How to convert the pagemaker files into Indesign file in 2024

[SCS75C84]

Hello, 

On behalf of Sultan chand & sons Pvt. Ltd.

I wants to know about the how can I convert the pagemaker files into indesign format 

Actually we are using the pagemaker before 2016. But some files are left to convert into indesign now we have indesign 2024. 

We haven't purchase Indesign CS6.

[jane-e]

@SCS75C84 

I've moved your post from Using the Community (for questions about the forums) to Adobe InDesign for you.

Jane

[BobLevine · Accepted solution]

You will need CS6 or earlier to convert those files. Perhaps someone still running it on an older system will be able to help.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

[EDIT: as others have indicated, the trial links are no longer active, so this response has been deleted as it no longer applies]

[christi_4130]

Hello.  I am very glad to hear you explain about CS6.  I have pagemaker files from a magazine I did in the early 2000s.  I need to open them because I did not save them as pdfs.  I have InDesign versions up to 19 something, but I do not have InDesign CS6.  I went to prodesigntools.com as you mentioned above.  I did not find trial download exe files, just user manuals.  Am I missing something?

[Peter Spier]

All the authorized sources for CS6 have been deleted from Adobe servers, I believe...

How many files do you have and how soon do you need them? If Brad @ Roaring Mouse doesn't pop in shortly and volunteer I can probably do it for you over the weekend, but I'll be unavailable for the next few days.

[Mike Witherell]

That long-running resource on prodesigntools.com is no longer there.

[Richard Groff]

I have CS6 and can convert it for you, if you'd like.

[Guillermo35912019bsy2]

Hello! I am an old designer from Chile.

Do you can translate for me an Pagemaker to InDesign.idml?

If you can my mail is [email removed as per forum guidelines]

Thanks so much. Pardon for my poor english.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

I can if Richard is not available.

[shree_5060]

Hey Brad, here is the link for a pagemaker file. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Gyz3N95aTc83YRVGsYMcBIif-mls-zhv?usp=sharing

Note: This Document is in Hindi (IN) Language. 

I have also provided the fonts, just in case. please help me convert it to indesign. thanks in advance. you can mail me on

[email removed as per forum guidelines]

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Hey Brad, here is the link for a pagemaker file. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Gyz3N95aTc83YRVGsYMcBIif-mls-zhv?usp=sharing

By @shree_5060

I've just sent it to you on priv.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@shree_5060 

Fonts that you've provided - they are not correct files.

And you have a "specific" encoding in your PM file.

Or maybe not:

https://hindi-fonts.com/fonts/chanakya-regular

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@shree_5060 

Your text is made from 100% local formatting...

But with my ID-Tasker tool - it would be a piece of cake to re-style it correctly:

IDT isn't free - but if you would like to try it - I can give you access to the full version for free for some time.

[shree_5060]

Thankyou so much for your response. I shall check it once back to my
system.

Cheers.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Thankyou so much for your response. I shall check it once back to mysystem.Cheers.
By @shree_5060

You are welcome.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

@shree_5060 : Your fonts are actually correct (they are Type 1 Postscript, which is what was used for this document), but you haven't provided the PFB part of the files; your font folder only contains the PFM part. If you can send the PFB part along, I can restore your PM file completely. (The Chanakya is really the only one used. There is one lone character in Geetanjalilight on page 161 and just the title on page 2 uses Parimal)

As a test, I swapped in the TrueType version to see if it replaced the Type 1 version character-to-charcater, and it does not, although it comes close (Please see attached; e.g. p2), there's a few characters not mapped correctly so show as boxes. Ths is due to the fact that the original font was encoded differently than the converted TrueType version. If I had the PFB, they would be correct, and I can make you an accurate PDF.

That all being said, I could use the Type 1 versions to convert to IDML for you, but since Type 1 is no longer supported, you would only be able to open it in CC2021 or earlier. Because of the different encodings, you can't just change the font to a different currnet Hindi font without it messing it up.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

The other issue is that the Type 1 Chanakya fonts had dedicated Italic, Bold and Bold Italic files, which the TT version does not. So any bold/italics in your ID document will revert to Regular throughout.

 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

So any bold/italics in your ID document will revert to Regular throughout.

By Brad @ Roaring Mouse

Are you talking about your tool or what InDesign CS6 is doing? 

Because for me - all info is there - just fonts are missing. 

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

When there are no Bold/Italic/Bold italics font files, PM traditional would do a fake bold, fake italic and fake bold italic. These do not convert to InDesign; It will all convert to Regular since that's all the Chanakya TT font file has. The PDF I posted will show the fake styles (page 211 of my PDF shows that).

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Brad @ Roaring Mouse 

They do not convert for me ?

Before:

And after:

Of course, as you've said - I had to make fake Bold / Italic / Bold+Italic - I've also added red underline - but all info about where they were originally applied - is there.

Rule for applying Styles takes name for the Style to be applied from the Sorting order - in this case AppliledFont + FontStyle - so the order on the 1st screenshot doesn't reflect order of the text. 

2nd screenshot is sorted by Character Index.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

@Robert at ID-Tasker . It turned out it was the order of how I did things. I opened the original PM file but used the Chanakya TrueType font posted here. Because it was only the Regular, PM applied the Fake Bold and Fake Italics style references, which, when I opened THAT in ID, were discarded. However, if I jsut opened his original file in ID without loading the Chanakya, yes, ID recognized the style references.

Unfortunately, this is all moot as the character mappings between the Type 1 version and the TrueType version are different, but it seems to affect only a few characters, so they might be able to do a search and replace. Using any current Unicode Hindi font will likely result in an encoding mishmash.

I'm not sire if exporting the text will be any better.

[shree_5060]

This seems so correct. Yes PFB part of the font is also present with me.
But I am not sure how do i use it.

Can you please create a video on it. It shall help a lot of people like me
to sort things. I had google for 2days to sort this issue and then finally
asked the community to help as I was feeling out of option.

I am not that pro with the font thing. Moreover, neither of these fonts
shows in the fonts section in InDesign. That's another hurdle for me.

If you wish I shall share the full font folder with you. So that a video
can be created.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

@shree_5060 : I forgot to ask what system and CC version you are on.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@christi_4130 

I have CS6 as well - you can zip your PageMaker file, upload it somewhere and send me a link - here or on priv - click my nickname and send me a message.