Adobe has released InDesign 2027 (version 22.0), and this year’s update has a clear focus: artificial intelligence and quality control. From a conversational AI assistant to a new panel that checks accessibility and copy consistency, the new features aim to save time on repetitive tasks.
In this article we review the new features in InDesign 2027 and, above all, which ones can make a real difference for teams that automate their catalogs with EasyCatalog.
What’s new in InDesign 2027 at a glance
- AI Assistant (beta): contextual help and multi-step operations through conversation.
- Check Document: finds missing alt text, missing table summaries, inconsistent terminology and grammar issues in a single panel.
- Grammar and copy suggestions: improvements for grammar, clarity, conciseness and consistency.
- Font libraries: group your most used fonts and reuse them across projects.
- Flex Layout: text frames now resize automatically to fit their content.
- Windows ARM: InDesign now runs natively on Windows ARM devices.
- Export from the Pages panel: export selected pages, spreads or the whole document.
- Search in the Scripts panel: find and run scripts without browsing through folders.
You can read the full list in Adobe’s official what’s new page.
The new features that matter most for EasyCatalog users
1. Check Document: accessibility and consistency before you publish
Check Document is a new panel (File > Check Document or Window > Check Document) that reviews the whole document for missing alt text, missing table summaries, inconsistent terminology and grammar issues. Each type of issue is grouped in a card, and selecting an instance takes you straight to its location in the document. You can run it at any time or let it check automatically as part of your export workflow. For now, it is only available in English (International) and English (North America).
A product catalog can contain hundreds of images and tables. With Check Document, you can review the whole document after paginating it with EasyCatalog and detect missing alt text or table summaries before exporting. This is especially useful if you publish interactive digital catalogs and need to meet accessibility requirements such as the European Accessibility Act.
2. Grammar and copy suggestions: fix it at the source
InDesign now checks the text in the selected frames and marks grammar issues with a blue squiggly underline. Select the underlined text to see up to two suggested corrections, then apply one with a single click or dismiss it. Beyond grammar, copy suggestions analyze your text for clarity, conciseness, redundancy and consistency. Grammar suggestions don’t consume generative credits and, like Check Document, they are only available in English for now.
The new copy suggestions help detect errors and inconsistent terms in product descriptions. Our advice: when the text comes from your PIM or database, apply the corrections in the data source, not in InDesign. Otherwise, the next EasyCatalog update will overwrite your changes, and the error will still be there in your website and other channels.
If you produce multilingual catalogs, keep in mind that, for now, both Check Document and the copy suggestions only work with English text. They can’t yet review the Spanish, French or German versions of your catalog, so your usual proofreading process is still needed for those languages.
3. Search in the Scripts panel
The Scripts panel now includes a search field with live results. As you type, it shows the matching scripts by folder or file name across your whole script hierarchy. You can also narrow the search to a specific folder and choose to match the exact case of your search text.
Teams that automate their catalogs usually build up a long list of scripts: to apply styles, check overset text, prepare the export… If your team has a license for the EasyCatalog Scripting module and relies heavily on custom scripts to automate catalog pagination, this feature will help you find the right script quickly and easily. Just type the first letters of its name, InDesign filters the panel for you, and you can run it straight away.
4. Export from the Pages panel
In the Pages panel, select the page or spread thumbnails you need, right-click and choose Export Pages or Export Spreads. To export the whole document, right-click an empty area of the panel and choose Export All Pages. Supported formats include Adobe PDF (Print), Adobe PDF (Interactive), EPS, JPEG, PNG and EPUB (Fixed Layout).
Need to send the client a proof of just one section of the catalog? You can now export selected pages or spreads directly from the Pages panel, without going through the full export dialog. And since Adobe PDF (Interactive) is one of the supported formats, you can also export from here the interactive PDF that you upload to your digital publishing platform, as we explain in our article on interactive digital catalogs.
5. Flex Layout with auto-resizing text frames
Flex Layout places objects in a flex container that arranges them automatically according to its settings: direction, alignment, justification and spacing. In InDesign 2027, text frames inside a Flex Layout can resize automatically to fit their content instead of overflowing: set the width or height to Auto in the Flex Layout Child options of the Properties panel, or use the Auto-Size options in Text Frame Options. When you convert existing objects, InDesign detects the layout settings and keeps your original arrangement. Flex Layout is also scriptable.
Product descriptions rarely have the same length. Text frames that adapt automatically to their content make product templates more flexible. EasyCatalog users already know this idea well: EasyCatalog includes its own version of this feature, “on steroids”. It can adjust the frame to its content (height, width or both) or fit the text to the frame by adjusting the type size and horizontal scale. Flex Layout brings part of this flexibility to native InDesign layouts, so if you plan to combine both, test them first on a copy of your templates.
6. AI Assistant (beta)
AI Assistant (beta) is a new panel that lets you explore, create and edit content, layouts and objects using prompts. You can ask questions about InDesign, modify layouts or run multi-step workflows, while keeping intact the parts of your design you want to preserve. Open it from the Contextual Task Bar, from Window > AI Assistant (beta) or from its icon in the top-right corner of the interface.
The AI Assistant can speed up repetitive layout and editing tasks. In data-driven documents, our recommendation is clear: let EasyCatalog manage the content linked to your data fields, and use the assistant for design tasks that are not linked to the data. And remember that it is still in beta.
Other new features in InDesign 2027
Font libraries
The font browser is now organized into three tabs: Your Fonts, with the fonts already available to you; Libraries, with the font collections you create and reuse (personal, shared or enterprise), as well as Creative Cloud Libraries that contain fonts; and Discover More, with new and trending fonts from Adobe Fonts. The libraries you create sync across Adobe apps that share the same font-browsing experience, such as Illustrator.
For catalog teams, a shared library with the corporate fonts of each client makes it easier for everyone to use the right typefaces when creating or updating templates.
Native support for Windows ARM
Starting with version 22.0, InDesign and InCopy run natively on Windows on ARM (ARM64) devices with Snapdragon X Series processors, without emulation, for better responsiveness and performance. Windows 11 version 24H2 or later is required.
If you are considering these devices for catalog production, remember that your plug-ins, including EasyCatalog, must also support ARM natively. Check with each developer before you switch (see the checklist below).
Before you upgrade: a quick checklist
- Update EasyCatalog: the new version of the EasyCatalog plug-in, compatible with InDesign 2027, is now available. If you want to test it before upgrading, you can install a 30-day trial on another computer before applying any changes to your production environment.
- Windows ARM: if you plan to switch to a Windows ARM device, confirm that all your plug-ins also run natively on ARM.
- Test first: open a copy of your catalogs and templates in InDesign 2027 and check that pagination, scripts and exports work as expected.
- Keep the previous version: Creative Cloud lets you keep the previous version installed, so you can go back if needed.
Shall we talk?
Thinking about upgrading, or want to get more out of InDesign and EasyCatalog in your catalog production? Talk to our team and we’ll help you plan it.
Cover illustration by Rapapawn for Adobe InDesign.