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I can't open PDF files in InDesign CS5

Forum|Forum|15 years ago
June 14, 2010
8 replies
252952 views

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,

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer pardalek

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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Test Screen Name

Legend

Doesn't seem ideal. All that making notes. Why don't you finish your work (save JPEG) in Acrobat?

what you describe (PDF to JPEG to place in InDesign) doesn't sound normal. Perhaps you are one of those who doesn't know you can PLACE a PDF in InDesign And who therefore wants Open to work somehow...? Sorry I may have missed something.

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muratz07

Participant

All angry "lawyers(!)" please sit down and be calm.

Yes, it is a need, so many times i face with it. We need to open pdf files with different softwares, not only for editing. Usually to see the pages seperately or choose them and use in different documents etc.

Today i have to search nearly 20 pdf files (everyone at least 100 pages) and choose some pages inside them. Then use all of chosen ones in a new document that i have to design. ("we in press" page)

Now. If i could open a pdf directly with indesign, i could show the pages quickly to my manager and choose some of them and save the chosen pages as jpeg files. But now, i have to show them in acrobat, write the chosen page numbers to somewhere else. Then open the pdf pages with photoshop or any other good software and make the pages jpegs. After those, again i have to open indesign and prepare my layout by placing those jpegs.

Is this normal?

Think, i have corel draw. I do not want to use it, i do not use it for a long time. But today i am neccesary, becouse corel draw can open a pdf in pages format and you can export directly in what format you want.

What should i think?

And sooooo weird that both pdf and indesign belong to Adobe!

Zhiyong Peng

Known Participant

I wish Adobe Indesign care your manager very much...hahaha

Zhiyong Peng

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Well, if Word does the job you want use it. Yes, seriously. PDF is not for editing in this way. InDesign's editing tools cannot express the full flexibility of what might be in a PDF, and would have to streamline or simplify. Word users may not care. Most InDesign users would.

Zhiyong Peng

Known Participant

Why do you need to use Indesign open PDFs file? You can use acrobat to open it.

Zhiyong Peng

Known Participant

"Place" pdf file may be OK. One can not directly "Open" pdf by Indesign.

One can "export" an indd file to PDF format.

craigs98097117

Participating Frequently

Right just to jump on the bandwagon here, i think a feature to be able to open an editable PDF in indesign would be useful, even if it is ONLY PDFs which were created in InDesign in the first place - from my point of view here why:

PDF is fairly versatile and anyone can download the reader to open and view them, so as a designer with the CS package PDF file format is handy, I quite often when using illustrator will save the file as a PDF only as i know i can easily open and re-edit the file at any time, but also send it to a client for them to view, without having multiple file types saved etc.

if i create a document in InDesign, and then export it as a PDF then i would hope in the same way as with illustrator all the vector information is still there (infact I'm sure at least most of it certainly is, ask can open that PDF in illustrator and use the vectors) so i would have thought it wouldn't be out of the question to be able to also open that file back up in InDesign and make alterations to the file.

I use Indesign to write company branded and well designed quotations for my clients as InDesign is abetter design tool that other programs i could use to draw up quotations, i then export these as PDFs to email to clients, and i do this ALOT so right now i can either export it as a PDF for the client AND save as an .Indd incase i need to make changes or discard the changes in the hope thats the end of the story, as i hate having too many unnecessary files, but often i have to re-quote or make an adjustment to the occasional quote and then have to re-do it from the template again. it would handy just to be able to open up that PDF and make an alteration.

surely that makes sense, and i know PDFs save vectors, fonts etc, so i can't see why InDesign couldn't have this facility.

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Test Screen Name

Legend

I wouldn't support this. DO you know how it is that Illustrator can re-open its files perfectly from PDF? It is because it writes a PDF with just the visual part, and hides in the file the complete original Illustrator data as well. (Hence, twice the size). This is to me a nightmare because if someone edits the PDF in Acrobat or whatever, then re-opens in Illustrator, all the changes are always lost.

craigs98097117

Participating Frequently

The point I'm making is that for me i can re-use my illustrator PDFs, i don't care what happens with it when i send it elsewhere if they edit it in something else and it is no longer of use to me i don't care. the fact is i can save files like quotes/proofs etc as a PDF and make quick edits without having to save multiple file formats and export a pdf just to send to someone, i can have one format from illustrator for my proofs etc and i know i can make a small change, so indesign could have exactly the same feature surely?

as someone else said maybe its not a perfect scenario or useful/ideal for everyone - it all depends on how they use the adobe software and what they use it for, i personally use quite a lot of the different programs and for a vast array of different uses, but this is a simple feature in my mind which would work well.

if Indesign PDFs when my client opened it in something else became useless i couldn't care, as long as when they asked me to change something i could open up the one i saved in Indesign on my computer and make a little tweak easily, that would be immensely handy.

And i don't see why you wouldn't support it - what i said was a factual observation from my point of view, and if what i suggested was possible for indesign, it would not hinder or be a problem for anyone else, but for those who think like me it would be a handy extra ability to have.

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Pijnacker01

Participating Frequently

We have a tool, PDF2DTP, which will convert Illusttrator and PDF to InDesign. That is the way to go, with a third-party plugin like PDF2DTP. Here is a video demonstration:

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Capt__Mac-KhcUVG

Participant

1

Click on the InDesign program icon to launch the application.

2

Select "File" from the InDesign menu bar.

3

Pull down the menu to "New" to open a new InDesign document. The "New Document" window will open.

4

Select "Page Size" (preferably the same size as your PDF document).

5

Select either horizontal or vertical "Orientation" (preferably the same orientation as your PDF document).

6

Leave the "Columns" or "Margins" selections as is.

7

Click "OK" to open the new, blank InDesign document.

8

Locate the "File" menu again, and pull down the menu to "Place."

9

Select the location of the PDF you wish to open from the "Place" window that opens.

10

Double-click on the PDF file to open the "Importing" progress bar.

11

Place your cursor, which will have changed from an arrow to an arrow with an Adobe logo, precisely at the position you wish your PDF to be placed, and click.

12

Reposition the PDF on the page to your liking, or resize if needed.

13

Select "Save" from the InDesign file menu to save your new document to the preferred location on your computer, or select "Print" from the InDesign file menu to print the document.