how to open a pagemaker 6.5 file in InDesign 2022

[tol38118315]

Hi, I do have some old files are using PageMaker 6.5. I try to use InDesign 2022 to open it, seems not working. May I know any option to open the file and save the text. 

[Mike Bro · Accepted solution]

Hello @tol38118315,

Indesign CC does not support PageMaker documents, PageMaker files can only be opened in Indesign CS6 or earlier versions.

Regards,

Mike

[tol38118315]

Thank you for yours reply, I'll try to look for someone has Indesign CS6 or earlier versions.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

There are a few of us here who can do the conversion for you (myself included), if you get really stuck.

[tol38118315]

Hi, 

Thank you for your message. I found one of my friend who had CS6 in her old PC and can convert the files for me.

[ChrissyE21]

Brad - how would one go about getting help converting a file from you? Please advise. 

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

Hi Chrissy:

Send me a PM, and we can figure out how to get it to me... e.g. If you have a file transfer app like DropBox, that would work, otherwise I can send you a link to a folder you can drop it into.

As a favour here, I will take a look and if I can, I will do a quick and dirty conversion for you (without fixing any reflow issues, etc that you can work on yourself), or I can do something more involved, but I will advise what it would take before proceeding.

-Brad

[shawnk89208461]

Brad,

Hello, I just saw your post to Chrissy and I am having no luck at all downloading the CS6 version of InDesign so that I can get my old Pagemaker files into InDesign and updated. I have ten books that I wrote and published in Pagemaker and I can't get the files open. Can you help me???

Thank You,

Shawn

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

I can, but that sounds like a bit more than a favour's amount of work to convert. We can talk about that if you'd like. Send me a PM.

In the meantime...

What system do you have now, and do you have access to an older system at all? You could always just install CS6 as a 7-day trial, if you just have a need for this for a short time. In fact, it doesn't have to be CS6... if you happen to have a computer around old enough to run them, even older CS trial installers are still atround (CS4, CS5). Some of these may run for up to 30-days. This will give you enough time to do a bunch of files before expiry, but you'll only be able to use the trial once.

The big issues are:

1. Placed graphics... Linked graphics need to be available separately. Embedded linked graphics will not carry over. There ARE ways to extract them, but that needs be done in PM. (I have working PM installs, so I can do that, but it's time consuming, and no gurantee of success.)

2. Fonts... chances are good there will be missing fonts, particularly if using odd fonts not readily available. and with the Type 1 deprecation soon, you'll have to find suitable replacements.  aaaaand of course....

3. text reflow... definitely. Even with the fonts available, expect a lot of massaging to tweak things back into line. It's helpful to have something to refer to, be it a pdf or a printed copy. What I do for clients is make a PDF of the Pagemaker file as it stands before I even do a conversion.

The quickest and less time consuming (for me) would be to simply open the file and save as .indd.. letting YOU deal with all the missing items/missing fonts/reflow etc.

{Response Modified by MOD}

[shawnk89208461]

Brad,

Thank you for your help. I got CS6 InDesign to finally install and was able to bring up the files, well currently bringing them up as we type. I did run into the graphics and fonts issue, but I had to just re-link the graphics and the fonts I couldn't find so I replaced them. Not a big deal, but a bit time consuming. The problem I am having now that I am stuck on is the following "text" issues that are coming up.

There are numerous text boxes that I have underneath photographs and illustrations throughout each book that explain to the reader what they are looking at. For example: I have an illustration of a particular way to move your feet and then a brief description of just a couple of words below the illustration. Well, the text is not appearing on the page.

Here is what the message says...

PROBLEM: Overset Text: 18 characters (character count varies)

FIX: Resize the text frame, or edit the text to fit within the frame. Add text frames to the story thread if necessary.

What they are is separate text boxes that I placed beneath photographs and illustrations throughout each book. I have anywhere from 60 to 80 plus instances of this in each book.

I have tried both making the text boxes larger, much larger and close to ridiculously larger in some cases, and the text still does not show up on the page. If I take the text box out of the page and off to the side then the text shows up. I even tried making an entirely new text box with the appropriate text inside and then I placed it under the picture and it again just disappears. I have been trying to figure out how to fix this issue for several hours and have had to just walk away from it.

Any thoughts on how to fix that?

Shawn

[Peter Spier]

Sounds like a text wrap issue if the text appears when you move the frame to the pasteboard. Try selection the frame and in the Text Frame Options dialog check the Ignore Text Wrap box.

[Peter Spier]

Or fix the text wrap applied to the image frame, if you can, so it doesn't knock out everything. Withoiut a screen shot it's a little hard to tell how the wrap is applied.

[shawnk89208461]

Peter,

BINGO!!!

The "Ignore Text Wrap" option was the answer. I didn't even know that existed. Self taught on everything over the years and obviously didn't learn enough. Thank you so much for the advice. It was very helpful and relieved a great deal of stress on trying to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. Very much appreciated!

Shawn

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

Glad it worked out for you!

[shawnk89208461]

Brad,

Yes, everything you and Peter told me worked out great. Lots of work to do fixing the text box issues, but I got all ten books converted to InDesign and then once there I updated them to the newest version. You guys saved me a lot of worry and headaches trying to get this figured out. So very thankful for all the help and support.

Shawn

[Laura27422185qqbo]

Brad,

Are you able to convert a file from PM 6.5 to a PDF and or WORD for me?  

I do not have any software so it would be most helpful. If you are able, please dm me at  lauraftaylor2079@gmail.com

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

I can take a look and advise, sure. Sent you a DM

[Laura27422185qqbo]

Brad,

I replied to your dm and it bounced back a msg, "Not able to send because your mailbox is full." 

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

He's a popular guy for this stuff. 🙂

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

I've resent a message directly to your gmail.

[Laura27422185qqbo]

This is the EXACT msg  I am getting,

"Delivery has failed to these recipients or groups:

Adobe Support Community Mailer (noreply@mail.community.adobe.com)
The recipient's mailbox is full and can't accept messages now. Please try resending your message later, or contact the recipient directly."

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

Thanks for letting me know about the full mailbox. It's weird as I turfed a bunch of messages recently but that doesn't seem to be enough!