In Adobe InCopy, everything revolves around stories — the individual pieces of text that make up your publication. Whether you’re drafting an article, editing a caption, or refining a newsletter, each story is its own editable component that connects directly with InDesign layouts.
This tutorial walks you through how to create, open, and edit stories in InCopy, so you can start collaborating efficiently with designers and editors right away.
🧩 What Is a “Story” in InCopy?
A story in InCopy is simply a block of text — from a headline to a full multi-page article — that can be linked to an InDesign layout.
Stories allow writers and designers to work on the same document simultaneously, without overwriting each other’s work.
Each story file typically carries the extension .icml (InCopy Markup Language) and can be opened directly in both InCopy and InDesign.
🪶 Step 1: Create a New Story
If you’re starting from scratch:
- Open Adobe InCopy.
- Choose File > New > Document.
- Select your page settings (width, margins, columns).
- Click OK to create your blank workspace.
Then, start typing — this becomes your first story.
You can later export or assign it for collaboration.
If you’re working in a shared environment, your designer may provide an .icma (assignment) or .icml (story) file for you to open instead of creating one manually.
✍️ Step 2: Edit Text in Story, Galley, or Layout View
You can write and edit in three different views depending on your task:
- Story View — Pure text editing with no distractions.
- Galley View — Shows line endings and copyfit information.
- Layout View — Displays your text in its InDesign layout context.
Switch between them via View > [Story/Galley/Layout], or using the icons at the bottom-left of your workspace.
💡 Pro tip: Use Ctrl+Y (Windows) / Cmd+Y (Mac) to toggle Story View instantly.
🔁 Step 3: Link a Story to InDesign (Collaborative Workflow)
If your designer has set up an assignment in InDesign:
- Go to File > Open and select the .icma or .icml file.
- InCopy will automatically load the assigned story text.
- When you finish editing, choose Assignments > Check In to send updates back.
This lets the InDesign layout update instantly without requiring re-imports or copy-paste.
🧰 Step 4: Use Track Changes and Notes
Editing in InCopy is designed for teamwork. Enable Track Changes from the Edit menu to record every insertion, deletion, or reformatting.
You can also leave comments using the Notes panel, perfect for back-and-forth feedback between writers and editors.
🗂️ Step 5: Save, Export, or Hand Off
When your story is ready:
- Save it as .icml to preserve links to InDesign.
- Export as .rtf, .txt, or .docx if you need a standalone file.
- Always check the status bar for confirmation that your story is “Checked In.”
If you’re collaborating via Creative Cloud Files or a shared drive, InCopy will sync your updates automatically.
💡 Story Management Tips
- Use consistent naming conventions for story files (e.g., Magazine_Feature1.icml).
- Organize related stories into folders by publication or project.
- Use the Assignments panel to track who’s editing what.
- Back up completed stories in Creative Cloud Libraries for future reuse.
💰 Try Adobe InCopy for Free
Ready to experience InCopy’s story-based workflow for yourself?
👉 Start your 7-day free trial here
You’ll get full access to InCopy’s editing tools, collaboration panels, and integration with InDesign — all without limitations.
✏️ Final Thought
Stories are the heart of InCopy. Once you understand how to create, edit, and manage them, you unlock the real power of collaborative publishing — keeping writers focused on content and designers focused on layout.
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