Layout-Based Template Composition
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      Preparing a File for IDML Import

      Detailed document on how to adjust an InDesign file to make it compatible for upload into CampaignDrive.

      Overview

      IDML Import is a powerful feature of CampaignDrive that allows Admin Users and Designers to directly upload an InDesign file as a master print template.  The ability to upload this type of file allows for increased speed and accuracy when preparing new templates in the system. This document outlines the process to make an InDesign file and any associated assets compliant to CampaignDrive™ standards, how to prepare an InDesign Package for upload, troubleshooting errors, preparing graphic files, some advanced Designer tips and a one page “quick checklist” as a reference.

      Note: This document assumes familiarity with menus, settings and controls in InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop and, as such, is primarily intended for Designers. As you read through this document, keep in mind that we are aligning the InDesign file to be compatible to the Template Compose environment, so that some settings that might appear trivial or unnecessary are to achieve the most accurate upload experience. 

      There are several broad steps to preparing the file. If this is preparation is being done on an already completed InDesign file or package, we typically do the steps in the following order:

      • Check document settings
      • Check graphics preparation
      • Create the optimized package

      As a best practice, it is recommended that IDML Import preparation is done on a duplicate version so as to preserve the original file. 

      If we are applying this preparation to a brand new InDesign file, either our own or directing an external designer, there are some best practices we can make from the very beginning that will reduce or eliminate a lot of this processing, as the file will be optimized as we create it.  This will be discussed in detail in the section on Tips and Techniques.

      Document Settings

      Document Set Up

      • Turn off Facing Pages. This means no spreads. If spreads are used in your document, then you must set up the spread as a single page.
      • Delete Slug and all its contents. Slugs are not used in the Compose environment
      • No Master Pages. All master page content should be placed on the individual page that it is associated with.
      • Bleeds are not mandatory. However, the system will automatically apply a .125” bleed when the template is uploaded. If your bleeds differ, then you will need to change them after upload in the document settings of the template.
      • Transparency Blend Space is set to CMYK. Most of the time PDF documents are meant for print, so CMYK is the preferred color space.

      Color Settings

      • All colors present in document are in the swatch palette. Colors that have been directly chosen using the Color Menu or the Color Picker do NOT appear in the Swatches panel. You will need to add them by going to the “Swatches” menu and clicking on “Add Unnamed Colors.”
      • Delete unused or duplicate colors.
      • All colors in the same color space. Most of the time this will be CMYK. However, if this template is to be used for digital output, then they can be RGB. Either way, they should be consistent.
      • No Spot Color swatches. The Compose environment will not be able to make a conversion on a spot color and this will break the upload.
      • All colors in your document are in your Color Library on CampaignDrive™ (Content – Fonts and Colors). If they are not, then text that has been colored using that swatch will appear black.

      Frame Set Up (Text and Image)

      These settings apply to the image and text frames that contain your artwork. InDesign allows multiple frames of text and images on a single layer. However, the Compose environment must assign either “text” or “image” to a layer.  To properly read these frames upon upload, we must adjust the file so that each layer has only a single frame of one of these two types.

      • Each frame (text or image) is on its own layer. The layers, layer names and layer order are preserved when the file is uploaded, so that the exact positioning of each frame is maintained.  There can only be one frame per layer, since a frame is equal to a layer in Compose (can’t have more than one frame on a layer).
      • Each frame has a reference point of upper left. If the frame has any other reference point, the system will convert it upon upload (moving your frame to an incorrect position).
      • Ensure that the image fills the frame at 100% with no internal positioning. This should automatically happen if the graphic has been prepared properly (see Appendix A – Preparing Images for more details).
      • No empty frames. For the Compose environment, this means empty data and will cause an error.
      • No frames on the pasteboard. Frames on the pasteboard will appear in your document as a layer in an unexpected location off the document edge in the same spot as they are on the pasteboard. Best Practice – clean up frames that go out onto the pasteboard to align with the document edges (or bleed edges, if bleed is present). This will create a cleaner template in Compose – your End User will see this document exactly as it is created, so if the text or image frames are not positioned cleanly at the bleed or document edge, that will be reflected in the template.
      • No frames (text or image) with color fills (more on that under artwork). Every item must be either live text or a linked graphic. The Composer cannot “read” colored shapes or lines.
      • No rotated frames or angles other than “0°”. Objects should not be rotated.
      • No “combined” frames with both text and images. This really comes under the heading of “placed” graphics but, there can be no inline images within a text frame. This is because Compose will select a type of layer – either text or image, so there can’t be both contained in a single frame.
      • Non-printing (reference) layers may be uploaded. There are settings in the Compose environment to signal to the system that these are non-printing. They will automatically be set to visible and hiding them is a manual step after upload.

      Text Settings

      These settings apply to any frame that has text.

      • Remove all character or paragraph styles (break link to styles). The styling does not carry over into the Compose environment.
      • Under paragraph panel, uncheck hyphenation.
      • Under character panel, set tracking and kerning to 0. Note – this is not always mandatory and tracking, kerning and custom leading are supported and will transfer upon upload. However, use caution when applying these styles, as the adjustment of these measurements after upload is an advanced Compose technique, so only use this if you know what to do (additional details in Appendix C – Tips and Techniques).
      • Turn off the following type styles: All Caps, Small Caps, Superscript, Subscript, Strikethrough, Underline, and Ligatures. All text styling should be done using font styles and font families.
      • Undo column or frame text flow; each text box needs to be on its own layer. Compose does not link frames together, so there is no way to maintain a relationship between two text frames.
      • All text layer scaling should be set to 100% (Object->Transform->Clear Transformations).
      • Set vertical alignment to default top alignment on all text layers (Object->Text Frame Options->Align: Top).
      • Set horizontal alignment of the text within the box to Left. Note – you will be able to re-assign the alignment and vertical positioning to the text within the Compose environment. If you do not remove it before upload, the settings will transfer upon upload and override the settings in the Compose editor.  Use caution when applying these styles, as the adjustment of these measurements after upload is an advanced Compose technique, so only use this if you know what to do (additional details in section – Tips and Techniques).
      • All fonts present in the document are in your Font Library on CampaignDrive™.
      • Any colored fills on a text box should be removed. If a textbox needs a color behind it, create a separate graphic element for the colored element.

      Graphics/Artwork Settings and Graphics Preparation

      These settings apply to any frame that has artwork. This could be photos, logos, shapes, line art, gradient or transparent overlays, etc.

      • Check the InDesign file for “embedded” artwork. No embedded graphics are allowed – all graphics must be linked. This applies to graphics copied into the InDesign file from somewhere else or those created within the InDesign file (solid, gradient, shapes with transparency or blended shapes, lines, “text as graphics”, graphics as bullets, colors applied to a text frame, etc.).
      • Check the links panel to ensure that there are no broken links. A broken link will mean that InDesign will not be able to find your graphic when it creates the package and that graphic will not pull into your template properly upon upload or the upload could potentially fail. If any links are broken, locate the artwork and re-link.
      • Check linked graphics to ensure they are either .jpg or .PDF file types. PDF generation requires all graphics be either jpg or PDF. Since CampaignDrive™ produces PDF for output, every graphic must be one or the other type. If they are not, convert them using one of the processes outlined in Appendix A (Preparing Graphics).
      • Check to ensure each graphic has been properly prepared for the image frame using the appropriate process. This means making sure that all graphics have been prepared according to the processes outlined in Appendix A (Preparing Graphics), as well as making sure they are placed in the image frame properly to ensure they will upload at the correct size.
      • If text or lines are to be used as art, they must be outlined and saved as a graphic. This is referring to text in graphics created in Photoshop or Illustrator and used as an image in InDesign. Any text that is artwork within InDesign should be re-created (or copied and saved) in either Photoshop or Illustrator so it can be placed as a linked graphic. Any lines will need to be copied into one of these programs and saved out as a graphic.
      • As a best practice, check the effective PPI of the Image Layer in the Links Info panel. If you are preparing an existing InDesign file, you may not have complete control over the resolution of images, or there may be circumstances where it is permissible to have an image at less than 300 PPI.  However, it is important to be aware if an image is at less than 300 Effective PPI in case there are issues with final document quality. If 300 PPI is the minimum required, then you may need to request a higher-resolution image or alter the design to ensure the proper resolution.

      Preparing the InDesign Package

      • Once each setting has been checked, then the InDesign Package can be prepared for upload. The “Package” operation is found under the “File” menu.
      • Check the pop-up that appears for missing files, warnings, etc. Once you are sure that everything looks good, click the “Package” button at the bottom of the pop-up.
      • On the next screen, make sure that the following boxes are checked:
        • Include PDF
        • Include all linked graphics
        • Include all fonts
        • Include IDML
      • Name your folder and click “Package”. InDesign will create a folder that contains all the components of the InDesign package.
      • Navigate to the folder where the package has been saved.
      • To prepare the Package for upload to Campaign Drive, make a copy of the entire package folder. Make sure you can distinguish the copy from the original (re-name or place in separate folders).
      • Open the copied version and delete everything from this folder except for the .Idml file and the links folder. You have now made a “Package Lite” with just the components that CampaignDrive™ will read to create your template.
      • Zip this “Package Lite” folder.
      • Ensure that the filename does not contain spaces or special characters.

      Uploading File to CampaignDrive

      Upload into CampaignDrive™ in the Print Template Composition area. (Admin > Print Template Composition > Import IDML Template).

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