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InDesign

InDesign

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  1. InDesign User Guide
  2. Get to know InDesign
    1. Introduction to InDesign
      1. What's New in InDesign
      2. System requirements
      3. Common questions
      4. Use Creative Cloud libraries
    2. Workspace
      1. Workspace basics
      2. Contextual task bar
      3. Customize your workspace in InDesign
      4. Toolbox
      5. Set preferences
      6. Properties panel
      7. Touch workspace
      8. Default keyboard shortcuts
      9. Undo edits and manage History panel
      10. Document recovery and undo
    3. Generative AI (Not available in mainland China)
      1. Text to Image
      2. Generative Expand
      3. Generate Effect in InDesign (Beta)
      4. Generative AI FAQ
  3. Create and layout documents
    1. Documents and pages
      1. Create documents
      2. Work with parent pages
      3. Work with document pages
      4. Set page size, margins, and bleed
      5. Work with files and templates
      6. Convert PDFs to InDesign files in InDesign (Beta)
      7. Create book files
      8. Add basic page numbering
      9. Number pages, chapters, and sections
      10. Convert QuarkXPress and PageMaker documents
      11. Share content
      12. Understand a basic managed-file workflow
      13. Save documents
    2. Grids
      1. Grids
      2. Format grids
    3. Layout aids
      1. Rulers
      2. Align and distribute objects using rulers
      3. Measure objects using the Measure tool
  4. Add content
    1. Text
      1. Add text to frames
      2. Threading text
      3. South-East Asian Scripts
      4. Arabic and Hebrew features in InDesign
      5. Create type on a path
      6. Bullets and numbering
      7. Insert MathML to create math expressions
      8. Glyphs and special characters
      9. Text composition
      10. Text variables
      11. Generate QR codes
      12. Edit text
      13. Align text
      14. Wrap text around objects
      15. Anchored objects
      16. Linked content
      17. Format paragraphs
      18. Format characters
    2. Typography
      1. Using fonts in InDesign
      2. Kerning and tracking
      3. Scale and skew type
      4. Apply color effects to type
    3. Format text
      1. Format text
      2. Auto Style text
      3. Work with Style Packs
      4. Tabs and indents
    4. Review text
      1. Track and review changes
      2. Add editorial notes in InDesign
      3. Import PDF comments
    5. Spell check and language dictionaries
      1. Check spelling, autocorrect, and dynamic spelling
      2. Create, add, and manage dictionaries and words
      3. Change dictionary preferences
      4. Duden dictionary
    6. Add references
      1. Create a table of contents
      2. Footnotes
      3. Create an index
      4. Endnotes
      5. Captions
    7. Styles
      1. Paragraph and character styles
      2. Map, export, and manage styles
      3. Object styles
      4. Drop caps and nested styles
      5. Work with styles
      6. Leading
    8. Tables
      1. Format tables
      2. Create tables
      3. Table and Cell styles
      4. Select and edit tables
      5. Table strokes and fills
    9. Interactivity
      1. Hyperlinks
      2. Dynamic PDF documents
      3. Bookmarks
      4. Buttons
      5. Forms
      6. Animation
      7. Cross-references
      8. Structure PDFs
      9. Page transitions
      10. Movies and sounds
    10. Graphics
      1. Understand paths and shapes
      2. Draw with the Pencil tool
      3. Draw with the Pen tool
      4. Apply line (stroke) settings 
      5. Compound paths and shapes
      6. Edit paths
      7. Clipping paths
      8. Change corner appearance
      9. Frames and objects
      10. Align and distribute objects
      11. Linked and embedded graphics
      12. Integrate AEM assets
    11. Color and transparency
      1. Apply color
      2. Use colors from imported graphics
      3. Work with swatches
      4. Mix inks
      5. Tints
      6. Understand spot and process colors
      7. Blend colors
      8. Gradients
      9. Flatten transparent artwork
      10. Add transparency effects
  5. Find and replace
    1. Find and replace text
    2. Find and replace fonts
    3. Find and replace glyphs
    4. Find and replace using GREP expressions and queries
    5. Find and replace objects
    6. Find and replace colors
    7. Search options to find and replace
  6. Share
    1. Save and access cloud documents
    2. Organize, manage, and share cloud documents
    3. View and manage versions in cloud documents
    4. Common questions about InDesign cloud documents
    5. InCopy on the web (Beta)
    6. Share and collaborate        
    7. Share for Review
    8. Review a shared InDesign document
    9. Manage feedback
    10. Invite to edit
  7. Export, import, and publish
    1. Place, export, and publish
      1. Publish online
      2. Publish online dashboard
      3. Copy, insert graphics
      4. Export to Adobe Express
      5. Export content for EPUB
      6. Adobe PDF options
      7. Export to HTML5
      8. Export content to HTML (Legacy)
      9. Export to Adobe PDF
      10. Export to JPEG or PNG format
      11. Import SVG files
      12. Supported File Formats
      13. Export and import User Settings
    2. Printing
      1. Print booklets
      2. Printer's marks and bleeds
      3. Print documents
      4. Inks, separation, and screen frequency
      5. Overprinting
      6. Create PostScript and EPS files
      7. Preflight files before handoff
      8. Print thumbnails and oversized documents
      9. Prepare PDFs for service providers
      10. Prepare to print separations
  8. Extend InDesign
    1. Automation
      1. Data merge
      2. Plug-ins
      3. Capture extension in InDesign
      4. Scripting
  9. Troubleshooting
    1. Fixed issues
    2. Known issues
    3. Crash on launch
    4. Preference folder read-only issue
    5. Troubleshoot file issues
    6. Unable to export InDesign file to PDF
    7. InDesign document recovery

Forms workflow

You can design forms in InDesign and export them directly to PDF. InDesign now supports form fields and other form actions. The Buttons and Forms library (Window > Interactive > Buttons and Forms) has form items that you can use to design interactive forms.

Using InDesign you can create simple forms within InDesign, without needing to touch up the PDF document in Acrobat after publishing. You can add simple form elements within the document pages. Common field types such as text fields, radio buttons, check boxes, or signatures are supported. You can also add actions to submit the form by email or to print it.

In addition to the basic design, you can also use creative capabilities in InDesign to add a designer touch to your form:.

  • Add solid strokes and fills to the PDF form fields.
  • Add custom On, Off, and Hover states for buttons, check boxes, and radio buttons.
  • Specify font size for text input fields.

For example, to collect credit card information, you could use credit card icons as radio buttons, with a different image for the selected state.

For advanced form workflows, you can export the basic form and then continue editing it in Adobe Acrobat.

Add a form field

Use the Buttons and Forms panel to add form fields to the layout. The procedures to add interactive form fields are the same as adding buttons so that you don't have to learn new procedures. You can create a form that works with Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat. Using InDesign, you can create some cool forms that you can’t ordinarily using Acrobat.

Buttons and Forms panel
Buttons and Forms panel

  1. Place a frame at the location where you want to place the form field.

  2. Open the Buttons and Forms panel (Window > Interactive > Buttons and Forms)

  3. Select the frame and choose a form element type from the Type list. Alternatively, right-click a frame and choose Interactive > Convert to [...].

  4. Enter a name for the form field. To create a radio button group, all the individual buttons must have the same name.

  5. Choose an event and add actions to associate with it. Actions such as Clear Form, Print Form, and Submit Form have been added. In the Submit Form action specify the URL as "mailto:xyz@example.com.

  6. For a radio button, check box, or buttons: set appearance attributes for different states. InDesign adds default graphics for the various states, but you can add your own.

  7. For a list box, combo box, or text field: select font family, font type, and font size.

  8. Specify PDF options:

    • Description - Entered value is displayed as the tool tip and is used for creating accessible forms
    • Button Value - this value corresponds to the export value in Acrobat and can also be used to identify a radio button in a group in an accessible form. 

Specify tab order

To create user-friendly and accessible forms, it is necessary to assign a usable tab order. Users can navigate through the form fields without using a pointing device. Pressing the Tab key shifts the focus to the next logical field.

There are two methods of specifying a tab order in a tagged PDF:

  • Use the Articles panel (Window > Articles) to specify a custom tab order
  • Choose Object > Interactive > Set Tab Order.

Use Articles to specify tab order

Use the Articles panel to specify tab order
Use the Articles panel to specify tab order

  1. Open the Articles panel (Window > Articles).

  2. Drag the form fields to the Articles panel.

  3. In the articles panel, drag to reorder the fields in the required order.

 To enable screen readers to use the specified order, from the Articles panel menu, enable Use for Tagging order in Tagged PDFs. Remember to enable the Create Tagged PDF option while exporting the PDF.

Use Structure to specify tab order

  1. Choose Object > Interactive > Set Tab Order.

  2. Click Move Up or Move Down to arrange the items in the desired tab order.

While exporting to interactive PDF, enable Use Structure for Tab Order in the PDF Export dialog box.

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