User Guide Cancel

Convert PDFs to InDesign Documents

Search
InDesign

InDesign

Open app
  1. InDesign User Guide
  2. Get to know InDesign
    1. Introduction to InDesign
      1. What's New in InDesign
      2. What's New in InDesign (Beta)
      3. Adobe InDesign desktop release notes
      4. System requirements
      5. Common questions
      6. Use Creative Cloud libraries
      7. GPU performance
    2. Workspace
      1. Workspace basics
      2. Templates
      3. Projects
      4. Contextual task bar
      5. Customize your workspace in InDesign
      6. Toolbox
      7. Set preferences
      8. Properties panel
      9. Touch workspace
      10. Default keyboard shortcuts
      11. Undo edits and manage History panel
      12. Document recovery and undo
    3. Generative AI (Not available in mainland China)
      1. Text to Image
      2. Generative Expand
      3. Generative Fill (beta)
      4. Generative AI FAQ
  3. Create and layout documents
    1. Documents and pages
      1. Create documents
      2. Work with parent pages
      3. Work with document pages
      4. Set page size, margins, and bleed
      5. Work with files and templates
      6. Convert PDFs to InDesign Documents
      7. Create book files
      8. Add basic page numbering
      9. Number pages, chapters, and sections
      10. Convert QuarkXPress and PageMaker documents
      11. Share content
      12. Understand a basic managed-file workflow
      13. Save documents
    2. Grids
      1. Grids
      2. Format grids
    3. Flex Layout
      1. Work with Flex Layout
      2. Flex Layout panel overview
      3. Create a team page using Flex Layout
      4. Apply Flex Layout properties using object style
      5. Apply Flex Layout in an existing document
      6. Auto-detect Flex Layout in InDesign
      7. Manage Flex Layout conflicts
    4. Layout aids
      1. Rulers
      2. Align and distribute objects using rulers
      3. Measure objects using the Measure tool
  4. Add content
    1. Text
      1. Add text to frames
      2. Threading text
      3. South-East Asian Scripts
      4. Arabic and Hebrew features in InDesign
      5. Create type on a path
      6. Bullets and numbering
      7. Create math expressions
      8. Glyphs and special characters
      9. Text composition
      10. Composing CJK characters
      11. Text variables
      12. Generate QR codes
      13. Edit text
      14. Align text
      15. Wrap text around objects
      16. Anchored objects
      17. Linked content
      18. Format paragraphs
      19. Format characters
    2. Typography
      1. Using fonts in InDesign
      2. Kerning and tracking
      3. Scale and skew type
      4. Apply color effects to type
    3. Format text
      1. Format text
      2. Auto Style text
      3. Work with Style Packs
      4. Tabs and indents
    4. Review text
      1. Track and review changes
      2. Add editorial notes in InDesign
      3. Import PDF comments
    5. Spell check and language dictionaries
      1. Check spelling, autocorrect, and dynamic spelling
      2. Create, add, and manage dictionaries and words
      3. Change dictionary preferences
      4. Duden dictionary
    6. Add references
      1. Create a table of contents
      2. Footnotes
      3. Create an index
      4. Endnotes
      5. Captions
    7. Styles
      1. Paragraph and character styles
      2. Map, export, and manage styles
      3. Object styles
      4. Drop caps and nested styles
      5. Work with styles
      6. Leading
    8. Tables
      1. Format tables
      2. Create tables
      3. Table and Cell styles
      4. Select and edit tables
      5. Table strokes and fills
    9. Interactivity
      1. Hyperlinks
      2. Dynamic PDF documents
      3. Bookmarks
      4. Buttons
      5. Forms
      6. Animation
      7. Cross-references
      8. Structure PDFs
      9. Page transitions
      10. Movies and sounds
    10. Graphics
      1. Understand paths and shapes
      2. Draw with the Pencil tool
      3. Draw with the Pen tool
      4. Apply line (stroke) settings 
      5. Compound paths and shapes
      6. Edit paths
      7. Clipping paths
      8. Change corner appearance
      9. Frames and objects
      10. Align and distribute objects
      11. Linked and embedded graphics
      12. Integrate AEM assets
    11. Color and transparency
      1. Apply color
      2. Use colors from imported graphics
      3. Work with swatches
      4. Mix inks
      5. Tints
      6. Understand spot and process colors
      7. Blend colors
      8. Gradients
      9. Flatten transparent artwork
      10. Add transparency effects
  5. Find and replace
    1. Find and replace text
    2. Find and replace fonts
    3. Find and replace glyphs
    4. Find and replace using GREP expressions and queries
    5. Find and replace objects
    6. Find and replace colors
    7. Search options to find and replace
  6. Share
    1. Save and access cloud documents
    2. Organize, manage, and share cloud documents
    3. View and manage versions in cloud documents
    4. Common questions about InDesign cloud documents
    5. InCopy on the web (beta)
    6. Share and collaborate        
    7. Share for Review
    8. Review a shared InDesign document
    9. Manage feedback
    10. Invite to edit
  7. Export, import, and publish
    1. Place, export, and publish
      1. Publish online
      2. Publish online dashboard
      3. Place Firefly assets
      4. Copy, insert graphics
      5. Export to Adobe Express
      6. Export content for EPUB
      7. Adobe PDF options
      8. Export to HTML5
      9. Export content to HTML (Legacy)
      10. Export to Adobe PDF
      11. Export to JPEG or PNG format
      12. Import SVG files
      13. Supported File Formats
      14. Export and import User Settings
    2. Printing
      1. Print booklets
      2. Printer's marks and bleeds
      3. Print documents
      4. Inks, separation, and screen frequency
      5. Overprinting
      6. Create PostScript and EPS files
      7. Preflight files before handoff
      8. Print thumbnails and oversized documents
      9. Prepare PDFs for service providers
      10. Prepare to print separations
  8. Extend InDesign
    1. Automation
      1. Data merge
      2. Plug-ins
      3. Capture extension in InDesign
      4. Scripting
  9. Troubleshooting
    1. Fixed issues
    2. Known issues
    3. Crash on launch
    4. Improve InDesign performance
    5. Preference folder read-only issue
    6. Troubleshoot file issues
    7. Unable to export InDesign file to PDF
    8. InDesign document recovery

Learn how to edit PDFs by converting them into InDesign documents.

Need to edit some text or modify the layout of a PDF? You can now convert PDFs to InDesign documents while maintaining document fidelity in InDesign.

Adobe InDesign deeplink-gen-fill

Try it in the app
Work with a sample file and learn how to convert a PDF into editable InDesign document.

Open InDesign
Note
  • Ensure you're connected to the internet and logged in to your Adobe account to convert PDFs to InDesign files.
  • For best results, ensure that the fonts used in the document are available in your system.
  • This feature is available in non-English languages in addition to English (North America and International). It will not be available in CCJK and MENA languages.

Open a PDF in an InDesign document

  1. Launch InDesign.

  2. Select File > Open PDF. You can also drag and drop PDFs into InDesign.

  3. Select a PDF, and edit the text and layout per your requirements.

Place a PDF in an InDesign document

  1. Select File > Place and select a PDF file. You can also drag and drop PDFs into InDesign.

  2. A dialog appears, asking whether you want to open the PDF as an editable InDesign document or place it.

    • Select Open PDF to convert it into an editable InDesign document.
    • Select Place PDF to insert it as an image.

Open an Illustrator (.ai) file in an InDesign document

Illustrator files saved with Create PDF Compatible File enabled contain an embedded PDF. InDesign uses this PDF content to convert Illustrator files into editable InDesign documents.

  1. Save your Illustrator file with the Create PDF Compatible File checked.

  2. Launch InDesign and select File > Open.

  3. Select the Illustrator (.ai) file and choose Open. The file opens in InDesign as an editable document.

Frequently asked questions about Illustrator (.ai) files

If the .ai file was created without enabling the Create PDF Compatible File option while saving in Illustrator, InDesign cannot process it. To fix this, open the file in Illustrator, re-save it with the Create PDF Compatible File option enabled, and then try to open it again.

Files saved without PDF compatibility in older versions of Illustrator will also fail to open in InDesign. To fix this, open the file in Illustrator, re-save it with the Create PDF Compatible File option enabled, and then try to open it again.

If the file still doesn’t work, there may be an internal issue with the .ai file itself. In this case, InDesign cannot process the file. Try troubleshooting in Illustrator (such as simplifying complex artwork, removing corrupt elements, or resaving under a new name) before opening it again.

Points to note

  • Open multiple PDFs from any source (e.g., PDFs created from Illustrator, Photoshop, Express, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Apple Numbers, Canva, etc.)
  • Strikethrough, superscript and subscript, baseline shift, underline, tables, special characters, hyperlinks, nested ordered and unordered lists, spot colors, and gradients are supported.
  • Can't open unsupported, digitally signed, or password-protected PDF files.
  • Superscript & Subscript are visually correct and editable in most cases.
  • Tables are supported.
  • Paragraph and Character Styles are created as part of the PDF to INDD document conversion. (InDesign will not create Paragraph and Character Styles if, during the PDF conversion process, it detects that the number of unique styles in the document exceeds 80.)
  • PDF conversion supports the Drop Shadow Effect in PDFs created in InDesign. Object opacity, Blending modes, and optimization of the creation of a number of text frames are now fully or partially supported for PDFs.
  • Grouping of paragraphs into a single text frame is supported.
  • Use the Preserve InDesign Editing Capabilities during Export PDF. This will help recreate the PDF as it was originally created in InDesign.
Note

We love the feedback that you are giving us, helping us improve this feature. We have added an in-app feedback form for submitting feedback about conversion when any PDF or Illustrator file is opened.

Limitations and Known issues

  • InDesign isn't able to convert PDF files that are corrupted or malformed in any manner and were created from unreliable sources.
  • InDesign does not support-
    • Advanced Bullets & Numbered lists (having different colors or styles).
    • Advanced Table Features (e.g., tables with different borders and variations, and advanced Bullets and numbers).
  • You can convert a PDF or Illustrator file that is less than 150 MB and has a maximum page count of 200.
  • [SV and HU locales] You may face occasional failures or crashes when opening PDF documents containing large images.

More like this

Have a question or an idea?

Ask the Community

If you have a question to ask or an idea to share, come and participate in Adobe InDesign Community. We would love to hear from you and see your creations.

Adobe, Inc.

Get help faster and easier

New user?

Quick links

View all your plans Manage your plans
View quick links
Hide quick links

Legal Notices    |    Online Privacy Policy