how to open Indesign 2020 file in Indesign 2019

Loufitzer said:

…But now cannot upgrade to Catalina or Mojave, so cannot upgrade to ID2020. I am running ID2019 - only 1 version back - so I should be able to open an idml file!!! …

Hi Loufitzer,

if you are online and you have InDesign CC 2019 installed with a regular Creative Cloud subscription, you should be able to open an InDesign 2020 document ( not only a IDML file, just an InDesign document saved with InDesign 2020 ) with an Adobe cloud service for InDesign with InDesign CC 2019.

That's the InDesign Saveback Service. Details in my reply from Nov 21, 2019:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign/how-to-open-indesign-2020-file-in-indesign-2019/m-p/10754796#M164819

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

Rod said: You should be able to open a Indesign 2020 file with 2019 without any henderance. That's not a lot to ask for.

Hi,

even when on OS X 10.12.6 you should be able to do exactly this using InDesign's Saveback service.

For that you have to be online because it's a Creative Cloud Service that will take your InDesign 2020 document, open it with an InDesign Server somewhere in the cloud, exports an IDML file and sends it back to your machine as InDesign CC 2019 document.

The service should show a Convert window like that:

Hit button Convert, wait a while until the service has finished:

Then the converted document should be available with InDesign CC 2019.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

Hi Rod,

on the other hand InDesign 2020 should be running on Windows 7.

That was confirmed lately. Mac OS X is a different issue.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

Save the INDD file in 2020 as IDML to make it open it in CC2019. A good method is to macke a package File > Packa for Print, found either in the File menu or if you work with an INDB file it is found in the INDB Panel menu, there tick to export aside with the INDD also PDF and IDML. This will include all links.

BUt be aware, CC 2019 does not support new font types or file types like svg links which were added in ID 2020. Those links have to be replaced with other file types and those fonts have to be replaced with compatible fonts.