🚀 First Look: Adobe InDesign 2025 (v20.0) - Productivity & AI
The 2025 release of Adobe InDesign (v20.0) is heavily focused on streamlining workflows and integrating Adobe Firefly generative AI directly into the layout process. While it brings powerful new tools, early feedback suggests it's a version that prioritizes performance tuning after initial installation. Here is what you need to know about the latest installment. 🌟 Top New Features & Improvements Generative AI Integration (Firefly):
InDesign now integrates Adobe Firefly, allowing users to generate images, create shapes, and edit layouts directly within the app, enhancing creative brainstorming without leaving the workspace. Enhanced "Publish Online":
Continued improvements to the Publish Online feature, allowing for better interactive, HTML-based document sharing that retains interactive elements (buttons, video, animation). Improved Accessibility:
Further enhancements to export tagging for PDFs, ensuring better compliance with accessibility standards. Workflow Enhancements:
Better integration with Adobe Express, allowing for easier resizing and adaptation of social media assets. Performance and Stability Updates:
As of version 20.0.1, Adobe has focused on patching known bugs regarding file exports and interface lags. 🚧 Known Issues & Stability (As of late 2024/2025) Startup/Lag Issues:
Some users experienced a 3-5 second lag when clicking in/out of the application. Paragraph Styles Lag:
Reports of slowness when editing paragraph or character styles, particularly on Windows. Drag-and-Drop Problems:
Some users on Windows 10/11 reported that drag-and-drop functionality for opening files was buggy. Lag/Delay in new indesign update (2025) - Adobe Community
Adobe InDesign 2024 (Version 20.0) is a major update to Adobe's flagship page layout software, introducing several workflow enhancements and AI-driven features designed for professional designers and desktop publishers. Core New Features & Enhancements
Generative AI Integration: Following other Creative Cloud apps, InDesign now supports Text to Image capabilities, allowing users to generate high-quality visual assets directly within the app using simple text prompts.
Auto Style with Style Packs: This feature automates the process of styling large amounts of text by identifying relevant content sections (like headlines and subheads) and applying a cohesive Style Pack instantly.
Accessibility Improvements: Version 20.0 includes enhanced support for accessible glossaries and ARIA roles, making it easier to create documents that meet global accessibility standards for screen readers. Adobe InDesign 2024 20.0
Cloud Document Management: The update improves how users view and manage versions in cloud documents, streamlining collaboration and ensuring file history is easily accessible. Refined Text & Layout Tools
Advanced Story Editor: The Story Editor functions as a built-in word processor, allowing you to edit text in a distraction-free window without layout overhead. It is especially useful for handling overset text.
Contextual Task Bar: A new floating menu that provides relevant next steps based on the object you've selected, significantly reducing the need to hunt through menus for common tools.
Flex Layout Support: Enhanced tools for Flex Layout allow designers to create more responsive document structures that adapt to different screen sizes. Quick Tips for Getting Started
Creating Documents: Use Cmd + N (Mac) or Ctrl + N (Windows) to quickly open the New Document dialog.
Placing Content: Instead of copying and pasting, use the Place command (Cmd + D / Ctrl + D) to import text and images while maintaining their quality.
Styling: Use the Paragraph Styles panel to maintain visual consistency across multi-page projects. Known issues in InDesign - Adobe Help Center
2 Jan 2026 — * Save and access cloud documents. * Organize, manage, and share cloud documents. * View and manage versions in cloud documents. * Adobe Help Center
Depending on what you mean by "put together text," there are several ways to combine or link text elements in Adobe InDesign 2024: 1. Linking (Threading) Text Frames
If you want text to flow from one box into another so that editing the first box pushes text into the second: the first text frame using the Selection tool (black arrow). Click the "Out Port" (the small white square near the bottom-right corner) Click inside
the second text frame (or click and drag on an empty space to create a new linked one) To see these links visually, go to View > Extras > Show Text Threads 2. Grouping Text Elements
If you just want to move or resize two separate text frames as a single unit without changing how the text flows: Select both frames by clicking and dragging over them or by holding while clicking each one Object > Group on Windows / 3. Keeping Specific Text Together
To prevent certain words or lines from breaking across different pages or frames: 🚀 First Look: Adobe InDesign 2025 (v20
Select the specific words you want to keep on one line, click the menu icon (three lines) in the Control/Properties panel , and select Keep Options:
To keep a certain number of lines together at the start or end of a paragraph, go to Type > Paragraph Keep Options
in the panel menu. This is useful for preventing "widows" and "orphans" 4. Merging Multiple Frames into One
InDesign does not have a direct "Merge Text Frames" button. To truly put text from two frames into one: Copy the text from the second frame using the into the end of the first frame. the now-empty second frame. Paragraph Styles to ensure all your "put together" text looks consistent? How to Link Text Boxes in InDesign (Tutorial)
Adobe InDesign 20.0, released in October 2024 as part of the InDesign 2025
major update, focuses on integrating generative AI and streamlining collaborative workflows. While earlier 2024 versions (v19.x) introduced features like Auto Style Hide Spreads
, version 20.0 represents a significant generational shift in the software's capabilities. Key Generative AI Features Generative Expand
: Users can now extend images beyond their original borders using simple text prompts, allowing for easier layout adjustments without manually cropping or searching for new assets. Text to Image
: This tool allows designers to generate high-quality images directly within the InDesign workspace by describing the desired visual in a prompt box. Generative Fill (Beta)
: Enables the addition or removal of objects within an image using AI-driven context-aware editing. Adobe Help Center Enhanced Collaboration and Workflow History Panel
: A long-requested productivity enhancement that allows users to browse a list of actions taken during a session and revert the document to any previous state. Cloud Document Support
: Files can now be saved as cloud documents to facilitate seamless teamwork and access from any device. Password-Protected Online Publishing
: The "Publish Online" feature now includes options for password protection, giving designers more control over sensitive digital publications. PDF to InDesign Conversion HarfBuzz as default shaper
: Enhanced capability to convert existing PDF files directly into editable InDesign documents, significantly reducing manual recreation time. Technical and Accessibility Improvements UXP Scripting Support
: Version 20.0 adds support for Unified Extensibility Platform (UXP) scripts, allowing developers to use modern JavaScript to create advanced plugins and automated tasks. Accessibility Updates
: Continued focus on accessibility includes better screen reader support for tables (column headers) and improved grouping for figures and captions. Contextual Task Bar
: A floating menu that suggests next steps based on the currently selected object, helping speed up routine design tasks.
HarfBuzz as default shaper
Export improvements
Search & replace enhancements
UX refinements
Apple Silicon native (continued)
Release Name: Adobe InDesign 2024 Version Number: 20.0
The classic "Story" optical margin alignment has been rewritten. Now, it intelligently detects punctuation (including quotes, hyphens, and em-dashes) at the edges of text frames and adjusts kerning globally without breaking justified text alignment.
InDesign 2024 improves color fidelity for print professionals. The update introduces the ability to use OCAs (Object Content Architecture) for better handling of CMYK objects.
Adobe InDesign 2024 (version 20.0) refines the industry-standard desktop publishing app with focused workflow improvements, performance upgrades, and several user-facing features that speed layout, collaboration, and output for both print and digital publishing. This post summarizes the most useful changes, practical tips, and recommended use cases.