The A to Z of #AffinityPublisher continues with ...

I is for IDML

What's IDML?

IDML? That would be InDesign Markup Language

Since Affinity Publisher has its own proprietary file format and can open PDF files you could be forgiven for thinking that compatibility with the competing Adobe InDesign format is no big deal.

But it really is!

While the native, and default, file format of InDesign is INDD, InDesign CS4 brought with it IDML, an exchange format that provides backwards compatibility between newer and older versions of Adobe InDesign.

With the release of Affinity Publisher 1.8 in February 2020 Serif Affinity took the opportunity to add support for opening IDML files.

Abundant Resources

The ability to open InDesign files in IDML format provides a range of opportunities for Affinity Publisher users to use files, templates and assets available exclusively in InDesign format available from:

• Subscription services like Envato Elements

• One-off purchases from stock sites such as GraphicRiver.net

• Many of the sites providing free InDesign templates

While you might be lucky and find a few native Affinity Publisher templates, by far the majority of templates are native InDesign format. Luckily almost all of those do include an IDML version together with the more contemporary INDD format (which isn't supported by Affinity Publisher).

Read But Not Write

Affinity Publisher can open IDML files, edits can be made and the file saved as a native Affinity Publisher file. However, Affinity Publisher has no ability to create IDML files. You can NOT save IDML files from Affinity Publisher.

If you need to share your work in a more compatible format with Adobe InDesign users your best option is still to create a PDF file.