PDF (adobe.com)

Convert PageMaker documents



InDesign can convert document and template files from Adobe PageMaker 6.0 and later. When you open a PageMaker file, InDesign converts the original file information to native InDesign information. InDesign files are saved with an .indd filename extension.

For more information, see the PageMaker Conversion Guide (PDF) at www.adobe.com/go/learn_pmconv.

Before opening the document in InDesign, you may want to do the following:

  • If the PageMaker file or its linked graphics are located on a network server, floppy disk, or removable drive, it may not open as expected if an interruption in data transfer occurs. To prevent data transfer problems, copy documents and their links to the hard disk, preferably in the same folder where the PageMaker publication is stored, before opening them in InDesign.

  • You may want to use Save As in PageMaker to clear unnecessary hidden data.

  • To ensure that all links are maintained, copy all linked files to the same folder where the PageMaker publication is stored.

  • Make sure that all necessary fonts are available in InDesign.

  • Repair broken graphics links in the PageMaker publication.

  • If you have a problem converting a large PageMaker document, convert portions of the PageMaker file separately to isolate the problem.

If you cannot open a corrupt PageMaker document in PageMaker, try opening it in InDesign. InDesign can recover most documents that PageMaker cannot open.

Open a PageMaker document or template

  1. Make sure that the original application file is closed.

  2. In InDesign, choose File > Open.

  3. In Windows, choose PageMaker (6.0‑7.0) in the Files of Type menu.

  4. Select a file and click Open.

    Note: If InDesign cannot convert a file or a specific part of a file, it displays a warning describing the reasons it cannot convert it and the results of the conversion attempt.

  5. If a warning dialog box appears, do one of the following:

    • Click Save to save a copy of the warnings as a text file, and then open the file in InDesign.

    • Click Close to open the file in InDesign without saving the text file.

If you’re experiencing problems with the converted PageMaker document, use the Export dialog box to save the document in InDesign Markup (IDML) format. Then open the IDML file and save it as an InDesign document.

Save a PageMaker template as an InDesign template

  1. Open the template in InDesign.

  2. Choose File > Save As and specify a location and filename.

  3. Choose InDesign CS4 Template for Save as Type (Windows) or Format (Mac OS), and then click Save.

Common PageMaker conversion issues

Note the following:

  • All master pages and layers are converted to InDesign masters and layers. Master pages in PageMaker convert to master pages in InDesign and retain all objects including page numbering and guides. To maintain the order of overlapping items, InDesign creates two layers when converting a PageMaker publication: Default and Master Default. Master Default contains the Master page items.

  • PageMaker document guides are placed on the Default layer in InDesign.

  • All items on the PageMaker pasteboard appear on the pasteboard of the first spread in the InDesign document.

  • All objects designated in PageMaker as Non-Printing are converted with Nonprinting selected in the InDesign Attributes panel.

  • Grouped objects remain grouped except where nonprinting items are included in a group.

Text and tables conversion issues

Note the following:

  • Text is converted to InDesign text frames.

  • Tables in PageMaker files are converted to InDesign tables.

  • Styles are converted to InDesign styles. The [No style] in PageMaker is the equivalent of [No Paragraph Style] in InDesign. However, [No Paragraph Style] picks up the attributes of a named style if that style was selected before any typing occurred in the PageMaker publication.

  • InDesign uses the Adobe Paragraph Composer for all paragraphs, causing some text to reflow. You can assign the Adobe Single-Line Composer to one or more paragraphs to create line breaks more similarly to the PageMaker composition engine, but text may still reflow.

  • InDesign uses only Baseline leading. Proportional and Top of Caps leading in PageMaker convert to Baseline leading in InDesign, possibly resulting in text shifting.

  • The First Baseline of converted text may appear different than text created in InDesign. The First Baseline of converted text is set to Leading, but the First Baseline of text created in InDesign is set to Ascent by default.

  • InDesign uses a different hyphenation method than PageMaker, so line breaks may be different.

  • Shadow text converts as plain text. Outline text converts as text with a stroke of 0.25 inches and a fill of Paper.

Book, index, and TOC conversion issues

Note the following:

  • InDesign ignores Booklists when opening PageMaker publications. If you want to open all the publications on a Booklist together, run the Build Booklet plug‑in in PageMaker with a layout of None selected so that the booked publications are combined into one. Note that text blocks and frames will no longer be threaded.

  • Index entries from a PageMaker publication appear in the InDesign Index panel. Text with cross-references that use the See Herein or See Also Herein option are mapped as See or See Also.

  • Table of Contents text converts as a Table of Contents, with PageMaker TOC Style available in the style pop‑up menu in the InDesign TOC dialog box.

Linking and embedding conversion issues

Note the following:

  • Text and graphics links are preserved and appear in the Links panel.

  • If InDesign cannot locate the original link to a graphic, a warning appears asking you to repair the link in PageMaker.

  • InDesign does not support OLE (object linking and embedding). Consequently, when you open files that contain OLE graphics, those graphics will not appear in the InDesign document.

Color and trapping conversion issues

Note the following:

  • Colors are converted exactly to InDesign colors. PageMaker HLS colors are converted to RGB colors, and colors from other color libraries are converted based on their CMYK values.

  • Tints are converted as percentages of the parent color. If the parent color isn’t in the Swatches panel, it’s added during conversion. When an object with a tint is selected, the parent color is selected in the Swatches panel, and the tint value appears in the pop‑up menu.

  • Color profiles for PageMaker files are converted directly. All Hexachrome colors are converted to RGB values. Profiles that are not ICC‑compliant are replaced using the default CMS settings and profiles you specified for InDesign.

  • All strokes and lines (including paragraph rules) are converted to the default stroke styles they most closely resemble. Custom strokes and dashes are converted to custom strokes and dashes in InDesign.

  • InDesign does not support screen patterns or angles applied to TIFF images in Image Control; it drops these from imported TIFF files.

  • When Auto-Overprint Black Strokes or Fills (or both) is selected in the Trapping Preferences dialog box in PageMaker, the setting carries over to InDesign, but Overprint Stroke or Overprint Fill is deselected in the Attributes panel.

For information about other PageMaker conversion issues, check the support documents on the Adobe website.