Using the InDesign Content Collector tool with Studio for InDesign

InDesign’s Content Collector Tool is used for duplicating content while still keeping this content linked together. This means that when the content of the original article changes that the content of the linked article can be quickly and easily updated.

Note: To get familiar with the different components of the Content Collector Tool and the icons used, see Adobe Help: Linked content.

The most important icons to be aware of are the chain icon that is added to an article that is linked to the original article, and the updated symbol (orange triangle) which appears when the content of the original article is modified.

In Studio for InDesign, working with the Content Collector Tool is bound to specific rules, which are explained below.

• Using the Create Link option. When working with articles that are stored in Studio Server, the Create Link option is always ignored. Instead of the article being linked, a new placement of the article is always created.
• Converting linked articles. Note that when a linked article is created as a result of placing an article stored in Studio Server using the Content Collector Tool, that it is not possible to convert these linked articles into Studio articles (the Create Article option is not enabled for such articles).
• Locally editing linked articles. When modifying the linked article while keeping the original article intact, you are making what is called a local edit. The result of this is that the content of both articles do not match anymore.

Note: Be aware and careful of such changes; these are not indicated by InDesign in the form of icons or other indicators and can result in unwanted mismatches of content.

As an alternative, you might want to use the regular method of placing articles multiple times. This ensures that the content of each article matches exactly.

• Linking articles across layouts. When creating a linked article that is based on an article in Studio Server, the linked article should be placed on the same layout; it is currently not possible to create the link on another layout.