WordsFlow

Release: WordsFlow 3.10 for InDesign 2021-2023

This release adds advanced merge options to the Import Options dialog and fixes a number of problems.

Release: WordsFlow 3.9.1 for InDesign 2021-2023

This patch fixes compatibility with Adobe’s InDesign 2023 18.1 Windows release.

Release: WordsFlow 3.9 for InDesign 2021-2023

This release improves Word imports and fixes problems with Unicode and ODT export.

InDesign 2023 plugins released

All of Em’s plugins are now released for InDesign 2023. We released WordsFlow and DocsFlow a week ago (a day after the 2023 release itself), and released InCatalog, InData and Xtags for InDesign today.

We do appreciate your patience with us on these releases. Normally we’re ready with all of them on the day of InDesign release (we’ve even been a bit early in recent years), but these releases include wrapping up some multi-month complex engineering efforts that took us right up to, and just over the wire.

You can download these latest releases, as ever, from each product’s main page, sidebar Downloads for InDesign. Individual release notes are coming right up.

Release: WordsFlow 3.8 for InDesign 2021-2023

This release mainly adds support for InDesign 2023.

Release: WordsFlow 3.7.1 for InDesign 2020-2022

This patch mainly addresses a problem with export creating damaged links.

Subscriptions finally come to Em Software

Be sure to read the section Auto-upgrades to subscriptions at the end for a very important note about using pre-2023 licenses with the new MAX 2022 (InDesign 2023) release plugins. Understanding what it says may save you time and expense.

With the upcoming plugins for InDesign 2023 that Adobe will release (as usual) at MAX 2022 (October 18th) — and for newly-released plugins under InDesign 2021 and 2022 (we only officially support the latest and 2 years back) — we are making a major change in how we license all our products. This will affect everyone going forward, so we’re giving you a heads-up a month ahead of the big change, and we will be attempting to contact every user via email, pointing to this message.

Release: WordsFlow 3.7 for InDesign 2020-2022

This release adds hyperlink style mapping and emoticon support, and fixes issues with document corruption, image quality, text wrap, and more.

Release: WordsFlow 3.6 for InDesign 2020-2022

This release improves the quality of Word imports and exports, and enhances product reliability.

Release: WordsFlow 3.5.1 for InDesign 2020-2022

This patch addresses performance problems when working with large files.

New course Collaborative Workflows for Editors and Designers

We’re very happy to announce that our long-time friend, collaborator and world-class designer/trainer Anne-Marie Concepción of Seneca Design has released a course Collaborative Workflows for Editors and Designers on LinkedIn Learning, which includes two chapters respectively on getting started with WordsFlow and DocsFlow.

You know a collaborative workflow can benefit your editing and design teams, but how do you set it up inexpensively and effectively? In this course, instructor Anne-Marie Concepción walks you through a number of free solutions that allow mixed-platform designers, writers, and editors to work concurrently on a single publication, whether they’re on-site or remote. She shows best practices for local network servers, as well as for shared, local folders from Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive/SharePoint, and Creative Cloud files. You’ll learn ways users can concurrently edit a file in Photoshop, Illustrator, Word 365, Google Docs, InDesign, and more. She presents detailed steps to set up and use an InDesign and InCopy workflow, so editors can open InDesign layouts in InCopy and write to fit. Anne-Marie also covers in-depth solutions that allow publishing teams to link Microsoft Word [WordsFlow] and Google Docs [DocsFlow] to live InDesign layouts, allowing for concurrent design and editorial development.

The good news is that, even if you don’t have a LinkedIn Learning (originally lynda.com) account, the link above gives you a free 30-day trial, which should be more than adequate to take advantage of this course.

Note that you can skip directly to the WordsFlow and DocsFlow chapters to learn more about how to use them, though you’d be wise to view the earlier chapters for a cornucopia of collaborative workflow knowledge.

Release: WordsFlow 3.5 for InDesign 2020-2022

This update improves compatibility with Word files and adds a Deactivate License button.

Release: WordsFlow 3.4.1 for InDesign 2020-2022

This patch fixes a rare problem with link updating.

Release: WordsFlow 3.4 for InDesign 2020-2022

This release adds support for InDesign 2022, for importing endnotes as static text, and for WPS Office.

Release: WordsFlow 3.3 for InDesign CS6, CC2019-2021

This release adds highlight mapping and improves product stability.

Release: WordsFlow 3.2 for InDesign CS6, CC2019-2021

This release adds support for Apple silicon and includes general product improvements.

Release: WordsFlow 3.1 for InDesign CS6, CC2019-2021

This release adds a footnote/endnote import option and fixes a number of reported issues.

Release: WordsFlow 3.0.2 for InDesign CS6, CC2019-2021

This quick release improves WordsFlow’s built-in Word filter and addresses reported issues.

Release: WordsFlow 3.0.1 for InDesign CS6, CC2019-2021

This release fixes a crash and addresses Update Linked Document issues.

Release: WordsFlow 3.0 for InDesign CS6, CC2019-2021

We’re thrilled to announce the official release of WordsFlow 3.0, which primarily introduces our new Microsoft Word import filter with advanced import options.

Release: WordsFlow 2.19.1 for InDesign CS6, CC2019-2021

This patch simply tweaks how Above Line frames are exported.

Adobe blog: InDesign editorial + production magic with WordsFlow

Laurie Ruhlin (a crackerjack Chicago-based trainer / consultant / designer, and a long-time friend of Em Software) has written a fantastic overview of WordsFlow for Adobe’s blog:

InDesign editorial + production magic with WordsFlow

Her summary:

So there you have it. WordsFlow and DocsFlow (for Google Docs) allows my client to retain content control throughout the production process. They can use the program they feel comfortable in to make edits, and best of all, I “allow” them to do much of the tedious editing. I simply update or relink the Word file using WordsFlow, and instantly, those client changes are incorporated into my InDesign document. WordsFlow has greatly simplified my workflow and allowed me to keep my designer hat on, the one I love to wear!

(Find full information at http://emsoftware.com/wordsflow, where you can download and install the free, 15-day, full-featured trial plugin.)

Release: WordsFlow 2.19 for InDesign CS6, CC2019-2021

This release adds support for InDesign 2021 and discontinues support for some older versions.

Preview: WordsFlow 3.0 for InDesign CS6, CC2018-2020

We’re excited to announce the availability of WordsFlow 3.0 Preview, which introduces a new, custom-built Microsoft Word import filter with advanced import options. To take it for a spin, download an installer from the Previews for InDesign section of WordsFlow’s side-bar, drive it around for a bit, then let us know what you think!

Release: WordsFlow 2.18 for InDesign CS6, CC2018-2020

This release improves tracked-changes handling, InDesign’s Missing Fonts dialog, and product stability.

WordsFlow and DocsFlow make top ten Most Valuable Plugins

Issue 137 of InDesign Magazine published a rundown of the ten most valuable plugins for InDesign, compiled from a survey of their board of experts. WordsFlow is #4 and DocsFlow is #8.

On WordsFlow:

Em Software’s WordsFlow is a no-brainer; I use it and couldn’t live without it. I used to send a PDF to my client, have her mark it up with PDF commenting, then spend a couple of hours deciphering her notes, scratch outs, word changes, and other tiny issues. Now, I send my client the exported Word file, and she makes all the minor changes. When she sends it back to me, I relink it with WordsFlow. The two hours that I would have worked on the minor changes is done in about a minute. —Laurie Ruhlin

On DocsFlow:

I think DocsFlow is a miracle plug-in. I’ve used it for many client projects for years because it’s rock solid and it turns me into a rock star in my client’s eyes. “What? We can still have all our users editing all these Google Docs remotely and we’ll have no problems updating the publication with our changes? What a relief! Thank you!” —Anne-Marie Concepción

You can read the article online at InDesign MVPs: Most Valuable Plug-ins.

To help with reading the whole issue (and future issues), InDesign Secrets is also offering a $10 discount code for membership: MVP.

Release: WordsFlow 2.17 for InDesign CS6, CC2018-2020

This release gives exported Word files the same page formatting as the InDesign document, and improves product stability.

A romp through WordsFlow and DocsFlow with Terry White on Adobe Live

Joe Mathia (with Chris Ryland kibitzing) had a great time showing our WordsFlow and DocsFlow products on Adobe Live yesterday, hosted by Terry White. Terry’s the best, and the audience was alive with excellent questions.

You can watch a replay here.

Free webinar “Successful Remote Workflows for Publishing Teams”

One of our very favorite InDesign gurus, “Her Geekness” Anne-Marie Concepcion, will be presenting three very timely free webinars on remote workflows for publishing teams, May 12, 13, and 14th. The final presentation on the 14th will be covering our WordsFlow and DocsFlow products.

Release: WordsFlow 2.16.2 for InDesign CS6, CC2018-2020

This patch addresses a compatibility issue with Typefi Designer.

Release: WordsFlow 2.16.1 for InDesign CS6, CC2018-2020

This patch improves stability and fixes issues with exporting to Word files.

Release: WordsFlow 2.16 for InDesign CS6, CC2018-2020

This release adds support for InDesign 2020 and discontinues support for some older versions.

Release: WordsFlow 2.15.2 for InDesign CS5–CC2019

This patch fixes troubles with tables, endnotes, and updates of linked files.

Scott Hayes at the Eastern European Mission (eem.org) writes eloquently about how WordsFlow has transformed their incredibly challenging multi-lingual workflow. Key insight:

For us WordsFlow was a revolution in technology unlike anything we have implemented in the last 10 years.

WordsFlow vs. InCopy

(We just added this section to the WordsFlow product page, and thought it was worth sharing here.)

InCopy is a great solution if you need your authors and editors to work with exactly what’s going to be seen in the final InDesign document.

However, working with WordsFlow does have some serious advantages:

If your authors/editors have used Word all their lives, there’s no need to change their work habits or learn something new, using WordsFlow. They can stay productive in their long- and hard-earned knowledge of Word, with all its editorial power. InCopy is basically “baby InDesign,” and is a completely foreign world to Word users.
In fact, your Word users don’t even have to know you’re using WordsFlow–it’s entirely invisible to them. It just makes you, the production user or team, look a lot faster, smarter, and more accurate. (No more botched manual merges.)
WordsFlow enables InDesign production to proceed in parallel with editing in Word. InCopy stops all other work on a story while it’s checked out.
ICML (the InCopy native document format) can really only be used to feed InDesign. WordsFlow allows you to link document formats that can be used for other purposes.
WordsFlow is more production proof in that you can control the formatting on the InDesign side and review changes made by the editors before accepting. When an InCopy story is checked in, that’s it.
With WordsFlow, your authors and editors don’t need to be burdened with all the styling and other layout details in the InDesign story. It’s a well-known trope that dealing with the details of text formatting while writing is a huge distraction from the real job at hand. And your InDesign production folks will be glad your authors and editors don’t get to meddle with those details.
Cost! Each of your authors and editors needs an InCopy license, while only your production (InDesign) users need a WordsFlow license.

SPI Connector for Box + WordsFlow bundle

We’re happy to announce the results of a recent collaboration effort with Silicon Publishing, Inc (SPI), resulting in a Box Connector + WordsFlow bundle.

Brett Kizner from Silicon Publishing says it best:

We’ve been friends with the folks from Em Software for a long time. Just as our Connector solves a common problem of linking assets from a DAM [digital asset management system] or file sharing service to your InDesign documents, WordsFlow creates a dynamic link with magic-merge capabilities from a Microsoft Word or Excel document to your InDesign document. We realized that when you combine the two solutions, you get a powerful collaborative editorial toolset breaking the barriers between the writers and the designers so we are proud to work with the Em Software team to bring a combined solution to market.

Release: WordsFlow 2.15.1 for InDesign CS5–CC2019

This patch release works around an InDesign bug and fixes a few problems with exporting and updating.

Release: WordsFlow 2.15 for InDesign CS5–CC2019

This release improves stability when working with hyperlinks and cross-references.

Nell Chitty writes “A Designer’s Love Letter to WordsFlow”

Nell wrote a wonderfully helpful love letter to WordsFlow about a year ago, and we let it go by without note. It’s so good that we wanted to bring it up and share it with you, in spite of the time passage.

I first learnt about WordsFlow when watching a tutorial on Lynda.com on Word and InDesign Integration. I have found that clients love the control they have over the text using WordsFlow, that they get to work in an application they’re comfortable with (I’ve yet to meet someone who uses InCopy), and how fast I can output an updated PDF for them. Before, they’d have to wait for me to make the text changes they need, but now I just need to press a button. Its great!

The post is great–read the whole thing. Thanks, Nell!

Release: WordsFlow 2.14.2 for InDesign CS5–CC2019

This patch fixes the export of images placed from multi-image files.

Release: WordsFlow 2.14.1 for InDesign CS5–CC2019

This patch release fixes a problem with updating Excel links in InDesign CC 2019.

Release: WordsFlow 2.14 for InDesign CS5–CC2019

This release adds support for just-released InDesign CC 2019.

Release: WordsFlow 2.13.1 for InDesign CS5–CC2018

This patch improves stability when working with bookmarks and endnotes, fixes problems with Place with WordsFlow…, and addresses an issue with commas in exported style names.

Release: WordsFlow 2.13 for InDesign CS5–CC2018

This release greatly improves Word exports, adds a way to directly create WordsFlow links, and makes placing with WordsFlow scriptable.

Release: WordsFlow 2.12 for InDesign CS5–CC2018

This release prevents unnecessary Missing Plug-ins messages and improves product stability.

Release: WordsFlow 2.11.2 for InDesign CS5–CC2018

This quick release improves compatibility with Excel files and adds basic support for InDesign index markers.

InDesign Rejects Custom Excel Cell Ranges

We’ve recently discovered that InDesign’s Excel import filter has a weird, long-standing bug where it won’t accept a custom Cell Range if the sheet contains exactly 26 columns (or a multiple of 26 columns). While it’s annoying if you run into this problem while Placing a sheet with WordsFlow, it’s downright insidious if you run into it while updating a linked sheet.

Release: WordsFlow 2.11.1 for InDesign CS5–CC2018

This release fixes problems with updating and improves stability.

Release: WordsFlow 2.11 for InDesign CS5–CC2018

This release adds full support for CC 2018’s endnotes and includes a number of other fairly significant fixes and improvements.

Release: WordsFlow 2.10.2 for InDesign CS5–CC2018

This release fixes a compatibility problem with links created without WordsFlow installed.

Release: WordsFlow 2.10.1 for InDesign CS5–CC2018

This patch addresses incompatibilities with CC 2018’s new endnotes feature.

Release: WordsFlow 2.10 for InDesign CS5–CC2018

This release adds support for just-released InDesign CC 2018 and includes a couple minor fixes.

Release: WordsFlow 2.9 for InDesign CS5–CC2017

This release improves exports and updates.

Release: WordsFlow 2.8.4 for InDesign CS5–CC2017

This release improves stability and enables InDesign’s Missing Plug-ins alert.

Release: WordsFlow 2.8.3 for InDesign CS5–CC2017

This release improves OpenDocument file handling and overall stability.

Release: WordsFlow 2.8.2 for InDesign CS5–CC2017

This patch improves stability and fixes problems with exported Word files.

Release: WordsFlow 2.8.1 for InDesign CS5–CC2017

This patch release addresses styling issues with unformatted text and fixes rtf exports.

Release: WordsFlow 2.8 for InDesign CS5–CC2017

This release adds support for just-released InDesign CC 2017, improves support for the OpenDocument and Word file formats, and addresses issues with fonts.

Release: WordsFlow 2.7 for InDesign CS5–CC2015

This release adds support for change tracking, moves to -> as the style group separator in exported Word files, and fixes some issues with updating, exporting, and unlinking.

Release: WordsFlow 2.6.10 for InDesign CS5–CC2015

This quick release addresses a couple of Export with WordsFlow… problems that were introduced in the 2.6.9 release.

Release: WordsFlow 2.6.9 for InDesign CS5–CC2015

This release addresses styling issues when updating and exporting and improves product stability.

Release: WordsFlow 2.6.8 for InDesign CS5–CC2015

This release includes a number of fixes that improve the quality and stability of imports, updates, and exports.

Release: WordsFlow 2.6.7 for InDesign CS5–CC2015

This quick release improves stability and fixes a problem with placing some InCopy files.

Release: WordsFlow 2.6.6 for InDesign CS5–CC2015

This release fixes crash issues, a disabled Unlink menu, and problems with styles.

Release: WordsFlow 2.6.5 for InDesign CS5–CC2015

This patch fixes problems with pasting text and story updating, and improves product stability.

Release: WordsFlow 2.6.4 for InDesign CS5–CC2015

This release includes fixes for exporting, re-linking, and updating with linked Word files containing hyperlinks and cross-references.

Release: WordsFlow 2.6.3 for InDesign CS5–CC2015

This patch release addresses issues with updating and exporting stories.

Release: WordsFlow 2.6.2 for InDesign CS5–CC2015

This minor release includes a fix for a potential application freeze when updating, and addresses a few other issues with updating and exporting.

Release: WordsFlow 2.6.1 for InDesign CS5–CC2015

This patch release officially introduces our custom installers and addresses minor issues with licensing, Word document import, and Word document export.

Release: WordsFlow 2.6 for InDesign CS5–CC2015

This release adds support for just-released InDesign CC 2015 and abandons Extension Manager CC in favor of, for now, a manual installation procedure (see below).

Release: WordsFlow 2.5 for InDesign CS5–CC2014

This dot release improves Word exports and includes a number of fixes for problems with exporting and updating.

Release: WordsFlow 2.4.2 for InDesign CS5–CC2014

This release mainly addresses issues with anchored, linked items causing damage to the parent story’s WordsFlow connection.

Release: WordsFlow 2.4.1 for InDesign CS5–CC2014

This patch release includes fixes for styling problems when working with Word and Excel files.

Release: WordsFlow 2.4 for InDesign CS5–CC2014

This point release fixes a particularly painful problem that’s been damaging Excel links during updates and resulting in “Cannot update link…” errors. If you work with Excel files, we highly recommend that you update to this release as soon as possible. Beyond that, this release contains the usual blend of fixes and improvements, this time for exporting stories and for working with Excel sheets in general. Enjoy!

Release: WordsFlow 2.3.1 for InDesign CS5–CC2014

This patch release addresses problems with story updating and exporting.

Release: WordsFlow 2.3 for InDesign CS5–CC2014

The big news with this release is the introduction of our new, fully functional, Pro-product trial mode with a 15-day evaluation period (details below). This release also includes improvements for relinking, updating, and exporting.

Release: WordsFlow 2.2 for InDesign CS5–CC2014

This release adds scripting support for Pro version features.

Release: WordsFlow 2.1.2 for InDesign CS5–CC2014

This release adds language support to docx exports and fixes a couple of issues with Update Linked Document.

Release: WordsFlow 2.1.1 for InDesign CS5–CC2014

This patch release fixes an incompatibility with the just-released InDesign CC 2014.1 update.

Release: WordsFlow 2.1 for InDesign CS5–CC2014

This release improves the quality and stability of exported documents.

WordsFlow and DocsFlow user guides now printable/pdf-able

In this Age of the Web, hard copy (physical or virtual) doesn’t matter to most people, but it really matters to some. So we’ve just made important parts of our web site printable or pdf-able for when you want to take some part of it offline with you in paper or digital form, for study, reference or just light vacation reading.

WordsFlow 2.0 review from InDesign Magazine

Jamie McKee wrote a perceptive and very positive review of our newly-released WordsFlow version 2.0 in InDesign Magazine, issue #65 of September 2014. His conclusion:

WordsFlow already offered InDesign users a solution to the Microsoft Word/ Excel-to-InDesign workflow problem we’ve all been wrestling with for years—updating linked files without losing formatting. WordsFlow Pro 2.0 takes the final step, offering full two-way capabilities so you can send the changes you’ve made in InDesign back to your original Word documents. If you regularly work with text files that are likely to be edited (and who doesn’t?), you need to take a look at WordsFlow Pro 2.0!

Release: WordsFlow 2.0 for InDesign CS5–CC2014

We’re delighted to announce the release of WordsFlow 2.0, which adds Pro-level features that, like DocsFlow Pro, complete the workflow cycle and make WordsFlow fully two-way. With the Pro version, you can now update your Word documents in place from the latest linked InDesign story contents, and you can export’n’link any InDesign story to a new Word document as well.

Release: WordsFlow Pro 2.0 beta 3

This release brings the beta current with the 1.3 release, adds support for CC 2014, and addresses a few beta issues.

Release: WordsFlow 1.3 for InDesign CS5–CC2014

This release mainly adds support for back-saving to previous versions of InDesign, but also addresses a few minor issues.

Release: WordsFlow 1.2.4 for InDesign CS5–CC2014

This quick release fixes a build problem with the CC 2014 Windows plug-in and improves update behavior in low memory conditions.

Release: WordsFlow Pro 2.0 beta 2

This release fixes a critical and frequently-hit bug in WordsFlow Pro export. (Export would fail with a backtrace error.)

Release: WordsFlow 1.2.3 for InDesign CS5–CC2014

This release adds compatibility with InDesign CC 2014 along with a few fixes.

Release: WordsFlow Pro 2.0 beta 1

We’re happy and excited to share an early public release of WordsFlow Pro (now at version 2.0) for your evaluation and feedback. WordsFlow Pro, like DocsFlow Pro, completes the workflow cycle, and makes WordsFlow fully two-way. With the Pro version, you can now update your Word documents in place with the latest linked InDesign story contents, and you can export any InDesign story to a new Word document as well (which also links it automatically).

Release: WordsFlow 1.2.2 for InDesign CS5/CS5.5/CS6/CC

This patch release improves the quality and general stability of updating.

Release: WordsFlow 1.2.1 for InDesign CS5/CS5.5/CS6/CC

This release adds support for InDesign CC and includes improvements to product stability and usability.

Release: WordsFlow 1.2 for InDesign CS5/CS5.5/CS6

This release of WordsFlow adds an on-frame link indicator, addresses a long-standing problem when working with custom-anchored images, improves the quality of updates, and increases overall workflow stability.

New lynda.com course showing DocsFlow and WordsFlow

Anne-Marie Concepción has published a new online video course Using Word and InDesign Together on lynda.com that includes brief overviews of both WordsFlow and DocsFlow.

The course itself looks great, as you’d expect from Anne-Marie, and the two short overviews of our products are spot on. She mentions DocsFlow 2.0, which includes two-way linking to Google Docs, and which we’re just about to release in the next few days.

I’m trying hard not to type phrases like “Most useful plug-in ever,” but I have to tell you: I’m sitting here with my mouth agape, heart beating faster, and thinking “This is what I’ve wanted for 20 years.”

In short, I’m playing with WordsFlow, a plug-in from Em Software that fundamentally changes the way you’ll work with Word documents.