Create buttons



You can create buttons that perform an action when the document is exported to SWF or PDF format. For example, you can create a button that jumps to a different page or opens a website.

Button set up to play movie in exported PDF

When you create a button, you can do the following:

  • Make the buttons interactive. When a user clicks a button in the exported SWF or PDF file, an action is performed. See Make buttons interactive.

  • Use the State Appearance section of the Buttons panel to define the appearance the button takes in response to certain mouse actions. See Add button states for rollover effects.

  • Create a “hot spot” or “hot link” effect that displays an image when the button is moused over or clicked. See Create button hot spots.

When working on buttons and designing dynamic documents, select the Interactivity workspace.

Create a button

  1. Use the Type tool or a drawing tool, such as the Rectangle tool or Ellipse tool, to draw the button shape. If necessary, use the Type tool to add text to the button, such as “Next” or “Purchase.”
    If you’re creating navigation buttons (such as Next Page or Previous Page) that appear on multiple pages, add them to a master page so that you don’t have to re-create buttons on every document page. These buttons appear on all document pages to which the master is applied.
  2. Use the Selection tool  to select the image, shape, or text frame that you want to convert.

    You cannot convert a movie, sound, or poster to a button.

  3. Choose Object > Interactive > Convert To Button.

    You can also click [Normal] in the State Appearance section of the Buttons panel to convert the selected object to a button, or you can click the Convert Object To A Button icon in the Buttons panel.

  4. Choose Window > Interactive > Buttons to display the Buttons panel, use the Selection tool to select the button, and do any of the following:

    • In the Name text box, specify a name for the button to distinguish it from other buttons you create.

    • Specify one or more actions for the button to determine what happens when the button is clicked in the exported PDF or SWF file. See Make buttons interactive.

    • Activate additional states and change their appearance to determine what the button looks like when you use the mouse to roll over the button or click it in the exported PDF or SWF file. See Add button states for rollover effects.

To test the button, export the document to PDF or SWF, and view the exported file. If you’re exporting to PDF, make sure that the Interactive Elements option is selected. If you’re exporting to SWF, make sure that Include Buttons is selected.

Add a button from the Sample Buttons panel

The Sample Buttons panel includes a number of pre-created buttons that you can drag into your document. These sample buttons include effects such as gradient feathers and drop shadows, with a slightly different appearance for the Rollover state. The sample buttons are also assigned actions. For example, the sample arrow buttons are preset with Go To Next Page or Go To Previous Page actions. You can edit these buttons to suit your needs.

The Sample Buttons panel is an object library. As with any object library, you can add buttons to the panel and remove ones you don’t want to use. (See Use object libraries.) The sample buttons are stored in the ButtonLibrary.indl file, which is located in the Presets/Button Library folder in the InDesign application folder.

  1. Choose Sample Buttons from the Buttons panel menu to open the Sample Buttons panel.
  2. Drag a button from the Sample Buttons panel to the document.
  3. Select the button using the Selection tool, and then edit the button as necessary using the Buttons panel.

While editing the sample buttons, keep the following in mind:

  • If you add text to a button, remember to copy and paste the text from the Normal button state to the Rollover button state. Otherwise, the text you add does not appear when the mouse rolls over the button in the PDF or SWF file.

  • You can resize buttons. If you drag a pair of Next Page/Previous Page arrow buttons, resize the first button, and then select the second button, and choose Object > Transform Again > Transform Again.

To test the button, export the document to PDF or SWF, and view the exported file. If you’re exporting to PDF, make sure that the Interactive Elements option is selected. If you’re exporting to SWF, make sure that Include Buttons is selected.

Convert a button to an object

When you convert a button to an object, the contents of the button remain on the page without the button properties. Any content associated with the button’s other states are also removed.

  1. Use the Selection tool  to select the button.
  2. Choose Object > Interactive > Convert To Object.