To package an InDesign file with links and fonts, save the layout, choose File > Package, resolve preflight problems, and collect the linked graphics and fonts that you are permitted to share. To avoid rework over unavailable type, account for the Adobe Fonts files that Package excludes: a collaborator who needs direct access must obtain their own licence. Include a reference PDF so the next person can compare the layout.
A package is ready for handoff only after the recipient has checked the downloaded copy. Use the file inventory, font responsibility sheet and acceptance record below to make that check explicit.
First confirm whether the recipient needs a PDF or editable files
Ask: “Will you print the supplied PDF, or do you need to change the source layout?” Record the answer before preparing the transfer.
| Recipient’s task | Suggested delivery | Acceptance question |
|---|---|---|
| Print an approved layout without editing it | PDF prepared to that printer’s specification | Has the printer accepted the actual PDF? |
| Change copy, replace pictures or maintain the brochure | Native layout, linked assets, font access record and reference PDF | Can the recipient open and edit a copy with the intended assets and type? |
| Continue in a different InDesign version | Agree the receiving version and whether IDML is needed | Has the converted copy been compared with the reference? |
A PDF-only delivery and an editable-source handoff have different requirements. Adobe distinguishes properly embedded font data for viewing or printing from access to the font software for editing. See its font-packaging guidance.
If the choice of editing tool is still unsettled, start with the brochure software and source-file handover guide. This checklist starts after that choice.
Run Package and check what it actually collects
Adobe’s packaging instructions describe these controls:
- Save the document, then select File > Package. Review the summary. If it flags problems, cancel and use Window > Output > Preflight to resolve them.
- Choose a destination folder. Select Copy Linked Graphics to collect placed images and illustrations, and Update Graphic Links In Package to point the packaged layout to that location.
- Use Copy Fonts only where sharing is permitted. The option excludes fonts activated from Adobe Fonts.
- Decide whether hidden or non-printing content needs its assets included. Add IDML for backward compatibility if required, and PDF (Print) using the agreed preset if needed.
- Create the package. Inspect the output rather than assuming every requested file was created.
As an extra handoff precaution, keep an untouched working original and prepare the transfer from a clearly named revision. Do not mix a newer layout with an older reference PDF. Record any exception in the inventory.
Use this file inventory before sending
The following is a suggested working record. Replace the prompts with actual filenames; an item that has not been checked stays Not checked.
| Item | Sender records | Recipient checks |
|---|---|---|
| INDD document | Exact filename, revision and authoring InDesign version | The expected layout opens in the agreed receiving version |
| Linked graphics | Included assets and known exceptions | Required images resolve from the delivered assets |
| Font access record | Each family and style, source, and acquisition route | Every required font is available through an authorised route |
| IDML, if agreed | Filename and reason for including it | The opened copy has been compared with the reference |
| Reference PDF | Filename and the revision it represents | Page order, text and image placement match the intended layout |
| Print PDF, if separately required | Filename and provider’s requested export settings | The printer has checked the output file |
| Handoff note or report | Unresolved issues, responsible person and next action | Every exception has an owner |
A reference PDF is a visual baseline. Calling it a reference does not establish that it meets the print provider’s output requirements. If the same PDF serves both roles, record that agreement.
For a supplied logo, use the vector logo file and print acceptance checklist to verify its actual object types before adding it to the package. A PDF extension alone does not establish that the logo contains vector artwork.
Record how each font reaches the next editor
Do not treat a copied font file as permission to use it. Adobe’s licensing FAQ says Adobe Fonts cannot be transferred to another user or computer. A printer or collaborator needing the fonts directly must have their own licence through a qualifying subscription or desktop purchase. The FAQ also says locally installed fonts have their own agreements.
| Font source | Sender’s responsibility | Recipient’s responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Adobe Fonts | Record exact family and styles; do not include the font files | Obtain access under their own applicable licence and confirm availability |
| Separately licensed desktop font | Check the actual agreement before copying; record the foundry and licence reference | Confirm whether their intended use needs their own licence |
| Unknown origin or missing licence record | Mark Unknown and identify who will investigate | Leave acceptance pending until the source and access route are settled |
Adobe notes that some font agreements allow sharing with printers for output, while terms vary. Read the particular agreement; an output-only permission should not be assumed to cover ongoing editing.
Use one row per required family and style. This blank row is deliberately not a claim about any particular font:
| Family and style | Source / licence reference | Access route | Person responsible | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not recorded | Unknown | Not agreed | Not assigned | Not checked |
If a font cannot be obtained, agree any replacement with the layout owner and produce a new reference PDF after checking the revised layout. Do not silently accept a substitute simply because the document opens.
Have the recipient test the downloaded copy
The sender’s computer may already contain assets the recipient lacks. Our recommended acceptance test therefore uses the delivered folder on the receiving machine, rather than a successful open on the sender’s machine.
- Download the complete delivery, unpack it if compressed, and preserve an untouched copy. Record the received revision and receiving InDesign version.
- Open a working copy from that folder. Investigate missing-font or missing-link messages before editing. Check that the assets being used belong to this delivery.
- Compare every page with the reference PDF. Look at line endings, headings, page count, image crops and placement. Look for overset text: text that no longer fits its frame. Include this check when an IDML file or a replacement font was used.
- Record the result and assign each problem. Agree who will repair and resend the package; repeat the affected checks after the replacement arrives.
Copy this record into your handoff note:
| Check | Recipient records | If unresolved |
|---|---|---|
| Received revision | Folder, INDD and reference PDF filenames | Ask sender to identify the matching set |
| Required links | Checked / issue, with affected filename and page | Sender supplies asset or clarifies the intended version |
| Required fonts | Checked / issue, with family and style | Named person resolves the access route |
| Text and layout | Compared / issue, with page and description | Layout owner reviews reflow, overset or substitution |
| Print output, if included | Provider acceptance / pending | Printer specifies the required correction |
| Overall handoff | Accepted / pending, checker and date | Keep issue owner and next action attached |
“Package created” belongs in the sender’s record. “Received copy checked” belongs in the recipient’s record. Keeping both makes it easier to locate a problem without treating a transfer receipt as a completed review.
What this checklist does not establish
This is an editable-file handoff checklist, not a press test or a guarantee of print readiness. Agree colour conversion and output profiles separately using the CMYK and RGB print handoff sheet. Bleed, image quality and the required PDF export settings come from the print provider for the job.
The tables are suggested records, not completed customer examples. Font permissions depend on the applicable agreement; this article does not determine the rights for an unidentified font. This publication does not provide design or printing services.
Method and sources
Updated October 15, 2026. Tool behavior was checked against Adobe’s Package InDesign files for output documentation. Font access and transfer boundaries were checked against Font licensing FAQs and Packaging font files, accessed on the same date. Those sources describe the software and Adobe’s guidance; no InDesign application test or customer-file transfer was performed for this article. The inventory, responsibility sheet and recipient acceptance record are editorial recommendations derived from the handoff task.
