Adobe InCopy CC: The workflow to the editorial system

Adobe InCopy makes it possible to edit content released in InDesign. This chapter presents how InCopy works, including its areas of application, possibilities and limitations. A distinction is also made between two possible workflows - one in which editorial and graphic design work together in one office, the other in which one of them works externally. This chapter explains the theoretical basis for both approaches.

This chapter shows the steps the graphic designer has to take to prepare and release a layout for InCopy. Users are created and relevant control panels for working with InCopy are illustrated.

The layout is exported for "in-house" use - i.e. when working together with the editorial team on a server. The layout is also exported for "external" use as a second option - if the content is to be provided to the editorial team via email or FTP.

It deals with typical problems, how tasks are packaged and accepted and how projects are completed correctly.

This chapter shows you how to open and view a document that has been prepared for InCopy, and the important points to note about the user interface and all its views.

Before you start editing content in InCopy, you should familiarize yourself with the user interface and navigation. The principle is similar to InDesign, but it is often completely new territory for editors and authors.

To be able to navigate quickly through a document, you should familiarize yourself with some tricks and tips that are discussed in this chapter. It also shows you how to change the screen mode and adapt it to your needs.

Terms such as "layout", "text section", "galley proof and preview mode": the differences are explained here.

The "Assignments" panel is used to organize the available text sections in a document. Texts must be checked out via this control panel so that they can be edited in InCopy.

The Links palette is used to manage placed images and texts. This chapter shows a few tips and tricks for using the Links palette.

This video shows how to make minor text corrections quickly in InCopy. There are some important control panels and menu items in the program that can help with text editing.

To ensure that a project can be implemented efficiently and properly, it is essential to work with paragraph and character styles. This video explains how to use the formats and gives a few more tips and tricks for text editing.

It is possible in InCopy to change the section of existing graphics and to place graphics yourself. This chapter shows what is possible and where the limits lie.

When graphic designers and editors work together, it is necessary to coordinate and regularly exchange information. The notes function in InCopy can help with this and simplify collaboration.

When the editor has finished editing the texts, the data must be returned to the graphics. Depending on the workflow, it is sufficient to check the data back into the process.

This video shows how to make corrections within a table.

Recording corrections can be particularly helpful if several correction loops are planned or different editors are involved in a project. This allows you to check exactly who has made which changes and accept or reject them individually.

The thesaurus can be a useful aid for editorial work in InCopy. Synonyms and word explanations are offered here. It also explains how search and replace can be used to make changes to the document quickly and effectively. This tool helps us and saves us a lot of time.

If texts have already been prepared in another program, they can be placed directly in InCopy. This video shows what you need to bear in mind here.

It is possible to generate a PDF directly from InCopy. Even if the final print PDF is always created from InDesign, PDF writing in InCopy has special advantages.

In the preferences, you can customize the program interface to your personal preferences and make a few important settings for working with InCopy.

There are a few golden rules that should be followed when working together with InDesign and InCopy. Here we show you what they are and what you can do if something does go wrong.

The graphic designer does not always have to take the first step in the InCopy workflow. InCopy can also be used without an existing layout, ideally with InCopy templates. This section shows how these can be created and used.

Is the introduction of an InCopy workflow worthwhile? In this final, theoretical part, a few decision-making aids will be provided.