I want to translate the text I have in an Indesign file, but since I've seen it's quite tricky to export the text in Indesign into an Excel or Word and then, import this translated text back into de indesign file, I saw there is the possibility to link text files into Indesign, so if the text changes in the word or excel file, it also changes in the Indesign file.
Also, we have many text boxes in a single page. Is it necessary to have a different document for each text box, or can the text from a file be linked by pragraphs to different indesign text boxes?
… Also, we have many text boxes in a single page. Is it necessary to have a different document for each text box, or can the text from a file be linked by pragraphs to different indesign text boxes? …
Hi Eva,
since you are talking about translations there is also the option to use a translation memory system — not Excel or Word — that could import IDML files exported from InDesign and export IDML after translation.
Derek mentioned WordsFlow by EM System:
Even when working with WordsFlow you'll need one file per story. And every single text frame is exactly one single story if the text frame is not threaded to another one.
There are software solutions that allow you to export the text and import the translated text back in the document keeping the styles intact. Also, like Uwe said, translation memories are an important tool for saving your past translations so you can reuse the same terminology across the document.
However, I was just thinking that there should be an option to vinculate an excel file to an indesign document, and be able to link each text box to an Excel cell (let's say, writing the letter and number of the cell and the sheet), and be able to update this data and even the links (so I can link a text box to another cell) whenever I wanted. I've seen software that help in this, but I'm shocked there isn't a free way to do it in an easy way. Is there really no way I can enable this link by myself?
What you're describing here, if I read correctly, is reading text from an excel file and dropping it into a text box in inDesign. You can do that from within the application with "Data Merge" and formatting your excel file into a csv. The InDesign file won't update the data automatically, though, you have to "reload the CSV file".
Go to Edit > Preferences > File Handling and check "Create links when placing text files". You can now drag and drop your text files on your page in InDesign, and they will be linked. Create your text boxes and link them together (Thread text among frames in Adobe InDesign). Drop you text file on the first box and... you're done. Go to Window and check "Links" to display the Links panel where you can update the links as necessary.
I understand that InCopy can provide two-way sync, but I don't know how to use it.
This works, except when a change is made to the txt file, the formatting/styling you made to the text is lost — any way to update without losing the styling, i.e. Font, font side, bolding, tabs, etc ?
After toiling around, I realized that keeping an indd in a central location, and simply exporting a pdf to bring into the area that was causing massive labour to update across multiple docs, in this case the slug area specifically, and then further placing it on a base master page, to be used with other sub master pages — will significantly reduce a plethora of headaches.
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