InDesign Master Table

[erniea3402685]

Q: Can I create a table in InDesgin, and link it to various InDesign files and just update that one master file and the changes are applied to all the other files? For example, we create tables that include: times, speakers, and topics, now we create various files with different specs and content but the table is being used by all the files. Now if we need to make changes to the table, then we have to open up every file and make the changes, so that's why I'm asking the question above. Any help would be appreciated.

[amaarora · Accepted solution]

Hi,

You can use place and link (edit menu->place and link) feature of indesign.

1. click on the frame containing the table in your master file

2. goto edit menu-> place and link

3. your place gun would now be loaded and the you can place the table in any of your other files

You can place the same table in multiple "other files" one at a time and also map the style while placing from "master file" to "other file".

This way whenever you update the table in your "master file", then the same table in all "other file" will go out of date(modified).

You can then go to each individual file and update the tableand make it same as the table in master file using a single click on the modified link icon.

Do refer to the documentation too: Use linked content features in InDesign

-Aman

[erniea3402685]

Thank you so much for your quick response, this will totally help my workflow.

[erniea3402685]

I have a new question, how can I keep my setting on my table:

So my parent file has Paragraph styles (H1, H2, Body, Cells) and my Child file has its own Paragraph styles. The parent file is 8.5X11 and child file is 11X17.

I also created Table and Cell styles and mapped them using link options.

Once I edit my parent everything works but my table does size does not, if goes back to a smaller table:

This is what is happening to my table:

Please advise on what I'm doing wrong.

Thank you,

Ernie

[amaarora]

Hi Ernie,

I suggest you open a separate thread for the above so that other's can also add their inputs and solutions.

-Aman

[erniea3402685]

Thank you Aman, I just posted the new question on the community forum.