TUAW Tip: Saving InDesign CS4 files for InDesign CS2

Here's a frustrating problem: You have InDesign CS4, and your buddy needs your file, but has InDesign CS2. "Easy!" you think, "just save an InDesign Interchange (INX) file and send it to him."

Lo, wonder of wonders: InDesign saves an INX file that's compatible only with the immediately preceding version of InDesign. (As I found out the hard way today.) CS4 saves a file for CS3; CS3 saves a file for CS2. If you don't have both versions on your computer, you're out of luck. Way to Quark it up, Adobe.

An INX file is just a glorified XML file. And Adobe, clever lads and lasses they are, inserted a version number in the file. Adobe CS2 looks at the version number, sees that the INX file is targeted for CS3, and pops up an error message without even trying to open the file. Curses.

But Mike Rankin figured it out last November: Open the INX file with your favorite text editor (like TextMate or BBEdit) and change the version number. Replace line number 2 (which looks like this):

<?aid style="33" type="document" DOMVersion="6.0" readerVersion="5.0" featureSet="257" product="6.0(352)" ?>

with this:

<?aid style="33" type="document" DOMVersion="5.0" readerVersion="4.0" featureSet="257" product="5.0(662)" ?>

Easy peasy. Open the INX file in InDesign CS2, and you're good to go. Use caution, though: This works best for simple layouts. The more complex your layout, the more likely it will unexpectedly change when re-imported into a lesser version of InDesign.

[Via InDesignSecrets.]

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Source: http://indesignsecrets.com/double-downsave.php

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TUAW Tips Graphic Design

Here's a frustrating problem: You have InDesign CS4, and your buddy needs your file, but has InDesign CS2. "Easy!" you think, "just save an...

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designworks

Thank you so much for sharing this information. It enabled a client and I to work together on a project where I had CS4 and she had CS2. It really makes me angry that Adobe would implement this in their files.... we should be able to open our InDesign files from any version.... I can understand the lack of plug-ins / features from one version to another, but in the most extreme circumstances we should at least be able to open files and get the text information out.

Thanks again for this.
~Chris

May 15 2009 at 4:21 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

number41

This is a great article, and is very timely for me. I'm currently experiencing exactly this problem, except that I need to send the .inx files I exported out of InDesign CS4 to someone using InDesign CS. I tried bouncing back through CS3, because Adobe's online manual for CS4 reads in such a way that made me think that the Interchange format export from CS3 would work all the way back down to CS -- alas, this is not the case.

So, the $64k question is: what is the proper string for making a .inx file work in CS?

May 10 2009 at 8:47 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to number41's comment

Robert Palmer

I looked around for this too, but couldn't find the answer. You can sort it out, though, so long as you have a friend or someone who has CS2.

Ask them to create an .inx file for you with a simple layout (a text box, a circle, whatever). Then, look at line 2 of that file -- it should be what you need to trick InDesign CS into thinking the interchange file was made in CS2 and geared for CS.

Same caveat applies, though -- complicated layout probably equals pain and suffering (with filters, effects, and the like). When you find the string, feel free to post it here and win the accolades of your peers!

May 11 2009 at 10:13 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

macxprt

ZING!!!!

Robert Palmer said 5:08PM on 5-08-2009

Clearly I should have said:

"Here's an interesting theoretical problem that may not apply to Chris Gardner, but perhaps instead to others who read this story: You have InDesign CS4 (which you may not have, but stick with me for a second, this will all make sense) and your buddy (assuming you have a buddy, and he's a man, and you have friends in general) needs your file (presuming, of course, you work with friends), but has (wait for it) InDesign (wait ... for ... it) CS2."

I regret the omission. And love you.

May 08 2009 at 5:44 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Semisans

"Clearly i should have said"- love you too for this comment! ;)
Thanks a lot for the tip, will help me a lot.

May 08 2009 at 5:24 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Chris Gardner

"Here's a frustrating problem: You have InDesign CS4, and your buddy needs your file, but has InDesign CS2."

Neither me nor my buddy uses InDesign. Heck, I'd venture to say the majority of people who own a Mac nowadays aren't even involved in art. Can we get back the mentality that Macs are primarily used by publishers? That ended sometime around the Intel switch.

May 08 2009 at 4:31 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

3 replies to Chris Gardner's comment

Johnny

"The more complex your layout, the more likely it will unexpectedly change when re-imported into a lesser version of InDesign."

Yeah, especially since InDesign CS2 didn't have all of the effects and features of CS3. I could be wrong since I skip every other version of Adobe products (unless there is some really compelling new feature), but the differences in CS and CS3 were pretty significant and I think most of those changes were made between CS2 and CS3.

May 08 2009 at 3:58 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply