible Rectangle.
Creating a new untitled hyperlink
If you want to skip creating a named hyperlink entirely, select the text or frame and click the Create New Hyperlink button in the Hyperlinks panel (or choose New Hyperlink from the panel menu). This will open the New Hyperlink dialog box, which offers the same functionality we discussed in the last section.
Creating a new hyperlink target
InInDesign also lets you create a named hyperlink without actually applying it to text or objects. Of course, these links won't do anything, but it can help if you have a list of known targets that are targeted multiple times when the file is created. To do this, choose New Hyperlink Target from the Hyperlinks panel menu (seeFigure 13-2🇧🇷 You can choose from three types of hyperlink destinations: page, text anchor and URL.
Figure 3.2 Creating a new hyperlink target
- book page.After you choose Side from the Type pop-up menu, you can choose which side and zoom setting to use. Now give the hyperlink target of your page a name. Or, even better, check the Name with page number box, which will automatically name it. You'll use this name later to apply this hyperlink target to the text or object on your page.
- URL.The URL hyperlink target allows you to enter two values: the website or mailto address you want to target and a name for that target. You will also use this name later when creating the hyperlink.
- Text anchor.The Text Anchor option allows you to create an anchor for a specific section of text in your document. Once you've created anchor text, you can target it by creating a hyperlink (which we talked about earlier). To do this, first place the cursor on the target text (or select one or more characters from the text), otherwise this option is grayed out. Then simply give the anchor a name in the New Hyperlink Target dialog box. This is identical to how most HTML authoring programs create anchor text.
Edit hyperlink destinations
Unfortunately, although the URL pop-up menu in the Hyperlinks panel lists all named hyperlink destinations you've created in a document, you can't edit or delete them. To do this, choose Hyperlink Target Options from the Hyperlinks panel menu - this displays the Hyperlink Target Options dialog box. From here, you can use the Target pop-up menu to preview and select existing hyperlink targets. To edit a hyperlink destination, select it in the popup and click the Edit button. To delete a named hyperlink, select it and click the Delete button.
Hyperlinks von URLs in Text
If you've already entered a URL in a text frame and now want to convert that URL to a hyperlink, use the Type tool to select the URL and choose New Hyperlink From URL from the Hyperlinks panel menu. This is two for one: InDesign first creates a URL target (with the same name as the URL itself) and then applies that target to the selected text or object, also using the URL as the hyperlink source name pointing to which is displayed panel. cool what?
Note, however, that Acrobat 8 now automatically creates clickable links from anything that looks like a URL, so you may not need to convert these to InDesign hyperlinks.
Delete and reset hyperlinks
We already mentioned that you can delete a hyperlink destination, but what about the hyperlink on the page? If you delete the source itself (the hyperlinked text or object), the hyperlink disappears. You can also select the hyperlink in the Hyperlinks panel and click the panel's Delete button. This leaves the text or page object alone, but no longer has a hyperlink attached to it.
If you need to delete two or more hyperlinks, you can select discontinuous elements by pressing Command/Ctrl and clicking them one by one. Or to select all, select the first one and Shift-click the last one in the list. Then click Delete.
What if you linked the wrong text or object? No problem—select the correct text or object, select the hyperlink name in the Hyperlinks panel, and choose Reset Hyperlink from the Hyperlinks panel menu. The link will move from the old font to the selected font.
Browsing Hyperlinks
Once you have a number of linked sources in your document, you need a way to navigate them. If you set the appearance of hyperlinks to Visible, you can preview them by choosing Show Hyperlinks from the View menu.
If you can't find the source of a hyperlink, select the link in the Hyperlinks panel and click the Go To Source button (or choose Go To Source from the panel menu).
Alternatively, you can select a hyperlink name in the panel and click the Go To Target button (or choose Go To Target from the panel menu) to go to the hyperlink itself. This means you can use hyperlinks to navigate your document (or documents) even if you never intend to export the files as PDF or SWF!
Don't forget that you can place hyperlinks on a master page so that they appear on all pages of the document based on that master page.
Update hyperlinks
If you used named hyperlink targets from another document and those hyperlink targets were later changed (for example, by a URL change), you need to update the hyperlink source. To do this, select the hyperlink source in the Hyperlinks panel and choose Update Hyperlink from the panel menu. If the other document is not currently open, you must hold down the Option/Alt key when selecting Update Link.
Export hyperlinks
As previously mentioned, hyperlinks are "live" only in your exported PDF or SWF files (with the exception of the Go To Hyperlink Target button in the Hyperlinks panel). However, your hyperlinks are not included in the PDF or SWF file unless you select the Hyperlinks check box in the Export PDF or Export SWF dialog box.
FAQs
How do I make an Interactive document in InDesign? ›
All that's left is to go to File > Export > and choose "Adobe PDF (Interactive)" from the file type drop-down menu. Then click save. When the InDesign window pops up, you shouldn't need to change any of the export settings, so you can go ahead and click Export. And you're done!
What is Interactive document in InDesign? ›Hyperlinks (Window > Interactive > Hyperlinks) let viewers click a link to jump to other locations in the same document, to websites, and more. Animation effects (Window > Interactive > Animation) allow you to add different types of animation to content, like adding motion to an object on the page.
How do I create an Interactive PDF? ›...
Export your PDF.
- Click File.
- Choose Export.
- Name your file.
- Select Adobe PDF (Interactive).
- Click All or customize the export settings.
- Select OK.
InDesign allows designers to create editable PDFs and export them.
Can you make a flipbook in InDesign? ›Install in5 (InDesign to HTML5)
in5 is the export tool that will let you create a flipbook directly from InDesign. Unzip the package and double-click on the installer that matches your system (Mac/Win). Follow the onscreen instructions. Restart InDesign.
An interactive PDF is, as you might have guessed, a PDF file that features interactivity options. The file format is the same, you still need a PDF reader to open it. A regular PDF file might contain hyperlinks, but when it comes to interactivity, that's just about it.
What is the difference between Adobe print and Adobe interactive? ›To export the file to PDF format, in the main menu select File > Export. If the main purpose of your document is to be available on the web, choose “Adobe PDF (Interactive).” If your main purpose is to make the document available for printing, choose “Adobe PDF (Print).”
What is the difference between PDF print and interactive? ›Interactive vs.
In CS5, two separate options for exporting to a pdf have been introduced: pdf (print) and pdf (interactive). Print leaves pages separate and enables detailed quality settings. Of course you want this option if you want to print the document. Interactive is meant for on-screen presentation.
On Windows, just right-click your PDF and select Properties > Read-only > OK. On a Mac computer, the process is a little more complex. Select the PDF and click File > Get Info. You can then set access rights under the Sharing & Permissions tab.
How do I know if my PDF is interactive? ›To determine whether a form contains interactive form fields, do the following: Open the form in an Acrobat product. In Acrobat 3D, Acrobat 7, or Adobe Reader 7, click Highlight Fields or Highlight Required Fields in the Document Message Bar. Interactive fields display a colored fill.
How do I create an interactive PDF form for free? ›
- Upload the PDF file in Flipsnack. ...
- Click on the "Editor" button and start inserting interactive buttons in your catalog. ...
- Customize and brand the look of your publication. ...
- Publish your digital catalog as public or private. ...
- Share the link of your interactive PDF with your customers.
PDF. Live extension provides quick links on browser PDF Viewer to sign, edit or save PDF files in other formats.
How do I add an interactive button in InDesign? ›Click the Convert To Button icon in the Buttons and Forms panel (choose Window > Interactive > Buttons and Forms). Or, choose Object > Interactive > Convert to Button. In the Buttons and Forms panel, do the following: Select Button from the Type drop-down menu.
Does Adobe have a flipbook creator? ›If you are looking for an Adobe flipbook maker to expand your business, this freeware, theFlip PDF Plus is a wise choice. It is called the best assistant for making digital magazines and brochures from PDF. Get an engaging page flipping magazine to count much more audiences in.
What is the difference between a PDF and a flipbook? ›A flipbook is a digital reading experience that recreates the layout of a print publication(like magazines, catalogs, brochures and more) or conventional digital PDF, by displaying content left to right, and usually having some sort of page flipping animation, as opposed to the scrolling nature of a PDF document.
Is an interactive PDF editable? ›Interactive PDF forms are those forms that allow users to interact with. These forms have fields that users can interact with. These fields include buttons, text boxes, combo boxes, item lists, and comment boxes. The beauty of interactive PDF forms is the flexibility and ease of editing.
Can interactive PDFs be accessible? ›A PDF document is considered accessible when people with visual, motor, and other disabilities can read, interact, understand, and navigate the document in the equivalent manner as an abled person.
Can you print an interactive PDF? ›Interactive PDF files can be filled out online and printed using Adobe Acrobat Reader (version 4.0 or above).
How do I save an interactive PDF as high quality in InDesign? ›Go to File > Export.
Name the file and choose Adobe PDF (Interactive) from the Save as type/Format menu. Click Save. In the Export to Interactive PDF window that opens, select the range of pages you'd like to include.
Essentially, an interactive PDF is a PDF document that incorporates all kinds of rich media content: links, audio and video files, images, GIFs, clickable buttons, and fillable forms. In other words, an interactive PDF combines all the perks of the format, like commonness and security, with digital web experiences.
How do I create an interactive Adobe form? ›
- Open Acrobat. Click on the Tools tab and select Prepare Form.
- Select a file or scan a document. Acrobat will automatically analyze your document and add form fields.
- Add new form fields. ...
- Save your fillable PDF.
You can't use Word to create an interactive PDF.
Can you Export an interactive PDF in CMYK? ›CMYK is for printing devices, especially commercial printing presses. As @Frans v.d. Geest said, you'll never find CMYK or other color profiles in interactive PDF. If you need CMYK color, then use Export / PDF (Print) instead, but the PDF will not have any interactive features.
How do I make an interactive PDF without Adobe? ›- Via your web browser, navigate to the JotForm website.
- Create a unique account or sign in with your existing Google or Facebook account.
- Once signed in, choose “Blank Form” to get started.
- Select “Add Form Elements.”
- You can now select the fillable fields you want in your PDF.
Adobe Acrobat allows users to turn their old forms and paper documents into digital, fillable PDFs with ease. Whether it is a simple Word or Excel form, this program will let you make it smarter with digital fields. It automatically recognizes static form fields and makes them fillable.
How do I make a fillable PDF formable and not editable? ›To prevent users from editing your form fields in a fillable PDF, you must "flatten" or lock the form before saving.
How do you save a fillable PDF and keep it fillable? ›...
How to Save an Editable PDF on Adobe Acrobat
- Open your Adobe Acrobat software and click on File> Open to open the fillable File. ...
- After opening the File, click on the Advanced tab.
- Click Extend Forms Fill-In & Save In Adobe Reader.
Answer. A fillable PDF is a PDF document that includes certain fields that are editable without PDF-editor software. Any fillable PDF that opens in modern PDF viewers (Acrobat, Preview, Chrome, Bluebeam) will be usable in the Forms tool.
How can you tell if a PDF is editable? ›Basically, when a scanned or image –based document is opened, a yellow bar will appear on the screen. It tells you if the current document contain editable text or not.
Are all PDF files fillable? ›A PDF file is not automatically editable within Microsoft Word. However, modern versions of Microsoft Office will attempt to convert the PDF to Word format so that users may make changes. Although not a perfect process, it is one way that someone could try to make changes to your document.
Is there a free way to make a PDF fillable? ›
JotForm. JotForm is another online form creator for free that makes it easy for you to create fillable PDF forms for free. It comes with an easy-to-use drag-and-drop form creator, making it easy to complete your form's various fields.
Can I make a PDF fillable for free? ›Open Jotform
Create a free Jotform account and build your fillable PDF form from scratch — or upload an existing PDF form to convert it into a fillable PDF in a single click.
- Google Forms for quickly creating powerful forms for free.
- Microsoft Forms for analyzing form results in Excel.
- Jotform for building a form from a template.
- Formstack for regulated industries and advanced analytics.
- Typeform for conversational forms.
- Paperform for creating order forms.
Using Adobe, open a PDF document to add hyperlinks. Choose “Tools” > “Edit PDF” > “Link” > “Add/Edit Web or Document Link” and then drag the rectangle to where you want to create the link. Next, in the “Create Link” dialogue box, adjust the link appearance and select “Open a Web Page” for the link action.
Why do I need Adobe LiveCycle designer? ›Adobe LiveCycle Designer gives business users the ability to create forms that closely mirror the paper forms they will replace. A unified design environment lets form authors easily lay out templates, incorporate business logic, and preview forms in real time.
Why interactive PDF is important? ›Interactive Forms
As well as displaying content, Interactive PDFs allow the opportunity for additional information to be collected from the document readers. By adding check boxes and text fields, this allows the PDF author to gather relevant information from users such as contact information and feedback.
In Adobe Acrobat you can make a PDF fillable form from scratch, convert PDF files from a Microsoft Word document, or even upload a smartphone image or a scanned paper document.
How do I extract data from an interactive PDF? ›In Acrobat, open the completed form file. In the right hand pane, choose More > Export Data. In the Export Form Data As dialog box, select the format in which you want to save the form data (FDF, XFDF, XML, or TXT). Then select a location and filename, and click Save.
How do I add a GIF to an interactive PDF in InDesign? ›- Go to File > Place and select the GIF animation created previously in Ps.
- Click Open.
- With your loaded cursor, roughly draw out the size you'd like the GIF to be in your InDesign layout.
- Go to Window > Interactive > Animation.
Add a form field
Using InDesign, you can create some cool forms that you can't ordinarily using Acrobat. Place a frame at the location where you want to place the form field. Select the frame and choose a form element type from the Type list. Alternatively, right-click a frame and choose Interactive > Convert to [...].
Can you export interactive PDF in InDesign? ›
Go to File > Export.
Name the file and choose Adobe PDF (Interactive) from the Save as type/Format menu. Click Save. In the Export to Interactive PDF window that opens, select the range of pages you'd like to include.
The problem is most likely that your browser is attempting to open the interactive PDF. There are two work-arounds: right click on the link; or update your browser.
What is the most accessible document format? ›Formats such as plain text, MS Word/Excel/PowerPoint, and PDF are the most common. Electronic documents can be created to be used with specific Assistive Technology such as Kurzweil.
Does InDesign have an accessibility checker? ›InDesign Accessibility Checks
It checks your InDesign file for various accessibility issues, such as a missing document title and prompts you to do so in the dialog box that comes up. It maps paragraph styles to PDF tags based on their names. It looks for images with missing Alt-text.
In the Hyperlinks panel (Window > Interactive > Hyperlinks), enter a URL and click Create new hyperlink at the bottom. You can set options in the New hyperlink dialog box like what to link to (for instance, a URL, an email address, or a page) and the link's appearance.