When it comes to PDFs you create with InDesign, you can add a splash of interactivity to make it more engaging.
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Add links
One of the simplest ways to add interactivity to your InDesign document is to add hyperlinks (links). You can add links to external websites, pages in the current document, and more. Links can be a great way to add a link to your social media, website, or blog, for instance.
Select text within a text frame, an entire text frame, an image, or another object.
In the Hyperlinks panel (Window > Interactive > Hyperlinks), enter a URL and click Create new hyperlink at the bottom. You can set options in the New hyperlink dialog box like what to link to (for instance, a URL, an email address, or a page) and the link’s appearance.
Tip: If you select a URL in text on the page and click in the Hyperlinks panel to create a new hyperlink, the text is copied into the URL.
Make interactive buttons
You can make an interactive button from almost anything you select in InDesign. The most common button is made from a shape, like a rectangle frame, and text.
Select content that will become the button.
Open the Buttons and forms panel (Window > Interactive > Buttons and forms ). In the panel, choose Button from the Type menu to create a button. You can then set an action (what happens when the button is clicked or tapped) by clicking the plus (+), as well as appearance.
Export as PDF
The last step is to export the PDF so the interactive content works in the PDF.
With the file saved, choose File > Export. In the Export dialog box, choose Adobe PDF (Interactive) as the format.
In the Export to interactive PDF dialog box, you can set options like fitting the page in the viewer, showing as spreads, page transitions, and more. Click Export to export the PDF.
The next time you need to create a PDF for work, school, or fun, try adding some of the interactive content you learned about here. Adding a splash of interactivity to your PDFs is a great way to make them more engaging.