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Preparing the PDF

in5 supports the ability to link to a file from your app. InDesign hyperlinks that simply lead to a local file on your computer will not work from an app.

Luckily, in5 allows you to add the file to your in5 export resources. This means the file itself is included as an asset within your export, and will link properly on all devices.

To prepare, create a dedicated folder for your export’s additional resources.

You can use this folder to include a range of additional resources. In this case, you will only need to include your PDF file.

We recommend not using any spaces in your file and folder names, as this can cause links to break. Instead, use underscores or hyphens.

The rest of the process can be split in to two stages: creating the hyperlink, and adding resources and exporting.

Creating the Hyperlink

You will need to preemptively link to your PDF’s post-export file path.

Once exported, your PDF will always sit in the following structure: assets/resources/<filename>.pdf

To link to your PDF, right-click/control-click on the InDesign Document page element you are linking from.
In the menu, click Hyperlinks, then click New Hyperlink.
In the New Hyperlink popup window, choose URL under the Link To option.
Then, enter the file path for your PDF resource, as defined above.
Click the OK button.

Adding Resources and Exporting

Once you are happy with your document, you can open the in5 export panel. Configure options in each tab, as per How to: Export your InDesign Document with in5.

Aside from the standard export options, you will need to:

Enter the Resources tab.
Click the Browse button under the Folder heading.
Navigate to your dedicated resources folder, then click OK to choose the folder.
Click OK in the in5 export panel to export your document.

Your PDF will be included as an app asset. When users tap the link you have created, the app asset will be opened/downloaded on their device.