What is a .ICMA file?
A .ICMA file is a type of document called an InCopy Assignment File. It is used with Adobe InCopy, a word processing program that works together with Adobe InDesign, a desktop publishing software. The .ICMA file contains links to parts of a larger InDesign document (which has the file extension .INDD) and specifies what parts of this document a particular editor is allowed to edit.
To open a .ICMA file, you can use Adobe InCopy 2023 or Adobe InDesign 2023. These programs allow users to handle the text and layout aspects of document creation separately, which is useful in professional publishing environments.
Here’s how the process typically works: A designer creates a complete layout of a document in Adobe InDesign and then uses this program to generate an .ICMA file. This file includes only certain sections of the InDesign document that need text edits or other modifications. The .ICMA file is then sent to an editor who uses Adobe InCopy to make the required changes. The editor does not work directly on the .ICMA file itself but on related .ICML files that are linked within the .ICMA file. These .ICML files contain the actual text, graphics, and other editable content.
The use of .ICMA files in a workflow has several advantages: 1. It separates the layout design process from the text editing process, allowing designers and editors to work independently without interfering with each other’s tasks. 2. It enables multiple editors to work on different parts of the same document simultaneously. 3. It helps to secure sensitive parts of the document, like the overall design layout, from being altered by editors. 4. It reduces the size of the files that editors need to handle, as they only receive the parts of the document that are relevant to their tasks. 5. It supports a system where only one editor can work on a specific part of the document at a time, which helps in managing edits and revisions efficiently. 6. It allows for tracking which editors have made changes to the document.
When editors are done with their edits, they can notify the person who assigned them the task, who can then integrate the edited parts back into the main InDesign document.
Note: The .ICMA file format was introduced in Adobe InDesign and InCopy CS4, replacing the older .INCA file format.
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