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Uncovering InDesign’s Hidden Files

Chad Chelius
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InDesign Magazine isse 145 coverThis article appeared in Issue 145 of InDesign Magazine.

Learn about the obscure files InDesign uses every day that you probably didn’t know about!

You already know that InDesign is a complex application with great power and flexibility. But, you might not realize that behind the scenes InDesign relies on a bunch of hidden files. Admittedly, the word hidden is a bit of a misnomer, because it implies that someone was deliberately trying to keep you from finding these files. Obscure is probably a better word. But the notion of uncovering hidden stuff is more fun, so let’s roll with that.

Understanding a bit about these files will allow you to tweak your settings, and then share them with other users. You can also create backups for use if you ever need to re-install InDesign or reset your preferences.

Let’s take a closer look at where these hidden files live, what they do, and how you can take advantage of them to help you work more efficiently in InDesign.

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Chad Chelius
Chad Chelius is a trainer, author, consultant, and speaker residing in the Philadelphia area. He’s been using Adobe products for over 25 years and began his career in the design and publishing industry. As an Adobe Certified Instructor and a consultant, he teaches and advises on all Adobe print and web products, specializing in InDesign and InCopy workflows, Illustrator, and PDF accessibility using Adobe Acrobat. He works with clients both large and small, in and outside the United States, helping them to solve problems, work smarter, and more efficiently using Adobe products.
  • Miss Diana Allen says:
    May 30, 2021 at 11:50 am

    Where can I go to see (revisit) all of the jewels (articles by all of the amazing InDesign Secrets folks) for the past 15+ years? I had tons and tons of bookmarks to these wonderful (old, but constantly updated by everyone’s amazing comments) articles, only to find I can’t get to any of that content anymore. Is it truly gone? If so, please know the faint, distant symphonic moans you’re hearing is me lamenting the end of a wonderful era.
    Cheers.

    Reply
    • Chad Chelius says:
      June 1, 2021 at 4:50 am

      Your best bet is probably to click on the “Magazine” menu at the top of this web page and subscribe to InDesign Magazine. That’ll give you access to thousands of articles from the past, present, and future along with online only articles as well.

      Reply
    • Mike Rankin says:
      June 1, 2021 at 6:08 am

      Chad is right, you need to be a subscriber to get the premium content. But your old bookmarks to free articles should still work. The new site automatically redirects any InDesignSecrets URLs to their CreativePro equivalents.

      Reply
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