Converting PageMaker to InDesign

Carl Shank • January 15, 2021

How to Convert PageMaker Files to InDesign Files

To some users with  legacy PageMaker files, converting  them  to Adobe InDesign files has been a challenge. Adobe Systems Incorporated stopped shipping or updating PageMaker files for a number of years. They moved on to InDesign programming and layout. Aldus PageMaker 3 for Macintosh and Windows was shipped in 1988. Aldus PageMaker 4 for Macintosh was released in 1990, with the Windows version in 1991, and offered new word-processing capabilities, expanded typographic controls, and enhanced features for handling long documents.


Aldus PageMaker 5.0 was released in January 1993. Aldus was purchased by Adobe Systems who took over the upgrades and further enhancements. Adobe PageMaker 6.0 was released in 1995, and Adobe PageMaker 6.5 was released in 1996.


Support for versions 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, and 6.5 is no longer offered through the official Adobe support system. This poses substantial problems for users who have works authored in these legacy versions.


The final version made available is PageMaker 7.0, released in 2001, though updates have been released for the two supported platforms since.


The Macintosh version runs only in Mac OS 9 or earlier; there is no native support for Mac OS X, and it does not run at all on Intel-based Macs. It does not run well under Classic, and Adobe recommends that customers use an older Macintosh capable of booting into Mac OS 9. The Windows version supports Windows XP and a few other Windows versions.


As Adobe migrated users to its new InDesign format released in 2001, versions 1 through CS6 had their fair share of adoption issues and compatibility problems. Newer versions of InDesign can read older InDesign versions, but they are not backwards compatible. InDesign CS6 can read only PageMaker 6.5 files. Consequently, users who now have InDesign CC series cannot read older PageMaker files at all. Thus, the need for this service.


What We Can Do For You

PageMaker 3 – 5 to InDesign ($15 per file) (Macintosh)

Specify the InDesign format to what you want to transfer your files. We offer InDesign CS – CS6 and InDesign CC. To transfer these older PM files to newer InDesign files (InDesign CS6 and beyond) requires first transferring them to PageMaker 6.5 files. Our goal is to keep your formatting and fonts in place. If we cannot do this, we will let you know before the transfer takes place.


PageMaker 6.x to InDesign ($15 per file) (Macintosh)

Specify the InDesign format to what you want to transfer your files. We offer InDesign CS – CS6 and InDesign CC. Our goal is to keep your formatting and fonts in place. If we cannot do this, we will let you know before the transfer takes place.


PageMaker 6.5 or 7 to InDesign CS ($15 per file) (Windows)

We also offer a Windows based transfer system for PageMaker 6 or later files to InDesign CS. 


We own the legal rights to the use of this software. All of the software used has a valid Adobe serial number. We have been using this software since its inception to the Macintosh or Windows platforms.

Successful Layout & Design

By Carl Shank July 24, 2025
A Cross Inspired Typeface. CARE Typography has been able to craft a typeface of Christian crosses from the history of the Christian Church throughout the world. We named it CrossesTwo to simply distinguish it from other writings. It is a FREE font, available to all who ask. Christian crosses are used widely in churches, on top of church buildings, on bibles, in heraldry, in personal jewelry, on hilltops, and elsewhere as an attestation or other symbol of Christianity. Crosses are a prominent feature of Christian cemeteries , either carved on gravestones or as sculpted stelae . Because of this, planting small crosses is sometimes used in countries of Christian culture to mark the site of fatal accidents. Not far from where we are, there is a huge Christian cross built by a Virginia church marking not merely the site of the church building, but announcing the central message of the Bible there. Christian crosses are powerful symbols that convey theological meaning, cultural identity, and historical legacy. Over centuries, many distinct styles of the cross have developed across Christian traditions, regions, and periods. Some of the most prominent crosses are the traditional Latin Cross (Letter "L" in CrossesTwo typeface), where the vertical beam extends beyond the horizontal cross bar, the Greek Cross , a cross with four arms of equal length (Letter "V" in the typeface), the Orthodox (Eastern) Cross (Letter small "o" in typeface), with three horizontal bars — the top for the inscription (INRI), the middle for the hands, and the slanted bottom bar for the footrest, the Celtic Cross (Letter "1" in the typeface), which is a Latin cross with a circular ring connecting the arms. The traditional Latin cross symbolizes the crucifixion of Jesus, with the empty cross signaling that He rose again from the dead, and is used in Western Christianity, Roman Catholic, Protestant, and many global Christian contexts. The Greek Cross is common in early Christian art and Byzantine Christianity and used in Eastern Orthodox, Byzantine, and early Christian monuments and mosaics. In the Orthodox Eastern Cross the slanted bar represents the two thieves crucified beside Christ — one rose to heaven, the other descended. It is used in Russian, Greek, Serbian, and other Eastern Orthodox Churches. The Celtic Cross had its origins in early medieval Ireland and Britain, associated with Celtic Christianity. It has been used in Irish Christianity, Anglican, some Protestant denominations, and decorative gravestones. The Coptic Cross (Letter "5" in the typeface and note Letter "e" where the Ethiopian Cross is a close match to the new Coptic Cross) is a a variation with intricate, symmetrical designs — sometimes with equal arms or surrounded by circles. It is used by Christians in Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Jerusalem Cross (Letter "j" in the typeface) has a large central cross surrounded by four smaller Greek crosses, used by the Crusades in the eleventh century, is the Heraldic symbol of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem and used by Franciscans and in modern Jerusalem-related contexts. The Russian Orthodox Cross (Letter "o" in the typeface) Features three horizontal bars — top (INRI), middle (hands), and slanted bottom (feet). The Tau Cross (Letters "T" and "t" in the typeface) is shaped like the Greek letter tau and has been adopted by St. Anthony and Franciscans to symbolize Old Testament sacrifices and God's protection (Ezekiel 9:4). St. Andrew's Cross (Saltire) (Letter "s" in the typeface) is an X-shaped cross from the tradition that Andrew the Apostle was crucified on a diagonal cross. It is the symbol of Scotland and the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Papal Cross (Letter "P" in the typeface) is a vertical staff with three horizontal bars, decreasing in length, representing the pope’s triple office: bishop of Rome, patriarch of the West, and successor of Peter. The Cross of Lorraine (Letter "l" in the typeface) is a vertical bar crossed by two horizontal bars — the lower one longer, has been used in Western Europe during the Crusades and was a symbol of French resistance in World War 2. The Patriarchal Cross (Letter "p" in the typeface) is similar to the Cross of Lorraine, but primarily associated with ecclesiastical hierarchy, and used by archbishops and patriarchs in Eastern and Western churches. Each cross reflects regional theological emphases, cultural aesthetics, and historical developments. While the Latin Cross remains the universal Christian emblem, the variety in form reveals Christianity's global and historical richness. Note the CrossesTwo typeface below with the description of these and many other crosses. (Credit for the opening image is given to Matteo Corti - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Muiredach_s_Cross.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1393567)
By Carl Shank July 21, 2025
Slab Serifs. Born in Great Britain in the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s, slab fonts, or slab serif fonts, provided a beefy and starkly bold contrast to text fonts that were popular. Found on just about every billboard, poster, pamphlet and advertising vehicle of the day, slabs were designed to stand out from the crowd, a type that shouted, "look at me!" Slab serifs, also called Egyptian, antique, mechanistic or square serif, are characterized by usually thick, block like serifs. Slab serifs possess thick serifs, which are squared-off or slightly rounded, and almost the same weight as the main strokes. From a typographical standpoint, they have low contrast, with minimal difference between thick and thin strokes. Slab serifs can have a geometric or humanist structure, and can range from mechanical-looking to more organic. They are sturdy and legible, designed for impact and readability even at large sizes. Early examples were Antique and Clarendon.
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