FAQ

What is an IDML file?

What is an IDML file? This video answers this and similar questions, such as:
What do we use IDML files for? On another YouTube video, an InDesign user asked, “what the heck is an InDesign IDML used for ? what is the benefit of it?”

I’ve often wondered what non-Adobe or InDesign-geeks thought about IDML. Did they even know what IDML is or what IDML is for? In this educational video, we tell you what IDML stands for, what it is, and how to use it.

IDML is an acronym for InDesign Markup Language. IDML was invented by Olav Martin Kvern, Adobe staffer and co-authors (with David Blatner and Bob Bringhurst) of the “Real World Adobe InDesign” book series.

Adobe defines IDML as “… an open, XML-based file format that enables third-party developers and systems integrators to programmatically create, modify, and deconstruct InDesign documents outside the context of InDesign. IDML works with standard XML editing tools, making it easy to use in automated workflows. And with support for multi-threading in InDesign, working with the IDML file format is even faster.”
Source: https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/automation.html

It is, effectively, a way to use higher versioned InDesign documents in lower versions of the application. For instance, someone still using InDesign CS6 cannot open a native .INDD file created by someone using Adobe Creative Cloud 2020. However, if that CC2020 user exported out an IDML from their application and sent it to the CS6 InDesign user, then, they could open that InDesign file, in the IDML format, within their lower version of the application.

Olav Kvern (IDML inventor) on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/olav-kvern-9827071/

We also cover how many other DTP (desktop publishing) applications are importing IDML into their other software programs. QuarkXPress and the new and exciting Affinity Publisher, and others offer this. That is where the real fun starts.

For example, an Affinity Publisher user might no longer own InDesign, perhaps because they are sick and tired of paying a subscription or for another reason. They could not open or convert their archive of InDesign files into the new Publisher application … but with a new Markzware software, they can!

IDMarkz will open native InDesign files in Affinity Publisher! Using IDML as the interchange format, this is all possible. IDMarkz is a way to preview, export, and convert Adobe InDesign files:
https://markzware.com/products/idmarkz/

This video also covers other important IDML topics. For instance: Are images embedded in the IDML? Well, no, they are not. Linked graphics or images are not embedded into the IDML, only into the reference to their location on your local hard drive. (If the images are embedded in the InDesign file, they will also be embedded in the IDML, but your file sizes will be huge or, worse yet, will corrupt your InDesign file!) The video mentions much more.

Great question from a YouTube user on IDML! I hope you found this video useful.

More information about IDML:
IDML File Extension – What is an .idml file and how do I open it?
https://fileinfo.com/extension/idml

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