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WhiteBeard

Print Setup

Introduction

Section titled “Introduction”

This guide will walk you through the steps of setting up the Print module so that you can create print publications and synchronize content with InDesign and InCopy.

Prerequisites

Section titled “Prerequisites”

You will need the following minimum requirements:

  1. Windows or macOS device
  2. Adobe InDesign or InCopy 2021 or later
  3. API Endpoint URL
  4. API Key
  5. User account with proper administrator access
  6. User account with proper Print access

Part 1: Backend Setup

Section titled “Part 1: Backend Setup”
  1. In the CMS sidebar, locate and click on Print Layout Setup under the Administration section. This will open the main dashboard where you can manage Print Publications.
  2. Click on Create print publication to create your first publication. If it is already created for you, you can click on its name instead.
  3. Fill in the name of the publication, check the Issue number and Issue title fields to enable tracking those properties.
  4. Optional: If you have a printing press that you wish to send the finalized PDF files to, you can enter the SFTP server settings in the SFTP Settings section.
  5. In the Paragraph Styles section, you are asked to fill in the paragraph style that is used in your InDesign templates for every element.
  6. In the Templates section, you have the ability to add multiple templates that every new issue will be created from.
    • Specify a name for your template, such as “Front Page: Default” or “Front Page: Special Edition”.
    • Specify the related page number. If you add more than one template per page number, the first one is used by default.
    • Upload an IDML version of your InDesign template.
    • Upload a pre-generated thumbnail of this template.
  7. When done, click on Create print publication or Update print publication if you are editing an existing entry.

You can repeat this process if you have more than one printed publication.

Part 2: Adobe InDesign & InCopy Setup

Section titled “Part 2: Adobe InDesign & InCopy Setup”

The WhiteBeard plugin connects Adobe InDesign and InCopy to News Suite. The plugin is not publicly hosted and is only available to our customers: your account manager sends it to you as a file called me.whitebeard.indesign.zip.

Perform these steps on every device that will have Adobe InDesign or InCopy installed:

  • Step 1 is done once per computer.
  • Step 2 is repeated every time you receive a plugin update.
  • Step 3 is only needed the first time on a computer.

Step 1: Enable debug mode (one time only)

Section titled “Step 1: Enable debug mode (one time only)”

Adobe only loads plugins from the Adobe Exchange marketplace by default. Because the WhiteBeard plugin is delivered to you directly, you need to turn on a setting called PlayerDebugMode so that InDesign and InCopy will load it.

You only have to do this once per computer. Updating the plugin later does not require it again.

The setting name depends on your InDesign/InCopy version: CSXS.11 for versions 2021 to 2025 (up to 20.3) and CSXS.12 for version 20.4 and later. The steps below set both, so it works regardless of your version and keeps working after you upgrade Adobe.

Option A: Using Command Prompt (quickest)

  1. Close InDesign and InCopy.
  2. Open the Start menu, type cmd and open Command Prompt.
  3. Copy and paste the following two lines, then press Enter: 
    reg add "HKCU\Software\Adobe\CSXS.11" /v PlayerDebugMode /t REG_SZ /d 1 /f
    reg add "HKCU\Software\Adobe\CSXS.12" /v PlayerDebugMode /t REG_SZ /d 1 /f
  4. You should see The operation completed successfully twice. Close Command Prompt.

Option B: Using Registry Editor

  1. Close InDesign and InCopy.
  2. Open the Start menu, type regedit and open Registry Editor. Click Yes if Windows asks for permission.
  3. In the address bar at the top, paste HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe and press Enter.
  4. Look for a folder (key) called CSXS.12. If it doesn’t exist, right-click Adobe, choose New → Key and name it CSXS.12.
  5. Select CSXS.12. In the right-hand pane, right-click an empty area and choose New → String Value.
  6. Name it PlayerDebugMode (exactly as written, including capitals).
  7. Double-click PlayerDebugMode, enter 1 as the value and click OK.
  8. Repeat steps 4 to 7 for CSXS.11.
  9. Close Registry Editor.

Step 2: Install or update the plugin (every new version)

Section titled “Step 2: Install or update the plugin (every new version)”

Repeat this step the first time you install the plugin and every time you receive a new plugin version.

  1. Quit InDesign and InCopy completely.
  2. Unzip the me.whitebeard.indesign.zip file. You will get a folder called me.whitebeard.indesign.
    • Make sure you use the folder that directly contains the plugin files (such as a CSXS folder). Some unzip tools create an extra folder with the same name around it.
  3. Open the extensions folder:
  1. Open File Explorer.
  2. Click in the address bar at the top, paste the following and press Enter: 
    %APPDATA%\Adobe\CEP\extensions
    This takes you to C:\Users\<your username>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\CEP\extensions. The AppData folder is hidden by default, which is why typing the address is the easiest way to get there.
  1. Check that you are in the right place. If you have installed the plugin before, you should see the old me.whitebeard.indesign folder here. If you don’t see it, you may be in the wrong folder. Double-check the path before continuing.
    • Installing for the first time? The CEP or extensions folder may not exist yet. In that case, create the missing folders yourself, using exactly the names above.
  2. Replace the old version. Delete the old me.whitebeard.indesign folder, then copy or drag the new me.whitebeard.indesign folder into the extensions folder.
    • Deleting the old folder first ensures that no files from the previous version are left behind.
  3. Open InDesign or InCopy. From the menu bar, choose Window → Extensions → WhiteBeard CMS.

Step 3: Connect the plugin (first time only)

Section titled “Step 3: Connect the plugin (first time only)”
  1. Open Adobe InDesign or InCopy.
  2. From the Window menu bar, find Extensions > WhiteBeard CMS and click on it.
  3. The plugin will load as a popup.
  4. Fill in your API key when requested and submit the form.
  5. Enter your API Endpoint URL, such as https://api.domain.com without a trailing slash and submit the form.
  6. You can stop the setup here. The login screen should be used by the designer that will use Adobe InDesign or InCopy. You can enter the username and password of the user that will be using this device. Important: Do not use an account that has administrator permissions. You should enter the credentials of your page designer, or ask them to type it themselves.
  7. You’re all set to use our Adobe InDesign and InCopy integration!

After a plugin update, your existing settings are normally kept, so you don’t need to repeat this step.

Troubleshooting

Section titled “Troubleshooting”

WhiteBeard CMS doesn’t appear under Window → Extensions

  • Check that debug mode is enabled (Step 1). On macOS, log out and back in, or restart your Mac.
  • Check that the me.whitebeard.indesign folder is directly inside the extensions folder, and not inside a second me.whitebeard.indesign folder.
  • Fully quit and reopen InDesign or InCopy.

I still see the old version after updating

  • Make sure InDesign and InCopy were fully closed while you replaced the folder.
  • Check that you replaced the folder in the correct location, where the old version was.

I upgraded InDesign or InCopy and the plugin stopped loading

  • Newer Adobe versions may read a newer debug setting. Repeat Step 1, and contact your WhiteBeard account manager if the problem continues.

Additional information

Section titled “Additional information”

For more information on how to operate the Print module, refer to the relevant publishing guide.