When editing layout in InDesign is completed, the changes that were made need to be saved and the layout itself needs to be closed.
These actions can be done in various ways and have different outcomes. These are described in this article.
Summary
The most common methods used are 1) regularly saving the changes locally while continuing to work on the layout, and 2) saving the changes back to Enterprise when all work is done.
1. Saving the changes locally
Saving your changes regularly is important and makes sure that no changes are lost should you encounter any problems. To save your changes locally, do one of the following:
- Press Cmd+S (macOS) or Ctrl+S (Windows).
- From the menu, choose File > Save.
Note: Saving your layout locally does not save it to Enterprise. It will only be saved to Enterprise if you use one of the other methods listed below.
2. Checking-in the layout and closing it
When finished working on the layout, it needs to be saved to Enterprise and closed. This process is referred to as 'checking-in' the layout and makes the layout available to other users for editing.
Step 1. From the menu, choose Smart Connection > Check In... .
The Check In dialog box appears.
Note: When the layout is not yet saved to Enterprise, the Save As dialog box appears instead. See Creating a new layout or adding an existing layout using Smart Connection.
Step 2. (Optional) In the Name box, modify the layout name or leave the original name.
Note: See also: Using duplicate file names in Enterprise 10 and Invalid file name characters in Enterprise.
The settings for Brand, Issue, and Category cannot be changed.
Step 3. (Optional) Change any of the remaining properties.
Step 4. Click OK.
Additional methods
The following sections describe additional, less often used methods.

This method:
- Saves the made changes to Enterprise by creating a new version of the layout.
- Keeps the layout open for editing.
Step 1. From the menu, choose Smart Connection > Save Version....

This happens when:
- No change has been made to the layout since it was opened or last saved to Enterprise.
- The layout is opened as read-only.
The Save dialog box appears.
Step 2. (Optional) Change any of the properties of the layout.
Note: See also: Using duplicate file names in Enterprise 10 and Invalid file name characters in Enterprise.
Step 3. Click OK.
About saving versions
- Saved layout versions can be viewed and restored by accessing the Show Versions window (Smart Connection > Show Versions...).
Note: For more information, see Viewing and restoring file versions using Smart Connection.
- The number of layout versions that are stored in Enterprise is limited to a set number (5 by default). This means that when the maximum number of stored versions is reached, the oldest version is removed the next time a new version is saved. This could potentially mean that the version you want to restore may not be available anymore. Be careful therefore with the number of times you save an layout.
Example: Consider a scenario where the maximum number of layout versions are stored: layout versions 1.1 to 1.5. The next time the layout is saved, version 1.1 (the oldest) is removed and version 1.2 now becomes the oldest version.
Note: Enterprise can also be configured to have all minor versions removed as soon as the layout is saved to a new Workflow Status. You could therefore see no versions listed when starting to work on a layout that has just been moved to a new Workflow Status.
For information about configuring file versioning in Enterprise Server, see Saving file versions with Enterprise Server.

This method:
- Saves the current layout as a new version and closes the layout.
- Creates a copy of the layout and opens it for editing.
Step 1. Do one of the following:
- From the menu, choose File > Save As.
- From the menu, choose Smart Connection > Save As.
- Use a keyboard shortcut for any of the above mentioned commands.
The Save As dialog box appears.
Step 2. In the Name box, enter a descriptive name.
Note: See also: Using duplicate file names in Enterprise 10 and Invalid file name characters in Enterprise.
Step 3. (Optional) Change any of the properties of the layout.
Step 4. From the Dossier list, choose one of the following options:
- Choose the blank option to not add the layout to a Dossier.
- Choose New Dossier to create a Dossier with the same name as the layout and automatically add the layout to the Dossier.
- Choose an existing Dossier to add the layout to it.
Step 5. (Optional) Save the layout as a template, Layout Module or Layout Module Template by selecting the options Save as Template and/or Save as Layout Module.
Step 6. (Optional) In the Comment box, add a comment. When a user will next open the file, the comment will be displayed on screen.
Step 7. Click OK.
The following actions take place:
- The current layout is stored in Enterprise and closed. It is available to other users for editing.
- A copy of the layout is made and stored in Enterprise. It is opened for editing.

This method:
- Makes it possible to work on a layout without being connected to Enterprise, for example when working while commuting or when on location.
- Saves the layout locally.
- Keeps the layout checked-out to prevent others from editing it.
To take the layout offline, do the following:
- From the menu, choose Smart Connection > Close for Offline Usage.
Accessing offline layouts
Layouts that you have taken offline can be accessed by choosing Offline in the Search menu of the Smart Connection panel.
Figure: When choosing 'Offline' in the Search menu of the Smart Connection panel, all layouts that you have taken offline are shown.
Bringing layouts online again
To bring a layout online again, simply open it when a connection to Enterprise is active.

This method:
- Saves the layout to your local system outside of the Enterprise workflow environment.
- Keeps the original layout open for editing.
Step 1. From the menu, choose File > Save As... .
The Save As dialog box appears.
Step 2. Click the Browse... button at the bottom of the dialog box.
Step 3. Browse to the desired location and click Save.
One of two scenarios can occur:
Scenario 1: the layout does not contain placed graphics
When the layout does not contain any placed graphics or Layout Modules that are stored in Enterprise, the file is saved.
Scenario 2: the layout contains placed graphics
When the layout contains placed graphics or Layout Modules that are stored in Enterprise, a message appears advising to abort the action and to use the InDesign Package option so that the graphic links are maintained:
You are about to save a document locally that carries placed database files.
If you continue, these files will be unlinked and removed from the document.
We recommend to abort this action and use the InDesign package functionality instead.
Figure: A message appears when trying to save a layout containing placed database files.
The names of the placed graphic files are listed below the text.
Step 3. Do one of the following:
- Click OK to locally save the layout and to break the link with the database graphics.
- Click Cancel to close the message and to not save the layout locally. To use the InDesign package feature, choose File > Package.

This method:
- Closes the layout without saving any changes that were made.
- Brings the layout back to its last saved state in Enterprise: the state after checking-in the layout or after saving a version of the layout.
Use this method when:
- You have opened the layout by mistake or decided that you do not want to work on it.
- You want to close the layout without saving any changes that you have made.
To perform this action, do the following:
- From the menu, choose Smart Connection > Abort Check Out.
One of the following actions occur:
- When no changes were made, the layout is closed immediately.
- When the layout was changed, a message appears:
Are you sure you want to close this file without saving the made changes?

This method:
- Saves the made changes to Enterprise by creating a new version of the layout.
- Closes the layout.
- Does not show the Check In dialog box.
To perform this action, do the following:
- From the menu, choose File > Close.
One of the following actions occur:
- When no changes were made, the layout is closed immediately.
- When the layout was changed, a message appears. Click Yes to continue:
Save changes to document "<document name>" before closing?
Comment
Do you have corrections or additional information about this article? Leave a comment! Do you have a question about what is described in this article? Please contact Support.
0 comments
Please sign in to leave a comment.