Free software to open / convert InDesign on XP?

May 21, 2006 5:35 PM

What free software can I use to open and convert an Adobe InDesign .indd file on Windows XP? Will GIMP do the job? Inkscape? Yes, I've read the answers to this question.
posted by obiwanwasabi to Computers & Internet (6 answers total)

What do you want to covert it TOO?

Gimp probably won't do it.

If you want to email it to me, I can probably convert it tomorrow.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:43 PM on May 21, 2006

Also, in regards to that question you linked to, did you try downloading tryout versions of Indesign?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:47 PM on May 21, 2006

Response by poster: I'd like to convert to a vector format I can muck around with in Paint Shop Pro (or Gimp, Or Inkscape, if I end up having to d/load them). Re the tryout of InDesign - 225mb over dial-up for something I'll use once and have no intention of buying doesn't exactly thrill me, but if I have to...
posted by obiwanwasabi at 6:13 PM on May 21, 2006

This is a tall order: to get it into vector format, you'll need both something that can read InDesign files (of which there's nothing I'm aware of) and then output them in a separate format, converting the text to vector outlines, etc.

InDesign will export it to PDF or EPS, however, which you can import into lots of things and use. Send it to someone with ID and ask for them to convert it.
posted by bonaldi at 6:39 PM on May 21, 2006

Response by poster: Thanks bonaldi. Seems like the easiest thing to do will be to go back to the source and ask them to export it to EPS. Thanks all.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 6:48 PM on May 21, 2006

Response by poster: In case anybody ever comes back to read this:

No matter how much I fiddled with the EPS export settings in InDesign CS2 4.0 for Windows, I couldn't get a file that'd open in Gimp or Inkscape or Paint Shop Pro. The solution was to export to SVG instead, then open it up in Inkscape.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 7:09 PM on May 23, 2006 [1 favorite]