iziImport

iziImport is an Adobe InDesign Add-on to import content from WordPress or any CMS to Adobe InDesign.

With iziImport, you can turn any WordPress post into an InDesign article in a one-click process. It's ready to use with WordPress, but you are free to change it to use with your CMS.

How much is iziImport?

The price of iziImport is $5.95/Monthly (1-month free trial).

Which Adobe InDesign versions are supported?

iziImport requires InDesign CC.

Which databases are supported?

Currently allows connection to MySQL and Microsoft SQL Server, although more databases will be coming soon.

It also allows you to connect through the WordPress REST API.

INSTALLATION

How to install?

Step 1. Make sure you have installed the Creative Cloud Desktop App. Add-ons require the Creative Cloud Desktop App and at least one compatible Adobe application to be installed. If you have not already installed the Creative Cloud Desktop App you can get it from https://creativecloud.adobe.com/apps/download/creative-cloud

Step 2. Adquire the iziImport Add-on here:
https://exchange.adobe.com/apps/cc/107681/iziimport

Step 3. Creative Cloud Desktop App automatically sync/download and install iziImport Add-on, and a toast notification appears on your screen to indicate that iziImport Add-on has been installed.

Step 4. Find iziImport from the Window→Extensions menu in Adobe InDesign.

More information about installing add-ons can be found at:
https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/creative-cloud/kb/installingextensionsandaddons.html

Do you have problems with the installation?

Adobe has reported issues when installing Add-ons on computers with Extension Manager CC and Creative Cloud Desktop App both installed. Make sure yout don't have both installed.

If you have problems with the installation please see the following troubleshooting guide for Adobe add-ons:
https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/exchange/kb/troubleshoot-adobe-exchange.html

Where to find it?

Once installed, find iziImport from the Window→Extensions menu in Adobe InDesign.

If you don't find it, please see the following troubleshooting guide for Adobe add-ons:
https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/exchange/kb/troubleshoot-adobe-exchange.html

CONFIGURATION

How to connect to my database?

If you are using WordPress and don't know your database connection details, download the wp-config.php file from your WordPress site.

Step 1. Create a New configuration and enter a Configuration name.

Step 2. You should enter the same wp-config.php configuration:

Server Name: DB_HOST
DB User: DB_USER
DB Password: DB_PASSWORD
Database Name: DB_NAME

Step 3. You can click the Try Connection button. If it doesn't work, try changing the Database Type:

MySQL
MySQL X Protocol

Step 4. Click on the Save button.

If you're encountering issues to connect, download MySQL Workbench and try to connect directly with it:
https://www.mysql.com/products/workbench/

If you still can't connect, ask your hosting provider how to connect to the database. They might be restricting connections and could potentially allow you to connect in an alternative manner: such as only allowing connections from your IP, setting up a VPN or SSH tunneling, or something similar.

How to configure the WordPress REST API?

We recommend using the database connection for better performance, but this is the alternative in case that is not possible.

Step 1. Create a New configuration and enter a Configuration name.

Step 2. Under Database Type, select WordPress REST API and leave the rest of the connection data blank (user, password, database, and server).

Step 3. Modify the SQL Statements like this:

Step 4. Click on the Save button.

Other common configurations

By default, when creating a new connection, it is automatically preconfigured for use with WordPress. The add-on auto-fills all other fields, but you are free to customize it for your CMS if necessary.

Here are some examples of how to configure these fields for other scenarios (WordPress with custom fields, Drupal, WooCommerce, Prestashop...):
https://www.iziimport.com/settings.html

If you need further information, please download this PDF, which provides details about the queries and each field:
https://www.iziimport.com/docs/iziImportConnection.pdf

BASICS

How do I tag page items in InDesign?

Step 1. Create the tags title, text, image and caption to identify each content element where you want to import. From InDesign choose Window > Utilities > Tags to open the Tags panel and click the New Tag button on the Tags panel.

Step 2. Tag page items with manual tagging. Select a frame or text frame, and then click a tag in the Tags panel.

Step 3. To import content successfully into your InDesign document, check that the page items are correctly tagged (title, text, image and caption). And check that the elements has been added to the article before importing (to create an article, you must select the frames and text frames of the article and click the New Article button in the InDesign Articles Panel).

How to get started:
https://youtu.be/ShwUuOzq7Gos

You can also import your content without tagging the page items (*), just select the frames and click the Import button:
https://youtu.be/0JV4_3_PCbs

* Tagging of page items is recommended, but not required (they are automatically tagged on import).

Which specific tags should I use?

title for the title or post name.
text for the main text.
image for images.
caption for captions.

Any image must be grouped with its corresponding caption.

Can I import the image credits?

Yes, WordPress Title fields are imported as image credits.

The credit must be tagged as "credit" and grouped with the image and the caption.

If the group only has one text frame (Image + Caption), the credit is imported into the same text frame as the caption. (Credit + paragraph break + Caption).

How to import multiple posts at once?

Step 1. Prepare your InDesign document. Create the articles or just group all the frames and text frames of each article.

Step 2. Select the posts in the order you want to import them (Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click).

Step 3. Select the frames where to import these posts in the desired order. You can select a frame added to an InDesign article or just select the group.

Step 4. Click on the Import button.

ADVANCED

How to preserve or convert to smart quotes?

By default, all quotes are imported as straight quotes.

To change it, go to Edit Configuration and modify the field "Javascript to clear text".

You can preserve smart quotes by adding the PreservePrintQuotes function:
WordpressClear();
PreservePrintQuotes();
g_text_out = g_text_in;

You can convert straight quotes to smart quotes by adding the UseOnlyPrintQuotes function:
WordpressClear();
UseOnlyPrintQuotes();
g_text_out = g_text_in;

How to configure automatic translation?

Machine translation uses the Google Cloud Translation API. You can translate any text from InDesign, but if you translate a text imported with iziImport it will keep the bold, italics, links, etc.

About Cloud Translation:
- https://cloud.google.com/translate
- https://cloud.google.com/translate/pricing (First 500,000 characters per month are free)

To generate Google API Key:

1) Go to the Cloud Platform Console:
https://console.cloud.google.com
2) Create a new Project or select one.
3) Go to API & Services > Library, search for "Cloud Translation API" and enable it.
4) Go to IAM & Admin > Service Accounts and create a service account.
5) Once your service account has been created, click on your service account and click on the KEYS tab. From here, you can add a new key as a JSON type.
6) Rename the downloaded file to "CloudTranslationAPI.json" and copy it to the iziImport folder (you will find it inside your Users folder: C:\Users\YourUser\iziImport).
7) Now you can use automatic translation!

How to configure automatic text fit?

Text fitting uses the OpenAI API. You can fit any text from InDesign, but if you fit a text imported with iziImport it will keep the bold, italics, links, etc.

About OpenAI:
- https://openai.com
- https://openai.com/pricing (ChatGPT model: Free trial credits $18.00)

To generate OpenAI API Key:

1) Go to the OpenAI Platform:
https://platform.openai.com/overview
2) Log in or sign up. Creating an account is free, you only have to pay once your free trial credit has expired.
3) Click on your avatar in the top right-hand corner of the dashboard.
4) Select View API Keys.
5) Click Create new secret key and copy it to a txt file named "openAI.txt".
6) Copy this file to the iziImport folder (you will find it inside your Users folder: C:\Users\YourUser\iziImport).
7) Now you can use automatic text fit!

Making Text Fit:

Step 1. Select a text frame with overflow text to fit it.
Step 2. Select the language of text in the first drop-down list (English is selected by default).
Step 3. Click on the "Text Fit (AI)" button.

Important: Fit speed depends on the response time of the OpenAI API.

Our integration process is focused on respecting the work of content writers. We do not use automatic text generation, and instead, we use AI to adjust and optimize texts to fit the allocated layout space while ensuring that the original content is preserved to the greatest extent possible. We value the effort of content writers and seek to support them in producing high-quality content.

It's perfect for designers, marketers, editors and anyone looking to streamline their workflow.

Say goodbye to the days of manually adjusting text and hello to a faster, more efficient process!

OTHERS

RELEASE NOTES

1.0.12 version (2023-09-11)
- Fixed an issue with WordPress custom fields.

1.0.11 version (2023-03-29)
- Added automatic text fit with ChatGPT.

1.0.10 version (2023-03-06)
- Fixed an issue with ampersands used in titles and captions.
- Fixed error 1020 occurring on some hosting providers.

1.0.9 version (2022-10-12)
- Added import multiple posts at once.

1.0.8 version (2022-09-23)
- Fixed several issues with REST API connection.

1.0.7 version (2022-08-23)
- Added WordPress REST API connection type (whenever possible, we recommend using the database connection for best performance).
- Added more tag fields.
- Fixed an issue with importing the caption of some images.
- Fixed an issue with bulleted lists. Now, you can create an InDesign Paragraph Style with Bullet Character and use "Map Tags to Styles" (assign the li tag to this Paragraph Style).

1.0.6 version (2022-07-08)
- Improved loading time.
- Added automatic translation.

1.0.5 version (2022-07-04)
- Added import of multiple images (WordPress).
- Imports the extra images and places them from left to right and from top to bottom.
- Images folder next to the InDesign file.
- Removes extra line break between paragraphs.
- Fixed an issue with soft returns.
- Added import of image captions.
- Added import of image credits (WP Title fields).
- New functions to preserve or convert to smart quotes.

1.0.4 version (2022-05-06)
- Fixed an issue with br tag.

1.0.3 version (2022-04-29)
- Removes all attributes from basic HTML tags.
- Added RemoveTag() function to remove a tag and its content.
- Fixed an issue with http hyperlinks.

1.0.2 version (2021-10-26)
- Improved database connection performance.

1.0.1 version (2021-10-01)
- Import your content without tagging the page items:
     1) Select the main frames of an article (title, text, image, and caption) and then click the Import button.
     2) If these frames are grouped, you can select the group and then click Import.
     3) If these frames have been added to an article, you can select any frame and then click Import.
- Import multiple posts in the same text frame (News in Brief).
- Search posts by title.