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Work with InDesign cloud documents (Beta)

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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. Toolbox
      3. Set preferences
      4. Touch workspace
      5. Default keyboard shortcuts
      6. Document recovery and undo
  3. Create and lay out 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. Create book files
      7. Add basic page numbering
      8. Number pages, chapters, and sections
      9. Convert QuarkXPress and PageMaker documents
      10. Share content
      11. Understand a basic managed-file workflow
      12. Save documents
    2. Grids
      1. Grids
      2. Format grids
    3. Layout aids
      1. Rulers
  4. Add content
    1. Text
      1. Add text to frames
      2. Threading text
      3. Arabic and Hebrew features in InDesign
      4. Create type on a path
      5. Bullets and numbering
      6. Glyphs and special characters
      7. Text composition
      8. Text variables
      9. Generate QR codes
      10. Edit text
      11. Align text
      12. Wrap text around objects
      13. Anchored objects
      14. Linked content
      15. Format paragraphs
      16. Format characters
      17. Find/Change
      18. Spell check and language dictionaries
    2. Typography
      1. Using fonts in InDesign
      2. Kerning and tracking
    3. Format text
      1. Format text
      2. Work with Style Packs
      3. Tabs and indents
    4. Review text
      1. Track and review changes
      2. Add editorial notes in InDesign
      3. Import PDF comments
    5. Add references
      1. Create a table of contents
      2. Footnotes
      3. Create an index
      4. Endnotes
      5. Captions
    6. 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
    7. Tables
      1. Format tables
      2. Create tables
      3. Table and Cell styles
      4. Select and edit tables
      5. Table strokes and fills
    8. 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
    9. 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. Align and distribute objects
      10. Linked and embedded graphics
      11. Integrate AEM assets
    10. Color and transparency
      1. Apply color
      2. Use colors from imported graphics
      3. Work with swatches
      4. Mix inks
      5. Tints
      6. Undertand spot and process colors
      7. Blend colors
      8. Gradients
      9. Flatten transparent artwork
      10. Add transparency effects
  5. Share
    1. Work with InDesign Cloud documents
    2. InDesign cloud documents | Common questions
    3. Share and collaborate        
    4. Share for Review
    5. Review a shared InDesign document
    6. Manage feedback 
  6. Publish
    1. Place, export, and publish
      1. Publish Online
      2. Copy, insert graphics
      3. Export content for EPUB
      4. Adobe PDF options
      5. Export content to HTML
      6. Export to Adobe PDF
      7. Export to JPEG format
      8. Export HTML
      9. DPS and AEM Mobile overview
      10. Supported File Formats
    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
  7. Extend InDesign
    1. Automation
      1. Data merge
      2. Plug-ins
      3. Capture extension in InDesign
      4. Scripting
  8. Troubleshooting
    1. Fixed issues
    2. Crash on launch
    3. Preference folder read-only issue
    4. Troubleshoot file issues
    5. Unable to export PDF
    6. InDesign document recovery

Cloud documents are Adobe's cloud-native document file type that can be accessed online or offline directly from within the InDesign application. You can access InDesign cloud documents on any device where InDesign is installed.

  Try beta features available in InDesign!
Some beta features are now available for development, testing, and feedback in the InDesign Beta version.

Why cloud documents?

Work on your InDesign documents seamlessly across devices with Cloud documents. Sign in with your Creative Cloud account to access it on any device.

Before you work with cloud documents in InDesign, ensure that you've installed the InDesign Beta build. Learn how to become a part of the Adobe Creative Cloud beta program, and test beta builds.

Access files on-the-go

Stay creative wherever you go! Save your work as cloud documents and access it from any device where you've InDesign installed. 

Autosave files to cloud

No loss of unsaved work as your updates get autosaved. Saving of cloud documents is faster than your local documents.

Track version history

Easily manage or view cloud document revisions from assets.adobe.com. You can keep the past versions readily available with Autosave.

Create and save InDesign cloud documents

You can create and save your InDesign files to the cloud and work seamlessly from anywhere, anytime.

  1. Select any of the following options:

    • File > Save
    • File > Save As

  2. Select one of these options in the Save on your computer or to cloud documents dialog:

    • Save to cloud documents
    • Save on your computer

    Check Don't show again, for InDesign to remember the save selection from your last session and provide the same experience every time you save a document.

windows to select InDesign file on computer or as a cloud document
Select how to save your InDesign file

InDesign cloud documents are saved with .inddc extension and display a cloud symbol on the tab name to indicate that you're working on a cloud document.

Autosave InDesign cloud documents

Your cloud documents are saved automatically as you work. Autosave keeps the cloud documents up-to-date, and you can access them wherever you've installed InDesign. A version history is also maintained for each save operation performed manually. For more details, see View version history.

Access InDesign cloud documents

Cloud documents ensure that your work is always up-to-date across devices with complete fidelity.

After you save an InDesign document as a cloud document, you can access it from the Your files tab on the InDesign Home screen, the Creative Cloud website, or the Creative Cloud desktop application.

Access cloud docs
Your files section in InDesign

Organize cloud documents

You can manage your cloud documents on the Creative Cloud website and Creative Cloud desktop application. But you need to use the InDesign application to create, open, edit, and save cloud documents.

InDesign Application

Organize cloud documents in InDesign
Access your cloud documents from InDesign.

Select Your files on the InDesign Home screen and follow any of these options:

  • Select the  New folder button to create a new folder to organize your cloud documents.

  • Enable the check box for each cloud document to select multiple cloud documents.

  • Select the List view  icon or the Thumbnail view  icon to change the view.

  • Select the more options   icon to Rename, Move, Delete, Make available offline always, and Select a document.

Creative Cloud website

Organize cloud documents in creative cloud website
Access cloud documents from Creative Cloud website.

Go to the Creative Cloud website > Files > Your files > Cloud documents, and follow any of these options:

  • Select the  New folder button to create a new folder to organize your cloud documents.

  • Enable the check box next to each cloud document to select multiple cloud documents.

  • Select the List view  icon to toggle to the Thumbnail view  icon and vice versa.

  • Select the more options   icon to Share, Rename, Move, Copy, and Delete a document.

You can Rename, Move, Delete, or Restore a cloud document from the InDesign application, the Creative Cloud website, or the Creative Cloud desktop application. You can also Delete a cloud document permanently.

Rename a cloud document

  1. Open InDesign, the Creative Cloud website, or the Creative Cloud desktop application, and select Your files.

  2. Select the more options   icon for a cloud document (InDesign and Creative Cloud website) or right-click a cloud document (Creative Cloud desktop application).

  3. Select Rename.

  4. Type in a new name for your cloud document to rename it.

Move a cloud document

  1. Open InDesign, the Creative Cloud website, or the Creative Cloud desktop application, and select Your files.

  2. Select the more options   icon for a cloud document (InDesign and Creative Cloud website) or right-click a cloud document (Creative Cloud desktop application).

  3. Select Move.

  4. Select a new location for your InDesign document and select Move.

    Select the check box for each of the cloud documents to move multiple documents simultaneously.

Delete a cloud document

  1. Open InDesign, the Creative Cloud website, or the Creative Cloud desktop application, and select Your files.

  2. Select the more options    icon for a cloud document (InDesign and Creative Cloud website) or right-click a cloud document (Creative Cloud desktop application).

  3. Select Delete.

    The deleted documents are archived and stored in the Deleted section.

Restore a cloud document

  1. Open InDesign, the Creative Cloud website, or the Creative Cloud desktop application, and select Deleted.

  2. Select the more options    icon for a cloud document (InDesign and Creative Cloud website) or right-click a cloud document (Creative Cloud desktop application).

  3. Select Restore.

    You can find the restored cloud documents under Your files in InDesign or Your files > Cloud documents on the Creative Cloud website.

Delete a cloud document permanently

  1. Open InDesign, the Creative Cloud website, or the Creative Cloud desktop application, and select Deleted.

  2. Select the more options    icon for a cloud document (InDesign and Creative Cloud website) or right-click a cloud document (Creative Cloud desktop application).

  3. Select the Delete Permanently   icon. To learn more about storage quota, see File storage and quota.

You can only Copy or Download an InDesign cloud document from the Creative Cloud website. These options are not available on InDesign and Creative Cloud desktop applications.

Copy a cloud document

  1. Open the Creative Cloud website and select Your files.

  2. Select the more options   icon for a cloud document and then select Copy.

Download a cloud document

  1. Open the Creative Cloud website and select Your files.

  2. Select the more options   icon for a cloud document and select Download.

Note:

You cannot copy a cloud document while working with InDesign.

View the version history of a cloud document

You can view and manage the version history of your InDesign cloud documents from the Creative Cloud website.

  1. Open the Creative Cloud website and select Your files > Cloud documents.

  2. Open a cloud document and select the Timeline  icon.

    Version history in Creative Cloud website
    Access your document's version history with the Timeline icon on the Creative Cloud website.

  3. In the Timeline panel, you will find auto-saved versions of your cloud document. Hover on a cloud document version to see more options.

Versions that are not marked are deleted periodically, so ensure that you mark any version you want to retain permanently.

Revert to a previous version of the cloud document

  1. In the Timeline panel, select the more options    icon.

  2. Select Revert to this version. The reverted version will appear when you open the cloud document in InDesign.

Revert to previous version

You can select Rename this version to change the name of the cloud document version.

Share a cloud document

You can share your InDesign cloud documents from the Creative Cloud website or the Creative Cloud desktop application but not from InDesign:

  1. Open the Creative Cloud website and select Your files from the left panel.

  2. Select the more options   icon for any InDesign cloud document and select Share.

  3. Select Copy Link and share the copied link.

  1. Open the Creative Cloud desktop application.

  2. Right-click any InDesign cloud document and select Share.

  3. Add the name or email of the person you want to share the document with and select the Invite to edit button.

Work on InDesign cloud documents when offline

No Internet access? Don't worry, you can create an offline copy of your cloud document and start working. Just ensure that you have the current version available on your device.

If all the changes cannot be synced for any reason, you'll not lose your work. InDesign creates a conflict file (backup file) on your device, from which you can recover your changes. Once the file starts syncing on the cloud, the conflict icon is changed to the    icon.

When you're back online, your updated document is automatically uploaded to the cloud and is available across all your devices.
See also: Why can’t I see my cloud documents offline?

  1. Go to the Home screen and select Cloud documents.

  2. The cloud icon for a cloud document indicates that it's available online only. Documents without the cloud icon have already been downloaded to the cache on your device and are available offline.

If you need to work without an Internet connection, see Prepare to work offline with cloud documents. To create an offline copy of your document, select the more options   icon for a cloud document, and select Make available offline always. The icon changes to indicate that the file is available offline.

Place Photoshop cloud documents in InDesign

You can also work with other Adobe cloud documents like Photoshop. Follow these steps to place Photoshop cloud documents in InDesign:

  1. Open a new or an existing InDesign document.

  2. Go to File > Place.

  3. Select Open Cloud Document and select the Photoshop cloud document (.psdc) that you want to place into your current InDesign document.

  4. Select Linked to place a linked file, or deselect Linked to embed the artwork in the InDesign document.

  5. Select Place.

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