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• • March 19, 2014 at 10:42 am #67681
    Isabel Proksch

    Member

    Hey all – so we want to use books for our project portfolios. Basically, we have a catalog of individual project sheets, and then want to create books using them. Only problem – some projects will appear in more than one book if they qualify for more than one category (i.e. “housing” but also “high-rise”). All I can find on the subject is that it is “not recommended” but if we can get around it we would eliminate having to replicate files and update essentially the same document more than once. All of these books would have the same styles and everything, so the only thing in theory that would change is the page number and footer title from book to book. It would be very rare if ever that two books that share the same document would even be open at the same time. Does anyone have knowledge on this? Thanks!!

  • March 19, 2014 at 1:18 pm #67685
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    How long are the project sheets? One good option is to use File > Place to place the pages of one InDesign file into another. They act like graphics wherever you place them, but you can place the same INDD file into many different other INDD files.

  • March 20, 2014 at 4:23 pm #67692
    Isabel Proksch

    Member

    Woah I did not know that place tip! Do they update then just like a graphic would? The majority of the project sheets are typically only 1 page, although some might be 2-4.

  • March 20, 2014 at 4:30 pm #67693
    Isabel Proksch

    Member

    If you had a table of contents in the document and placed InDesign files – would it still read the parapraph styles from the placed doc?

  • March 21, 2014 at 5:25 am #67703
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    Yes, placed INDD files update just like graphics — they act almost exactly like placing a PDF file. But even better: You can option-double-click one (or Edit > Edit Original) and it will open the original INDD file so you can edit it. Then save and close, and it updates immediately.

    As for TOC: No… that would be cool. But no. You would have to fake that with something like this trick: https://creativepro.com/creating-and-advertiser-index-or-other-difficult-toc.php

  • March 21, 2014 at 9:30 am #67705
    Isabel Proksch

    Member

    Okay gotcha, this is really helpful. Thanks so much!

  • January 27, 2025 at 2:21 am #14411072
    Laura Sansotera

    Participant

    Hi everyone!
    Sorry to revive a long dead post, but I’m in the same situation as Isabel. Is it still not recommended to use the same file in multiple books or did something change in the last 11 years?
    My client wouldd also need to use the same documents, which are quite long and complicated, in multiple books, with only the page number changing (but of course they would be automated in the parent page ot the original file) so having multiple documents for the same content would be counterproductive. Your workaround makes sense to me, but I fear they would deem it “too complicated” (not sure who will be the one to update the files in the future).

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