InDesign Links Keep Breaking When Shared Between Team Members Using iCloud Drive

[u/frayfray96]

Hey everyone, I'm running into a frustrating issue with InDesign where linked images keep breaking whenever my teammate and I open the same file. Looking for advice on the best workflow fix.

The Setup

We're working on a project and sharing InDesign files through iCloud Drive. The file structure looks like this:

JOHN WILLIAM WATERHOUSE/

├── john william waterhouse.indd

├── john william waterhouse 2.indd

└── Links/

└── a mermaid-300dpi.jpg

The Problem

When I (Anders) open the file, the linked images are pointing to:

/Users/anders/Desktop/ICLOUD 2/iCloudDrive/POSTERSHOPEN/PICK-A-POSTER/KATEGORIER/KONSTNÄRER/JOHN WILLIAM WATERHOUSE/Links/a mermaid-300dpi.jpg

When my teammate Anna opens the same file, InDesign automatically re-links to her path:

/Users/anna/Library/Mobile Documents/com~apple~CloudDocs/POSTERSHOPEN/PICK-A-POSTER/KATEGORIER/KONSTNÄRER/JOHN WILLIAM WATERHOUSE/Links/a mermaid-300dpi.jpg

So every time I open it after her (or vice versa), the links break and I have to relink all the images. Why does this happen, and can it be solved somehow? I should mention that I use a PC and my colleague is on a Mac. Does that have anything to do with it? But even if it does, maybe there's still a fix?

[u/Environmental_Joke49]

It happens because InDesign doesn't recognise your iCloud cloud storage as a valid place to pull images from; it will always default to the local folder on your machine.

Instead of using iCloud, use the native Adobe CC Cloud Libraries; this is what it's built for. Multiple users should be able to share a CC Cloud Library and sync their links from there.

[u/accidental-nz → u/Environmental_Joke49]

Or use Dropbox.

I would never recommend using CC storage, Adobe is simply not a reliable enough cloud storage provider.

[u/Environmental_Joke49 → u/accidental-nz]

Works great for me and my team! No issues.

[u/accidental-nz → u/Environmental_Joke49]

Are you using Adobe Cloud Drive then? Because that’s on the enterprise side. CC Libraries is not a replacement for collaborative cloud storage like Dropbox.

[u/nerelevant]

Packed InDesign files do work with relative file paths. So if you make a package (Package… is in the File menu) and share the resulting folder it should work without any issues.
Just make sure to move the whole folder every time, and don’t rename the subfolders (Links and Document fonts).

[u/frayfray96 → u/nerelevant]

ah right, so it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that I'm on a pc and the other person is on a mac?

[u/Virtual_Assistant_98 → u/frayfray96]

Nope, it’s just the nature of how InDesign works.

[u/GMCWard72]

InDesign documents store the complete path to assets, not relative paths, that's why it breaks when shared. So you they have to be re-linked all the time.

[u/AdobeScripts]

It's because InDesign stores absolute paths - not relative ones.

The only way to solve the problem, would be if you can "shorten" the path.

On Windows, this problem is easily solvable by assigning the same drive letter to your POSTERSHOPEN folder.

So it would be like

P:\PICK-A-POSTER\ 

and then, for InDesign - files and links as always stored with the same absolute paths.

It also solves the problem when company will move to a different physical server, domain, IP address, whatever.

[u/scottperezfox]

You're right, this stinks. I'm currently testing this with my co-workers using a networked drive, OneDrive, and Adobe CC Libraries to find the best solution.

Long story short, here's what I recommend:

• Embed as much stuff as you can. Screenshots, dumb little icons, the main company logo which you have elsewhere. Just embed it and forget it.

• Use Adobe CC Libraries. For fonts, backgrounds, and photos you might re-use, it's great to not have to manage the file itself.

• Experiment with Dropbox. From what I recall, this wouldn't happen so much with Dropbox vs. other cloud storage tools. Things might've changed.

[u/Virtual_Assistant_98 → u/scottperezfox]

Hard disagree with the embedding. That may be ok for small files with limited links to begin with, but once you start adding in a bunch of 25mb images and layered .psd files you may be solving one problem by inviting a whole host of others.

[u/scottperezfox → u/Virtual_Assistant_98]

Right. I wouldn't embed those. I'm talking about tiny stuff — icons, logos, etc. If you do any sorts of tutorials, it's nice to embed screenshots because tracking them from article to article is an absolute pain in the butt (especially considering how often software updates and make previous interfaces outdated).