Legacy InDesign: Create a Content Automation template

Learn how to import/upload your prepared InDesign file into Content Automation and create a template.

Who can use this?

Plans:

  • Brandfolder

Permissions:

  • Admins
  • Designers

Find out if this capability is included in Smartsheet Regions or Smartsheet Gov.

This article applies only to Content Automation templates, which are different from Brandfolder Custom Templates and CI Hub. 

This article applies to the legacy InDesign Ingest feature, which allows you to seamlessly convert an InDesign package into a multi-page drag  and drop template. 

What is an InDesign template?

An InDesign template is a file prepared in InDesign and then imported into Content Automation. Creating a template through InDesign Import is useful when:

  • The design is low complexity/low customization.
  • You have a static design that doesn't require layout changes.
  • You need to get content to market very quickly.
  • You have a one-off piece of content.
  • You’d like to test a template before further investment.
  • You’d like to take ownership of template creation.

Prepare the InDesign File

Any data you want to transfer from InDesign to Content Automation must be labeled with XML tags in InDesign, so your team can edit it.

When importing from InDesign, Content Automation identifies XML tags in the IDML and converts these to inputs.

  1. In InDesign, select Window > Utilities > Tags to open the Tags panel.
  2. Show tagged markers via View > Structure > Show Tag Markers.
  3. Show tagged frames via View > Structure > Show Tag Frames. If you still can’t see the tags visualized on your document, try pressing W, which toggles InDesign’s Preview Mode.
  4. Follow InDesign’s detailed help guide that can take you through how to create tags and tag elements.
  5. Double-check your tagging before exporting to avoid having to re-upload your IDML file to fix errors.

Any effects or formatting applied to a tagged element in InDesign is applied to the output in Content Automation. For example, if you set a black-and-white filter to a tagged InDesign image, any images uploaded into the image input also appear in black-and-white.

Package the file as an IDML

The InDesign integration requires a package, including IDML files, linked images, and fonts, to be exported from InDesign. To package an InDesign file:

  1. In InDesign, select File > Package.
  2. In the package dialogue box, ensure you select the checkbox labeled Include IDML.
  3. Select Package.

Your InDesign package, including IDML, image links, and fonts, is then downloaded as a single folder on your device.

InDesign has a detailed help guide that can take you through how to package an InDesign file available here.

Import the IDML into Content Automation

With the InDesign package saved on your device, you can now import the InDesign file into Content Automation to create a template:

  1. Navigate to Templating from the main navigation bar.
  2. Select + New Template.
  3. Select Import an Adobe InDesign file. 
  4. Give the template a name and select the exported InDesign File (.idml) file to upload.
  5. Upload the images referenced in the InDesign file. You can upload them to your asset library, then use the relink option to link the images to the files in Content Automation. Skipping this step means your images don't appear. 

  6. Choose or create the document format. Your format size is pulled from the size of your InDesign file and this can't be changed in Content Automation. If you need a different size, you must adjust your InDesign file size. When creating a format, select your export file type (PDF, PNG, or JPG). 

    For PDF, you need to select your color space. RGB works best for Digital, and CMYK for print. If you select CMYK, you can also set up your printer's marks. 

  7. Select Submit.

Your template has now been created! 

Run a few tests to ensure you are happy with your template before you publish it to your author users. 

Publish the template

Once you are happy with your template,  it needs to be published before it can be used by teams.

  1. In the templating screen, find the template you uploaded from InDesign.
  2. Select the template(s) from within the variation tab (you can select multipage to bulk update the permissions)
  3. Under permissions, select which teams or team groups you want to use this template. You can also select all teams to give everyone access. 

Set a category for your template. For example, if you have created a social tile, add it to a social category (or create a new one). This helps your author users find what they are looking for when navigating the template library.