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Convert InDesign file to Illustrator (*.ai) file

Forum|Forum|16 years ago
August 18, 2009
11 replies
356167 views

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.

Correct answer BobLevine

Hi Bob,

I realize that when I convert the outlines, some minor paragraph rule disappears so you are right that it's not the solution.

Cheers,

Kar

Right. The solution is to find a competent printer.

ML Rahman

Participant

Convert InDesign file to Illustrator (*.ai) file

There is no way to do that directly from INDESIGN, I think this not a good idea to convert INDD to AI doing that in some other way, you better change the PRINTER. If you do not have Better PRINTER, then you can send EPS as you have done a layout that is mostly text in InDesign (as Mike Ornellaspost).

Printer should know how to place a PDF in Illustrator without having trouble with Font.

For The Printer I want to let them know, place pages as link with appropriate cropping then IMPOSE accordingly in Illustrator. That is why they need AI file so far. After that select pages and go to OBJECT>Flatten Transparency

It will make sure that the FONT used in the file outlined as the same even the PRINTER missed a bunch of FONTs. In this way I do not care about licensing issues regarding FONT when someone send me a PDF using thousands of Licensed Font.

I think this printer does not have any PDF imposition software or they can not do that in INDESIGN, they impose in ILLUSTRATOR manually, then save it in EPS, place in QuarkExpress and send to RIP.

Most of us telling about FONT License, is it the issue here? defiantly not.

Hope you got the point.

Layes

B

bartenational

Participant

This is a major flaw in the Indesign system. I would think all adobe products should be compatible but they are not.

My team needs to edit files created by another agency in Indesign, but our workflow is all based on Illustrator. I am forced to recreate the files from scratch using a pdf as a guide. The effects don't translate to editable type from Indesign to illustrator.

My recommendation is quit trying and rebuild the art.

BobLevine

Community Expert

Your recommendation is correct but calling this a major flaw is flat out wrong. Not every file format is interchangeable and Illustrator is not a general purpose PDF editor. In fact, PDF is an end format.

That your workflow is so restricted that you need to rebuild perfectly good files leaves me to conclude, without further clarification of course, that it is your workflow that is flawed.

karienvdw

Known Participant

I usually export indd files to eps if printer wants a vector.

Willi Adelberger

Community Expert

Don't use EPS as it is NOT supporting Color Management nor transparency.

Never open any PDF (nor EPS) in Illustrator which was not created in Illustrator.

If the printer wants vectors, only PDF/X-4 will leave them as vectors in any case. If you use EPS or PDF/X-1a or the bad bad PDF/X-3, transparency will be flattened and vectors could be converted into raster images.

If a printer does not accept PDFs, select a different one. There are a lot of good printers out there.

karienvdw

Known Participant

Good point – it is almost like printers who ask you for a Coraldraw file!

B

BodaciouslyAuthor

Participating Frequently

Wow. Interesting discussion. Not using anythinh exotic so fonts shouldn't be a problem.

I tried converting using the PDF route and the EPS route. Both opened in Illustrator and looked right -- fonts and all. However, only through conversion through the pdf route did I have access to the actual text in Illustrators so I could edit further, if necessary.

Thanks for the help.

By the way, the "printer" isn't so a much a printer as a bottle manufacturer who can print around the entire bottle. I don't therefore, have much choice in printers, but I can say that they do pretty good work.

ML Rahman

Participant

So guys , it is your problem, not for the PRINTER.

Anyway, you will never get the maximum text edit ability in ILLUSTRATOR after getting it in ILLUSTRATOR from InDesign>PDF, Some text will be outlined, Paragraph text will not be maintained, Words or Character will be broken blah blah blah..

We should choose InDesign for laying out a long document but everything is going well in InDesign for even a single page layout.

Peter Spier

Community Expert

Sorry to have contributed to the font lunacy. For what it's worth, I'd use the export to .eps and resave route in this situation, too.

BobLevine

Community Expert

There's no lunacy here. Licenses are legally binding.

The fact that "everybody does it" doesn't make it any less so.

Bob

Mike_Ornellas

Participating Frequently

In the real world, ethics are optional.

Kathlene Sage

Known Participant

OY!

The OP ought to do what they have to do to get the job out while working with his/her printer - This is silly to nit pick a few suggestions and an explanation of why the printer would want native files.. More than likely, the printer has the fonts for the native file under his/her own LICENSE.

I DO NOT see where the printer is asking for the font. The printer is asking for the AI file. Period.

So far, everything the OP is doing or could possible do is wrong according to this forum. Please, let's get the OP on track with some sort of resolve instead of conflict and confusion.

phyllisj9

Inspiring

Last I heard the OP was giving the suggestions a try. I'll agree it's been off-topic since. But certainly if he reports that it doesn't work, folks can try to think of something. It's a difficult conversion though (if possible at all).

Kathlene Sage

Known Participant

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.

BobLevine

Community Expert

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

Mike_Ornellas

Participating Frequently

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

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...

B

BodaciouslyAuthor

Participating Frequently

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.