Accessibility Checks copy

Suggested GreenLight checklist for accessible fixed-layout EPUB workflow

Fonts are all active

This check makes sure that all fonts that are referenced in the document are currently active on the Mac and available to be used by InDesign.

To see a list of missing fonts choose InDesign Type menu > Find/Replace Font

Fonts listed with a warning symbol alongside are missing:

InDesign’s Find Font dialog showing missing fonts in the document

To activate fonts on your Mac we recommend using professional font management tools such as Extensis Suitcase, or Font Book, which is a free font management tool that comes with your Mac.

Fix this problem by finding and activating the fonts used in InDesign or in some cases by substituting for other fonts.

Adobe InDesign Font help
Apple FontBook help

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Fonts are not Type 1 PostScript

This check flags up when Adobe PostScript Type 1 fonts are used in the InDesign document.

PostScript Type 1 fonts, as their name suggests, were intended for print production using Adobe PostScript. They are an old font format which have largely been superseded by the later OpenType format as PostScript Type 1 fonts are not supported in digital and web publishing.

Adobe announced they were stopping supporting PostScript Type 1 fonts in any new software released after 2021.

Note that Type 1 fonts will no longer appear in InDesign's Font menus and must instead be replaced using Type > Find/Replace Font:

InDesign's Find/Replace Font dialog showing missing Type 1 fonts

PostScript Type 1 fonts show their Type as ‘Type 1’ and warning signs alongside their name in Find/Replace Font’s dialog.

Fix this problem by finding and activating a different font format in InDesign or in some cases by substituting for other fonts.

Adobe InDesign Font help
Apple FontBook help

Links are present and up to date

This check makes sure all InDesign links are OK. No image links can be missing or modified.

‘Links’ are made to the original files of images that have been placed into the InDesign document; they might also, less commonly, be text files.

Icons are shown under the Status column in the Links Panel. (InDesign Window menu > Links) to indicate a problem.

= Missing Link

Links can go missing if renamed, moved or your computer is disconnected from them if held remotely e.g. on a file server.

= Modified Link

Links become modified if edited outside of InDesign e.g. resized or colour adjusted in Photoshop.

Fix this problem by selecting the link(s) in InDesign's Links panel and from the panel menu choosing Update in the case of a Modified image or Relink if missing.

Relinking to a missing image in InDesign using the Links panel

Adobe links and embedded graphics help

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No EPS images used

This check reports when the file format of any placed images is EPS.

EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) images are in an old file format which, although still useful, is beginning to show signs of age (like some of us!).

EPS images either do not support or have caused problems with many modern requirements such as transparency, colour profiles and layering. They can also introduce font problems into the workflow.

They also do not translate well into digital products and for use on the web.

GreenLight’s dialog warning of the presence of an EPS image

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Fix this problem by using a AI (Adobe Illustrator) or PDF version of the same image or using an alternative image.

Tip: It is possible to switch on a file types (a.k.a Format) column in the Links Panel. (InDesign Window menu > Links). First choose Panel Options from the Links panel menu.

The Panel Options dialog is accessed from the Links panel menu

In the Panel Options dialog under the Show Column heading click the checkbox for Format and click OK.

The Format checkbox in the Panel Options dialog selected

In the Links panel a new column appears indicating the Format of images. You may need to adjust the widths of the columns or panel itself to see all the information.

InDesign's Links panel with Format column added

Adobe Importing File Formats help

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No PDF images used

This check flags when the file format of any placed images is PDF.

Although it is possible to place PDF images into InDesign, the PDF (Portable Document Format) file format was originally designed to maintain document formatting between Apple and PC computers and not designed as an image format.

PDFs can be created from any application, so we can not be sure of their quality and they may contain things which may be confusing or cause printing issues such as multiple pages, objects that are not able to exported (e.g. video) or have security added which disallows exporting.

PDFs are intended as a final export format and are not easy to edit without changing their structure or colour. Also the settings such as for overprinting and image resolution of the content of the PDF are not currently checked by GreenLight.

Technically speaking, InDesign also identifies Adobe Illustrator files as PDF but this GreenLight check will allow Adobe Illustrator files saved as Adobe Illustrator (.ai) files to pass.

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GreenLight’s dialog warning of the presence of a PDF image

Fix this problem by using an Adobe Illustrator (.ai) or using an alternative image.

Tip: It is possible to switch on a file types (a.k.a Format) column in the Links Panel. (InDesign Window menu > Links). First choose Panel Options from the Links panel menu.

The Panel Options dialog is accessed from the Links panel menu

In the Panel Options dialog under the Show Column heading click the checkbox for Format and click OK.

The Format checkbox in the Panel Options dialog selected

In the Links panel a new column appears indicating the Format of images. You may need to adjust the widths of the columns or panel itself to see all the information.

InDesign's Links panel with Format column added

Adobe Importing File Formats help

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Images are anchored

This check ensures that all images have been anchored into the text flow, to indicate where in the reading order they should appear.

ARTICLE HERE

Text is not overset

This GreenLight check looks for 'overset text' sometimes called 'overmatter' - text that is contained inside the InDesign document but does not appear on the page.

Overset text is usually caused if the entered passage of text is either too long or too big to fit within its text frame. InDesign shows a small red plus to indicate overset text, but that can be easily missed and without this check could mean looking at every page in turn.

A small red plus (circled) in InDesign indicates the presence of overset text

GreenLight will take you to place on the page where overset text can be found and highlight it:

GreenLight's check indicating the selected frame has overset text

Fix overset text by enlarging the text frame, threading the overset frame to another frame, most likely on another page, or by reducing the type size or spacing applied to text or editing the text.

Tip: To see and edit overset text without altering the layout of flow of text on the page, place your text cursor into the story then use InDesign’s Story Editor (Edit > Edit in Story Editor).

The Story Editor window provides a quick and easy way of seeing and editing overset text

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All objects are inside bleed

This check ensures that all objects are on the page or within the bleed area. Any objects that are completely outside the bleed area are flagged.

The ‘pasteboard’ is an area outside of the InDesign page or spread which can be used to hold objects whilst working on page layouts.

An oval path on the pasteboard, completely outside InDesign's bleed area

When files are ready to output having objects hanging around on the pasteboard, which serve no purpose, can cause problems and confusion. It also means the file is larger and more complex than it needs to be. Extra image links, swatches, fonts, word counts and text extraction could all be affected.

This check verifies that all items are wholly or partially on the spread or within the bleed area. Objects that are only on the pasteboard and outside of the bleed area are flagged.

You can fix this problem by either moving objects within the bleed area or deleting them. A GreenLight tool is available to quickly remove all pasteboard objects at once (GreenLight menu Tools > Print Production tools panel > Delete pasteboard objects)

InDesign’s different page areas with bleed denoted in red

Greenlight’s All objects are inside bleed dialog is shown once the document has passed the check

Adobe InDesign help on setting bleed

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All styles have export tags

This check flags when Paragraph Styles in the InDesign document do not have an export tag applied.

In InDesign, export tags control how Paragraph Styles are mapped to the document tags used in EPUB and HTML and in PDFs. Using export tags clarifies the structure of a document for accessibility purposes but has no visible effect on the exported file.

To map Paragraph Styles to document tags choose Paragraph Styles panel menu > Edit All Export Tags... To the right of each Paragraph Style you can choose between [Automatic] or a specific Tag to map it to – e.g. ‘h2’.

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The Edit All Export Tags dialog from InDesign's Paragraph Styles panel menu

GreenLight dialog showing the results of running an All styles have export tags check

Section markers added

This check is to make sure a basic level of sections or landmarks infomrastion have been added to your InDesign documents.

Headings applied in sequence

This check flags when heading styles in the InDesign document have been applied out of sequence.

By marking paragraphs with a suitable export tag we add extra semantic meaning to the text of our publications.

The sequence that headings follow is important for navigation. For example a screen reader user may choose to scan through a long section of text by only reading the headings and subheadings. Heading hierarchy is the term used to indicate that headings are applied in a predictable and logical way.

There are up to six levels of heading available in HTML and therefore in EPUB – from heading level 1 <h1> to heading level 6 <h6>

When ACE, by DAISY reports on well-made accessible documents it checks that heading hierarchy is applied in the correct sequence. For example a top level heading <h1> tag followed by paragraph <p> tags is to be expected, but a heading level 3 <h3> tag should not be used unless it has been preceded by an <h2> heading (which itself has been preceded by a heading level 1 <h1> tag)

This GreenLight checks and flags whether headings are applied in sequence.

GreenLight dialog indicating that a document's Heading hierarchy is correct

If headings are not applied in sequence then the user is taken to their location on the InDesign page and the text is highlighted.

A dialog shows that a paragraph of text has an h3 tag but is preceded by an h1 tag.

The recommended method to manage and apply headings is to use Paragraph Styles effectively.

More info on heading hierarchy from the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)

Images are described

This check ensure that all images have an image description applied by means of alt tags, or have been marked as decorative (EPUB) / artifact (PDF).

Adding alt tags to images in InDesign provides a text description of the image for users who are visually impaired and are using screen readers. This allows the reader to understand the content of the image and the context in which it is being used in the document.

Alternatively, marking an image as decorative will signal to a screen reader to skip over the image, and take it out of the reading flow.

InDesign’s Object Export Options dialog with Alt Text marked as 'Decorative'

To add an alt tag to an image…

Select the image with InDesign's Selection Tool.
Choose InDesign Object menu > Object Export Options.
Select the Alt Text tab.
Enter a description of the image in the Alt Text field.
Click OK to save the alt tag.

InDesign’s Object Export Options dialog with Alt Text providing a text description of an image

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Accessibility metadata added

Checks that the Accessibility metadata panel has been added.

The addition of extra metadata is recommended to help with discovery and accessibility. InDesign 2024.2 and later has a way to add the extra accessibility metadata (known as 'Schema.org' metadata) but CircularFLO users can more easily add and share metadata in their InDesign files by adding a CircularFLO Metadata Panel.

GreenLight check dialog warning of missing accessibility metadata

Fix this problem by adding a CircularFLO Metadata Panel by choosing GreenLight Tools menu > Accessibility tools panel > Add Circular Flo Metadata panel:

CircularFLO metadata panel

See Accessibility Metadata panel help for further information on the panel’s contents

DAISY article on Schema.org Accessibility Metadata.

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Reading order defined

This GreenLight check makes sure that the reading order has been set with GreenLight, CircularFLO, or the InDesign Articles panel.

“An EPUB consists of multiple resources that can be completely navigated and consumed by a person or program in some specific order.”

From EPUB 3 Overview - 1.2.1 Reading Order

https://www.w3.org/publishing/epub/epub-overview.html#sec-nav-order

While many reflowable publications have an obvious reading order, or logical progression through their content, fixed-layout publications may be more complex in their design and layout and may consist of multiple readable objects on the same page.

The specific order that these objects are read in, and the order in which they will be read aloud by ebook readers and assistive technology, can be vital for the understanding of the publication.

Use the CircularFLO and GreenLight Reading Order tools to define and modify the reading order of InDesign objects.

This check will skip invisible objects (including object on a hidden layer), objects on a Parent Page and text frame that contain only a single number.

Tables have header rows

This GreenLight check flags tables that don't have a header row applied.

Converting the first row of a table to a header row makes the table more accessible for users who are visually impaired or who use screen readers to navigate content. Screen readers can identify the header row and read the column names out loud to the user.

Select the first row of the table with the Type Tool (Tip: move to the left of the row and click the right-pointing arrow as an alternative to dragging) and choose Table > Convert Rows > To Header:

InDesign's Convert Rows to Header command

A header row will repeat at the top of a page or column.

Working with tables in InDesign

Text contrast has been checked

This check flags when the Text contrast tool has not yet been run for the active InDesign document. Run the Text contrast tool from the GreenLight Accessibility Tools panel to pass this check.

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