Convert .indd to pdf?

[animatoring]

I recently switched from pc to mac and in the process no longer can use indesign because I've downgraded to fewer adobe programs. I still have some .indd files left over though and was wondering if I could convert them to pdf? I heard you can do that through the adobe cloud but I only have the option to download them as .indd, .jpg, .png, or swatch. I don't have cloud membership because I bought the physical copy of the software (an old version).

[BobLevine]

File > Export > Adobe PDF (print)

[animatoring]

Unfortunately I can't do this option because I no longer own Indesign.

[Peter Spier]

What, exactly, do you have?

[animatoring]

Sorry for the late response! I have Adobe production premium cs4. Unfortunately it doesn't come with Acrobat Pro. I also own the student edition of cs5.5 for mac but recently switched to pc and no longer can use it. I has some old files from school that used a few of the programs that don't overlap between production premium cs4 and cs5.5.

[Peter Spier]

Your options at this point are pretty limited, and outlined in the previous responses.

[BobLevine]

Then there’s nothing you can do. You could download the trial and convert the INDD files that way.

[Barb Binder]

Do you own Adobe Acrobat Pro? You can use File > Open to convert a file to a PDF on the fly—some of these conversions (like Powerpoint) need the application installed. I don't think you need InDesign installed, but I can't test it because I have it installed. I did test opening the .indd file in Acrobat Pro (see below) and it converted it.

[BobLevine]

I seem to remember trying that for some reason back in the day. Didn’t work.

[Barb Binder]

It's part of my Acrobat class materials—so something I've always taught—but before I scare you, it's just a stop on the road to discussing how to get a basic PDF vs. how to get optimal PDFs out of the various Microsoft and Adobe apps.

[BobLevine]

It's going to take way more than that to scare me.

[Barb Binder]

Challenge accepted! LOL

[Test Screen Name]

Most Acrobat conversion options to PDF, except image formats and HTML, need the native app installed. For INDD it would use InDesign.

You can subscribe to InDesign for $30 for a month, convert all, then cancel. (Not $20 which is for a year commitment)

[Dov Isaacs · Accepted solution]

Note that I would absolutely not recommend the “cloud solution” available from within Acrobat in which InDesign documents are converted to PDF without InDesign being resident on your host computer.

Why?

(1)     The “cloud solution” does not have access to the fonts used in your InDesign document unless they are in the Adobe Type Library or are fonts installed by Windows.

(2)     The “cloud solution” does not have access to any graphic assets placed inside your InDesign document such as raster images, PDF, etc. unless they were embedded in the InDesign document. Otherwise, all that the conversion converts are the low resolution placeholders.

(3)     You don't have a choice of joboptions to use in the conversion.

I would personally treat this as a non-option. To properly create PDF of your InDesign documents, you must have InDesign installed and export PDF from within InDesign with your document open.

          - Dov

[Steve Werner]

Thanks, Dov (as usual!)

That's something not publicized by the Acrobat team. At best, that method would only allow you to read an InDesign document when you didn't have a copy of the application.

[jane-e]

Which Adobe programs do you have,  and what version?

Advantages of being on the Creative Cloud include that you can be Mac or Windows and that it includes all programs, which is why I am asking.

[Om Nath Jha]

Hi animatoring,

The solution suggested by BarbBinder works absolutely fine and I double checked it. If you have any limitation doing that, you can also check the last one which is to get the ID for a month and finish your pending work.

As a last option, you can upload your files (if that's okay) using any of the technologies like Dropbox and share a download link here, so that we can convert your files into PDF for you.

Regards,

Om

[Abambo]

Agian, you woke up an old thread, just to post your answer to an already fully answered question. Locking this now.