Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

zoran

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jun 30, 2005
4,868
136
Is it possible when transfering text from a word document to indesign, to keep the text formatting?
 
Unfortunately, Id doesn't offer a "Paste Special" option so Copy/Paste looses all formatting. This isn't Word's fault; it's Adobe's.

When I need to do this, I edit the Word doc to remove all unwanted portions and save that as either a DOC or DOCX. I can then DragonDrop the new file into an Id document. This way, formatting survives, at least all the formatting I've needed. There might be some thngs that aren't supported (I suspect most or all graphics and artwork), but I've yet to actually need to import anything other than text. When I've needed graphics I've always imported those separately from the original source artwork.
 
  • Like
Reactions: zoran
Unfortunately, Id doesn't offer a "Paste Special" option so Copy/Paste looses all formatting. This isn't Word's fault; it's Adobe's.

When I need to do this, I edit the Word doc to remove all unwanted portions and save that as either a DOC or DOCX. I can then DragonDrop the new file into an Id document. This way, formatting survives, at least all the formatting I've needed. There might be some thngs that aren't supported (I suspect most or all graphics and artwork), but I've yet to actually need to import anything other than text. When I've needed graphics I've always imported those separately from the original source artwork.
Graphics, tables and such come through.

I set legals for our newspaper every week and other than leading with images and tables that come in huge there's really not an issue. Just a matter of swapping out fonts/sizes as the docs sent to us are done for letter size.
[doublepost=1524514747][/doublepost]
DragonDrop?
Drag and drop.
 
Graphics, tables and such come through. ...

I would suspect that simple unadulterated images would survive. I have, though, encountered some images that were manipulated in Word's graphic editor on Windows that can't even be viewed in Word for Mac or the Office Online Word module. The were only viewable in Word for Windows. I doubt Id can process these.
 
  • Like
Reactions: eyoungren
I would suspect that simple unadulterated images would survive. I have, though, encountered some images that were manipulated in Word's graphic editor on Windows that can't even be viewed in Word for Mac or the Office Online Word module. The were only viewable in Word for Windows. I doubt Id can process these.
Yeah, the stuff I usually deal with is fairly simple. Engineering maps usually to show city easements or construction. Stuff all done on a PC by city government as attachments to city ordinances.

Sometimes it's color, most of the time it's black and white.
 
Is it possible when transfering text from a word document to indesign, to keep the text formatting?
Yes. Just copy & paste as normal. If it's not working, then you need to check your InDesign preferences. (See image below) I have mine set to text only because I DON'T want formatting kept. But if you do, then make sure "All Information" is selected in the Clipboard Handling preference.

id-clipboard-prefs.png


Unfortunately, Id doesn't offer a "Paste Special" option so Copy/Paste looses all formatting. This isn't Word's fault; it's Adobe's.
I don't know what version of InDesign you're using, but as long as I can remember ID pastes text with formatting intact by default. You have to physically turn it off in the preferences if you don't want formatting when pasting (or use the keyboard shortcut of Command + Shift + V (paste without formatting).
 
  • Like
Reactions: bhtwo
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.