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Participant
December 18, 2019
Question

how to import *.wmf and *.emf graphic images into a selected frame in InDesign

  • December 18, 2019
  • 6 replies
  • 2974 views

Hello ,

I am currently using InDesign CS6, and I'm not able to import *.emf and *.wmf graphic images into a selected frame in InDesign. Its showing a blank image when I try to import images with these formats. 

Anyone, please let me know the procedure which i need to follow to fix this issue.

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6 replies

Community Expert
December 20, 2019

Srinivas said:
I tried these images with Page Maker 7 and no issues but i would like get these in InDesign.

 

Hi Srinivas,

could you make one of the files available for testing?

Best move it to Dropbox or a similar service and post the link here.

 

Thanks,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

Community Expert
December 19, 2019

Hi Srinivas,

*.emf and *.wmf type graphics are valid file types for placing with InDesign on Windows.

Just use menu File > Place… or if you are doing it with ExtendScript ( JavaScript ) use method place().

 

Did not do any tests on Windows 10.

Perhaps there are different flavours of *.emf and *.wmf graphics that will not work with InDesign?

 

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

Community Expert
December 18, 2019

Also found this with ( perhaps ) a solution to convert emf files to PDF using Acrobat:

https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/unable-convert-emf-to-pdfs.html

 

I must admit that I did not try this.

 

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

Community Expert
December 18, 2019

Oops. You want to import not export emf and wmf graphics!

InDesign on Windows should be able to do this.

 

If not try that with Adobe Illustrator and not with InDesign. If you then need the results with InDesign you have to save the Illustrator artwork with PDF compatibility and place them in InDesign.

 

Sorry. Don't wanted to confuse you.

 

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

gajula27Author
Participant
December 19, 2019

Hi!!

Thnks for the reply.

If InDesign on Windows able to do this, Please let me know the procedure how to copy or import *.imf and *.wmf graphic image fileS in to InDesign.

 

Regards

Srinivas

 

BobLevine
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 19, 2019
File > Place should most certainly work.
Community Expert
December 18, 2019

Oh, I see that you tagged your inital post with "Server developers". Why is that? Do you want to automate that process? Is this a scripting question then? Don't think that this will work; at least not without scripting Adobe Illustrator with an InDesign script using BridgeTalk. Oh, and reworking the results with Illustrator would be an additional task.

 

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

Community Expert
December 18, 2019

Hi,

if you are on Windows I suggest doing the export with Adobe Illustrator.

 

Depending on the kind of graphic you are doing you could try to copy/paste your InDesign work to Illustrator.

 

A second option is to export the page to PDF with InDesign and open the PDF with Illustrator.

 

You may have to rework some things in Illustrator then; like to free the artwork from crop paths or compound paths. If you are using live editable text with InDesign first convert the text to outlines before doing the PDF export. Note, that converting text to outlines is not reversable so hold a backup of the version with the editable text.

 

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )