Recovering an InDesign File from an Exported PDF

[YLambert3]

Hi everyone. I just discovered that I managed to not save my InDesign file after I exported it to PDF. Not even sure how this could happen, since it would seem I had to save it before exporting it. Is there any way I can retrieve or recreate the InDesign file from the exported PDF? I need the InDesign file for creating a Kindle version. Oh dear. Thanks for any advice/answers! ~Yana

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[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @YLambert3,

I’m really sorry to hear about your situation! It’s tough when technology doesn’t cooperate, especially after putting in so much work.

While there’s no direct way to convert a PDF back into an InDesign file, you can use a few methods to recreate it. One common approach is to use Adobe Acrobat to extract the text and images from your PDF, which you can then import into a new InDesign document. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat.
2. Use the "Edit PDF" tool to select and copy the text.
3. Export any images you need by right-clicking on them and choosing to save them.
4. Create a new InDesign document and paste the copied text and reinsert any images.
5. You may need to reapply styles and formatting, but this will get you started!

Additionally, you might want to reach out to the Adobe Acrobat community for more specialized advice. You can find it here.

Could you also share which version of InDesign you're using and the details of your operating system? That way, I can provide more tailored advice if needed.

I hope this helps, and let me know if you have any other questions!

Best,
Abhishek Rao

[YLambert3]

Thank you so much, Abhishek Rao. I'm using the latest Cloud version of
InDesign and Acrobat. I just can't believe I didn't save the InDesign file
before exporting it. Live and learn, the hard way sometimes! Luckily, there
were no images in the file.

Kindest regards,
Yana

[Robert at ID-Tasker · Accepted solution]

@YLambert3

InDesign Beta can import/open PDFs created in InDesign:

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

[YLambert3]

Thank you! 🙂

[BobLevine]

If you created it in InDesign the publicly available InDesign beta has a feature that will allow you to open the PDF as an editable InDesign document. It is far from perfect but it might give you an acceptable starting point.

[YLambert3]

Thanks a bunch, Bob--I'll try that as soon as I can return to that project. 🙂 

~Yana