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I can't open PDF files in InDesign CS5

New Here ,
Jun 14, 2010 Jun 14, 2010

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Hi all,

I can't seem to open any PDF files of any version while using InDesign CS5...

I'm currently running InDesign in Windows 7 Professional x32bit...

This message keeps popping up:

Cannot open the file "TIG_Sheet_and_Application.pdf". Adobe InDesign may not support the file format, a plug-in that supports the file format may be missing, or the file may be open in another application.

I've made sure that the file was not open in any application, and its not just this particular pdf files... all PDF files can't be opened. The only thing that actually opens in InDesign are the indd files...

I try going through the plug-in list, but there's a bunch and I'm not sure which one is it...

Tried google search for a solution but found no solution...

Can anyone help me?

Cheers,

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How to , Import and export , SDK

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Explorer , Jun 14, 2010 Jun 14, 2010

Hi,

InDesign can only "Place" PDF files into graphic frames. Why would you like to open PDF files in InDesign?

//Adam

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Explorer ,
Jun 14, 2010 Jun 14, 2010

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Hi,

InDesign can only "Place" PDF files into graphic frames. Why would you like to open PDF files in InDesign?

//Adam

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Community Expert ,
Jun 14, 2010 Jun 14, 2010

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"The only thing that actually opens in InDesign are the indd files..."

No surprises here. (Actually, it can also "open" IDML files, but that's no consolation.)

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New Here ,
Jul 19, 2015 Jul 19, 2015

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I have the same problem

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New Here ,
Jan 04, 2011 Jan 04, 2011

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Considering PDF is supposed to be this awesome universal packed up file format that most other applications out there (even Open Office) can open and edit, it seems silly that InDesign can't. I have plenty of clients that have Photoshop, but few that have InDesign, so they can't make edits to InDesign files directly.

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Advocate ,
Jan 04, 2011 Jan 04, 2011

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Now that's a short-sighted and provable plain wrong comment. I have lots of other applications that cannot open and edit PDFs. I also have lots of PDFs that cannot be opened and edited with tools that are specifically designed to work with PDFs.

Photoshop, for instance, cannot "open and edit" PDF. If you think it does: fine. It only proves you don't know what Photoshop does when "opening" a PDF.

Illustrator can "open and edit" fairly most PDFs, but again: if you think you are opening, then editing, the original PDF, you only prove you don't know what Illustrator does when "opening" a PDF.

InDesign is not designed as, nor has it ever been advertised as, a tool to "open and edit" PDF.

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Advocate ,
Jan 04, 2011 Jan 04, 2011

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Missing features are plugin product opportunities for others.

This forum is the place where external developers discuss technical issues of their plugins.

So if you are searching for a possible solution, you might consider

http://www.recosoft.com/products/pdf2id/pdf-to-indesign.htm

Disclaimer: I never have used the PDF2ID product and have no other relations to it.

Alternatively, there is also the forum dedicated to InDesign feature requests.

Dirk

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Participant ,
Jun 13, 2012 Jun 13, 2012

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[Jongware], it's a usability thing; You wouldn't understand.

Also, if you don't have anything constructive to add to a help board, then why bother?  You only succeed in frustrating people that are looking for answers to their specific issuesYou may not have any reason to import a PDF into InDesign, but that doesn't mean that others don't have good reasons for doing so and we don't have to explain ourselves to YOU.  (whoops, I used caps again, I'm so very sorry)

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Community Expert ,
Jun 15, 2012 Jun 15, 2012

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> You may not have any reason to import a PDF into InDesign, but that doesn't mean that others don't have good reasons for doing so...

You are missing the point of the OP's request. In fact, I import PDFs into InDesign almost every working day. The OP (and follow-uppers) are ranting about the "shortcoming" that InDesign cannot *open* and *edit* any PDF.

There are *huge* differences between being able to *import* and being able to *edit* a file. InDesign, for example can import a PNG file -- but you cannot edit it.

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Participant ,
May 12, 2012 May 12, 2012

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>Why would you like to open PDF files in InDesign?

BECAUSE WE WANT TO.  THX

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New Here ,
Nov 18, 2014 Nov 18, 2014

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why are you being a rude for no reason, i came across this thread as im also trying to open a pdf. in ID and i think you'll find that its very common to open magazine templates in indesign in order to place images in the format, you're not as smart as you think mate

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New Here ,
Nov 24, 2014 Nov 24, 2014

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Hi tazsmith.

Yup, some grumpy and rude people on here for sure! Hopefully I can help you though.

I had the same problem today re placing pdf's into CS5 which I use all the time for this.

I found a solution online which worked for me.

When placing (File/Place) check the Show Import Options. Then after the file is selected and the next dialogue box comes up, check your Crop To options. You won't be able to place a pdf if your Crop To option is greyed out. Instead, select one that is not. I use the top one now, Bounding Box (Visible Layers Only).

This fixed my issue - hop e it does for you too.

Cheers.

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New Here ,
Oct 21, 2015 Oct 21, 2015

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that's it! the Crop To is the trick.... thanks!!

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Explorer ,
Mar 21, 2015 Mar 21, 2015

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People, don't listen to this person he/she doesn't know what they're are talking about. I too am experiencing the same issues opening none Indesign files, I also get the same pop up too. And yes I would like to import a psd.\pdf files to Indesign, because that's what Indesign is for. If anyone can help, it would be much appreciated. Also to note, I am using the trial, maybe that's why I can't open any files?

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New Here ,
Apr 11, 2015 Apr 11, 2015

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I'm currently having the same issue of opening, (or, "opening", as you say) PDFs with InDesign, and my reason is this: I'm attempting to open a tri-fold vinyl template to layout my album artwork. If anyone, (yourself included, if you can refrain from unleashing too much snark), has any suggestions on how I should go about it, or if I should purchase different software, I'd be greatly appreciative.

Cheers.

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LEGEND ,
Apr 15, 2015 Apr 15, 2015

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It doesn't open. It does PLACE PDF files. Try that - make a new blank PDF, and place the PDF in it, it might do what you need. However, I think templates are sold for use in Illustrator.

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Community Expert ,
Apr 18, 2015 Apr 18, 2015

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‌krystlew, and others reading this thread and considering the answers "snarky" or "not helpful": note that this is the InDesign SDK forum -- that is, a question posted here should be about programming for InDesign:

About this Forum

The InDesign SDK forum is for discussions on InDesign plugin development using the InDesign SDK. InDesign plugins are developed in C++.

Presumably, you found this discussion because the error message lead you here: that you cannot "open" a PDF. That's InDesign's usual message for all content that it cannot 'open' with the command "File > Open..."; try for example with a Word document, a JPEG image, or an Excel spreadsheet. InDesign is perfectly able to import these files -- but you cannot use "File > Open...". You must use the command "File > Place..." instead. "Placing a PDF" is described in the online Help: https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/placing-graphics.html

It is a regular User Interface question and so unrelated to what this forum is for. General InDesign questions can be asked in the regular user forum: https://forums.adobe.com/community/indesign/content

I believe that the original question was posted in error in this forum and thus got interpreted as "what do I need to code to natively open PDFs". The answer is: lots. InDesign does not provide anything to natively read a PDF, so you would have to program literally everything.

(Some of the other posts ask why InDesign cannot already do this -- and the answer is, "Because It Is Incredibly Hard". The counterargument I usually give is that InDesign can also import (place) and export JPEG images and yet it is not a JPEG Editor. I can provide technical arguments as well. One is, there are lots of ways to construct PDFs in such a way that important content information is lost -- even something as basic as "what text is actually here".

... So, kudo's to Markzware for making it possible anyway! If you found this post because you need to convert a PDF file to a native, editable InDesign document, try their software.)

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Explorer ,
May 11, 2016 May 11, 2016

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wrong person to shout at

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New Here ,
Mar 22, 2017 Mar 22, 2017

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I made my account specifically to let you know your comments were super unhelpful 7 years later.  I have a corrupted INDD file and the only remaining evidence that it ever existed is a PDF.  I need to make edits (updates) to this file, but I must rebuild it from scratch because the PDF is not useful.

Can you see how much time it would save me to be able to edit the PDF in InDesign, the same program that I created the PDF out of? 

It is beyond frustrating when you are staring down the barrel of a gun that says you need to redo a project you had already completed just to make a few small edits, to then have people call you a "sucker" for needing this functionality.

Clearly, I'm just a sucker.

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Engaged ,
Mar 22, 2017 Mar 22, 2017

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Hi, we have a program called PDF2DTP. This will convert your PDFs into InDesign layouts with a click. Friendly Regards, David Dilling of Markzware

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New Here ,
Apr 13, 2017 Apr 13, 2017

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Here's a better answer:

being able to open a pdf on InDesign would save  A LOT of time instead of placing the pdf in the document, especially if it's a multiple-page one.

For example, my client made a pdf with his work. I need to edit some things, but the pdf is almost 200 pages long, meaning I'd have to place each page separetly into Indesign, something I don't have time to do.

So yes, it'd makes sense to have such a feature, especially when the work is graphic and can't be edited in Acrobat.

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Community Expert ,
Mar 29, 2018 Mar 29, 2018

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LATEST

It's been made very clear that InDesign cannot open PDF files. Representatives of two companies have provided good third party solutions.

It's time to lock this discussion.

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Community Beginner ,
Apr 20, 2016 Apr 20, 2016

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serioiusly?  b/c editing choices, layouts, etc are easier in Indesign, yet PDF, supposedly so portable, cant be used. 

Perhaps you have heard of MS Word?  It can import and edit PDFs, but Indesign cannot?

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New Here ,
Apr 22, 2016 Apr 22, 2016

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Then you use word to operate PDFs.why do you need Indesign to open PDFs directly then?

Have you seen any printing house to print book by using microsoft word?

Zhiyong Peng

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Community Beginner ,
Apr 22, 2016 Apr 22, 2016

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Look forget microsoft word or acrobat unless you think these are as good and capable as InDesign. if you read my post what i am saying is this:

in our design studio we design a lot of fast turnaround items for print. we usually use illustrator for most designs which are normally 90% vector based illustrated/typographic designs...

with Illustrator for the majority of designs i can just save it as a PDF from illustrator, which is a format which customers can open proofs on etc without expensive software, the printing RIP software can print PDFs perfectly, AND if in future i want to find the print file and make a few amendments or check what font was used or any changes i want... i can open this file again in Illustrator and completely edit it as i need to using all of Illustrators capabilities....

Now i don't care if the PDF file saves from Illustrator is bigger than an .AI file, its easier to manage, store, edit, etc having one final file for each project, but one which i can open anywhere to view, and edit easily on my work computer, and also print on our large format printer using the roland print rip software.

the point i am making is this....

Illustrator can do this, save a PDF which (as someone pointed out also saves additional information making the file bigger) can be then edited again in the original program, now i don't care if this is of no use to some designers, all i know is is DEFINATLEY of use to others, and having the ability to do this it DOES NOT pose any problems to those designer who do not need/want it...

now clearly InDesign is sometimes better for certain types of designs, magazines, brochures etc, I would like to be able to save a indesign project as a PDF and then open it to make small changes back in InDesign (exactly the same way i can with the other Adobe packages) , i also don't care if other people/designers can't open it in their indesign, as long as i can do that to make a small change or check some of the design elements I'm happy, and i cannot see the problem with this.

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