How to Import and Edit a PDF in InDesign for Recovery

[Susan Culligan]

A difficult and complex Indesign document was lost, but I have a PDF of the (almost) finished doc. Is there a way to export a PDF into Indesign so that it can be edited? It's got lots of figures and tables and took me four days to typeset, and if there's a way to get even a rough typeset copy, that would save me a ton of work going from scratch from Word.

Thanks for any help. I see that I can export the PDF into rtf, but if there's a better way I'd love to know it.

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[James Gifford—NitroPress]

The current beta version of ID has premiered a PDF-to-ID function. You'll need to install the beta separately from your working edition to try it:

• https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/convert-pdf-to-indesign-file.html

...and I'd REALLY recommend deleting the beta as soon as you're done with this one task, just to prevent confusion and clutter.

[Susan Culligan]

Thanks, James! I'll quit InDesign and install the Beta version (only for this doc). I'll let you know if it works.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Save the InDesign file as IDML before you remove the beta so you can work on the file in an older version. 

If, for some reason, that doesn't work, there are third-party plugins that can convert PDFs. Markzware also offers an online service. 

[Susan Culligan]

Good tip! Thanks!

[Susan Culligan]

Actually, here's what I get when opening the Beta version, and it won't respond to keyboard or touch. Am I missing a way to get past this?

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

I just reinstalled the beta and it's working OK on my end. It even converted a PDF from PowerPoint and from QuarkXPress. 

If you download connection robust enough? Try uninstalling are reinstalling. If you still have problems, click on my name and I can try converting it for you.

[Susan Culligan]

Hi Dave, I got the same screen. Should I send you the PDF?
Susan

--
Susan Culligan
Production Coordinator

[Susan Culligan]

Sorry! I sissn't mean to have my credentials, I thought I was just sending a regular email.

My agologies!

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

 Wrap up...

Susan sent me the PDF file and I was able to convert it to and InDesign file without issue. However, the text flow was very choppy with numberous unthreaded text frames. This was especially effident on the tables--every cell was a separate text frame. 

Just out of courisity, I exported the PDF to Microsoft Word and it came out great all things considered. Table and paragraphs were intact--the only thing missing was the graphics*. 

@Susan Culligan I forgot to tell you about the images. If you use the Export PDF tool, you can extract the individual images from the PDF. 

I would choose the settings shown here for best results (although the quality in the PDF isn't that great):

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

To clarify — this is using the ID beta import/convert process?

It's been my experience with converting, importing and extracting data from PDFs that the content is even more fragmented than, say, FXL EPUB; the creation process cares least about logical progression of the content and uses hard returns, multiple text frames, weird layer/stacking etc. All evidence to me that PDF is, always has been and (honestly) should remain an end format and not an alternate live format. The problems are not solvable without considerable restructuring and complexing-up of the format, which is (IMHO) contrary to its purpose.

Might as well have a feature that imports printed content by picking the toner back off the page. Unless all printing is changed to make the letters temporarily-attached elements. Or something. Just the wrong direction for all of this, IMVVHO.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Yes, the beta conversion.