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how to save down from INDD CS5 to CS4

New Here ,
May 17, 2010 May 17, 2010

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I had problem saving down CS4 to Cs3 before. (it need to export etc, and then you need plug ins to open Cs3, which did not work at all) now I have same problem in CS5. I thought Adobe might fix this problem this time... I am wondering if theres any easy way to save CS5 file to CS4..? (Just like you save file down to previous version in Illustrator) Please someone help?

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Community Expert , May 17, 2010 May 17, 2010

You have to use File>Export and choose InDesign Markup Language (IDML) and then open that file in CS4.

YOu should update both CS5 and CS4 before you continue for any possible updates.

I wish InDesign files could be opened or saved back to any versoin of InDesign too, but sadly Adobe don't allow it.

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Community Expert ,
May 17, 2010 May 17, 2010

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You have to use File>Export and choose InDesign Markup Language (IDML) and then open that file in CS4.

YOu should update both CS5 and CS4 before you continue for any possible updates.

I wish InDesign files could be opened or saved back to any versoin of InDesign too, but sadly Adobe don't allow it.

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Guest
Sep 14, 2015 Sep 14, 2015

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[In exporting a file to IDML, does something change/ gets lost in traslation from the original indesign file? Like missing words, reformatted texts etc? I work with a client who has CS6 (I have 5.5) hence we agreed that every time he updates our files to save it in IDML so I can access them as well. But now he claims that after exporting to PDF (after the IDML), some stuff didn't reflect in the PDFs. Is that possible?


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Community Expert ,
Sep 15, 2015 Sep 15, 2015

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Text will almost always reflow when you use IDML this way -- text engines change between versions. Missing words is less usual, but might be due to a feature being used in CS6 that is not in CS5.5, or perhaps a different version of a font.

Collaborative workflows are best done in the same version...

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Community Expert ,
May 17, 2010 May 17, 2010

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Well, just like you'd save out an INX from CS4 to open in CS3, you save an IDML out from CS5 to open in CS4.

I had problem saving down CS4 to Cs3 before. (it need to export etc, and then you need plug ins to open Cs3, which did not work at all) now I have same problem in CS5. I thought Adobe might fix this problem this time...

Uh, what's the problem again? Sounds like you had some problems with INX, and since IDML works pretty much the same way, I'd suggest posting any errors you run into here so we can figure out what those errors are. Relying on INX is a bad workflow, most of the time, but you say it "did not work at all" and since I use that technique every few days without error, it seems like it's not strictly an Adobe problem.

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Community Expert ,
May 17, 2010 May 17, 2010

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It is not likely that this "problem" will ever be fixed. Every version of InDesign has come with major new features. Saving back is not nearly as simple as you think it is.

And with this release you could wind up with a real disaster on your hands saving back with a document using multiple page sizes, live corner effects and split/spanned/balanced columns.

Bob

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Community Beginner ,
May 19, 2010 May 19, 2010

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Surely it should be possible, if there was a warning that a non-transferable effect is used as in illustrator? I now have to run CS5/4/3 it's bonkers

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Community Beginner ,
May 19, 2010 May 19, 2010

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Absolutely, I work for Random House, BBC and The Guardian here in the

UK, they all still use CS3. Surely this is a killer re: upgrading. As

much as I would like to go forward with software – what's the point?

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Community Expert ,
May 19, 2010 May 19, 2010

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monosodiumglutamate wrote:

As much as I would like to go forward with software – what's the point?

For you there is no point. But if you plan on adding clients going forward I suggest you read my last post in this thread: http://forums.adobe.com/message/2825208#2825208

If you want to be in this business, then you need a full tool box.

Bob

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Community Expert ,
May 19, 2010 May 19, 2010

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Come on, Eugene. Are you saying you'd take a chance on not seeing what that file looks like?

And comparing Illy to ID is totally bonkers. They're completely different programs.

Bob

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Community Expert ,
May 19, 2010 May 19, 2010

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I never made a reference to Illy? Didn't compare illy to indesign at all?

Anyway, I would like a look at it of course. But I don't want to have to

CS5>IDML

Open IDML in CS4 >Export>INX

Open INX in CS3> Export INX

Open INX in CS2

(And I don't have CS4 because the Style mapping bug in CS4 prevented me upgrading. It was fixed 6 months prior to CS5 release. But by then the bosses deicded they'd wait for CS5 instead of two upgrade fees to CS4 and CS5 - so NO CS4 here)

Bob, it's fine if you don't want it, I understand your point of view. But lots of people want to be able to backsave to CS3, including me. And I can't.

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Community Expert ,
May 19, 2010 May 19, 2010

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Sorry Eugene,

That was someone else in a different thread. Most of my replies are via email and sometimes the threads get a bit confusing.

I long for NNTP.

Bob

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Community Expert ,
May 19, 2010 May 19, 2010

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Okely Dokely.

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Community Expert ,
May 19, 2010 May 19, 2010

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Eugene, I understand your pain, but I still don't understand why you'd willingly work on a file in CS5 that you know is going to have to be dealt with in CS3? Files coming in from outside sources I understand you can't control, but in house?

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Community Beginner ,
May 19, 2010 May 19, 2010

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I understand Eugene's point. I also have to do that laborious chain of backsaving. I want to work with full 'toolbox', I embrace upgrades, I'm in the queue when they come out and I understand the concept of 5 being different to say 3 but it all just seems so clunky. It's also sad to say that it just can't be done so lump it.

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Community Expert ,
May 19, 2010 May 19, 2010

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This is really no different than saying "the client wants a Word file but I used InDesign."

For goodness sake, why use the wrong version to start with? This whole thing just seems so silly to me. I'm sorry, but I just don't get it.

Bob

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Community Expert ,
May 19, 2010 May 19, 2010

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Well Bob.

For instance, unbeknown to me, a colleague I work with sent some files over to be proofread. My colleague isn't very well versed in InDesign protocols and such. In fairness I don't have much dealings with this department, the colleague or anything else they do. I showed them how to use InDesign CS3 and that was it.

So the other day I get a call saying that my colleague had sent some files outside to be typeset by someone else using InDesign. The typesetter had CS4. I was called in as the "indesign expert" and asked why they won't open in CS3. I explained how to do it going backward from CS4 to CS3 using INX.

All the files came back ok in the INX format, bare ONE section. I spent the 5 hours rebuilding that chapter yesterday as the INX file was banjaxed and wouldn't open in CS3. I asked the people on this forum to help and they tried and couldn't get it to work.

So you know what, you may know to make sure that everyone has the same version of InDesign, or for everyone to work in the same version. But not everyone does.

Most phone calls I hear going about is "We have InDesign, oh great so do you - great we'll send the files over".

Not everyone knows to check the backward compatibility of files between InDesign.

I'm often asked to design something and they know I use Indesign. They come back to me about a month later and say "Can we have this in Word?"

The Word to InDesign comparison isn't good. Because they are different applications.

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Community Expert ,
May 19, 2010 May 19, 2010

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It all comes back to one thing: InDesign is a professional level application.

Training is essential and the fact that a lot people try to use it without the proper training is not Adobe's fault. I swear, if some of these people decided to take up carpentry they'd cut off a finger their first day on the job.

And for the record, when someone says "I have InDesign" my first question is "What version?"

Bob

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Community Expert ,
May 19, 2010 May 19, 2010

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But Bob you are assuming that everyone that uses InDesign is a professional or is talking to a professional. Some people don't have that comfort.

Backstory here is that I was hired to convert from Ventura to InDesign. And I did that, working with a team of professional typesetters fully trained in Ventura. Now they have InDesign because Ventura was unstable. That team doesn't ask for my input anymore because they have the files in InDesign and work to meet deadlines. They are professional typesetters, they have the training in other software. But were unaware in the backsave issue with InDesign.

Where does it tell you when opening or saving a file does it let you know that a file won't be able to be opened again in the original version of the program?

I just opened a CS2 document in CS4 (trial version) and it opened fine. It only allows a Save As, and it does say CS4 document. And I can cop on to that it saves it a CS4 document; but no warnings that it will incompatible, or how to export to previous versions, no warnings or info at all.

There are people out there not well versed on InDesign and don't know these things.

Any trianing course I've been on never mentions compatibility issues in the course?

So to me it's perfectly reasonable that a professional could be brilliant at their job, but unaware of the Saving Compatibility issue.

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Community Expert ,
May 19, 2010 May 19, 2010

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And Bob I went on training courses for InDesign with the typesetting team so I could see what was being taught. There aren't a lot of places that offer training in InDesign.

And at the time we were using CS2 and had no previous version of InDesign, so nobody even knew to ask about that.

We're at CS5 now and people are still asking "Can I save back to CS3? How do I do it?"

Nobody knows how to do it because it's not evident in the software, people don't know to ask it at training or other things.

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Explorer ,
May 19, 2010 May 19, 2010

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I mentioned this on another, but similar thread, that Quark has been doing this since, when, version 4.0 (not allowing backsaving for more than one version)?  A practice Quark still uses and now, from what Peter or Eugene said, doesn't allow older versions to be installed on the same machine! We always use to ask for Quark versions when getting files. I used, what was it called, RegEdit(?) to look at resource forks and get what version files were when clients had no idea. A lost art!

But as Eugene says, where does it say that when you open and save from a different version? Nowhere. It was something we had to learn to keep our jobs.

Now we are here in 2010, not 1993, and InDesign is a far more robust and complex than we could imagine but still the same backwards saving situation. I don't like keeping older versions of software (let alone keeping old computers around to run them) or to keep track of file formats either. And I hate having to buy Soxy, Flight Check and any other utility that should be built into the program to deal with this stuff, but until Adobe comes up with a solution it behooves you to make it a part of your technical knowledge and doing business.

I suggested that Markzware might offer an ID version of MarkzTools to open, backsave and make backwards compatible INDD files like it does for Quark. So while Jongware may be thinking along those same lines, Markzware might be on it as we speak!

[Disclosure: I do not work for Markzware or own any part of it!]

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New Here ,
Dec 13, 2010 Dec 13, 2010

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When I open a CS4 document in CS5, alter the text with the correct font (no graphic changes!), save it as an IDML file, and open it again, I find that all the low-res photos have disappeared - as they are in CS4. This must surely be solveable one way or another?

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Community Expert ,
Dec 13, 2010 Dec 13, 2010

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.idml does not preserve the image previews. Update the links andthey should reappear.

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Mentor ,
May 19, 2010 May 19, 2010

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Eugene Tyson wrote:

Well Bob.

For instance, unbeknown to me, a colleague I work with sent some files over to be proofread. My colleague isn't very well versed in InDesign protocols and such. In fairness I don't have much dealings with this department, the colleague or anything else they do. I showed them how to use InDesign CS3 and that was it.

So the other day I get a call saying that my colleague had sent some files outside to be typeset by someone else using InDesign. The typesetter had CS4. I was called in as the "indesign expert" and asked why they won't open in CS3. I explained how to do it going backward from CS4 to CS3 using INX.

All the files came back ok in the INX format, bare ONE section. I spent the 5 hours rebuilding that chapter yesterday as the INX file was banjaxed and wouldn't open in CS3. I asked the people on this forum to help and they tried and couldn't get it to work.

So you know what, you may know to make sure that everyone has the same version of InDesign, or for everyone to work in the same version. But not everyone does.

Most phone calls I hear going about is "We have InDesign, oh great so do you - great we'll send the files over".

Not everyone knows to check the backward compatibility of files between InDesign.

I'm often asked to design something and they know I use Indesign. They come back to me about a month later and say "Can we have this in Word?"

The Word to InDesign comparison isn't good. Because they are different applications.

There was a MS Word release that couldn't open Word files from the immediately prior release, and IIRC, it couldn't open its own back-saved files, or its own RTF files. A subsequent bug-fix release solved the problems, but everyone will notice that however disruptive the problem may have been for countless MS Word users, it didn't them to quit Word for some other program. MORAL: Everyone's got a maximum pain point; below it, you'll suffer and gripe and go on, while at or above it, you'll find another product to adopt. Sooner or later, you'll find a similar problem and its pain point.

I'd like to suggest an InDesign new-feature campaign that's helpful in multi-release situations; it probably doesn't require a lot of engineering, so it might have some possibility of being achieved. It's a throwback to an earlier Pagemaker file-naming technique: include the application version number in the file extension. Pagemaker used the file extension form, .PM# (where # represents the version number) from about PM4 through PM7. It may have begun with Aldus, from whom Adobe bought PM.

You can enter a formal new product feature or enhancement request here: Adobe - Feature Request/Bug Report Form.

In the meantime, it might be useful to adopt a manual naming technique: include the release/version number in the filename, before the extension. For example: filename.idcs4.indd, filename.idcs5.indd, etc. It would take some training and gentle reminders to make it work.

Regards,

Peter

_______________________

Peter Gold

KnowHow ProServices

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Community Expert ,
May 19, 2010 May 19, 2010

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It is a shame the function isn't there, for various reasons.

But on the other hand it's good that it's not there for various reasons.

I understand both sides of the argument.

Is it a good idea? Who knows? Some say they want it, some say they don't.

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