IDML Editor-Translator — InDesign IDML editor (+ Illustrator XLIFF/XML, Markdown, TXT)

IDML Editor-Translator — paid portable Windows app for translating and editing text in Adobe InDesign IDML packages.

Price: $49 one-time. No subscription. No license key — download the ZIP and run the exe.

Not a CAT tool (not Trados / memoQ / SmartCAT). A focused Source/Target segment editor with optional AI assist and strong privacy controls.

PRIVACY FIRST

• Your files stay on your PC. No vendor cloud account. No upload of your documents to us. No telemetry to the publisher.
• Toolbar Network Off blocks all cloud/internet use from the app (including external links). Editing, Save, Autofill, Estimate, and Excel still work.
• Use a local LLM (Ollama / LM Studio) with Network Off so source text never leaves your machine. Cloud LLM only when Network is On and you explicitly start Translate.

PRIMARY: ADOBE INDESIGN IDML

• Open / edit / save .idml
• Translate story Content text; styles and package structure are preserved
• Saved packages open cleanly back in InDesign

ALSO INCLUDED (BONUS FORMATS)

• Illustrator XLIFF / XML — translate files from Export-Import text for Illustrator (https://payhip.com/b/pI8NY), then import back with that plugin
• Markdown — edit readable text; file markup stays hidden from editing
• Plain text (.txt) — quick volume estimate and short jobs
• Generic XML — pick leaf text tags

OPTIONAL LLM

• Presets: Ollama (local), LM Studio (local), OpenAI, OpenRouter, Custom (OpenAI-compatible /v1)
• Translate empty targets or a selection; local translation cache for repeats
• Fully usable with no AI — manual edit only

MORE TOOLS

• Volume Estimate for quoting (characters with/without spaces; skip numeric-only segments)
• Excel export/import — send Targets to a freelancer without this app
• Autofill, QA panel, undo, table sort/filters
• Portable mode (settings in a data folder next to the exe)

REQUIREMENTS

Windows 10/11. Adobe InDesign for IDML. For the Illustrator loop: Illustrator + Export-Import text for Illustrator (https://payhip.com/b/pI8NY).

WHAT YOU GET

Portable ZIP: application, readme.txt, quickstart.txt, sample IDML. Unzip and run. No installer required.