File preparation and format conversion
PDFs rebuilt as editable InDesign or Word files, QuarkXPress files converted to InDesign, and messy source files cleaned up before translation. You get files your team can edit, with styles, links and fonts set up properly.
- You send
- PDFs, QuarkXPress, PageMaker or Publisher files, or messy Word files
- You get back
- Packaged InDesign files or clean Word files, ready to edit
- Checked by
- An overlay against the original, page by page
- Priced by
- Page count and how complex each layout is
Why rebuild a file
A PDF is made for printing, not editing. When the source files are lost, or arrive from a design tool nobody uses anymore, the only way to update or translate the document properly is to rebuild it in software your team can work in.
The same goes for files headed for translation. Hard returns in the middle of sentences, text split across dozens of boxes or words turned into outlines all break a CAT tool's segmentation. We fix them first, so translators see whole sentences.
Conversion work we do
For publishers, agencies and design teams with files they can't easily edit.
PDF to InDesign
Pages rebuilt in InDesign with paragraph styles, master pages, linked images and threaded text, matched to the original.
PDF to Word
Reports, manuals and forms rebuilt as clean Word files with real headings, tables and numbered lists.
QuarkXPress to InDesign
QuarkXPress, PageMaker and Publisher files moved to InDesign and checked for reflow, font substitutions and lost styles.
Preparation for translation
Hard returns removed, split text boxes joined, outlined text made live and hidden layers cleared, so CAT tools segment cleanly.
Vectorization
Logos, diagrams and line art traced into editable vector files you can scale, recolor and translate.
Version fixes
InDesign files saved down as IDML for teams on older versions, and broken links and missing fonts repaired.
What a clean rebuild includes
The difference between a file that looks right and a file that's easy to edit.
- Styles, not local formatting. Every heading, paragraph and caption uses a named style.
- Master pages. Running heads, page numbers and grids set once and applied throughout.
- Threaded text. Stories flow from frame to frame, so edits reflow instead of breaking.
- Real tables. Tables built as tables, not as lines and separate text boxes.
- Linked images and matched fonts. Images linked at their best available resolution, and any font substitutions listed.
How a conversion runs
Every rebuilt page is checked against the original before delivery.
Send the files
The PDF or old source files, plus any fonts and images you still have.
Check and quote
We look at every page, note anything we can't recover, and quote per page.
Rebuild
Designers rebuild each page with styles, master pages and linked images.
Overlay check
Each page is laid over the original to catch shifted lines, missing text and wrong breaks.
Second check QADelivery
Packaged files, a PDF for comparison and a note on fonts and images.
Formats
- Files you can send
- PDF (editable or scanned), QXP, PMD, PUB, AI, EPS, CDR and DOCX
- Files we deliver
- Packaged INDD with IDML, DOCX, and AI, EPS or SVG for vector work
- Scanned pages
- Run through OCR and proofread before the rebuild
- Software
- Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, QuarkXPress, CorelDRAW and Microsoft Word
Related services
Questions about file conversion
Can you rebuild an InDesign file from a PDF?
Yes. We rebuild each page in InDesign with paragraph styles, master pages, linked images and threaded text, then lay it over the original PDF to check that nothing has moved or gone missing.
Will the rebuilt file be fully editable?
Yes. Text is live and uses named styles, tables are real tables, and images are linked. Your designers can edit it like any file built from scratch.
Can you convert QuarkXPress files to InDesign?
Yes. We convert QuarkXPress, PageMaker and Publisher files to InDesign, then fix the reflow, font substitutions and styles that automatic conversion gets wrong.
What if the PDF is a scan?
We run OCR on the pages, proofread the text against the scan, and then rebuild the layout. Images are cleaned up and placed at the best resolution the scan allows.
What happens with fonts we don't have?
We match them where we can and list every substitution, so you can buy the original font or approve the match before the file goes to print.
How do you price file conversion?
Per page, by how complex the layout is. A text-heavy page costs less than one with tables, charts and many images. You get a fixed quote before we start.
Send us a file to rebuild
Send the PDF or old source files. We check every page and reply with a fixed price per page and a delivery date.
- Phone
- +44 20 3290 0116
- Phone hours
- Weekdays 9:30 to 16:00, weekends 9:30 to 12:00, UK time