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Getting started: How to get content into the Workiva platform
Workiva can import content from Microsoft Word (.docx). Don’t rush this part. Take your time. Ask where did this Word file come from? Originally created in Word (great!) or a converted document from PDF (not great)? Follow these guidelines for a successful outcome when exporting out of Workiva at the finish of the project.
Help video: Importing content into Workiva
Starting with InDesign
In InDesign
- Check the styles are not in folders
- Make sure that all the styles have CSS compliant names - no spaces, do not start with a number and contain no special characters. Tip: Stick with Alphanumeric names, Camel-case or hyphened.
- Make sure all colors are RGB not CMYK
- Copy Content in sequential order from InDesign to MSWord
In MS Word
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- Check styles are applied properly in the Word file
In Workiva
- Import the Word file into Workiva - File>Import
- Make sure styles are applied properly In Wdesk
- Perform any reformatting as needed
Help video: Document setup starting with InDesign
Starting with Word
In MS Word
- Check if this is an original Word document - see Old document concerns below
- Check all the styles are applied properly throughout the document
- Import into Workiva as above
Old document concerns
Workiva can import a .docx file but designers need to be careful about where this Word file originated from. This is because it could contain:
- Hidden characters
- White space
- Tabular matter (tabs)
You might not see it in the Workiva platform, but it could create issues with exporting to ICML and XHTML later on.
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Awareness: Table styles do not import from Word. |
If all you have is a PDF
If all you have is a PDF document or Word document converted from a PDF, then we advise pasting the content into an ASCii text editor (Notepad++ on PC) first and highlight tabs or other whitespace characters and then open this text file in Word before importing into Workiva. This will take out all styling which you would then have to create and apply in Workiva. It will however remove all the potentially risky hidden code.
Best practice for all users
We really recommend that designers are allowed into a client’s workspace.
Sharing of typesetting responsibilities
Workiva is collaborative platform environment where content creators, auditors, taggers and designers can all work together. This is great but could possibly become crowded unless managed properly.
Projects go more smoothly if:
- Everyone on the teams understands the basic structure of the report, applies the styles correctly and consistently
- Designers create enough styles for the whole report. This will help stop authors either creating unnecessary new ones or applying an override to existing styles
- Designers educate the team on when to use certain styles
- Designers check typesetting throughout the reporting cycle
Use of permissions
Permissions can control access to all or part of a document. Designers can use this when actively designing a section. Use the Advanced Permissions for this. You can easily revert to the previous permissions when you have finished.
Project calendar
Workiva can present a slightly different timeline to what you may be used to. There is a time element to importing content correctly on to the platform and to creating and applying styles. The design tools might behave slightly differently to what you are used to, which may impact your timeline and project calendar.
Remember, designers do not have to worry about amends or last minute changes!
We do encourage some upfront training. Find out more on the [Design Reporting Learning Hub].
Allow a bit more time up front but less time should be necessary further on up to filing day.
Style setup
Workiva is a multi-channel publishing environment. Content created within documents can export to a variety of outputs - PDF, HTML, DOCX, ICML and XHTML.
Because of this reusability of data, designers need to work with structured content and Workiva structures that content by using styles.
Help video: Importance of a style guide
Style guides
A style guide is a set of standards for the design of a document that ensures formatting consistency throughout and/or across multiple documents.
Set up the styles
There are two ways a designer can do this
- Set up the styles in the Workiva platform
- Create the styles in the InDesign software and import back to the Workiva platform via Microsoft Word document/software
What to call each style
You need to consider styles for all your content. When choosing a style name, it is a good idea to choose a name that reflects the use of the style, for example:
CaptionSmallBlue or TableTextBold
This will help everyone on the team understand the structure and apply the correct style to the content. We call this semantic styling.
Style names can contain letters and numbers but should always start with a letter. For example:
Heading1 is good ☑. 1Heading will not work ☒
Characters such as - !@#$%^&*()_+-={}:”<>?[];’,./`~ etc and spaces must be avoided.
Lock the styles
Once created, designers can lock the styles and their attributes. This stops authors changing an aspect of that style. You can lock:
- The font family, size, color and emphasis
- Alignment, spacing and indentation
Top tip: Designers can also add a note to the style. This might help your user when choosing the style. When they hover over the style in the style palette, the note appears alongside the style attributes.
Benefits of using a well constructed stylesheet are:
- Efficient authoring for clients - you want everyone to be a good typesetter!
- Document health and consistency
- Easier evolution/rollover of styles in subsequent years
- Value creation - enables your report to be used by Workiva’s WebAPI for example
Help video: Exports from Workiva
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Tip: Styles always start with a letter with no spaces or special characters |
Things to remember
- Take time to set up styles properly at the start of your project - it really does save time later
- It is best practice not to use the ‘Normal’ style in the Workiva platform. Turn default ‘Normal’ to pink to identify this un-styled content.
- Table styles do not import from Word, so any Table styles will also need to be applied to at least one line of copy (outside of a table) for that style to appear in the custom style palette. Those styles will then need to be applied to all the tables on the platform.
Quicker application of styles
Text can be selected in a whole section and a style applied but generally you wouldn’t want to style a whole section in one style (unless it’s brand new copy and applying one style is the ideal starting point).
If however, you have a style you need to apply throughout a section or an entire report quickly and consistently then the best method may be to use the format painter.
The format painter is in the Edit menu and to use, you just need to do the following:
- Select the style you wish to copy with your cursor.
- Click once on the Painter icon and a border will appear around it showing the style is loaded.
- Click the copy you wish to apply that style to.
If you want to apply that style to multiple lines of copy, in more than one location, then at step 2, double- click on the Painter icon (which will give you a thicker border around the icon) and apply. The style will remain loaded and be applied until you click on the icon again to switch it off. Be aware that if used in a table, cell styles and rules will also copy (top, left, right and bottom rules), so it may be simpler to apply styles in tables manually.
Design guide
Workiva is a collaborative platform - all working together - so for the highest level of consistency it is recommended that a Design Guide is created. This could be placed temporarily at the beginning of the report for easy referral.
The Design Guide helps establish the base requirements for elements such as colors, table/cell widths and the application of the core styles. Please contact your CSM if you would like a copy of this Design Guide sample.
Additionally, you may find it beneficial to include a marked up standard bar and pie chart, if they are used on the platform, including such details as:
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Document setup
It is important to set up the report correctly in the Workiva platform. Take your time now by doing the following:
1 Format consideration
It is important in a multichannel publishing scenario to establish the page format, margins and gutter measurements right from the outset.
Things to consider:
Landscape v portrait
Traditionally most annual reports use a portrait presentation but increasingly landscape is being used for better onscreen consumption.
Spreads
The concept of spreads is limited within the current iXBRL inline reader. Designers need to be careful when relying on a spread to convey information as this will be broken into two separate consecutive pages. It is possible with the help of web development to present spreads within the inline viewer, so please talk to your web team if spreads are required as part of the inline viewer experience.
Mirrored margins
Often, in the case of a document going to print, the inner margin will be wider than the outer margin because of the act of stitching. This can present a problem of readability when presented digitally in both PDF and XHTML. Consider adjusting margins for digital presentation.
2 Setting the documents page size
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3 Margins and gutters
Margins and gutters can be set for the whole document. See our dedicated section for instructions on how to do this. [link]
4 Setting the document outline (index)
The document outline represents the structure of the document. The document can be split into parent sections and child sections.
5 Create your style palette
All content in the Workiva platform should have a style attached to it. See our dedicated section for instructions on how to do this. [link]
6 Headers and footers
[Headers and footers] can be generated in the Workiva platform. See our dedicated section for instructions on how to do this.
7 Typesetting
Typesetting takes place in the Workiva platform. In multi-channel publishing, best practice is to not use a soft return. A soft return is when you press Shift Enter. This creates a line break rather than a paragraph break. You can see your soft and hard returns by pressing the Show/hide non-printing characters on your Edit ribbon. Use the line spacing properties in the Style Editor rather than soft returns
If words are not to be broken, a name of a director for example, then use a non-breaking space in between. Go to Insert>Symbol>Special Characters>Non-breaking Space. There is also a keyboard shortcut.
Non-breaking space on a PC
CTRL + Shift + Space
Non-breaking space on a Mac
CMD + Shift + Space
Or
Insert > Symbol > Special Characters > Non-breaking Space
8 Measurements
Measurement units can be set in the Document Properties panel
Margins and gutters
A margin is the space to the top, bottom and sides of a document. A gutter is the space between your columns.
Page margin
The page margin can be set as a document default but can be overridden at section level.
Setting the document default margin
The document margin setting is accessed through the ‘Properties’ menu. Properties/Document/Page formats.
Changing the section margin
The section margins are changed in the Section Properties panel. This can be accessed from the right-hand menu and will display the settings for the currently selected section.
Changing any section margin will override the document default for that section. You can easily see if a section margin has been overridden, as an arrow will appear next to the changed margin. Clicking the arrow will restore the default for that margin.
Column gutter
The column gutter can be set as a document default but can be overridden at section level and/or a paragraph level.
Setting the document default column gutter
The column gutter setting is accessed through the Properties menu - Properties/Document/Page formats
Please note that the gutter measurement is not selectable until more than one column has been entered in the columns box.
Once this has been done, then the gutter can be altered.
You can then change the default columns back to one if you wish but the new measurement you entered for the gutter will remain.
Changing the section level column gutter
The section column gutters are changed in the Section Properties panel. This can be accessed from the right-hand menu and will display the settings for the currently selected section.
As with the section margin, a curved arrow (see example) will display if the gutter setting has been amended. Clicking the arrow will restore the default setting for that gutter.
Changing the paragraph level column gutter
The paragraph column gutters are changed in the Paragraph Properties panel. This can be accessed from the right-hand menu and will display the settings for the currently selected paragraph.
Changing any paragraph column gutter will override both the Document and Section settings for that paragraph.
More information on Document and Section Properties here at Workiva Support
Headers and footers
The header is a section of the document that appears in the top margin, while the footer is a section of the document that appears in the bottom margin.
Headers and footers can contain additional information such as document titles, page titles, navigation bars, page numbers, dates and footnotes. Text entered into a header or footer will repeat in all linked sections.A header and footer are unique to a section, independent of each other and can be set to repeat in following sections.
To access the content of a section’s header or footer you will first need to click into the current section’s header or footer space.
This should automatically bring up the relevant properties panel to the right.
Quite complex layouts can be created in the header and footer space of a document on the platform - See [Creative layout].
Headers and footers Properties Panel explained
Settings
Same as previous section
This section uses the same header as the section before it.
Alternating pages
Odd pages use one header, while even pages use a different header. Page numbering works separately to headers, so be aware that if your pagination has an even page header starting on an odd page then the odd page number will be displayed.
Different first page
The first page of the section uses a different header than following pages. If alternating pages are also applied, they will begin after the first page of the section.
Different last page
The last page of the section uses a different header than previous pages. If alternating pages are also applied, they will end before the last page of the section.
Position
From Top (header only)
To change how far down the page your header starts.
From Bottom (footer only)
To change how far up the page your footer starts.
Margins
Left
You can set a different left margin to the one used by the section here.
Right
You can set a different right margin to the one used by the section here.
Match section margins
Check this box to match the margin width to the entire page
Page Numbering
Insert Page Number
This will insert an automatic page number in the selected header or footer of the current section.
Restart section numbering
(for both header and footer)
Checking this box lets you select a starting number and style for the page numbering.
Starts at
(for both header and footer)
Here you can set the starting page number for the section
Style
(for both header and footer)
Here you can set the character style for the page numbering for this section
Automatic page numbering
Insert / Auto Text / Section Page Number. This will insert an automatic page number wherever you have the cursor placed.
Help video: All about headers and footers
Table formatting
Table formatting can seem tedious. But with a clear head it is easy to do. A great deal of data contained within tables comes from linked spreadsheets. To find out more about the functionality of linking - the powerful tool for maintaining data integrity, please go to [Workiva Support]
Creating a table
An empty table can be created by placing the cursor in the line where you wish to insert it, navigating to the Insert menu and clicking table. A default table will be inserted in that location and will fill the width of that.
More information on creating tables here at Workiva Support
Cell styles
The Workiva platform does not use cell styles but relies on styling via the ribbon.
Formatting a table style
Applying paragraph styles to a cell
Select the cell or group of cells and pick your desired paragraph style from the style guide.
Applying alignment to a cell
Select the cell or group of cells and pick your desired alignment style from the cell alignment drop down menu.
Applying rules to a cell
Select the cell or group of cells that you wish to apply a rule or rules to and then from the Edit menu choose the Borders dropdown.
You will now see the following panel which has the controls for setting the rule weight, line style, color and where that rule is to be applied.
It is important to set the rule weight, line style and color before you click on any of the rule placement options.
Once you have set your line weight, style and color, then select from the rule placement options below.
The highlighted edges in the rule placement panel are the edges that your rule settings will be applied to when you click on one. It is important to note that if you mean to only remove one rule from a cell using ‘Clear borders’, that you will need to replace any other rules that are removed unintentionally.
Applying tints to a cell
Select the cell or group of cells and then go to the Background Color panel in the Edit menu, click the dropdown and pick your color or add the colors hex reference (clicking Add to apply it, if it isn’t already listed)
To remove a tint completely you do the same but choose ‘No Color’ instead.
Your previous tint setting will be retained until you close the document and can be quickly applied by just clicking on the Background Color icon.
Formatting a table’s size
More than one row or column can be selected at a time by clicking the starting row/column, holding down the shift key and clicking on the last row/column. Just be aware, when selecting multiple rows/columns, that some may be been hidden and need to stay that way.
Adjusting column width
These can be manually adjusted, or a specific measurement can be applied.
Adjusting manually
To manually adjust a column or group of columns, choose your selection and hover over one of the column edges at the top of the table and an arrow icon will appear, which you can drag to increase/decrease the size.
Adjusting precisely
To set a specific measurement to a column or group of columns, choose your selection and in the Formats panel you can enter a precise number for the width, which will be applied to the selected columns. This is the best option for column width consistency.
The number is in Pixels and if you are matching a layout from InDesign then you can view your InDesign file in Points or Pixels to see what the equivalent measurement needs to be on the platform.
Adjusting row height
These can be manually adjusted or a specific measurement can be applied.
Adjusting manually
To manually adjust a row or group of rows, choose your selection and hover over one of the row edges until an arrow icon appears. Then, drag to increase/decrease the size. If double- clicked, the row height will automatically adjust to display any obscured text.
Adjusting precisely To set a specific measurement to a row or group of rows, choose your selection and in the Formats panel you can enter a precise number for the height, which will be applied to the selected rows.
For financial tables it may be better to stick with manually adjusting them automatically (as described previously) as this avoids text being left obscured in a fixed height row.
There is also the option to turn on ‘Resize rows to fit cell contents’ in the Table Properties menu for a selected table. This can also be checked at the Document Level, but be aware that it would also affect purposely cropped tables, used for layout purposes.
More information on styling tables here at Workiva Support
Color management
For XHTML, only RGB colors can be used, as this is the only color format supported on the web. If InDesign is being used to add additional content then InDesign needs to be set to RGB (Red, Blue, Green).
Hex is another way of describing RGB color in base 8 (hexadecimal). Pantone colors (spot) are used in printing. The ink used is the actual color specified instead of being made up of CMYK colors. They are often specified in branding guidelines for a corporate color because of their accuracy. It is advisable to always check branding guidelines for specific colors.
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Tip: Make sure you have enough color contrast for good readability for all users. Please check local jurisdictional regulations for any guidance here. Color contrast can be a part of audit. |
Using the color palette
The platform color palette has 64 standard colors but beneath this is a custom color area which allows for up to 16 custom colors to be stored and displayed at any one time.
The custom color area is where additional document specific colors can be added.
The color palette is linked to a user’s own account. If additional users need the same custom colors, these need to be uploaded into their custom palette separately.
The same color palette will be displayed for any platform function that requires a color choice.
Adding custom colors
To add a custom color to your palette, open any color palette from the main menu (i.e. Text Color, Highlight, Background Color, etc) and in the Custom Colors box add your Hex reference or RGB numbers for your desired color and then click add.
This will add the color to the top left custom color box and move all the existing colors along one. If there are already 16 colors then the last color will drop off the end of the list.
If you do not have a hex reference for your color please make sure you consult your branding guidelines or ask others in your team. It is not a good idea to just estimate the hex color by scraping screenshots into Photoshop.
More information about the use of custom colors at Workiva support
Fonts
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Awareness: Installation of fonts can take up to 6 weeks, so if necessary, make this a priority. Supported font list here. |
It is important, before the start of your project, to check that the fonts, together with all the font weight variations, are available on the Workiva platform in your workspace.
Fonts need to be loaded into your workspace to be available. We have a list of already supported fonts. Please note that additional licensing may still be required.
Adding fonts to the platform
If specific fonts based on brand or design requirements are required on the platform then the fonts and the necessary weights need to be supplied to the Workiva font team. This can be done through the client’s CSM.
The font team will check compatibility and licensing requirements before upload. This process can take up to 6 weeks.
We only use the TTF version of fonts on the platform. If customers provide us with OTFs, Workiva will convert them or request TTF versions.
Licensing
For publishing in XHTML, companies need to own the web usage rights of any font weight being used in their iXBRL/XHTML file.
Presently, an iXBRL filing constitutes web usage. It is recommended that companies check the licensing status of all fonts they are using. Also, issuers cannot rely on suppliers to do this for them or indeed hold such a licence on behalf of the issuer. In addition, licensing is based on a per font ‘weight’ basis, so if you are only using two weights of a font family, you only need to comply for those weights.
If the font is available in the Workiva platform, then the font is open source or has the appropriate license in place.
Open source fonts
Google fonts and other ‘free to use’ fonts may be worth considering not only for cost reasons but because they are especially tailored for the web.
Testing font rendering in browsers
It is important that designers test font rendering in browsers to avoid unexpected effects. It is critical that font choices are made with such knowledge. Also, some italic font weights and some older sans serif fonts are prone to not looking very good when rendered in browsers. We recommend testing fonts early.
Fonts not in the Workiva platform
Please ensure that fonts used in any vector imagery uploaded into your documents have their fonts embedded or outlined. If the fonts are available in the Workiva platform, this step is not necessary.
Custom fonts
These include fonts constructed for licensing reasons or decorative usage within text. Please test thoroughly that you are confident that the font construction is suitable for the Workiva platform.
Renaming of fonts
Please be aware that renaming fonts can render them inoperable or cause them not to appear.
Link to list of fonts on platform
[Click here] for an up to date list of supported fonts.
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Caution: It is important not to rename fonts! |
Image management
Web formats (JPG, GIF and PNG) are the only formats supported on the platform.
Placing an image
To place an image, follow these steps:
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Place the cursor where you wish the image to appear (this can be in an empty paragraph, within existing text, in a table cell or within the Header and/or Footer.
- In the main File menu go to the Insert drop-down and choose Image/Inline.
Sizing and proportion
An imported image will size proportionally to fill the column it has being inserted into.
To amend the image size after insertion you must do the following:
- Select the image.
- Open the Image Properties panel.
- If you need to keep sizing proportionally then make sure ‘Preserve aspect ratio’ is ticked.
- You can now adjust the Width
and/or Height until you get the desired size.
- Hovering over the Width or Height will display 2 arrows. Clicking on these and holding the mouse button down will quickly size an image up or down.
For accuracy, it is recommended to use the arrows to resize.
There are controls on the platform to manage image quality and size upon export. This means you can maintain a hi-res workflow within your Workiva document and color correct images after export.
Help video: Managing assets - charts, images and info-graphics
Resolution
An imported image will appear with the same resolution as it was created with - we do not alter the resolution of an image during upload.
Resolution can be altered for Export, in either the Document properties (which will apply to all outputs) or on an individual export basis in the Export Advanced menu during export itself.
If no setting is applied, then all images will export with the same resolution as they were imported.
Color mode RGB vs CMYK
The only time a CMYK image would be required, is for printing a document professionally. More information around color correction for images can be found in the Printing from Workiva section.
Offline management
Workiva does not have an image Library. Additionally, repeated images are not linked to one another on the platform. All master image copies must be managed locally by the editor/designer.
Updating an image
Images cannot currently be updated on the platform. If an image is amended, outside the platform, then it will require re-inserting.
Image size and position will need to be set the same as the existing version.
Be careful of JPGs
JPGs (JPEG) can present certain issues as they can be saved/used in CMYK and RGB. Also, older versions of Adobe Photoshop software and other image editing programs present differences in ‘saving’ and ‘exporting’ to the jpg format.
A note on spreads
Large images used across a spread (two pages) need to be separated/split into single pages for use on the platform.
Printing from the Workiva platform
The platform is web based and is therefore an RGB environment. Here is what you need to consider if you are going to professionally print your report.
Output options
Both an RGB or CMYK PDF are exportable from the platform.
Please see Exports for more information on these options.
RGB PDF
An exported RGB PDF will need color correcting for Print but is probably the best version for preparing for Print and has the most flexibility.
CMYK PDF
An exported CMYK PDF is a straight conversion of the colors to CMYK but may not match your brand guideline requirements and converted images may not match the color conversion settings/saturation required for Print.
Color correction
It is highly recommended that you speak to your Printer on how best to deal with color correction, as they will have the best insights on what your options are.
General image formats
Web formats
JPG, GIF, PNG (bitmaps) and SVG (resolution-less) are common web formats for images. Bitmap formats are often set at 72 or 96 dpi and are RGB.
Print images
PSD and TIFF are common image formats for print often set at 300dpi (dots per square inch) and always CMYK. Resolution-less graphics such as graphs are used in Illustrator (AI) and EPS (Encapsulated Postscript) formats.
Image conversion
Your printers may be able to advise on the best way to convert your images from RGB to CMYK.
If you plan to just convert the images once exported, place Hi-Res versions of the images in your document.
Another option is to replace the images with Hi-res CMYK versions in the exported PDF. This can be done using tools, such as Adobe Acrobat or Enfocus Pitstop.
Bleed
Details of bleed functionality are listed here
| Web (Workiva) | |
| .png (rgb, 72dpi or 96dpi) | .psd (cmyk, 300dpi) |
| .jpg (rgb, 72dpi or 96dpi) | .tiff (cmyk, 300dpi) |
| .svg | .jpg (cmyk, 300dpi) |
| .ai | |
| .eps |
Charts
Workiva charts are based on spreadsheet data and that data can be standalone or linked. Change a number at source and charts will automatically update throughout your report or presentation.
The charting tool does not have all the capabilities of Adobe products but with clever use of tables, images and layout a lot of variation can be achieved. See more in [Getting Creative with Charts].
Inserting a chart
A chart can only be inserted inline, so it will appear wherever your cursor is placed within the content. Generally, this would be in a new empty paragraph. Charts cannot be placed in the Header or Footer.
To insert a chart, place your cursor where you wish the chart to appear and navigate through the Edit menu to Insert/Chart and choose a chart type from the drop-down list.
When you insert a chart, it will have default colors, fonts (Arial) and default dimensions, which are 613 pixels wide by 380 pixels tall, regardless of the size or orientation of your page.
Help video: Managing assets - charts, images and info-graphics
Knowing your chart defaults
Here are all the default charts.
You can change most of the default settings to create the chart look you require and that is done through the Chart properties panel.
| Line | Column | Stacked Column | Combo |
| Area | Bar | Stacked Bar | Stacked Combo |
| Pie | Doughnut | Waterfall | Scatter |
| Bubble | Advanced Bubble | ||
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The Chart Properties panel
The Chart Properties panel becomes available when the chart is clicked on. There are a lot of options in here and they can differ based on the chart choice.
Chart properties
General
General options, like adding a title and setting the size, can be found here.
Series/Slices/Plot
Here you can affect various settings around the data used in the chart, for example applying a color, data labels, etc.
Left/Right Axis
This affects your Y axis and is switchable from Left to Right or can be used in combination but both have similar properties.
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Bottom Axis This affects your X axis. |
Legend Change settings for the chart legend here. |
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Tip: Set up a few generic charts in your non-printing section, then just copy, place and update them when they are required throughout the report. |
Basic chart setup
Here are some tips and tricks on setting up a chart from scratch.
- Insert your chosen chart type. Here the Column chart has been selected.
- Set the Width and Height. Tip is to use a single cell table, set to the full column width, to visually set the correct width for the first chart.
- Click the Chart once to select it all and then change your font, font size and color.
- Different parts of the text can be altered by clicking on specific text.
- Data can be amended or inserted by right-clicking on the chart and selecting ‘View chart data’. This will open the data in a new tab.
- From here you can add columns, rows, amend data, change the axis format (31 Dec 2022 / Dec, etc) and change the value format (Accounting/Percent, etc).
Data can also be linked to other sources and updated automatically.
- Changes made here will be reflected in your chart.
- White space between the edge of the chart boundary and the chart elements can be tweaked via the Spacing option.
- The default is 15 all around.
- Below the spacing has been set all round to 5.
- There may be times when you wish to make the spacing zero but do check that text does not start to crop off in your export formats.
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Awareness tip: There may be times when you wish to make the spacing zero but do check that text does not start to crop off in your export formats. |
- The bars are controlled by the Series. Either select the Series themselves, through the Chart Properties panel, or by clicking on a bar in the chart.
- With the Series selected, amends can be made within the Properties panel.
- To move between different series in the panel, click on the Series name. Individual bars can also be selected through the second dropdown menu.
- In this example below, the color red has been picked, the show data labels selected and the legend switched off.
Result below
- Any additional text displayed by switching on a setting may need adjusting to match your text style
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Tip: Try every setting of charts early to find out what can be achieved |
- To amend or hide the title, go to the General Properties panel.
- To amend an axis, click on the axis or find it in the Chart Properties panel. Below the title, the min/max value and step size has been added.
Additional tips
Footnotes/chemical symbols in charts
Footnote reference numbers and chemical subscripts can be added to data labels, axis labels and chart titles but only manually (not automated footnotes). Superscript/subscript has to be done with Unicode references.
Various websites list the Unicode references for 0 – 9 and ( ) and allow the user to copy and paste it into a chart (whether that is into the title or the data sheet).
The diagram here shows how Superscript/Subscript and copied Unicode versions of both appear in a chart, data sheet and in Normal text.
More information about the use of charts at Workiva support
Hyperlinks and bookmarks
Hyperlinks and bookmarks are an essential tool in any large report. On the platform hyperlinks can be targeted towards bookmarks, pages or external resources to allow navigation.
Link types
Hyperlinks
Hyperlinks allow you to link to resources outside Workiva, navigate to different sections or bookmarks within a document. Hyperlinks are great when building a navigation bar within your document.
More information about the use of hyperlinks at Workiva support
Bookmarks
Bookmarks allow you to mark a location and easily navigate to it within your document via a hyperlink.
More information about the use of bookmarks at Workiva support
Applying styles to links
Hyperlinks
Applying a hyperlink will, by default, make the text blue and add an underline.
Currently, the default settings in cannot be changed but you can change the look of the hyperlinks manually via the ribbon.
To remove the automatically applied underline and blue color, the underlying text style will need to be unlocked.
Highlight the hyperlink text and manually change the color to the desired color and turn off the Underline (this may require clicking the underline button twice).
Bookmarks
Applying a bookmark will not change the look of the text.
If you wish your bookmarks to stand out, create a text style and apply it consistently.
If you need to see where a bookmark has been placed, click on the bookmark in the Bookmark panel. It will take you straight to the bookmark and the text it is linked to will be highlighted.
Export
Hyperlinks and bookmarks will work in both PDF and XHTML exports. The bookmarks list in a PDF is based upon the section structure of your Wdesk document and therefore platform bookmarks will not appear in the list even though they will work as clickable links.
Exports
Exports are dependent upon the Workiva solution you are accessing. There may be different export options visible. All export formats are accessed from the File menu, under the ‘Save as’ dropdown.
More information about exports at Workiva support
Here are the main export formats.
- XHTML (Web, ESEF and tagged)
- XHTML can be generated for 3 different purposes.
- Web
A Workiva document can be exported directly to XHTML using the XHTML option in the ‘Save as’ dropdown.
This will open the Export options window. From there you can choose to export either the whole or parts of the document and under the advanced tab you can make some further adjustments to that output.
Disable External Hyperlinks
This option will disable any hyperlink that directs the reader to a destination outside the document.
Editable XHTML
Editable XHTML allows for editing of the resulting code to integrate better with websites and is the basis of the WebAPI. Selecting this option will result in a more compliant version of XHTML generated in XBRL generations.
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ESEF: XHTML for an ESEF filing can be exported through the ‘Save as’ menu but no tags will be included in the export. This is different to the Editable XHTML. Tagged: Tagged XHTML is automatically generated when the XBRL generation process is followed and is not accessed through the ‘Save as’ menu. |
PDF
When PDF is selected, the PDF Export option window will open.
You can export the whole or parts of the document and under the Advanced tab you can make further adjustments to that output.
Here are some advanced options.
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Include markup
If the Document Markup tools have been used in your document, these will be included in the PDF. -
Reduce Image Resolution (PPI) to:
From here, Image Resolution can be reduced to downscale the pixels per inch (PPI) of your images and reduce the overall file size. -
Use CMYK Colorspace
This option will convert the PDF from RGB to CMYK. It is important to remember that this is a straight conversion and may not match Brand guidelines and converted images may not match the color conversion settings/saturation required for Print. -
Tag for Web Accessibility
This includes tagging elements needed for screen readers.
Word
Choosing Word as the export option will open the Word Export option window.
You can export the whole or parts of the document and under the Advanced tab, further adjustments can be made.
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Include Leader Dots
If Leader Dots have been used in the document, these will be included in Word export. -
Embed Fonts
Selecting this will embed the fonts in the Word file. This helps the Word file to display correctly on screen, when the fonts are not locally installed. -
Show Table Cell Shading
Selecting this will include any shading that has been added to a cell. -
Reduce Image Resolution (PPI) to:
From here Image Resolution can be reduced to downscale the pixels per inch (PPI) of your images and reduce the overall file size.
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Awareness: Workiva documents are not Word documents. 100% alignment is not guaranteed so testing is recommended |
Document health
The Workiva platform has an inbuilt Document Health tool. This can be useful for checking for a variety of issues within a Workiva document. Outlined here are things which could be helpful during document creation and sign off.
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Awareness: Not all issues will need fixing. This is merely a tool to locate and address issues based on user’s discretion. |
When to check document health
Document creation
When a document has first been set up/designed, it is good practice to run a health check to look at image, content, chart and hyperlink issues.
Document Signoff
When finalising design for the final version, it can also be useful to run a final health check to look at image, content, chart and hyperlink issues.
How to do it
Document Health icon
To access the Document Health panel, just look down from the Section Outline menu and locate the Document Health icon as shown below.
Document Health panel
Clicking on the icon will automatically perform a document health check, shown below.
In an ideal scenario you would see green ticks for every potential issue.
Below is what you are more likely to see when a Document Health check is run. Not all of these checks relate to design issues.
Clicking the Continue button will open up the main Document Health window. A full breakdown of where the issues reside will appear.
Summary filter
The results can be filtered in the Categories' dropdown menu by switching off unwanted search results.
If the filter menu is not showing, it can be opened and closed by selecting the filter button.
For a more design related search, tick these selections from the drop down menu.
Followed by the refresh button.
Reviewing issues
The issues displayed will now only be the ones ticked in the dropdown.
New design extensions - full video
| Full video of Workiva's newly added design capabilities |
How to get an RNS (Regulatory News Service) suitable document from Workiva
| [Download the RNS from Workiva datasheet] |
Endnotes
Endnotes - new information here
Full design on the Workiva platform guidelines PDF in English, French and Spanish
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Designing with the Workiva platform Guide du concepteur pour la conception sur la plateforme Workiva Vous trouverez dans le guide Le Widget –Plateforme toutes les indications nécessaires pour réaliser la conceptiondans Workiva. Guía de maquetadores para maquetar en la plataforma Workiva Las directrices de la plataforma TheWidget le ofrece todas lasorientaciones necesarias para realizarsus maquetas en Workiva. |
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New Workiva design features |