Translate InDesign IDML Files

Professional translation service for Adobe InDesign files. Upload your IDML file and get accurate translations while preserving complex layouts, styles, and design elements.

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What is IDML Translation?

Translating InDesign documents has traditionally been a complex process requiring manual text extraction, translation, and careful re-formatting. Design agencies and publishers often struggle with maintaining layout integrity while managing multilingual versions of their documents, leading to time-consuming manual adjustments and potential design inconsistencies.
Our IDML translation service leverages advanced AI to automatically translate your InDesign files while preserving all formatting, styles, and layout elements. Simply export your InDesign document as IDML, upload it to our platform, and receive a perfectly translated version ready to open in InDesign. This eliminates hours of manual work and ensures consistency across all language versions.

Why Choose Our IDML Translation Service

AI-Powered Accuracy

Our advanced AI understands design context and terminology, delivering translations that respect your creative intent while maintaining professional quality.

Preview Before Payment

Review a sample of your translated IDML file before committing. See exactly how your layouts and styles are preserved with the translated content.

Pay-Per-Use Model

No subscriptions or commitments. Pay only for the documents you translate, making it perfect for agencies with varying project volumes.

100+ Languages

Support for all major languages including complex scripts like Arabic, Hebrew, and Asian languages with proper text direction and typography handling.

Secure & Confidential

Your design files are encrypted during transfer and storage. Delete your files immediately after download for complete data control.

Current Limitations

While we preserve most IDML elements, some advanced features like certain effects or custom scripts may require manual adjustment. Complex linked assets should be re-linked after translation.

How IDML Translation Works

Our streamlined process makes translating InDesign files simple and efficient:

1. Export & Upload IDML

In InDesign, go to File > Export and choose IDML format. This creates a package of your document that our system can process. Upload this IDML file to our platform.

2. Preview Translation

We'll generate a preview showing how your translated document will look. Check that styles, layouts, and formatting are preserved as expected.

3. Complete Payment

Once satisfied with the preview, proceed with secure payment. Our transparent pricing is based on document complexity and word count.

4. Download Translated IDML

Receive your fully translated IDML file. Open it directly in InDesign - all your styles, master pages, and layouts remain intact with the new language content.

5. Secure File Deletion

For your security, delete uploaded files from our servers after downloading. Files are automatically removed after 14 days if not deleted manually.

InDesign Features We Preserve

Complex Layouts

Multi-column layouts, text wrapping, and threading are maintained. Your carefully designed page structures remain intact after translation.

Styles & Formatting

Paragraph styles, character styles, and object styles are fully preserved. Global design changes remain just as easy after translation.

Images & Links

Linked images and their positioning stay unchanged. You may need to update links if file paths change, but placement remains perfect.

Best Practices for IDML Translation

Organize Text Frames

Use threaded text frames for flowing content. This helps our AI understand content relationships and maintain proper text flow in the translated version.

Utilize Master Pages

Elements on master pages are translated consistently across your document, ensuring headers, footers, and recurring elements maintain uniformity.

Apply Paragraph Styles

Consistent use of paragraph and character styles not only preserves formatting but helps our AI apply appropriate typographic rules for each language.

Tables & Footnotes

Tables and footnotes are handled intelligently, maintaining their relationships and formatting while accommodating text expansion in translation.

IDML Translation FAQ

Do I need InDesign to use this service?

You need InDesign to export your document as IDML and to open the translated file. The translation process itself happens entirely on our platform without requiring InDesign.

What happens to my fonts?

Font references are preserved, but you'll need the appropriate fonts installed for the target language. We recommend using fonts that support your target language's character set.

Can I translate back to INDD format?

We provide IDML output which opens seamlessly in InDesign. Once opened, you can save it as INDD format. IDML ensures maximum compatibility across InDesign versions.

How is text expansion handled?

Our AI accounts for typical text expansion ratios (e.g., English to German ~30% longer). Text frames may overflow, but InDesign's built-in tools make adjustments straightforward.

Start Translating Your InDesign Files

Upload IDML File