Open the Adobe Express file you want to export.
Last updated on
6 October 2026
Export your Adobe Express design as an IDML file to continue editing and refining it in Adobe InDesign.
Download an IDML file from Adobe Express
Select the Download panel.
Select IDML (Best for InDesign) from the File format menu.
Select Download. Open the downloaded .idml file in Adobe InDesign.
How your design appears in Adobe InDesign
When you export your design to IDML, supported content remains editable in Adobe InDesign. Some elements and effects are converted to image renditions to preserve their appearance.
|
Adobe Express content |
Result in Adobe InDesign |
|---|---|
|
Text |
Supported text remains editable. Text with AI-generated effects, or partially transparent fills or strokes, is preserved as an image rendition. |
|
Shapes |
Supported shapes, fills, borders, and strokes remain editable. Brush-stroke borders are preserved as image renditions. Gradient transparency may be approximated. |
|
Images |
Images are embedded in the IDML file at full resolution. Photoshop filters, duotone filters, and Auto Enhance adjustments are preserved as image renditions. |
|
Charts |
Exported as groups of editable shapes and text. |
|
Grids |
Exported as groups of editable images. |
Note
- Content preserved as an image rendition keeps its visual appearance but isn’t editable as the original element or effect in InDesign.
- The IDML (Best for InDesign) option isn’t available for designs that contain timeline content such as videos, GIFs, or animated stickers. Remove the unsupported timeline content, then try exporting the design again. To keep the motion, download your design as MP4 instead.
Manage fonts in Adobe InDesign
Fonts aren’t stored inside the IDML file, only their names are. When you open the file, Adobe InDesign looks for each font on your computer, so you may see a missing-fonts message if a font isn’t installed or activated. This doesn’t mean the export failed.
- Adobe Fonts: Activate them through Creative Cloud on the computer where you open the file.
- Custom or uploaded fonts: Install them on that computer before you open the file. Custom fonts can’t be embedded in the IDML.
In Adobe InDesign, use Type > Find/Replace Fonts to activate or replace any missing fonts. Once the fonts are available, your text displays as designed.
Create anything in Adobe Express
From social posts to presentations to brand kits, design it all in one place.
