ex TranslationFilter ID

Bidirectional export/import of Adobe InDesign text content (structured and segmented) into a Microsoft Word document or a XLIFF file and back

Companies who want to place translation jobs to translation bureaus are often confronted with the same problem: The software in wich the companies have created the content that has to be translated, is not in use or not existent in translation bureaus.

In particular this happens regulary in case of creating marketing material or packages with special layoutsoftware like Adobe InDesign.

In case that Adobe InDesign is not available in the translation bureau, companies have only 2 possibilities: They give the translation to a translation bureau that has Adobe InDesign in use or they provide the stuff that has to be translated in a standard software format like Microsoft Word or XML.

This means in first case a hugh constriction for the companies concerning the choice of the right translation bureau, in second a lot additional work to do, because the company has to export and import the content that has to be translated from the layout software to Word or XML by hand.The solution of this problem is "ex TranslationFilter ID"! This software allows the user an easily export and re-import of content out of Adobe InDesign textboxes into a Microsoft Word document and vice versa.


The advantages of this solution are obvious:

  • No necessity to provide the translatoin bureau the needed IT infrastructur
  • No "unintended" destroy of the layout while the translationworkflow
  • No "cryptic" XML-files
  • Costsaving through the flexibility in choosing the right translation bureau
  • Gain of time through the export and re-import of the to be translated content with only a few clicks
  • Security through the prevention of mistakes while the export and re-import of the to be translated content by hand
  • Layout und format are automatically correct after translation

How it works:

The whole text of a native Adobe InDesign document can be exported into a Microsoft Word document with only a few clicks by using ex TranslationFilter ID! The exported text will be structured automatically (textbox, paragraph, cell or format changes are setting the single text blocks) in the Word document. This guarantees that the document has exact the same format after the translation and the re-import in Adobe InDesign.

Original catalog page (Click to enlarge)


If the Adobe InDesign document contains different textlayers, the single layers can be choosen and exported.


The reproduction of the Adobe InDesign textframe content in Microsoft Word is generally structured by the Adobe InDesign textframe ID´s (exBoxID). Over the Word function "create table" you have to create a table with 2 columns. The exported content of the single textboxes will be filled in the cells of the left column. The contentstructure of the table is also provided by the Adobe InDesign textbox id´s.

The text that has to replace the original text can now be filled in the corrosponding cells of the right column. If no text is filled in nothing will be changed.

Original XPress textbox content
Translated XPress textbox content


The entered modifications in the Word document can be re-imported into the Adobe InDesign document  with a single click.


Translated catalog page

An overview about the translation status of the single textboxes ("OK" or "No changes" is shown in the dialogue "Import Results". From here it is possible to jump directly into a single textbox.

A final layout check up is recommended and necessary to check the textlength changes (text overset) wich could have happened because of the translation (to fix this problem we have other tools like ex Overset or ex ColumnBalance wich could be helpful)


All general preferences as well as the preferences concerning fileexport and -import, will be set in the preferences of ex TranslationFilter ID.




As a matter of course the PlugIn can be customized to our clients needs. For example:

  • If the german version of a catalogue consists a special icon in the text e.g. "24 hours delivery" wich should not be printed in another language this icon can be automatically removed.
  • integration of subject specific translation tables for the export
  • integration in consisting translation systems
  • specific consideration of articlenumbers or prices
  • automatic calculation of foreign prices and currencies
  • automatic PDF generation of the original document for the translator

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