Clone Adobe InDesign Styles attributes in a blink with a script

Over the years, we have been working with high level press and media corporations. For most of them, it implies setting a XML Workflow within InDesign. Whatever the CMS they are equipped with, whatever the format of the publication is, it’s all about XML. But as you know it XML is just (or it should […]


5 errors you will do with InDesign XML

XML Import within Adobe InDesign is tricky for rookies. It’s likely you will fall into one of its many pitfalls. You have to follow some rules if you want to get your catalog, directory or book project perfectly populated! Here are 5 errors you will probably do unless you read carefully this article. 1) Ignore the true nature of […]


Just stop DTD validation inside Adobe InDesign…

So you have to validate your InDesign XML structure with a DTD. A DTD consists in determining how your XML structure should look like. DTD is really rigid. I mean, consider DTD as the tough guy who will not make you enter the party if you don’t wear the right clothes. However, that rigidity within InDesign, […]


Event-Driven Programming with ExtendScript

Several years of using Adobe Flex and ActionScript have used us to Event-driven programming. In other words, get separate pieces of code to communicate without direct linking to each other. Events can mean UI events (buttons clicks…) or even application related events (menu calls, documents openings). But we want to talk about something else here. We would […]


Real time Currency Conversion within Adobe InDesign

If you are working with financial data within Adobe InDesign in order to build catalogs, financial reports or menu maybe, you may need to convert prices from one currency to another. Of course, you shouldn’t have to deal with currency conversion as it is your client ‘s responsibility to provide them.  But you end up […]


What Automation Solutions for your Production

Any company facing increasing production comes to this conclusion : how produce better, faster and more efficiently ? Of course, first step is rationalisation. The hunt for bad process is open : you set procedures and try to reach a production efficiency optimum. Hey it works…for now. Soon enough production is speeding again and the previous patchs […]


Where to find Scripts for InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator…?

A few years ago, I came to the conclusion that finding scripts for Adobe Software was really an adventure. Of course, there was Adobe Exchange, an official platform gathering scripts, plug-ins and files. However, the difficult submission process and the limited content appeared to me as not representative of all the greatness of available resources. […]


How to choose between XML Import and Datamerge ?

During an InDesign User Group Meeting in Paris, a spectator asked me this simple question : “How to choose between XML Import and Datamerge ?”. A vast topic I tried to cover in a short time. I take this opportunity to speak further and hopefully provide elements of a response to make your final choice. Context matters It’s all about your layout […]


InDesignSecrets presents our InlineMerge script

InDesignSecrets does us the honor once again of introducing a product of ours to its readers : InlineMerge. This script extends datamerge feature by generating all the records inline in a same box. It’s a perfect tool for anyone that wants to create directories without using XML injection or buying plug-ins for for single use only. Formerly, […]


Seen on TV !

In 2011, Stéphane Baril & David Deraedt, both pre-sales consultants at Adobe France and facilitators of the late”Chips & Tips” webshow  invited Marc Autret and I to an InDesign Scripting introduction. One may consider the video as old but the content remains completely valid. If you are new to scripts or wish to learn more, […]