For many of us working in corporate or office settings, PDF files are a part of daily life. The same can be said for the print industry, where this format is the gold standard. We’d be lost without our PDFs!

PDF is such a commonly used format for many reasons, which can be summarised by its ability to maintain the visual integrity of a document across different devices and software.

When it comes to the Adobe suite, Acrobat is the first choice of software when working with PDFs. But, thanks to the latest update, InDesign has gained new ways to work with PDF files: even though it doesn’t “edit” PDFs like Acrobat, it offers multiple powerful ways to use them.

Here’s how to work with PDFs in InDesign 2026 — from placing to converting, exporting, and preparing them.

Placing PDFs into InDesign Layouts

The most common way to use PDFs in InDesign is to place them in a layout like you would an image.

To do so, choose File > Place, or the shortcut Command + D. Done! What if you’re working with a multi-page PDF and want to add only a specific page? Then, after selecting Place or using Command + D, make sure that the “Show Import Options” checkbox is selected. Then, click open and choose the right page (or pages) from the preview window.

In the same preview window, you’ll find different Cropping Options. Here’s what they do:

• Bounding Box (Default): Encloses all objects and marks on the page.
• Crop: The viewable (or printable) area of the PDF, the one commonly used in Adobe Acrobat.
• Trim: Defines the final size of the document after cutting.
• Bleed: Includes content extending beyond the trim edge for production purposes.
• Media Box: This option places the area that represents the physical paper size of the original PDF, including printer's marks.

Updating a placed PDF via the Links panel

Say you need to update a placed PDF in your InDesign file: it’s easy as pie with the Links panel! First, go to Window > Links; then, look for a modified link — it’ll be easy to spot thanks to the modified icon, a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark. From there, either single-click the circular refresh/update icon next to the file name in the Links panel to instantly update, or double-click the yellow warning icon itself to relink.

What if the PDF has multiple pages? Simply right click the PDF in the Links panel and select Relink. In the Place dialog, ensure Show Import Options is checked, then click OK. This allows you to select a different page from the updated PDF to replace the old one.

Converting PDFs to Editable InDesign Files

As previously mentioned, InDesign isn’t a full PDF editor, per se. But the latest version of the software can convert many PDFs in editable and (surprisingly) usable documents.

InDesign 2026 allows you to open PDF files much like INDD files. To do so, select Files > Open, and click on your PDF of choice. If your chosen file contains multiple pages, InDesign will prompt you to choose both a specific page (or range of pages) and whether you would like the selected pages as individual pages or spreads. And voilà: your PDF is converted into an editable InDesign layout. The magic happens behind the scenes, where InDesign analyses and attempts to recreate text frames, image frames, and layout geometry.

Now, InDesign still isn’t a full PDF editor so, while the new conversion feature works well, it’s far from perfect. Here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly.

What Converts Well

Generally speaking, clean, well-structured PDFs (especially those originally created in Adobe apps) produce the most reliable results. These are the elements that convert the best:

• Text frames: Live, editable text (assuming the fonts are available and substitutable) usually converts well, and paragraph structure often remains intact. ‍
• Placed images: Images usually convert into linked or embedded graphics, while their frames approximately retain their size and position. ‍
• Basic layouts: Simple grids, columns, and margins, as well as straightforward shapes and rules usually convert easily from PDF to INDD.

What Converts… Not As Well

As we’ve seen, basic PDF features convert reliably well in InDesign. It’s the more complex features that can cause issues. As a rule of thumb, the more “print-optimised” or flattened a PDF is, the less editable it’ll be after conversion. Let’s see what features are known to cause headaches.

• Transparency and blending modes: These can be flattened or visually altered.
• Advanced effects: Drop shadows, glows, gradients, and masks can be broken into pieces (dramatic, we know).
• Layered content: Unfortunately, PDF layers are not preserved in InDesign.
• Even text can cause issues: Sometimes things don’t go to plan, even when converting text. As previously mentioned, missing fonts can be substituted. More annoyingly, text boxes might also reflow or be broken into multiple frames.
• Vector artwork: Complex vectors may be fragmented into many small shapes.
• Clipping paths and masks: These will often require manual cleanup.

Tips for Cleaning Up Converted Documents

• Check fonts immediately: Use Type > Find/Replace Font to identify substitutions.
• Simplify text frames: Merge broken text frames when possible and reapply paragraph styles.
• Inspect images: If you have them available, relink images to the higher resolution originals, and don’t forget to confirm the colour mode.
• Rebuild complex elements: In many cases, it’s faster to rebuild certain elements than to repair them. Complex elements are definitely the case: redrawing shapes, effects, or tables instead of trying to fix them might end up saving you time in the long run.
• Organise layers: Creating new layers and giving a logical structure to the content is the way to make sense of the chaos!
• Preflight early: Don’t wait till it’s time to export — use InDesign’s Preflight panel immediately to catch hidden issues.

When to use the convert feature

While not perfect, InDesign’s new conversion feature can be very useful at times.

• Updating legacy files: Your company might have been using the same materials for years, and the original INDD files might be lost. This also works for older projects that may have been archived incorrectly or migrated between systems (remember QuarkXPress?).
• Last-minute text corrections: How many times have you or your team spotted a typo in a PDF on the last round of reviews? InDesign now allows you to quickly convert the file and fix the typo.
• Repurposing print PDFs: Say you have a print ad PDF that needs to be resized and reused as a poster or handout. Converting it to InDesign makes resizing and rearranging content easier than editing in Acrobat.
• Working with vendor-supplied or third-party Ffiles: Designers often receive PDFs from outside vendors with no source files included. Converting them to INDD files makes them easily editable.

We could keep going but, in short, the InDesign conversion feature allows for PDFs to be easily editable, and for parts of PDFs to be extracted and reused as the starting point of a redesign.  

Using PDFs as Reference or Template Files

And speaking of redesigns, there are many ways to use a PDF as a reference or template file in InDesign.

Placing a PDF as a locked layer on InDesign is the easiest way. From there, you can change opacity and blend modes for visibility, and then use it as a layout guide or design reference by tracing or rebuilding key elements.

Exporting PDFs From InDesign

Now that your file is ready, it’s time to export. And yes, you can export PDFs from InDesign.

Firstly, go to File > Export. From there, you can choose to export your file as a print-ready PDF (PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-4) or as an interactive PDF. Choosing the right PDF preset ensures your export is optimised for its final use. Print presets focus on colour accuracy, resolution, bleeds, and printer compatibility, while digital presets prioritize smaller file sizes, RGB colour, and on-screen readability. Depending on your needs, you might want to export your PDF as single pages or as spreads. When exporting a PDF for print, always make sure your print settings (compression, marks, bleeds, and colour mode) are the correct ones for printing.

Creating Interactive PDFs

Outside of printing, PDFs are great for digital documents like reports, forms, and digital publications. In these cases, creating an interactive PDF allows for easier navigation with elements like hyperlinks, buttons, bookmarks, and form fields. InDesign lets you add these elements directly within your layout. Simple page transitions and navigation controls, on the other hand, make documents more engaging (even though support varies by PDF viewer).

Lastly, while InDesign is well suited for building the layout and structure of interactive PDFs, more advanced form logic, validation, accessibility tagging, and post-export editing are still better handled in Acrobat.

Preflighting and Preparing PDFs for Print

We mentioned before using InDesign’s Preflight panel to check for any mistakes or missing elements in your converted PDF. But what exactly is the Preflight panel and how does it work?

The Preflight panel in InDesign continuously scans your document for potential issues based on a selected profile, such as missing fonts, overset text, incorrect colour spaces, or low-resolution images. It alerts you to problems in real time so you can fix them before exporting or sending files to print.

Preflighting and preparing PDFs for print is a critical step to ensure your file will output correctly once printed. InDesign’s Preflight panel lets you catch common problems early, saving you time and headaches. Many printers provide specific PDF specifications — including required colour profiles, bleed settings, and PDF/X standards — which you can check against using preflight profiles before exporting. Just so you know, the print specification we use at Jump are:

• CMYK + spot colours (if applicable).
• 3mm bleed
• Trim Marks
• Single Pages
• Text 5mm inside the finished size for safety.

While exporting a PDF is typically what you send to the printer, packaging the file is useful when a printer or collaborator needs access to the InDesign document, fonts, and linked images for further adjustments or troubleshooting.

When You Still Need Acrobat

Even though InDesign works with PDFs in many powerful ways, there are still situations where Adobe Acrobat is the better (or only) tool for the job.

Acrobat is designed specifically for post-export PDF editing, allowing you to directly edit existing PDF text and objects without converting the file back to an InDesign layout. It also offers more robust tools for advanced form creation, including field validation, calculations, and conditional logic that go beyond InDesign’s basic form features.

In addition, Acrobat is the standard for commenting, markup, and approval workflows, making it ideal for reviews and client feedback.

Most importantly, Acrobat is essential for accessibility tagging and remediation, ensuring PDFs meet standards like WCAG or PDF/UA, something InDesign can only partially address during export.

Best Practices and Workflow Tips

Establishing good PDF workflows in InDesign can prevent broken links, rework, and miscommunication down the line. Here are some top workflow tips:

• Start by clearly naming and organising linked PDFs, using consistent file names and folder structures so updates are easy to track and relink through the Links panel.
• It’s good practice to keep original source PDFs separate from exported PDFs, ensuring you always know which files are editable inputs and which are final outputs meant for sharing or printing.
• Version control is especially important when PDFs go through multiple rounds of edits or approvals. Using version numbers, dates, or status labels (such as “v2,” “final,” or “approved”) helps avoid accidental rollbacks or incorrect exports.
• Communicating PDF expectations with clients early (such as whether PDFs are for review, print, or final delivery) reduces confusion and ensures everyone understands what can and can’t be edited at each stage of the process.

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PDFs play a role at nearly every stage of an InDesign workflow — from placing and referencing existing files to exporting print-ready or interactive documents. Understanding the different ways InDesign handles PDFs helps you choose the most efficient approach for each task, whether you’re making quick edits, preparing files for print, or building digital deliverables. By using the right tools at the right time, you can work more confidently with PDFs and avoid common production headaches.