PDF bookmarks

When exporting a PDF, you can choose to include bookmarks that help the reader jump quickly to important parts of it without having to scroll or search. For example, the start of every chapter of a book, major articles in a magazine, or important text or figures in a report.

Making PDF bookmarks

There are two methods for creating PDF bookmarks:

The two methods can be used together in the same document.

Managing PDF bookmarks

PDF bookmarks are a special kind of anchor and so they are primarily managed on the Anchors panel.

Any anchor can be given this special treatment, by checking Export as PDF Bookmark when adding a new anchor or clicking the bookmark icon to its right side.

When creating PDF bookmarks from a table of contents, one will be created for every item in the table. Use the panel's bookmark icons to exclude the auto-created PDF bookmarks for any levels you do not want in your PDF. For example, if you want PDF bookmarks only for table of contents items created from Heading 1 and Heading 2 text styles.

To manually create a PDF bookmark:
  1. Select the text or object to which you want to attach an anchor.
  2. Select Window>References>Anchors.
  3. Select New Anchor.
  4. Ensure Export as PDF Bookmark is checked and (optionally) rename the anchor.
  5. Select OK.
To create PDF bookmarks from a table of contents:
  1. Select the text frame that contains your table of contents.
  2. Select Window>References>Table of Contents.
  3. Check Include as PDF bookmarks.
To export a PDF that includes bookmarks:

Affinity Publisher's PDF (digital - small size), PDF (digital - high quality) and PDF (flatten) presets are configured to include bookmarks by default.

  1. Select File>Export.
  2. Select PDF.
  3. In File Settings, set Preset as required or manually choose your PDF settings from either section.
  4. In Advanced, if Include bookmarks is not checked, make it so.
  5. Select Export, and then name and choose where to save the PDF.

SEE ALSO: