Create Book File - Guide for Adobe InDesign

Working with large documents can be challenging, especially when you need to coordinate a variety of chapters and sections. A book file in Adobe InDesign offers an elegant solution for managing different documents and keeps your work efficiently organized. In this tutorial, I will show you step by step how to create a book file that not only provides an overview of your chapters but also enables you with additional functions like tables of contents and indexes.

Key insights

• With a book file, you can efficiently manage multiple documents in Adobe InDesign.
• Automatic numbering functions make organizing chapters and pages easier.
• Synchronization options help keep the design and format consistent across different documents.
• You can easily perform PDF exports for your entire book.

Step 1: Create a Book File

First, open Adobe InDesign and go to “File” and then “New”. To create a book file, select “Book”. You will be prompted to choose a location to save the file. I recommend choosing the folder where your other chapters are stored. Don’t forget to include "Book" in the file name to make it easier to identify the files later. By clicking “Create”, your book file will be created.

Step 2: Add Documents to the Book

After creating the book file, a small window will open that acts as a palette. Here you have the option to add new documents by clicking on the plus symbol. Make sure that the documents are named in a logical order so that they appear in the correct order in the palette. This makes adding and arranging the chapters easier.

Step 3: Managing Chapters

Now that you have all the chapters in your book file, you can easily browse through individual chapters. By clicking on the current chapter, for example, Chapter 6, you can quickly switch between documents. This gives you an overview of all the pages included in your book. This overview is especially helpful to ensure that everything is arranged as desired.

Step 4: Automatic Page and Chapter Numbering

To automate the page numbering, go to the numbering and section options. Here you can set the pages to automatically adjust as chapters are added or removed. You can also access the chapter numbering to ensure that the numbering stays current, even when changes are made to the chapters.

Step 5: Synchronization Options

A useful feature of book files is synchronization. However, note that synchronization is not without risks. By default, synchronization refers to the first chapter, meaning that formatting, colors, and other design elements are adopted across all documents. Therefore, it’s important to check the synchronization options before clicking on the synchronization symbol. Make sure you only synchronize the elements you want to match.

Step 6: Export as PDF

Another great advantage of the book file is the ability to export the entire collection as a PDF. You just need to select the desired documents and then choose the option “Export Book as PDF”. This allows you to create a single, cohesive document that is ideal for printing or digital distribution.

Step 7: Creating Tables of Contents and Indexes

You can also create tables of contents and indexes for the entire book, which is very handy when managing a large collection of documents. These functions are integrated in InDesign and allow you to quickly and easily access the desired sections of your book. If you would like to know more about this, I will go into detail in a later section.

Summary

Creating a book file in Adobe InDesign is an effective way to organize multiple documents and make the most of InDesign's functions. With automatic numbering functions and synchronization options, you are well-equipped to manage your book projects efficiently.