Conversions between Word and InDesign

Word to InDesign,

Since MS Word is a word processing program, it does not have the ability to assign and display all the typographic attributes that a more sophisticated page layout program such as InDesign. When your “final” Word manuscript is imported into InDesign, it will first undergo routine clean-up (replace: dash dash with em-dash, dash to en-dash, straight quotes to typographer’s quotes, multiple returns and spaces to singles, trailing white space, etc). If the book contains an index, cross-references or footnotes, their conversion will be examined for accuracy and adjusted if necessary. Then page layout and font selection will take place, followed by assignment of style attributes to the various paragraph types throughout the book. The original Word manuscript is now no longer a Word document.

Any subsequent attempt to import a “newer” Word manuscript would require the “newer” manuscript to be formatted from scratch, just as was the previous final manuscript. It is therefore very important that your “final” Word manuscript should be the final one you submit.

then, InDesign to Word . . .

InDesign has the ability to export a book text file to an RTF format which can be read by, and converted to Word. InDesign style names will be maintained, but since Word is unable to use InDesign style settings, the RTF file will have had all the InDesign formatting style attributes stripped from it. Also, since Word does not have the ability to import and convert some InDesign markers, any index markers, cross-reference tags, etc will have been lost. The appearance of the resulting book file will be only an approximation of the InDesign produced book.

This can be a useful function if the book is to be extensively changed, or if it is to be passed on for translation to a different language.

. . . and back to InDesign

Since the new Word file has been stripped of all its InDesign attributes, importing it back to InDesign would be similar to importing the original Word manuscript. Fortunately, the original InDesign style names will have been kept, but the actual attributes assigned by Word would likely be quite different.

The task wouldn’t be as bad as starting from scratch, but many style and formatting assignments would have to be re-done. As mentioned above, this may be a reasonable procedure if the manuscript is to receive a major overhaul where it would be easier to work with a new manuscript than it would to make changes to the original “final” manuscript now in InDesign format. This would especially apply if many changes were made to the document while previously in InDesign format.

There is another factor that may make the process unfeasible. If the original manuscript contained index or cross-reference markers, they would no longer exist. They would have to be re-entered into the Word document. As you may know, this can be an onerous task.

So, although there is a solution to most problems relating to revisions, it is best to have your first final manuscript as close to perfect as you can get it, then make subsequent changes to the draft PDF sent to you for proofing.