How to Import a Microsoft Word File Into Adobe InDesign

Many workflows involve content that has been written in Microsoft Word for use in InDesign layouts. There are a lot of variables to think about, such as whether text frames have already been created for the content in the layout and how lengthy of a Word file it is. It's also helpful to know if the text has been formatted in Word using styles, and if so, whether you want to bring those styles into the InDesign file. I'll be walking through different scenarios in other tutorials, but for now, let's start with a basic example.

1. On a blank page without any frames, go to the File menu and select Place.
2. The Place file directory will open. Choose the Word file and click OK.
3. The cursor will be loaded, showing a snippet of text.
4. At the top-left corner of the purple margin lines on the page, click to place the text. A text frame will be created to fill the margins.