Pixels to Print: Package a Document

How to package a document in Adobe InDesign:

Packing contents is very common with Adobe InDesign. When you create something as large as a 40-page brochure, there may be a plethora of assets linked within each page.

Step 1: Go to File > Package…

Step 2: Then click “Package…”

Step 3: Navigate to where you want to save your packaged folder. Make sure the items in the left column of options are checked. I also like to include an IDML file, which is an InDesign file that can be opened by older versions of InDesign. Name your folder and hit the final “Package” button.

When you open your packaged folder, you will see a folder for Document Fonts, Links, and the InDesign files.

Step 4: To make this folder a .zip file, go up one level and right click the packaged folder, then select “Sent To” > “Compressed (zipped) folder. Now you can share this .zip file with your sharing client of choice (such as Dropbox or Wetransfer.com). Packaged files tend to be large and cannot be sent via email due to file size restrictions.

How to package a document in Adobe Illustrator:

If you create shapes and type in Illustrator, for the most part they’ll be vector files unless you place in other assets. If you go to Window > Links, you can see if there are any items the document is pulling from. If it has a symbol to the right, that means the asset is embedded in the document.

You can embed assets that aren’t already by clicking on the item in the list, then click on the top right menu button, then “Embed Image(s)”. Embedding images will make the document file larger since these assets are being saved within. This also makes editing the embedded asset a little difficult, so the best method is packaging the file. Note: When you package a document in Illustrator, only the non-embedded items will be copied into the folder.

Step 1: Go to File > Package…

Step 2: Find the location you would like to save your packaged folder. Name the folder. And make sure “Copy Links” and “Copy Fonts” are checked like in the example below. Then click “Package”.

When you open your packaged folder, you will see a folder for Document Fonts, Links, and the Illustrator file.

Step 3: To make this folder a .zip file, go up one level and right click the packaged folder, then select “Sent To” > “Compressed (zipped) folder. Now you can share this .zip file with your sharing client of choice (such as Dropbox or Wetransfer.com). Packaged files tend to be large and cannot be sent via email due to file size restrictions.