Translate InDesign files
Translate InDesign IDML files up to 30 MB. Frames, styles, images and fonts stay untouched while text is replaced in page order. Includes the INDD workaround and caveats.
InDesign layouts in IDML format (.idml) are accepted up to 30 MB. AI Glot reads the text in page order and writes the translation back into the same frames. Layout, styles, images and fonts are not touched, so the file opens in InDesign the way you left it, ready for your designer to fine-tune.
What is translated, and what is left alone
| Translated | Left as it was |
|---|---|
| Text in frames, in page order | Frames, positions, paragraph and character styles |
| Master-page text and unplaced text | Images and fonts |
| Table cells and footnotes | Deleted tracked changes, notes and anchored objects |
| Bold labels, italic words and hyperlinks inside a paragraph | The document’s language dictionary |
Saving an INDD as IDML
A native .indd file cannot be uploaded. In InDesign, choose File > Save As, pick InDesign CS4 or later (IDML), then upload the .idml file. The upload tells you these steps if you try an .indd.
What you can ask
Translates the layout and leaves the names you list.
Translate the document into French. Keep product names in English.
Asks for compact wording, since longer text can overflow a frame.
Translate into German. Prefer short phrasing so the text stays within its frames, and keep headlines on one line where possible.
Leaves headlines and captions in the source language.
Translate only the body text paragraphs into Spanish. Leave headlines, captions and the table of contents as they are.
Makes sure structured text is part of the plan.
Translate the whole document into Italian, including table cells and footnotes. Leave prices and article numbers unchanged.
Same glossary, run once per target language.
Translate this catalogue into Portuguese. Use the same terminology as the glossary.
Good to know
- One target language per upload. A layout holds one language. If you ask for two, the plan translates one and says so. Upload the layout once for each language and you get one IDML file per language, with the same glossary every time.
- Overflow. Text in some languages is longer, so a frame can overflow. AI Glot does not resize frames. Your designer adjusts them in InDesign.
- Language dictionary. The document’s language is not changed, so set it in InDesign after translating.
- Checked, not certified. The output keeps the IDML package intact, but AI Glot has not certified re-opening in every InDesign version. Open one file and check before you translate a whole catalogue.
- Ceiling. 30 MB. Output filter: not available, the whole file comes back.
Related
- PDF when only the exported PDF is left.
- Word and PowerPoint for office documents.
- All file formats