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Convert InDesign file to Illustrator (*.ai) file

Explorer ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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I've done a layout that is mostly text in InDesign, and the printer wants an Illustrator file.  Can't seem to find a way to do a conversion from InDesign to Illustrator.  Is there a way to do this?  Thanks.

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Community Expert , Jul 16, 2017 Jul 16, 2017

Right. The solution is to find a competent printer.

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Engaged ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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Export to a PDF and open it in Ai.

Torben.

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Community Expert ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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Even better: Export to PDF - period.

There are no guarantees at all Illustrator can correctly open an InDesign generated PDF.

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Contributor ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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Export as pdf then open in Illustrator and save from there.

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Engaged ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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If it is simple text, I would export a PDF and open it via AI.

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Explorer ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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Wowo.  That was fast.  Thanks for the quick responses.  I thought about the pdf route, but hadn't tried it thinking that there might be a more direct route.  coverting in and out of pdf usually introduces some kind of problem.  I'll give a try.  Thanks.

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Enthusiast ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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Ask the printer why he can't use a PDF. I wouldn't use a printer who couldn't print from a PDF.

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Guest
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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Mr. Met wrote:

Ask the printer why he can't use a PDF. I wouldn't use a printer who couldn't print from a PDF.

Dov has repeated over and over opening PDFs in Illustrator is a bad Idea. I can't find any of the many posts with this crappy forum.

Also Mr. Met has sound advice avoid any printer that can't use a PDF.

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Engaged ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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Dov has repeated over and over opening PDFs in Illustrator is a bad Idea. I can't find any of the many posts with this crappy forum.

Here's one:

http://forums.adobe.com/message/1316344#1316344

Noel

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New Here ,
Mar 09, 2014 Mar 09, 2014

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Don't use a printer that can't open a file in AI ....

i worked at a commercial printer for over 30 years and when you are doing commercial printing, I can agree with that. I have had to trap, add bleed, change to spot color, fix graphics, replace fonts and finagle every type of file you can imagine.

Recently I started college (a freshman 40 years after graduating high school) majoring in Graphic Design and Web Development (something I've been doing professionally for 40+ years)

When you have to send jobs to do decals (for bottles, glass, vehicles, signs) or t-shirts silk screening, or embroidery (for shirts, caps) you MUST have an illustrator or vector file. It can't be a pdf or jpg or anything else brought into illustrator and saved as an illustrator file. Just because it looks like a goose and quacks like a goose, doesn't make it a goose.

You have to be able to VIEW OUTLINES and see each and every line, text outlines that you want to be on the finished product.

Just because the designer used the wrong program to create the logo is not a reason to blow off a printer. And everyone that sits in front of a computer with Quark or Indesign, or Illustrator doesn't make you a designer. Your job as a designer is to supply TO the printer the correct format, or pay to have them make it right.

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Engaged ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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Hey there! Don't beat up the printer just yet - I've spent many many years on both sides of the fence and here's the story.

No disrespect for the true designers because there are some really awesome ones out there, but most people who can print a PDF have taken on the identity of designer and with so many variables that go into a PDF, a smart printer will ask for the native files upfront - be it in addition to a PDF or lone standing. There are a lot of reasons as to why a printer would want the native files like FONTS! Need I say more? They may just want to make the PDF for their workflow by themselves, because not everybody knows how to prepare a PDF file for print. They're really not the enemy.

One thing for sure - I would not use a printer that only accepted PDF files. If they indeed print from a PDF and would want to make their own from your native file, I would simply ask them for the print PDF when the job is completed. All is good.

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Community Expert ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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And sending the fonts to a printer who doesn't already have them is almost always a violation of the font license. Additionaly, I respectfully but strongly disagree with your last statement.

Only accepting PDFs is a very mainstream way of running a printing company. It avoids all kinds of things like the aforementioned fonts issue. Given today's technology, there is simply no reason I can think of to send native files to anyone.

Bob

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Explorer ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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As a printer I've gotten more badly produced pdfs than I can shake a stick at. And some fonts can't be embedded in pdfs because of copy protection, so if you use one and your printer does not have it you have to send it to him anyway, since those fonts usually can't be converted to outline, either.

As a printer I want properly converted pdfs, or I want the native file with all support files and I don't care about copy protection.

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Community Expert ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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You are correct about one thing...you are entitled to receive a properly created file. However, you don't get to dictate the terms of a font license.

Bob

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Engaged ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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I don't believe that a designer ought to have a font license that is not minimally transferrable to his/her printer - That's just not a responsible designer.

Anyone can respectfully disagree, anyone can beat up the printers and and anyone tell the printers of the world how they ought to be running their company, but the reality is that not every advisor, PDF printer or desktop designer can necessarily know which RIP system his/her printer is using and plan accordingly for the conflicts a printer would have with fonts. One example, but it is a HUGE issue with printers. That's where I was going with that. That's all.

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Engaged ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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Well this is one time a EPS file only SHOULD be used...

Export a EPS out of In Design and open it in Illustrator.  All fonts and spot colors come in correctly.

Picture 3.png

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Community Expert ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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You'll be hard pressed to find a font license that allows that. And yes, I know that "everyone does it." That doesn't make it right or legal.

Bob

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Engaged ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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Well Bob -

Tell that to the Chinese in China.

That's their preferred workflow. Stolen software and workarounds.

;o)

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Enthusiast ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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BobLevine wrote:

You'll be hard pressed to find a font license that allows that. And yes, I know that "everyone does it." That doesn't make it right or legal.

Bob

You know, I had always thought that it was okay to send fonts to printers solely for printing your own job!  The printers certainly instructed you to do so.  When I worked in prepress (ages ago), we received fonts with every job that was sent in.  But I just checked on Adobe's page and they say it's illegal to do so with their fonts, and so I'll assume other companies feel the same.  That seems like a bad idea in my opinion, if they want folks using their fonts!  In any case, I send PDFs.  I've had far fewer problems printing from PDFs than I ever did printing from native files.  I tend to worry more if the printer requests the native file than if they request a PDF.  But I guess if they do request the native file, they'll have to supply the fonts themselves.  It's a good thing there are only 4 or 5 fonts out there.... 😉  So no doubt they'll have them all.

Hah.

Phyllis

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Engaged ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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Then I suppose Adobe will make all there Generic PDF defauts to not include fonts on the next release just to make the lawyers happy.

Cool...

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Community Expert ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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Mike Ornellas wrote:

Then I suppose Adobe will make all there Generic PDF defauts to not include fonts on the next release just to make the lawyers happy.

Cool...

Not at all. Thats the point of embedding fonts, so the printer has what they need to do the output, but it removes the need to sen the font files loose, which promotes piracy. PDF is the best of both worlds.

As far as restricted fonts -- if you can't embed for print, I don't think the font is worth owning. Adobe has never distributed a font with such a restriction, even from another foundry which might restict their own distribution.

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Enthusiast ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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KSCoastal wrote:

I don't believe that a designer ought to have a font license that is not minimally transferrable to his/her printer - That's just not a responsible designer.

Hm.....  Well I guess I'm an irresponsible designer since the vast majority of my fonts are made by Adobe (and I just confirmed that Adobe fonts can't be sent to a printer).  I would guess that Bitstream and some of the other font houses have similar restrictions.  But I would also guess that you did not intend that to be interpreted personally by anyone on here (and I'm not taking it that way) -- and I'm also positive my irresponsibility is unrelated to the fonts or even to my job as a designer.  😉   Hah!

I would swear that the license restrictions used to be different though.  I seem to remember reading licenses where you were allowed to bundle the font solely in order for the printer to print your project (and the printer was required to remove the font afterward).  So maybe it was that way ages ago.  Or maybe there were other font houses in greater popularity than Adobe when I was working in prepress (too long ago to remember).  🙂

Phyllis

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Community Expert ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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My memory of font licensing is similar to Phyllis' and many fonts are probably still licensed that way, though the PDF workflow with embedded fonts has removed the need to send fonts to printers entirely. What's even cooler is it's solved the cross-platform font issue when you go to print (we PC users will recall what a nightmare it used to be finding a printer who could do our work at all).

The downside to such licensing was that lots of fonts got passed around without licenses, and many service bureaus would on occasion "borrow" a font from a client for an unrelated job. That still happens today.

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Engaged ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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I was joking Peter.

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Community Expert ,
Aug 18, 2009 Aug 18, 2009

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phyllisj9 wrote:

(and I just confirmed that Adobe fonts can't be sent to a printer).

Just to be clear here. Adobe allows the fonts to be transferred with the job to any printer who already has a license for that font. The reason for this is to make sure that both you and the printer are using the identical version of the font. Read the font warning that pops up when you package an ID file.

While rare, updated fonts may not display exactly the same from one version to the next because of bug fixes (yes, fonts can be buggy) and changes to some of the glyphs.

Bob

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