Prepare your InDesign package – Bynder Support

Process overview

Prepare your InDesign file
- Prepare text frames
- Prepare images
- Prepare shapes
- Prepare colors
- Prepare fonts
Create an InDesign package.
Follow the checklist to see if your package has been prepared correctly.
(Standard template users only) Send your template to your Implementation consultant /Customer Success Manager.
(DIY users only) Upload your package to Bynder.
(DIY users only)If your template does not look as desired, see Troubleshoot your templates.

What is a Template Creator template?

Your InDesign file might contain elements such as text frames, shapes and images. Each of these elements needs to be prepared according to the guidelines so that it comes out well in print and when uploaded to Bynder. A Template Creator template mainly consists of four elements.

Script labels

Script labels are used to indicate whether an object in your template is editable or not. The elements that have a script label are editable and therefore dynamic. The ones without are static and not editable.

Text frame

A text frame is an element with text inside. Depending on whether the text frame has a script label, the text inside can be edited by users.

Image frame

An image frame is an element with an image inside, which needs to be linked to an file in the Images folder. Depending on whether the image frame has a script label the image inside can be edited by users.

Backgrounds and shapes

Background and shapes are elements that can be used as static elements in the template.

Note

Backgrounds and shapes cannot have a script label if you make use of the Template Creator. This is not applicable to templates that are handled by our Professions Services department.

How to prepare my InDesign package?

Text frames

Create a text frame. More information on creating a text frame can be found here.

Note

Make sure that your text layers do not include image frames. Use separate layers for text and image frames.
If the text should be editable for end users, add a script label to the text frame.
Apply a paragraph style to the text frame.
Optionally, you can apply a character style to the text frame.
Optionally, you can set up a background color for a text frame. To do this follow these instructions.
Make sure the requirements below are met.

Requirements

Make sure two text frames do not overlap each other.
Make sure your text frames are not grouped with any other objects. If they are, select the whole group in InDesign, right click and choose Ungroup.
Make sure text is not vectorized. If your text is static, flatten it into an image instead of vectorizing it.
Make sure the text frame does not have more than one column.
Make sure that text frames are not linked.
Make sure the text in your text frames is aligned from the top, not from the bottom when using the Template Creator. This is not applicable to templates that are handled by our Professions Services department.
Make sure you do not use padding or inset spacing.
Make sure the gutter value in the text frame options is always set to 0.

Paragraph Styles

Each paragraph in a text box needs a paragraph style. This also includes paragraphs within text frames that are not editable by end users. Paragraph styles ensure the text shows as desired in print and on a template. If you do not apply styles to the paragraphs in the text frames, the template created in Bynder will use the default style, which is most likely not in line with your desired look and feel.

If the template also needs to work with non-Roman languages make sure to create an individual paragraph style for each language that uses a different font. The font files also need to be included in the Documents Font folder of the InDesign package.

We recommend creating a separate template for languages that are typed from right to left. For example, Arabic.

Follow the steps below to apply a paragraph style to your text.

Click and click on the paragraph.
Open Window > Styles > Paragraph Styles.
Click on the paragraph style you want to apply.
Make sure your paragraph style defines the following properties:

Font family
Font style
Font Size
Leading

This is important, since leading is used to determine the line height in the template editor.
Case

Only Normal & All caps are supported
Kerning & Tracking
Bullets & Numbers
Follow these steps to set up bullets and numbering.
I want to set up bullet points

Select Bullets as List Type.

Select the normal bullet character . Other bullet characters are not supported.

Configure the Left indent, which specifies how far the lines after the first line are indented.

The First Line indent specifies where the bullet is positioned. Set a negative indent or make it equal to the Left indent value. We advise to set the exact opposite of the Left indent. So if you configured 10mm for the Left indent, set -10mm for the First Line indent.

I want to set up numbering

Select Numbers as List Type.

In the Format field, select the preferred numbering format.

Configure the Left indent, which specifies how far the lines after the first line are indented.

The First Line indent specifies where the number is positioned. Set a negative indent or make it equal to the Left Indent value. We advise to set the exact opposite of the Left Indent. So if you configured 10mm for the Left indent, set -10mm for the First Line indent.
Character color

Needs to be defined in Swatch colors first.
1. Check whether you have a paragraph style that isn’t used for any text placeholder.
  
  If so, make sure that after your InDesign package has been created, you manually copy the font file of this paragraph style to the Document fonts folder. Copying the font file allows you to still select this paragraph style for a placeholder at a later stage using the Template Editor available within the portal. Font files that are not copied over, cannot be displayed.
2. Make sure the requirements below are met.

Requirements

All text within the template should have a paragraph style applied to it, regardless of whether or not the text is editable to the end user.
Soft returns (Shift+Enter) should not be used in the placeholder text as these will not be recognized by the uploader. Use the leading value to control for space between paragraphs. To determine if a document has any soft returns, go to Type > Show hidden characters. Soft returns are marked with the following character:
Different paragraphs in a single text field can have different paragraph styles. Each paragraph in a text frame should have a paragraph style. This is crucial especially if paragraphs have different colors, different fonts, font size, font colors or any other differences.
The names of paragraph or character styles cannot contain hyphens.
Make sure that your paragraph styles are not aligned to grid. If you want a larger space between two paragraphs, add an empty line in between. This empty line also needs to have a paragraph style applied to it.
Make sure your paragraph styles are not hyphenated, as our editor uses HTML which does not recognize hyphenation.
Make sure you don't use the Basic Paragraph style. Use one of your own custom paragraph styles instead.

What to do when a plus sign shows in my paragraph style's name?

If the name displays as [style_name]+ it means that some changes have been made to the style using InDesign's control panel, which have not been saved as a part of the paragraph style.

Right-click on the name and select Edit [style_name]. Update the style details and save.

You can remove the changes you made to the paragraph style via the control panel by right-clicking on the name of the paragraph style with the + sign and selecting Apply "paragraph style name", Clear overrides.

Note

Changing the existing paragraph style changes the formatting of every paragraph using this style. Sometimes it’s better to create a new paragraph style or a new character style instead.

Character Styles

Sometimes you might want to apply special formatting to one or several words in a paragraph. Then, you could set a character style for these words. Unlike paragraph styles, character styles are not obligatory. Only apply a character style when certain characters in a paragraph need to have a different styling from the rest of the paragraph.

Click and select the text you want to apply the character style to.
Open Window > Styles > Character Styles.
Click on the character style you want to apply.
Have a look at the tips below.
Tip
- If you character style is for color, the only thing you need to determine within the character style is which color to use.
- If your character style is for anything else (bold, italic, etc.), you will also need to determine font, font size & leading in order for the style to work after the upload.

Images

Add an image to your template. Checkout InDesign's help center for more information on adding images.

Note

Make sure that your image layers do not include text frames. Use separate layers for text and image frames.
Add a script label to the image if you want the image to be editable.
If you want an editable image to have a shaped edge, follow these instructions.Image frames always need to be rectangular. However, if you want your editable image to have shaped edge, you need to use other elements to hide the parts of the image that should not show up. For example, if you want an image to have a cut corner, place a rectangle on the corner to hide it.
Make sure the requirements below are met.

Requirements

Make sure the placeholders of editable images have 'Fitting' enabled in InDesign. Click on the image in the InDesign file and go to Object > Fitting. Select Fit Content to Frame.
Note

The Fit Content to Frame setting only applies to the placeholder images in InDesign. Images that are added in the portal by end users don't need to be in the same dimensions as the frame.

If a linked image does have a script label, you need to make sure that the image and image frame are of the same size. To do this right click on the image and choose Fitting > Fit Content to Frame.
Make sure all transformations from images with script labels are cleared. So for editable images, do not apply zooming or rotation to the image in the InDesign file. Right click on the image and click Transform>Clear transformations.
To ensure that the images touching the edge of the page come out well in print, make sure that bleed is added to these images or shapes. This means that the images or shapes should extend beyond the edge of the page. Click on the image and make them wider so that they go over the edge of the page.
If you want your editable image to have shaped edge, place a shaped element on the image. For example, if you want an image to have a cut corner, place a rectangle on the corner to hide it.
Make sure all transformations from images with script labels are removed. So for editable images, do not apply zooming or rotation to the image in the InDesign file.
Make sure your images are not grouped with any other objects. If they are, select the whole group in InDesign, right click and choose Ungroup.

Shapes

Shapes can be used as decorative elements or to shape images.

Add a shape. Checkout InDesign's help center for more information on adding shapes.
If you want to apply a gradient to your shape, follow the instructions here.
Follow the requirements below:

Requirements

Make sure the shapes in your template do not have script labels when using the Template Creator. This is not applicable to templates that are handled by our Professions Services department.
Make sure graphic frames are not used, as they are not supported.
Make sure the shape is not configured as a text frame. To do this, right click on the shape and choose Content > Graphic or Unassigned.
Make sure that all shapes with color around the edges of the page slightly extend over the edge itself to avoid a white line in between the edge and the shape when printed.
Make sure your shapes are not grouped with any other objects. If they are, select the whole group in InDesign, right click and choose Ungroup.

Create an InDesign package

An InDesign package contains a PDF with a preview, INDD file, IDML file and Links and Documents folders. To create a package in InDesign, go to File > Package. Make sure that you select to include the PDF and IDML files.

Checklist

Make sure you follow the checklist before you upload your InDesign package to Bynder.

Note

If the InDesign file is prepared incorrectly, the template will not display correct either.

Open the IDML file from your package.
When your file opens, check that all your paragraphs have a paragraph style. See Styles.
Make sure that your layers do not include both text and image frames. Use separate layers for text and image frames.
Check that text frames and text do not overlap.
Check that the text in the text frames is aligned to the top and does not have padding or spaces above or under the text. See Paragraph style requirements.
Make sure all character colors for text are defined in a paragraph or a character style.
Make sure that editable elements such as text or images have unique script labels. See Script labels.
If you want the images or shapes that touch the edge of the page to come out good in print, make sure that bleed is added to these images or shapes. See Image requirements.
Make sure color swatches are defined for colors. See Colors.
Make sure that your template does not have invisible layers. If there are unnecessary objects or layers in your template, do not hide them but remove them.
Make sure the fonts that you find in the Document fonts folder in your package are .otf or .ttf. Also make sure they are linked to the InDesign file.

Note

If the font is not linked, it has a pink background in the InDesign file.
Check that all the images are in the Links folder, which you can find in the package. Also make sure that the image names do not contain spaces or special characters.
(Optional) You can check your InDesign file against our Business rules file. You can find it in the Learn more section.

Upload your InDesign package to Bynder

You can easily upload your template to Bynder using the Template Creator. Templates with gradients are supported. Make sure you have this feature enabled for your account. Contact your Bynder Customer Success Manager for information and help with the setup.

Zip your InDesign package and give it a meaningful name.
Go to Settings > Brand templates > Template Management.
Click InDesign package uploader.
Drag and drop your zipped package onto the site.

Note

Depending on the size of the package, the upload might take a moment. If the upload takes too long, verify the file and try again.

When the package converts, you can find the ready template in https://YourPortalURL.com/settings/templates.

Custom development features

If you are a POD user, and upload templates to Bynder, you might have special wishes regarding your templates. We can implement some customizations, such as autosizing and dropdowns to select the text color.

Contact your Custom Success Manager if you would like to discuss custom development possibilities. Your Customer Success Manager is happy to set up a call with you and our Professional Services team to discuss what's possible.

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