Expert: Glen Demers - 12/7/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hey Glenn,

Your suggestion to make sure the suffix on the file didn't work (.indd). My client says he has "reached out" and the file has to be .ind - help! I have never seen that suffix on a file. Is that CS4,5? Please help! Thanks a billion!!!

ANSWER: Hi Mike,

InDesign documents typically use the .INDD file extension. Some documents may be saved with just the ".ind" extension to conform to Windows' standard three-letter extension naming convention. This should work with any InDesign file up to CS5.

Hope this helps,
Glen Demers
Prepress Technician, Best Printing Online
www.bestprintingonline.com

For more InDesign tips please visit our help pages here: http://www.bestprintingonline.com/indesign.htm

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hey Glenn,

Thanks for that answer...Last question, how do I put this .ind suffix on the file. I am in Mac InDesign CS3 and I can't find where to change the Mac InDesign CS3 ".indd" to a ".ind"

Help...Thank you.

ANSWER: Hi Mike,

I would just change it in Finder after you've packaged the file for your vendor. Just change .indd to .ind, Finder may question this but you can just tell it to Add or Okay the change and it should be fine.

Hope this helps,
Glen Demers
Prepress Technician, Best Printing Online
www.bestprintingonline.com

For more InDesign tips please visit our help pages here: http://www.bestprintingonline.com/indesign.htm

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: How do I change the .indd into and .ind file so my client can use my Mac InDesign CS3 file on their PC?  

Answer
Hi Mike,

When you do a "Save As..." on your file and the name comes up in the save dialog box, just delete the last d in the extension. Make sure hide extension is not checked. It will save it with the .ind extension. It will look like a Unix file on the mac but should be recognizable on a PC.

If their system is so old it does not recognize the standard .indd extension, you may be better off just sending them a pdf. If you use the PDF/X 1-a joboptions that should be usable to most printers.

Hope this helps,
Glen Demers
Prepress Technician, Best Printing Online
www.bestprintingonline.com

For more InDesign tips please visit our help pages here: http://www.bestprintingonline.com/indesign.htm