How to convert InDesign files to PDF online.

A woman sitting on a couch with a laptop converting InDesign files to PDF online.

Don’t struggle with InDesign files you can’t view — learn how to quickly convert any InDesign document to PDF.

Adobe InDesign and its INDD file format are the go-to standards for desktop publishing. There’s one issue, though — you need InDesign to open and view INDD documents. That’s why designers usually export InDesign files to PDFs to share them.

But what should you do when you need to view an original InDesign file but you don’t have the software? The answer is to save it as a PDF yourself. This tutorial teaches you how to convert InDesign files to PDF even without InDesign. All you need is Adobe Acrobat.

Convert any InDesign document to PDF.

To convert InDesign to PDF using Acrobat, follow these steps:

  1. Launch Acrobat and select Tools from the top menu bar.
  2. Choose the Create PDF tool.
  3. Select your conversion type, either Single File or Multiple Files.
  4. Drag and drop your InDesign file(s) to the window, or locate them manually.
  5. Start the conversion and rename your PDF files if necessary.

How to save InDesign as a PDF.

If you’ve created a file on InDesign, you may want to save it as a PDF so that you can share it with someone who doesn’t have InDesign or view it in a program besides InDesign. You might be required to share your file as a PDF if you’re sending your design to be printed.

Here’s how you can save your InDesign file as a PDF:

  1. With your file open in InDesign, choose Export from the File menu.
  2. Name the file and choose Adobe PDF under Save as type.
  3. Choose your settings, such as quality, marks, and bleeds.
  4. Click Export.

How to print an InDesign file to a PDF booklet.

If you have Acrobat installed, you can use the Print option in InDesign to turn your file into a PDF booklet. The booklet you create could become a magazine, a pamphlet, or a study guide, but turning it into a PDF will make it easier to send it in for printing.

Here’s how to print an InDesign file to a PDF booklet:

  1. With your file open in InDesign, choose Print Booklet from the File menu.
  2. Adjust your settings according to how you want your booklet to print.
  3. Click Print Settings > PDF.
  4. Choose the option labeled Save as PostScript.
  5. Save your settings and then click Print.

Now you will be able to open your file in Acrobat and have a PDF booklet ready for printing.

Get to work on the converted PDF.

This method can convert InDesign print booklets or any other documents to PDF. Once you have your PDF, you’ll be able to view it immediately in Acrobat. Your PDF will be easy to send and print. You can also get to work right away — add notes and comments, mark up text, or compress the PDF for even easier sharing. If you want to work on your new PDF in real time with a team remotely, you can upload it to Acrobat online. With Acrobat, you can encrypt your PDF to keep things secure, for example, before publishing your design. Enjoy all of these functions and more with your newly converted file.

Find out everything you can get done with Acrobat today.