Creating Accessible PDFs from Adobe InDesign

Creating Accessible PDFs from Adobe InDesign

• Method 1: file menu > export > format: Adobe PDF interactive > save to folder > options > forms and media “include all” > create tagged PDF > use structure for tab order > export
  • Better for when you have fillable form fields in your document.
• Method 2: file menu > export > adobe PDF (print) > create tagged PDF > include “bookmarks” and “hyperlinks” > export

InDesign Metadata (Document Title)

• File menu > file info.

InDesign Styles and Tag Structure / Order

• Window menu > styles > paragraph styles.
  • This pulls up all styles.
• Click text you want to tag > select a style > right click style > export category > PDF Tag: choose tag.
• Leave bullet points and numbered lists as automatic tags.
• Window menu > articles.
  • This allows you to choose the order in which things are exported.
  • Useful when not using flowing text style.
  • Panel menu > used for tagging order in tagged PDF.

InDesign Reading Order

• Reading order is defined in the layers panel (where stacking is controlled in the document).
• In PDF from, go to view > zoom > reflow to double check the reading order.

InDesign Captions

• There is no styles option to tag the captions style as a caption in a PDF.
• Use the Live Captions feature for short captions.
  • Object menu > captions > caption setup > metadata: “headline”.
  • Select image > options > captions > generate live captions.
• A live caption can’t wrap to a second line, so do this for longer captions.
  • Paragraph styles > captions > right click > edit > style name: “caption”.
  • In PDF, tags panel > options button > edit role map > delete /Caption /P

Anchoring Objects

• In InDesign, click on image > click on blue square > drag to where you want it.
• Without the anchor, the tag order will show all document text in order, ignoring titles, tables, and any other tags.

Tables in InDesign

• Highlight header row > table menu > convert rows to header.
• InDesign always nests tables inside paragraph tags, which will get marked as an error when ran through a checker.
  • Pull tables out of <p> tags and delete the empty <p> tags.
• InDesign does not mark table scope.
  • Accessibility tool > reading order > click on table > table editor > select header cells (shift key to select multiple) > right click > table properties > scope: “column” if header row, “row” if first column > OK

Hyperlinks in InDesign

• Window menu > interactive > hyperlinks > highlight link text > hit plus sign on panel to create new link.
• Turn off Shared Hyperlink Destination.
• Choose proper place on the “link to” drop down menu (URL, Email, etc.).

Lists in InDesign

• Click on the section you want to turn into a bullet point > make sure you are in the paragraph format > click on the “bulleted list” button in the control panel.
  • You can adjust the spacing of the bullet from the text and the indent by holding the alt or option key and hit the “bulleted list” tool again.
• Go to the “paragraph styles” tool on the right panel and hit the ”new style” button > name it > click “apply style to selection” > highlight all items in the list > use the new style you just created.

Cross-References in InDesign

• Cross-References link to other sections of the document.
• Check the style that is used to format the heading of the section being linked to > “window menu” > “type & tables” > “cross-references” > select style of the heading > scroll to find the heading you want to link to.
  • You can adjust the format / text by hitting “edit format” > “+” > name the format > adjust text however you like.

Table of Contents in InDesign

• Create new text frame > “layout menu” > “table of contents” > “more options” > add title of table and choose styles you want > click “create PDF bookmarks” > “OK” > click in text frame.
  • Tables only work if you use styles in your document.

Alt Text in InDesign

• Select image > “object menu” > “object export options” > “alt text” tab > choose proper metadata field (title, description, etc.) > type in alt text.

Artificing Objects in InDesign

• Artificing in PDFs is like marking as decorative in Word.
• Select image > “object menu” > “object export options” > “Tagged PDF” tab > apply tag: “artifact”.
• Another way to artifact an object is to just not include it in the article panel.

PDF Bookmarks in InDesign

• Bookmarks for headings are automatically made when you add a table of contents.
• You can add bookmarks by opening the “bookmarks” panel > “+” > name bookmark > repeat for all bookmarks that you want.

Footnotes and Endnotes in InDesign

• Footnotes:
  • “type” menu > “document footnote options” > put cursor where you want the footnote number to be > “type” menu > “insert footnote” > type text into footnote frame.
• Endnotes:
  • “type” menu > “document endnote options” > select where you want your endnote to appear with “endnote frame” > put cursor where you want the endnote number to be > “type” menu > “insert endnote” > type text into endnote frame.

Indexes in InDesign

• creating indexes is completely manual.

• “Window” menu> “type & tables” > “index” > “type” tool > highlight words you want to create an index for > “+” > “OK”.
  • Repeat this process for every word you want in the index.
• go to back of document > create new page > “panel menu” in the index panel > “generate index” > name index > apply style > “OK” > click in text frame.

Finishing Touches After Converting InDesign to PDF

• clean up tag tree and walk the tags tree.
• InDesign does not tag vector object paths.
  • Use the preflight panel.
• InDesign does not properly tag table cells.

Useful Resources

• PDF Accessibility Facebook Group.
• WCAG 2.1 Website.
• Tagged PDF Best Practice Syntax Guide.
• PDF / UA Foundation Website (where you can download the PAC 2024 Checker).
• AbleDocs Website.
• ChaxChat Podcast.