Moving from Adobe Indesign

[Heidi Cochran]

Hi, I would like to use Affinity Publisher,  however I have all of my templates in Indesign. Is it possible to open my old Indesign files in Affinity Publisher? If not, will a conversion path be created in the future?

Thank you

[MEB]

Hi Heidi Cochran,
Welcome to Affinity Forums
No, Affinity Publisher doesn't support .INDD files. We plan to add support for .IDML files later which will help exchanging files between the two apps.
Currently the only option is to export your files from InDesign as PDF's.

 

[Eugene Tyson]

Might have to switch now... CC2019 was released yesterday, and my older mac is not compatible, need to upgrade, but can't upgrade due to integrating services on the server... maybe forced to move.

[jmwellborn]

3 hours ago, Eugene Tyson said:

Might have to switch now... CC2019 was released yesterday, and my older mac is not compatible, need to upgrade, but can't upgrade due to integrating services on the server... maybe forced to move.

Do what I did, when I upgraded to MAC Sierra and lost InDesign CS6.  Before the upgrade I saved every InDesign file I would ever need again as a PDF, and then “waited for developments.”  And here is Affinity Publisher, which handles those PDFs like a dream.  Import them, and save them in .afpub and you are on your way!

[fde101]

Asking because I honestly don't know... does CC force you to update right away or can you continue using a previous version for a while?

[MikeW]

1 minute ago, fde101 said:

Asking because I honestly don't know... does CC force you to update right away or can you continue using a previous version for a while?

You have to be careful when installing a new CC version else it will delete the previous version. However, using the CC app you can always install previous versions clear back to CC6.

But to move ID files into APub you need to make PDFs until such time as APub can import IDML files. So I would recommend packaging your CC files. Make sure the options are included for making both an IDML and PDF when packaging. That will "future proof" your ID files for moving into any layout software that can either open IDML and/or PDFs.

But expect some work tweaking the designs as neither are exactly representative of the original ID file. This bit of reworking can range from very minimal to more involved, depending upon the original design.

Mike

[fde101]

2 minutes ago, MikeW said:

using the CC app you can always install previous versions clear back to CC6.

ok, so at least Adobe did *something* right :-)

Then @Eugene Tyson shouldn't be forced to update and can keep using the version that already works.

 

Interesting... thanks!

[mac_heibu]

Not quite correct: You can reinstall a former version, but, when installing a new version, you are asked ot preserve the former one(s).

Did this yesterday.

[Fixx]

1 hour ago, jmwellborn said:

upgraded to MAC Sierra and lost InDesign CS6

You should be able to use InDesign on latest OSX (I have Sierra and CS5 running, but Mojave should be ok too). It just needs the legacy java app.

[jmwellborn]

AND the InDesign CS6 serial number.  And when I entered the serial number I got a “tough bananas” message.     I gave up on those rotters years ago.

[Old Bruce]

2 hours ago, jmwellborn said:

AND the InDesign CS6 serial number.

Been years since I had to jump through all the various hoops but... I would need the original serial number from the original version of whatever it was I had upgraded from to begin the process... and there were other things I had to do too. Plus this was several operating systems back and the required flavour of Java was baked into those versions. I doubt I could do it today without a major headache. So I feel your pain.

[jmwellborn]

46 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

Been years since I had to jump through all the various hoops but... I would need the original serial number from the original version of whatever it was I had upgraded from to begin the process... and there were other things I had to do too. Plus this was several operating systems back and the required flavour of Java was baked into those versions. I doubt I could do it today without a major headache. So I feel your pain.

No pain here now!  I’ve got the commercial Affinity Publisher right around the corner, and am learning it with the betas.  Love it!!!!!

[MikeW]

49 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

Been years since I had to jump through all the various hoops but... I would need the original serial number from the original version of whatever it was I had upgraded from to begin the process... and there were other things I had to do too. Plus this was several operating systems back and the required flavour of Java was baked into those versions. I doubt I could do it today without a major headache. So I feel your pain.

If you registered your Adobe products, they go all the way back. I have them back into the Adobe Pagemaker days listed. You would need to install the "legacy" Java. I know quite a few people running CS4 through CS6 (me I just have CS6 installed). It's way easier using Windows, but I do know Mac people running them. I don't think the latest MacOS will have anything but problems though.

[Eugene Tyson]

On 10/16/2018 at 5:00 PM, fde101 said:

ok, so at least Adobe did *something* right :-)

Then @Eugene Tyson shouldn't be forced to update and can keep using the version that already works.

 

Interesting... thanks!

 Not particularly. Will have newer files sent in in the new file formats. 

Which means they will be backsaved through the cloud. And any new features that were used in the latest file format will be broken in the older version (as the older version didn't have it).

I'll eventually have to upgrade. But ok for now. 

Publisher missing some bits and bobs, hope they get there though. Love the software.

[Old Bruce]

8 minutes ago, MikeW said:

If you registered your Adobe products, they go all the way back. I have them back into the Adobe Pagemaker days listed. You would need to install the "legacy" Java. I know quite a few people running CS4 through CS6 (me I just have CS6 installed). It's way easier using Windows, but I do know Mac people running them. I don't think the latest MacOS will have anything but problems though.

I lost track of the OS updates (always use the security ones) I have skipped and I think I am three back now.

[MikeW]

1 minute ago, Old Bruce said:

I lost track of the OS updates (always use the security ones) I have skipped and I think I am three back now.

Should be doable if you need/want to reinstall. 

[Old Bruce]

7 minutes ago, MikeW said:

Should be doable if you need/want to reinstall. 

Actually the only thing I want/need are the fonts and I have them, I paid for them and I am going to use them because I paid for them. I should have been clearer, I don't miss the Adobe suites (Bridge was very useful but I don't want to go through the hassle of all the registering and getting the correct flavour of Java [which will probably cause conflicts with the version I have to have for Max] etc). Affinity Photo works with 16 bit RAW files and Designer does what I need (plus a tonne of stuff I don't but what are you going to do) and very soon Publisher will fill out the rest of my needs. Related note: Somewhere I have a licence for a Font Manager which worked great until it didn't (damned OS upgrades), I have used many of them and they are only actually useful when you have hundreds thousands of fonts. I am wandering off into the tall grass so I'll end with thanks for the advice and encouragement but my Adobe days are done and gone like my using 6 bit teletype tape for phototypesetting.

[SDLeary]

1 hour ago, MikeW said:

If you registered your Adobe products, they go all the way back. I have them back into the Adobe Pagemaker days listed. You would need to install the "legacy" Java. I know quite a few people running CS4 through CS6 (me I just have CS6 installed). It's way easier using Windows, but I do know Mac people running them. I don't think the latest MacOS will have anything but problems though.

Only sometimes, at least without jumping through a few hoops. 

They have changed their back-end software a few times, and they tend to loose user data. This has happened to me a couple of times (InDesign 1.5, DS CS3) and you need to contact Customer Service to track things down for you, so can take some time.

SDLeary

EDIT: In fact, looking at the Accounts/MyProducts page now, data has been lost again. No history from prior to CS3. Had them fix this twice already.