Step 4: Set up Templates

The plugin places stories into named slots (story1, story2, story3 and so on) in your InDesign page templates. Each frame in a slot is mapped using the {slot}_{role} format, for example story1_headline, either as a layer name or as a script label.

For full instructions, see the BOLD InDesign Plugin: Template Designer Guide.

A. Create a Print Story in BOLD

Print stories are written directly in the Print swimlane using a dedicated print template.

Step 1: Start a new print story

Go to Add New → Story → Print.

Selecting Print as the story type

Step 2: Write the story

The print template includes these elements:

Element	Use it for
Kicker	Short text above the headline that gives context
Headline	The main headline
Sub-headline	A secondary headline below the main one
Byline*	Writer credit (only this element needs to be configured as a story attribute)
Lead	The opening paragraph that answers who, what, when, where and why
Body	The main story text
Images	Hero and inline images, with caption, attribution and tags
Quotes	A quotation and the person who said it
Blurb	A short summary for teasers or the table of contents

An empty print template

Step 3: Set the print attributes

In the Story Details panel, select the Section, Edition, Issue date and Page Number. Select Show Advanced Options to set any optional attributes, such as Desk, Priority or Fill Type.

A print story with content written and print attributes selected

Step 4: Submit and Approve
Submit the story for review. BOLD confirms that the story has been submitted for printing. Once the story is approved, it appears in the plugin under its Edition, Issue Date and Page No.

Tip: Make Edition, Issue Date and Page No. mandatory. If they are optional and a writer leaves one blank, that story will be missing from the page at layout time.

B. Launch the Plugin and Log In

1. In InDesign, go to Plug-Ins → Bold Importer → Content from Bold.
2. Enter your Bold URL, Bold Username and Bold Password.
3. Select Login to login into the plugin

Note: The plugin session limit is set to 1 which means only 1 active login is allowed per user.

Opening the plugin and logging in with BOLD credentials
 

C. Find Stories for a Page

Stories are organised as Edition → Issue Date → Page. A breadcrumb at the top of the panel shows where you are; select any part of it to go back.

Step 1: Select an edition

After you log in, the Editions page lists every edition that has approved stories.

Editions page

Step 2: Select an issue date

The edition's page lists its issue dates, newest first.

Issue dates for the Bangalore edition

Step 3: Select a page

Select a page, for example P1, P2 or P3, to see the stories assigned to it.

Pages for the selected issue

Note: Editions, issue dates and pages only appear when the matching attributes are configured in BOLD and set on approved stories.

The page story list

The page view shows the page number and story count, and the tools you need to lay out the page:

• Refresh and Sync to CMS icons (top right), to keep content in sync
• Story Placement Type, to match how your template is set up
• Search and Filter, to narrow the list
• A story card for each story on the page
  

  

  Approved and placed stories in the page view

Each story card shows:

• The section and headline
• The number of images
• Preview (eye icon): opens the full story, including headline, sub-headline, images and body
• Info (i icon): shows the number of images, quote blocks, words and approximate characters, useful for fitting the story to a slot
• Select Story Slot: the list of slots available on the current template

Story card, info summary, slot list and story preview

Search and filter:

Search stories by headline, or select the Filter icon to filter by story attributes such as Priority or Desk. Select Apply to filter, or Clear to reset. Only attributes that have values on at least one story appear as filters.

Searching and filtering stories

D. Place a Story on the Page

Step 1: Choose the placement type

Under Story Placement Type, choose the option that matches how your template frames are mapped:

Choosing between Content Type and Layer Name placement

Step 2: Select a slot

On the story card, open Select Story Slot and choose where the story should go, for example story1 or story2. The available slots come from the template on the current page.

Step 3: Check the placement

The plugin fills every mapped frame in that slot: headline, body, images, captions and so on. A green tick appears on the story card, and the story's status in BOLD changes to Placed. The change is recorded in the story timeline.

Story placed on the canvas, with its status updated to Placed in the plugin and in BOLD

Remove a story from the page

If you remove a placed story from the canvas, its status returns to Approved in BOLD, and the story can be placed again.

E. Keep Content in Sync

The plugin keeps content in step both ways: it pulls editor changes from BOLD, and designers can push layout-time edits back to BOLD.

Refresh and Sync to CMS icons

When a story changes in BOLD

When an editor updates a story in BOLD, the plugin tells you in two places:

• A red dot appears on the Refresh icon, with the message "Stories changed — click to refresh".
• A red alert icon appears on the changed story's card, with the message "Story Updated — Place it again to use the latest version".

To use the latest version, select Refresh, then place the story in its slot again.

Refresh alert and story-level update indicator

Version history

Every approval, placement and sync adds an entry to the story timeline in BOLD, showing who made the change, when, and the resulting status (for example Approved, Placed, Updated). Select any entry to view that version.

Story timeline in BOLD showing each version

F. Auto-Placement

Auto-placement drops a story straight into its slot, without choosing the slot manually. It uses the story's Fill Type attribute, which must match a slot name in the template (for example story1, story2).

• Before you use it:
• The Fill Type attribute is configured in BOLD (see Before You Begin).
• Each story has a Fill Type value set.
• Fill Type values match the slot names in your template exactly.

To auto-place a story:

• Open the page in the plugin.
• On the story card, select Auto-place.
• The story is placed in the slot that matches its Fill Type, and its status changes to Placed.

Good to know:

• If the slot already has content, you are asked to confirm. Choose Continue to replace it or Skip to leave it.
• You can still move an auto-placed story to a different slot manually.
• Auto-placement does not fix text overflow or underfill. Check these on the InDesign canvas.

Best Practices

• Make Edition, Issue Date and Page No. mandatory so no approved story goes missing at layout time.
• Keep attribute values consistent (for example, one spelling per edition name) so stories group correctly.
• Check the story's word and image count (the i icon) before choosing a slot, to reduce overflow.
• Match the Story Placement Type to your template's mapping method before placing any stories.
• Select Refresh before final layout, and again whenever the red dot appears.
• Use Sync to CMS after correcting copy in InDesign, so BOLD holds the final printed version.
   

Troubleshooting

A story is missing from the plugin

• Check that the story is Approved. Open stories are not shown.
• Check that Edition, Issue Date and Page No. are all set on the story.
• Select Refresh in the plugin.

An edition, issue date or page is missing

• No approved story has that value yet. Check the story attributes in BOLD.

No slots appear in Select Story Slot

• Check that the Story Placement Type matches your template (Content Type for script labels, Layer Name for frame names).
• Check that frames follow the {slot}_{role} format. See the Template Designer Guide.

A filter is not shown

• No story on the page has a value for that attribute. Add the value in BOLD.

Status does not change to Placed, or Sync to CMS is unavailable

• Your role is missing Story-Print-Placed or Story-Print-Sync. Ask your administrator to grant it.

Auto-place does nothing

• Fill Type is blank or does not exactly match a slot name in the template.

Still stuck? Contact Quintype Support.

Install BOLD Importer plugin

Following are the steps to install the plugin-

1. Download and install Adobe UXP Developer tool. You can download and install the Adobe UXP Developer Tool directly through the Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop App
2. Once, you install the install it, login & click on Add Plugin → upload the manifest.json file from the plugin file that has been shared by Quintype Onboarding team

   

   

3. Ensure you are logged in into Indesign Client with the same credentials.
4. And now to load the plugin click on the Load button and the plugin will be installed.
5. Navigate to the InDesign client app, and you will be able to see the plugin already loaded. If not visible, click on Plug-ins to see the list of available options and choose Bold Imported to launch the same.