How to Package an InDesign File: A Complete Guide to Collecting for Output
When you send an InDesign file to a printer, collaborator, or archive, sending just the .indd file is almost never enough. Images, fonts, and linked assets live in separate locations on your computer — and without them, the file opens broken on someone else's machine. Packaging solves this by gathering everything into one tidy folder.
What "Packaging" Actually Does in InDesign
The Package function (found under File > Package) performs a specific job: it collects your InDesign document plus all of its dependencies into a single folder. That folder typically contains:
- A copy of the
.inddfile - A Document Fonts subfolder with all fonts used in the layout
- A Links subfolder containing every placed image, graphic, or linked asset
- An optional IDML file (a backwards-compatible format)
- An optional PDF proof
This is also sometimes called "collecting for output" — a term carried over from older print workflows. The logic is the same: everything the file needs travels with it.
Step-by-Step: How to Package an InDesign File
1. Resolve Errors Before You Package
Before packaging, open the Preflight panel (Window > Output > Preflight). InDesign will flag:
- Missing links — images that have moved or been deleted from their original location
- Modified links — images that have been updated externally but not refreshed in InDesign
- Missing fonts — typefaces not currently active on your system
Packaging with unresolved errors doesn't fix them — it copies the problems into the new folder. Resolve missing links by relinking them through the Links panel (Window > Links), and activate or substitute missing fonts before proceeding.
2. Open the Package Dialog
Go to File > Package (or use the shortcut Shift + Option + Command + P on Mac / Shift + Alt + Ctrl + P on Windows). InDesign runs a preflight summary first, showing you a breakdown of fonts, links, colors, and print settings.
Review each tab:
- Fonts — lists all fonts and whether they can be packaged (some licensing restrictions prevent copying)
- Links and Images — shows resolution, color space, and link status for every placed file
- Colors and Inks — relevant for print-specific workflows
3. Configure Package Settings 📁
After clicking Package, you'll name the folder and choose what to include:
| Option | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Copy Fonts (Except AdobeFonts) | Includes font files in a Document Fonts subfolder |
| Copy Linked Graphics | Copies all linked images into the Links folder |
| Update Graphic Links in Package | Repoints links to the new copied locations |
| Include IDML | Saves a version compatible with older InDesign versions |
| Include PDF (Print) | Generates a PDF proof alongside the package |
| Instructions | Lets you add a plain-text note for the printer or recipient |
Copy Linked Graphics and Update Graphic Links should almost always be checked. If you're handing off to a printer or external studio, Include IDML is a useful safety net.
4. Choose a Destination and Package
Select where the folder should be saved, confirm the folder name, and click Package. InDesign will prompt you to accept a font software license agreement — this is standard and confirms the copied fonts are for output purposes only.
The package folder is created at your chosen location and is self-contained.
What Packaging Doesn't Include
A few things the Package function won't automatically capture:
- Embedded files — content pasted directly into InDesign (rather than placed and linked) doesn't appear in the Links panel and won't be copied separately
- Fonts with packaging restrictions — some font licenses prohibit copying. These will be listed as non-packageable; the recipient needs to source them independently
- Color profiles — ICC profiles aren't collected, though most print workflows handle these separately
- Placed InDesign files — if you've placed
.inddfiles inside your document, those need to be packaged individually or converted
Variables That Affect Your Packaging Workflow 🖨️
The packaging process is straightforward in principle, but real-world outcomes vary depending on several factors:
Font licensing is one of the biggest variables. Adobe Fonts (activated through Creative Cloud) are not packaged — InDesign excludes them because they're licensed per-user, not redistributable. If your layout uses Adobe Fonts and you're sending to someone without a Creative Cloud subscription, they won't have access to those fonts. Some designers convert text to outlines for print-only handoffs to sidestep this entirely, though that makes the text non-editable.
Linked vs. embedded assets changes what gets collected. Workflows that rely heavily on embedded content (images pasted in rather than placed via File > Place) will result in a package folder with a smaller Links subfolder — not necessarily a smaller file, but a less organized one.
InDesign version matters when collaborating across machines. An IDML file provides backwards compatibility, but some features from newer versions won't survive the conversion cleanly. Knowing the recipient's InDesign version helps you decide whether to include IDML or export to a specific older format.
File size and storage become relevant with high-resolution print projects. A publication using raw RAW or TIFF images can generate package folders measured in gigabytes. Whether you zip and transfer, use cloud storage, or hand off via physical media depends on your infrastructure and the recipient's.
Print vs. digital output changes what you actually need in the package. A package destined for a commercial printer may need specific color profiles, bleed settings, and fonts handled very precisely. A package being shared with a colleague for further editing has different priorities entirely.
How Different Users Approach This Differently
A freelance designer handing off a finished brochure to a commercial printer will typically package with fonts, links, IDML, and a PDF proof — then zip the entire folder for upload.
A studio team member moving a file between internal workstations on a shared server might use a more minimal package, since fonts are likely already installed company-wide and storage isn't a bottleneck.
A designer archiving their own work might package primarily to create a stable, self-contained backup — prioritizing IDML inclusion to ensure the file remains openable as software versions change. 🗂️
An agency sending to a translation or localisation vendor might need to think carefully about which fonts are editable and whether linked assets need to travel at all, depending on what the vendor will actually modify.
The mechanics of the Package dialog are the same in each case — what changes is how those settings map to the specific handoff situation.