Forgive me if this has already been requested, I couldn't find a thread regarding this topic. Can we allow users to download a PDF with all comments that can be ingested into InDesign via the PDF Comments palette? Thank you.

[JillAc]

I'm pretty sure the answer is no but I want to follow in case you get a different answer. There is an integration with Adobe CC but we haven't yet taken the time to figure it out completely, what we saw didn't do very much so we didn't pursue it. Others said they were able to use it more fully.

[NicholasSc]

I assume that will be the case too. However, I am hopeful that will change in the near future as the PDF Comments palette is proving to be very useful with other PDFs we receive not through Workfront.

[AnnaHolder]

I'm not familiar with InDesign but am curious to know if there is a way to download a PDF with all comments period.

[JillAc]

When you print a proof there are options to print it with the comments. However, the comments display in a column next to a thumbnail of the page, not as "bubbles" as they do in Acrobat. Play around with the various print options and you will see all the variations that are available.

[NicholasSc]

Yes, but that is not what I am asking. I want the comments to be applied to the PDF so that they can be ingested into InDesign and its PDF Comments palette. Yes you can print a pdf with comment, but they are in more of a list structure. But thanks for the reply as it might answer Anna's questions.

[AnnaHolder]

Thanks Jill! I actually just noticed this a few days ago when someone added me to a proof as a reviewer for the first time (we are pretty new to WF). The issue we are having is that we'd like to be able to export all Updates made by the project owner on a project. Our PM department writes a weekly project status update on the Project Updates feed (a condition update, to be specific). For historical and research purposes, we'd like to be able to export all condition updates ever logged on the project by the project owner. If anyone knows of a way to do that please share!

[skyehansen]

Sorry, it took me a while to try this out since I didn't have InDesign at the time. But basically you can download a PDF with comments (use the Export to PDF icon rather than the big green print button) but when you try to use "File | Import PDF comments" in Indesign it will throw an error -- "PDF was not created from Indesign".

The only workaround that worked (that I tried) was to export the comments off the PDF and import them onto a PDF that was *exported* off the indesign file.

So two things where this is concerned: first the PDF exported out of Workfront is a different size so it's very likely that the comments may not line up exactly (might not be a big deal unless you are working with the text selection tool). And secondly... well... I mean, it only takes a few minutes to do each proof, but is that where you really want to spend your time?

[NicholasSc]

Many of the files I deal with are hundreds of pages with hundreds of comments. Ideally what I would like is to export the PDF from Workfront that has the comments applied in the same manner that they are applied directly in Acrobat. This PDF is the same one that I have uploaded to Workfront, hence the InDesign error would be moot. Once a PDF is received with those hundreds of comments it can be imported into InDesign and the PDF Comments palette becomes invaluable. This would speed up our workflow by leaps and bounds.

[skyehansen]

I hear you.

The problem is that the PDF with comments that you export out of WF is not the PDF you uploaded (it is longer and contains a header (and maybe a footer? I didn't think to check)). I see how the PDF comment palette would be useful but that's the two problems with what's currently going on. The PDF is not the same as what you uploaded, and specifically since it's the wrong size it would throw everything off. Literally the best thing I *think* you could hope for at the moment, is to export the exact same size PDF as what you are about to download from WF and then import comments via data file and then resize the Indesign file back to the proper size. Even doing this 5-10 min step for hundreds of comments per file might save you time.

[NicholasSc]

Incorrect. You can download the exact PDF from Workfront that I have uploaded. I just want that exact PDF to simply contain the comments. I realize it doesn't currently exist so I am hoping that Workfront might see this thread and respond that it is something they would consider looking into. The PDF comments palette is still fairly new so its not surprising that it isn't available, yet.

[kynabaker16 · Accepted solution]

Hey Nicholas,

I just wanted to let you know that I have shared this thread with some of our Workfront product team members so they will see it. Have you submitted an idea exchange idea about this? Or voted on one if it exists already?

Thanks!

Kyna

[NicholasSc]

Thank you, Kyna! No I have not submitted this as an idea exchange, I'm not exactly sure how to do that as I am fairly new to the Workfront site.