Guide to Making Edits Using Adobe InDesign
While we provide professionally formatted files, you might occasionally need to make minor text corrections or small adjustments to your book's interior. If you have Adobe InDesign software, you can use the master `.indd` files we provided to do this yourself.
This guide will walk you through the essential steps for making basic edits to your book using Adobe InDesign.
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Step-by-Step Instructions for Basic Edits
Before you begin, always create a backup copy of your InDesign files. This ensures you can revert to the original version if anything goes wrong.
Open Your InDesign File
Launch Adobe InDesign. Go to File > Open and navigate to the `.indd` file for your book (e.g., Book Title.indd for print, or epub - Book Title.indd for the eBook source). If you receive a missing fonts warning, you can choose to find/replace them or proceed if you don't plan to edit text with those specific fonts.
Understand the Tools Panel
The main tools you'll use are on the left side of your InDesign workspace:
- Selection Tool (): Used to select and move entire text frames, image frames, or other objects.
- Type Tool (): Used to select and edit text within a text frame.
Make Text Edits
Select the Type Tool () from the Tools panel. Click inside the text frame where you want to make changes. You can now type, delete, or modify text just like in a word processor.
Important: Be mindful of how your edits affect the surrounding text. Adding or removing a significant amount of text can cause text to "reflow" onto other pages or create overset text (text that no longer fits in its frame).
Adjust Text Frames (If Needed)
If your text overflows its frame (indicated by a small red plus sign in the bottom-right corner of the text frame), switch to the Selection Tool (). Click on the text frame, and then drag the bottom-middle handle downwards to expand the frame and reveal more text. Be cautious not to alter the overall layout significantly.
Save Your Changes
Once you've made your edits, save the InDesign file: File > Save or File > Save As... if you want to save a new version.
Export New Print-Ready PDF or EPUB
To get updated files for your publisher, you'll need to export from InDesign:
- For Print-Ready PDF: Go to File > Export..., choose Adobe PDF (Print), and select the appropriate preset (e.g., [Press Quality] or a specific preset from your printer). Ensure "Use Document Bleed Settings" is checked if your book has bleeds.
- For EPUB: Go to File > Export..., choose EPUB (Reflowable) or EPUB (Fixed Layout) depending on your book type. Follow the prompts to export.
Always review your exported PDF or EPUB thoroughly before submitting it to a publisher.
Frequently Asked Questions About InDesign Edits
Common questions clients have when attempting to edit their InDesign files.
If you don't have Adobe InDesign, you won't be able to open or edit the `.indd` files directly. For minor corrections, you can either purchase a subscription to Adobe InDesign or consider hiring a professional designer to make the changes for you. For significant revisions, we recommend contacting us for assistance.
A red plus sign in the bottom-right corner of a text frame indicates "overset text." This means there is more text than can fit within the current text frame. To fix this, use the Selection Tool to select the text frame and drag its bottom handle downwards to expand the frame until all text is visible. Be careful not to push text onto a new page unintentionally.
Minor text edits (e.g., correcting typos) typically won't disrupt the overall design. However, adding or deleting large blocks of text, changing font sizes, or moving images can significantly impact the layout. Always review your exported PDF/EPUB carefully after making changes to ensure the design integrity is maintained.
Images in InDesign are "linked," not embedded. To change an image, you'll need to update the original image file on your computer and then use InDesign's "Links" panel (Window > Links) to relink or update the image. For simple replacement, you can also select the image frame with the Selection Tool, then go to File > Place and choose a new image, ensuring "Replace Selected Item" is checked.
While InDesign allows you to change document size, adapting an existing book layout to a significantly different trim size is a complex task that typically requires professional expertise. It involves adjusting margins, text reflow, image scaling, and potentially re-styling to maintain a professional appearance. We recommend contacting us for assistance if you need to reformat your book for a new size.