IDML export

[Fixx]

15 hours ago, Queen Rarity said:

I would like idml export, some of my clients use indesign and I sometimes have to send their files back to them after I have altered them. Having idml export would greatly increase my ability to help them.

Using InDesign would increase it even more.

[ronnyb]

Those arguing against idml export in Publisher are really missing the boat. I wonder if they argued against psd export in Affinity photo as well. As if everyone is creating ultra complex layouts in InDesign (which they assume Affinity devs won’t be able to implement properly in export.) By they way, the same silly argument can be smade for psd export, yet we already have a great working implementation, and while it’s not 100% perfect, it’s still highly compatible and usable for most users.

What a waste of time, arguing to those of us whether what we request is something we and out clients would find useful. If it doesn’t work for your workflow, that’s ok, but please stop clogging up the thread with these silly, incoherent arguments. 

[fde101]

5 hours ago, ronnyb said:

Those arguing against idml export in Publisher are really missing the boat.

I don't think that is what is going on here.

The ability to export IDML is quite desirable whether you are interfacing with InDesign or not.

The main benefit is that IDML is an open format which can be imported into a number of other publishing apps - QuarkXPress for example, not just InDesign - so it provides a way to transport documents into another app at some point in the future if that need arises, giving a better starting point than simply using PDF or the like.

 

The main argument I've seen is that it is not reasonable to assume that IDML export will provide clients with a usable document straight into one app when the design was produced with another.  An IDML file produced by Publisher may not give you exactly the same layout when opened in InDesign or QuarkXPress - text might flow differently for example - so treating it as an interchange format for completed work being transferred across apps is inappropriate no matter how well Serif might implement the format itself.

 

So it would be good to complete the circle of moving projects between apps but it must then be treated as an intermediate transfer format, not a final project transfer format.  The documents will require some clean-up and adjustment when the app changes, and that is something the client should not be expected to do.

[tonywaghorn]

@ronnyb@fde101 - good points

I don't expect to open up an IDML from InDesign into InDesign and expect it to be perfect - especially if there are older versions of InDesign or PC and Macs involved.

But it is a useful starting point for edit-ability.

Surely there is also a business/promotional benefit to being able to export in a compatible way. If I say that I'm using Affinity, but I can package an IDML, then maybe another person in an Adobe based company might be willing to trial it without the risk of being a dead end in the process?

I'm an Affinity adopter in my organisation, but others need to see it working to be reassured.

Had I realised, that IDML wasn't available, I might not have jumped from InDesign as early.

 

[fde101]

1 hour ago, tonywaghorn said:

Had I realised, that IDML wasn't available, I might not have jumped from InDesign as early.

QuarkXPress can't export IDML either at this point - it is import only.  I believe Scribus is the same.

That is fairly typical of the level of support offered for IDML in software other than InDesign at this point.

[Designer1]

The most important function that Publisher requires is export of IDML files. Without the export to InDesign, professional work with publishing houses is not possible. The publishing houses only work with InDesign.

[fde101]

3 hours ago, Designer1 said:

The publishing houses only work with InDesign.

While I agree that IDML export should be supported, it is for completely different reasons.  it would make Publisher one of very few page layout applications that can exchange layout data bidirectionally with other applications; it would also open the door to allowing other developers to process those IDML files to do stuff with them that may not fit well into the model of what can be done directly inside the application.

Publishing houses shouldn't be working with any of these programs' proprietary formats, Adobe or otherwise.  They should be working with PDF.

[Seneca]

14 minutes ago, fde101 said:

Publishing houses shouldn't be working with any of these programs' proprietary formats, Adobe or otherwise.

IDML is not proprietary as it is published by Adobe as you well know. 🙂

I would love to see a day when major page-making software houses (no need to specify them here) collaborate on a standard (XML/IDML/WhateverML) that would specify a way to display it consistently on each software. Something similar to what has been achieved in the HTML world (Opera, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc).

[fde101]

25 minutes ago, Seneca said:

IDML is not proprietary as it is published by Adobe as you well know.

Granted, though the argument was that the publishing houses were using InDesign (reference is to the application, not the format, so my error in the way I phrased that), and while IDML is open, it is still not an appropriate distribution format.

[Designer1]

Patrick Connor

There must be a professional way to export IDML files from Publischer. As fast as possible! I have created hundreds of pages in Publischer, but the publishing house needs from me Indesign files. I am desperate. Have to redesign everything in Indesign now. Help SERIF!!!

[emarillo]

15 hours ago, fde101 said:

Publishing houses shouldn't be working with any of these programs' proprietary formats, Adobe or otherwise.  They should be working with PDF.

I totally agree. Nevertheless, my clients also ask me the IDML files for archiving purposes and future editions. It would be great if Affinity or Markzware could bring us a afpub-IDML conversion tool. 

[emarillo]

31 minutes ago, Designer1 said:

Patrick Connor

There must be a professional way to export IDML files from Publischer. 

Unfortunately, not at this moment. Serif made that quite clear since the beta version of Publisher... 

[dominik]

57 minutes ago, Designer1 said:

Patrick Connor

There must be a professional way to export IDML files from Publischer. As fast as possible! I have created hundreds of pages in Publischer, but the publishing house needs from me Indesign files. I am desperate. Have to redesign everything in Indesign now. Help SERIF!!!

I'm sorry to say so but you can not blame Serif for a wrong decision on the workflow on your side. You should have planned ahead and find out what formats you have to deliver. I am a little surprised that you can not deliver as PDF. (It happened to me myself that I made a wrong assumption in the beginning and had to rework afterwards. A tough lesson to learn).

You also could try to import your design from PDF to InDesign. I am not sure how well that might work. Then you can fix things that went wrong and finish your project there.

Another tip: if you want to adress a forum member directly type '@' followed by the name. Then click on the name in the dropdown. This way the person receives a notification and can reply quickly.

Good luck!
d.

[Designer1]

1 minute ago, Designer1 said:

@Patrick Connor

PSD can import and export Publisher. Why then IDML only import and export not. Unprofessional and user unfriendly! Here must be urgently improved!

[Patrick Connor]

59 minutes ago, dominik said:

Another tip: if you want to address a forum member directly type '@' followed by the name

True, but Serif staff do not normally respond to being drawn into feature request discussions. So while this is an accurate way to get another customers attention, it is positively discouraged in the feature request forums for staff. 

[dominik]

5 minutes ago, Patrick Connor said:

So while this is an accurate way to get another customers attention, it is positively discouraged in the feature request forums for staff. 

This of course is true and I did not think of that aspect. Sorry.

d.

[Petar Petrenko]

4 hours ago, dominik said:

You also could try to import your design from PDF to InDesign.

You can do only that. Nothing more, nothing less.

[dominik]

1 minute ago, Petar Petrenko said:

You can do only that. Nothing more, nothing less.

You mean, you can display the PDF but not edit?

d.

[Petar Petrenko]

7 minutes ago, dominik said:

You mean, you can display the PDF but not edit?

d.

A-ha.

[Mark Ingram]

5 hours ago, Designer1 said:

Patrick Connor

There must be a professional way to export IDML files from Publischer. As fast as possible! I have created hundreds of pages in Publischer, but the publishing house needs from me Indesign files. I am desperate. Have to redesign everything in Indesign now. Help SERIF!!!

Can you not provide them with a PDF?

[Designer1]

6 minutes ago, Mark Ingram said:

Can you not provide them with a PDF?

No. It is a very large publishing house. The publishing house needs IDML files or InDesign files. They don't care that I work in Publisher. The files are needed for further processing. There is a graphic design department in the publishing house.

[Mark Ingram]

Just now, Designer1 said:

No. It is a very large publishing house. The publishing house needs IDML files or InDesign files. They don't care that I work in Publisher. The files are needed for further processing. There is a graphic design department in the publishing house.

But PDF is an InDesign file?

[Arceom]

Sadly this is the exact same reason I cannot recommend Publisher as a pro alternative to my acquaintances, the software is very complete and capable but big printing shops demand idml/indesign files cause they tend to make adjustments inhouse, and they have been working like that for ages, the idea of working with something that is different (I mean even pdf) scares them. 

[Designer1]

12 minutes ago, Mark Ingram said:

But PDF is an InDesign file?

No, PDF cannot be edited in InDesign. So the text, text styles, etc.. The publishing house only needs IDML or InDesign.

This is very annoying! I bought Publisher specifically so I wouldn't have to pay monthly for Creative Cloud. Now I will have double costs.

[emarillo]

46 minutes ago, Designer1 said:

This is very annoying! I bought Publisher specifically so I wouldn't have to pay monthly for Creative Cloud. Now I will have double costs.

You could save a lot of time with PDF2DTP from Markzware (https://markzware.com/products/pdf2dtp/). 

Purchase option (eur 199/year) is quite high, but Markzware also offer one-off conversions (see https://markzware.com/support/file-conversion-service/ and scroll until page's bottom). You could create a long, unique PDF file in super low resolution, merging there all of your Publisher-made works. The one-off conversion fee for a single PDF file (up to 20 MB) is 39 eur. 

Hope this helps.