Tips for Importing an InDesign File into iBooks Author

When translating a file from InDesign into Apple’s iBooks Author, keep these tips in mind for a smoother transition.

Change the page size in InDesign

Either manually or by using Liquid Layouts, change the page size of your InDesign layout.
The page size of a horizontal iBooks Author layout is 1024 × 748 (vertical is 768 × 1004).
Make any adjustments to page elements so you have fewer adjustments to make inside iBooks Author.
This is often an exercise in deciding which application will allow you to make changes quicker and more efficiently.

Make use of InDesign’s sections

Each InDesign section becomes a separate section or chapter in the iBooks Author file.

InDesign pages with sections assigned.

The same book split into iBooks Author chapters.

While you can always add pages to a section or chapter in iBooks Author, moving items from one section to another is tedious and not very intuitive.

Be aware of font usage

Some fonts won’t make the trip from InDesign to iBooks Author, especially if you’re using a lot of Typekit fonts.
Test out fonts before you’re in full production mode.

Making the transition

Save the InDesign file as an IDML file.
Create a new iBooks Author project using the blank template. Be sure to choose a layout with the same orientation as your InDesign file.
Choose the option to import all styles and media, discarding unused styles.

The import dialog box from iBooks Author.

Remove any existing chapter or section and delete the placeholder items—such as chapter markers and linked text frames—from the master page.

Update the styles in the iBooks Author file

Redefine paragraph and character styles, if necessary. You may need to apply the “none” character style first, then re-apply any needed character style to get the right formatting.