Guide to InDesign scripts for enhancing 508 accessibility of pdfs
- 1. www.matthewmariani.us guide to scripts for accessibility tagging and for applying alt text and doc info These scripts are for use with InDesign CS5 and Acrobat 9 on the Macintosh platform. THESE SCRIPTS ARE MADE AVAILABLE ON AN “AS IS” BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.
- 2. www.matthewmariani.us Overview (1) tagDocumentPlus.jsx (InDesign) – Tags all placed graphics in the active InDesign document as either Artifacts or as Figures with an Alt attribute. Also maps all paragraph styles to xml tags. (2) makeAltTextForm.jsx (InDesign) – Creates an interactive pdf of a document tagged using tagDocumentPlus.jsx for gathering alternative text for images and document information. (3) _finishAltTextDocInfoFormProcessing.sequ (Acrobat) – A batch sequence to complete processing of the interactive pdf. (4) importAltTextDocInfoFromFDF.jsx (InDesign) – After the interactive pdf form is filled out, its form data can be exported from Acrobat to a form data file. This script maps these data back into the original InDesign document.
- 3. www.matthewmariani.us tagDocumentPlus.jsx Before running this script: Open an InDesign document. The script affects the active document. What the script does: (1) Tags every untagged, placed graphic on a master page as an Artifact. (2) Tags every untagged, placed graphic on a publication page that has a file name containing the character string “_art” or “art_” (case insensitive) as an Artifact. (3) Tags every other untagged, placed graphic as a Figure and creates an Alt attribute for the Figure tag to hold alternative text.
- 4. www.matthewmariani.us tagDocumentPlus.jsx (continued) What the script does (continued) (4) Removes any existing styles-to-tags mappings. (5) Creates new styles-to-tags mappings for all paragraph styles: • By default: every paragraph style is mapped to the P tag. • Exception: paragraph styles that have names that contain the character sequences “H1”, “H2”, “H3”, “H4”, “H5”, and “H6” are mapped to tags with these names. (6) Every paragraph is tagged according to these new mappings.
- 5. www.matthewmariani.us tagDocumentPlus.jsx (continued) Take note: • Graphics that were tagged prior to running the script are NOT re-tagged. • Previously tagged graphics are given an Alt attribute ONLY IF they do not already have one. No existing Alt attribute is altered. • The script can be run again, if additional graphics are placed in the document after tagDocumentPlus.jsx was run. • tagDocumentPlus.jsx can be used by itself, without the other scripts.
- 6. www.matthewmariani.us makeAltTextForm.jsx Before running this script: Open an InDesign document that has been tagged using the script, tagDocumentPlus.jsx. The script affects the active document. Overview: The script creates an interactive pdf from the active InDesign document. The pdf is then transformed into a fillable form with an Acrobat Batch Sequence. Using Adobe Reader, a subject matter expert may use the form to author alternative text for images tagged as Figures and elements of document information, including title, author, description, and keywords. Form data are mapped back into the InDesign file using the script, importAltTextDocInfoFromFDF.jsx
- 7. www.matthewmariani.us makeAltTextForm.jsx (continued) What the script does: (1) Checks for tagging problems in the document. (2) Advises the user on corrective action needed if problems are found, and aborts the script. Problems include: • Untagged placed graphics. • Tagged graphics lacking Alt attributes. • Graphics tagged as something other than ‘Figure’ or ‘Artifact’. • Missing Alt text identifiers (which are created by the script, tagDocumentPlus.jsx). (3) If no problems are found, an interactive pdf is created, and Acrobat activates and opens its Batch Sequences palette.
- 8. www.matthewmariani.us makeAltTextForm.jsx (continued) Take note: • This script creates a new, temporary layer on which form field buttons are created. This layer is removed after the pdf is created but before the script finishes. The script does not alter anything else in the document. • Long documents with many images may take several seconds to process. • Once tagDocumentPlus.jsx has been run, changing any of the document settings for Facing Pages, Allow Document Pages to Shuffle, or Allow Selected Spread to Shuffle will make the interactive pdf created by makeAltTextForm.jsx unusable as a form.
- 9. www.matthewmariani.us _finishAltTextDocInfoFormProcessing.sequ This file is an Acrobat Batch Sequence essential to complete processing of the interactive pdf produced by the script makeAltTextForm.jsx. Before running this batch sequence for the first time: You will need to put the file, _finishAltTextDocInfoFormProcessing.sequ, in the correct folder so it will display as an option in Acrobat’s Batch Sequences palette as _finishAltTextDocInfoFormProcessing. The location is normally: /Macintosh HD/Users/YOUR_USER_NAME_GOES_HERE/ Library/Application Support/Adobe/Acrobat/9.0_x86/Sequences/
- 10. www.matthewmariani.us _finishAltTextDocInfoFormProcessing.sequ (continued) Run the batch sequence in Acrobat: (1) Highlight the name of the batch sequence in the Batch Sequences palette by single clicking on it (2) Select ‘Run Sequence’ (3) Select ‘OK’ ( File selection dialog opens ) (4) Browse to and select the pdf file to process (5) Select ‘Select’ (6) Read custom dialog that opens (7) Select ‘OK’
- 11. www.matthewmariani.us _finishAltTextDocInfoFormProcessing.sequ (continued) Take action: After the batch sequence completes: Open the pdf, and enable extended rights in Adobe Reader so that the person filling the form can save the form field data using Adobe Reader. Acrobat Menu: ‘Advanced >> Extend Features in Adobe Reader...’ Select ‘Save Now’, then ‘Save’, then ‘Replace’. Take note: The file, codeForAcrobatBatchSequence.txt, contains the JavaScript code included in _finishAltTextDocInfoFormProcessing.sequ.
- 12. www.matthewmariani.us importAltTextDocInfoFromFDF.jsx Before running this script: A subject matter expert or editor will need to fill in the alternative text and document information in the interactive pdf form, save it, and return the pdf to the InDesign user. Open the completed pdf form document in Acrobat. Export the form data to an fdf file using: Acrobat Menu: Forms >> Manage Form Data >> Export Data...’ What the script does: (1) Prompts the user to select the form data file (fdf) containing alt text and doc info for the active InDesign document.
- 13. www.matthewmariani.us What the script does (continued) (2) Assigns alternative text from the fdf data source to all of the images tagged as Figures for which alternative text was provided. (3) Populates the InDesign document’s title, author, description, and keywords metadata elements if the data were provided. (4) Identifies instances of missing alternative text for images or missing document information, if any, and alerts the user.