Adobe InDesign: Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
1. Description
2. Why is this valuable to you?
Thank you.
- or
82 results found
-
Paragraph Style Option Dialogue Box - Bullets and Numbering
We had to change the font we're using for a checkbox in one of our paragraph styles. We have it set up under Paragraph Style Options / Bullets and Numbering. To add a character you want to use for a bullet character, you click add. There is no way to sort glyphs (by math symbols, greek, etc.) in the next window, and there are no scroll buttons. You have to grab the handle on the screen and scroll, and it jumps so fast, you can't navigate from one screen to the next. It just took me 20 minutes to find the "LOWERED RIGHT DROP-SHADOWED RIGHT SQUARE" character for a check box. You can't copy it from another place and paste it in to this window. We use the feature a lot. We used to use Zaph Dingbats, but for some reason have had a lot of problems with the font lately, even after purchasing a new version. We searched many fonts to find this character available in a font all our users and translation agencies would have. (We translate our technical and sales documents to 12 other languages.) After trying to fix this style in all 12 languages, I would like to say - love the feature...do NOT love the interface. Is there a way this could work more like the glyph palette?
We had to change the font we're using for a checkbox in one of our paragraph styles. We have it set up under Paragraph Style Options / Bullets and Numbering. To add a character you want to use for a bullet character, you click add. There is no way to sort glyphs (by math symbols, greek, etc.) in the next window, and there are no scroll buttons. You have to grab the handle on the screen and scroll, and it jumps so fast, you can't navigate from one screen to the next. It just took me 20 minutes to find…
1 vote -
New Window directly from Page/Spread
I'd like to have the option to create a new window/tab/view into a file from a specific page/spread. I keep my Pages panel open, so I'd want to be able to right click a page and open a new window (that I can place on another screen as a reference).
My workaround would be to export as a PDF and open the relevant page in Acrobat on my second screen, or manually create a new window and then navigate to the relevant page.
Being able to do this in a single step saves a small amount of time, but convenience is the grease that keeps our cogs turning instead of grinding, and minimizing frustrating tedium is a value all its own.
I can see 3 entry points for this.
1. from the right click menu on a page/spread within the Pages panel
2. from context menu on a specific page canvas directly (kind of negates the benefit, but we don't have a duplicate view/new window already available there)
3. as a drag operation, possibly with a modifier key, if you were to drag a page/spread out of the Pages panel, simulating the physical action of opening that page in a new tab/window.Why is it valuable? It saves several seconds of needless scrolling per session, per file. For folks work on much larger documents, it would naturally add up quickly (time saved).
I'd like to have the option to create a new window/tab/view into a file from a specific page/spread. I keep my Pages panel open, so I'd want to be able to right click a page and open a new window (that I can place on another screen as a reference).
My workaround would be to export as a PDF and open the relevant page in Acrobat on my second screen, or manually create a new window and then navigate to the relevant page.
Being able to do this in a single step saves a small amount of time, but convenience…
1 vote
5603 results found
-
[ID-4261542] Text variables to include auto numbers
When creating a text variable, it would be great to have it capture the auto numbering, e.g. if the heading is "1. Introduction" and the number is set as an auto number to the paragraph style, then the text variable that references that paragraph style should also pick up the number. At the moment, all you get from the text variable is "Introduction". Or at least have that as an option!
105 votes -
Remove first line indent after a heading
We need an option to set First Line Indent to zero when a paragraph follows a heading.
For example, perhaps you have Head1, Head2, and BodyText. Head2 is based on Head1. BodyText has a first line indent. My suggestion is that InDesign should have a checkbox labeled "Set first line indent to zero when following:" and then provide a list of paragraph styles in the document.
You could either allow people to choose Head1 AND Head2 (multiple selection list), or you could allow them to choose Head1 and it would automatically apply to Head2 because that is based on Head1.
104 votes -
Ability to assign a shortcut to [None] in the Character Styles window.
Because you sometimes want to REMOVE a character style and it would be very beneficial to be able to use a shortcut for that as well.
103 votes -
UI – Some Buttons are missing InDesign CC 2020 (OS X)
Hello,
I’ve updated InDesign to the newest version 15.0 (InDesign CC 2020) on OS X.
And some buttons in the top window border are missing like the percent and the GPU rocket.Is it possible to put these back?! Or do I have to change it anywhere in the menu? Can’t find it.
Best
Sascha102 votesThe InDesign team appreciates your valuable feedback and concerns. These go a long way in helping us make InDesign better for you and update it continuously to cater to evolving user needs. The app bar design was changed as part of these improvement efforts, and will also help us in introducing some modern and exciting functionalities which we have been working on.
While doing this, we have taken care not to remove any existing functionalities which were available in the previous App Bar design. These have only been relocated – either grouped along with similar functionalities (based on results from our user research) or shifted to improve usability (to provide a consistent experience) while working across Creative Cloud apps, especially Photoshop (Ps) & Illustrator (Ai), which are frequently used by InDesign users. We do understand that it takes time & effort in adopting these but we sincerely hope that the value will reveal itself as we work together with you in defining the future of layout & publishing.
__
Here is a list of the re-located functionalities -
Bridge: can now be accessed via “File > Browse in Bridge” – similar to Ps & Ai.
Stock: the search option in the app bar (on the far right) allows you to search assets across Adobe Stock. Stock can also be accessed via “File > Search Adobe Stock”.
GPU options: can now be accessed via “InDesign > Preferences > GPU Performance …” – similar to Ps & Ai.
Zoom levels: are now available at the bottom left of the App window.
Document Bar (on the far left) – similar to Ps & Ai. This location is same as what was available in past versions when users used InDesign without the app bar. Zoom levels can also be controlled through keyboard shortcuts: (Cmd +) or (Cmd -) to help you work faster.
Screen Mode: has now shifted below the Tool Bar (bottom-most icon). It can also be accessed via “View > Screen Mode” – similar to Ps & Ai.
View Options: is now available in proximity to the Screen Mode icon (below the Tool Bar), owing to the similarity of their functions. The drop-down menu showcases corresponding shortcuts for each view option which can enable you to work faster.
Arrange Documents: can now be accessed via “Window > Arrange” – similar to Ps & Ai.—
Adobe InDesign teamThe InDesign team appreciates your valuable feedback and concerns. These go a long way in helping us make InDesign better for you and update it continuously to cater to evolving user needs. The app bar design was changed as part of these improvement efforts, and will also help us in introducing some modern and exciting functionalities which we have been working on.
While doing this, we have taken care not to remove any existing functionalities which were available in the previous App Bar design. These have only been relocated – either grouped along with similar functionalities (based on results from our user research) or shifted to improve usability (to provide a consistent experience) while working across Creative Cloud apps, especially Photoshop (Ps) & Illustrator (Ai), which are frequently used by InDesign users. We do understand that it takes time & effort in adopting these but we sincerely hope that the…
-
Export selected pages
I very frequently need to export only certain pages to PDF. I know I can type a range or multiple ranges. But it would realy speed up my professional work if I could just select the pages and hit 'Export selected pages...' in the contextual mouse menu.
This feature was present until CS6 by a plugin named HandyTools by DTP Utils.
102 votes -
Dependent font sizes
Allow for Character styles to have a font size relative to the underlying Paragraph style by adding and subtracting (or even multiplication and division). A Character style’s font size could be -2 pt or +2 pt for example. If the Paragraph style’s font size is 14 pt, the Character style’s fonts size would result in 12 pt or 16 pt. This is very practical for optical adjustment of different typefaces for example, keeping everything dynamic.
102 votes -
Move "missing links" prompt to before PDF export dialogue.
Please move the "missing fonts" or "missing links" prompts to BEFORE the PDF naming and features preferences. I makes me nuts when navigate to where I'm dropping the final export, then name it, only to have an alert pop up telling me I'm missing something. I should be told that IMMEDIATELY.
102 votes -
Page range(s) and pages/spreads options in Share for Review
Export options for Share for Review
Ability to select page range(s), individual pages vs spreads, etc. directly in the export process, not buried in the last PDF export settings.
96 votes -
Grep style formatting for variables
Active linked variables and Grep styles do not work together.
When you use variables and paragraph formats with Grep styles, you have to set the variable back to text and lose the link, to enable formatting with the Grep style.
Variables should be handled by InDesign like normal text, with all features of formatting etc.
96 votes -
HEIF/HEIC
Ability to import heif/heic files just like any other vector format (.ai, .pdf, .eps, etc.)
96 votesAbility to import HEIC/HEIF/JPEG2000/WEBP image formats is available in InDesign 2023.
--
Adobe InDesign team
-
Don't add space between paragraphs of the same style
I'd like the option to not add space between paragraphs of the same style, even if those paragraphs have space above or below. Microsoft Word has a checkbox that does this, and it's great for list styles. You can create a list style with space above and below and then check that box so that space only appears before and after the list, not between list items.
In order to achieve the same effect in InDesign, you need three or more styles (one with space above but not below for the first item, one without space above or below for the middle items, and one with space below but not above for the last item). It makes setting documents with lots of lists a real chore.
I'd like the option to not add space between paragraphs of the same style, even if those paragraphs have space above or below. Microsoft Word has a checkbox that does this, and it's great for list styles. You can create a list style with space above and below and then check that box so that space only appears before and after the list, not between list items.
In order to achieve the same effect in InDesign, you need three or more styles (one with space above but not below for the first item, one without space above or below for…
96 votesDear All,
This feature is now available in latest InDesign CC version. Please upgrade to the latest release.
Thanks
Abhinav Agarwal -
Table of Contents
Table of Contents styles should be able to take a selected page range, and generate a TOC based on only that page range.
Many books have multiple TOCs these days — a master TOC up front, and TOCs at the beginning of each chapter or section, and often a hidden TOC that is used to generate PDF bookmarks.
Being able to limit page ranges would mean less manually edited of generated TOCs, faster TOC generation, and needing to use fewer paragraph/character styles to handle them!
95 votes -
Repeat last action feature
Please, make something like MS Word, that you can repeat your last action just pressing F4. That could save a lot of time.
93 votes -
Publish Online for INDB (book) file
Please extend Publish Online to Books. I use recurring elements as chapters in presentations and would like to publish online instead of exporting and transmitting PDF files.
93 votes -
Easy way to convert text to outline while exporting
Most of our printers still ask for fonts to be outlined.
Unfortunately the process to outline is very complicated and usually results in bullets, text box backgrounds and underline/over-lines disappearing. I also don't always want to flatten the whole document but simply rasterize the text. Especially when sending something to print that has different ink layers. Being able to outline text in the Export dialog box would be the best solution. This way I don't have to save a separate document or undo all my changes before saving so I retain my text in the Indd file.93 votes -
Open hyperlinks in new tab
You could update the software with the function to open hyperlinks in new tab within PDFs and other formats. This is very necessary.
90 votes -
Generative AI - Alt Text and other AI Features
These features should be turned off by default. Most users do not want generated content being automatically inserted into production documents without review or approval. If users do want AI assistance, it should be opt-in, with clear choices such as:
Generate descriptions for all images
Generate descriptions for selected images only
Approve descriptions on a case-by-case basisI do not think automatically inserting generated content into live production files is a good approach.
In real-world workflows especially regulated, accessibility, publishing, legal, pharmaceutical, or corporate environments every word often needs to be reviewed, approved, and sometimes audited. AI-generated alt text can absolutely be useful as a starting point, but it should never silently become part of the document unless the user explicitly accepts it.
There is also the risk of inaccurate, inappropriate, misleading, or non-compliant content being introduced into documents without the user immediately noticing. That could create serious problems for regulated workflows, accessibility compliance, approvals, translations, and version-controlled production environments.
AI should assist the user, not bypass existing review and sign-off processes.
See the current thread.
These features should be turned off by default. Most users do not want generated content being automatically inserted into production documents without review or approval. If users do want AI assistance, it should be opt-in, with clear choices such as:
Generate descriptions for all images
Generate descriptions for selected images only
Approve descriptions on a case-by-case basisI do not think automatically inserting generated content into live production files is a good approach.
In real-world workflows especially regulated, accessibility, publishing, legal, pharmaceutical, or corporate environments every word often needs to be reviewed, approved, and sometimes audited. AI-generated alt text can…
89 votesHi all,
Thanks for the detailed feedback on this thread. Reopening it, because we're still actively working on the issue. A few updates:
Relinking: the case where manually entered alt text was overwritten by generated alt text on relink was fixed in 21.4. If you're still seeing manual alt text get overwritten after relinking, reply here with a sample file and your InDesign version and we'll investigate directly.
Remove all generated alt text: an option to remove all generated alt text from a document in a single action is on the way.
We hear the wider feedback here too, and we're keeping this open while we work through it.
Best regards,
Sunny
-
color picker isn't consistent with other software.
Please allow users to change color picker to Photoshop color picker. Indesign is great except for the nuisance of having a horrible UI for the color picker. I make all my colors in photoshop copy the code then paste it into Indesign.
89 votesHello All,
Starting Id 16.0 we introduced HSB in Color Picker.
Does that resolve inconsistency issue for you?Please tell us in the comments.
Regards,
Abhinav Kaushik
Product Manager, InDesign -
Adds the option to create sidenotes on Indiesign
Adding a built-in option to create side-notes in Indiesign, such comments that come next to the text where they are numbered. In addition, there will be control over whether to insert a separator between them and the main text, as well as control of the numbering style, and the paragraph or character style applied to them. Adding or subtracting one comment will update the number and position of the other comments, and if one comment goes beyond the page boundaries - move its content to the next page.
Also, the designer should be given the choice of three options -
1. A note corresponding to its numbering in the main text.
2. Side-aligned notes aligned towards up.
3. Side-aligned notes towards down.And the option to pin the notes to the outside of the page, or to the spine.
Adding a built-in option to create side-notes in Indiesign, such comments that come next to the text where they are numbered. In addition, there will be control over whether to insert a separator between them and the main text, as well as control of the numbering style, and the paragraph or character style applied to them. Adding or subtracting one comment will update the number and position of the other comments, and if one comment goes beyond the page boundaries - move its content to the next page.
Also, the designer should be given the choice of three options -…88 votes -
Paste in place on multiple pages
It would be good to be able to paste in place on multiple pages.
88 votes
- Don't see your idea?