Saving a file from InDesign that you want to be opened in earlier versions of the application require that you save the document in the IDML format, which stands for InDesign Markup Language. The person saving the file must also know about the different file formats that can be saved from InDesign. This requires the person saving the file to know that the recipient is using an older version of InDesign.

To do this, the person saving the document needs to use the Save As command instead of the typical Save command, and select IDML from the file type option. If you want to open a file created using InDesign CC in CS6, is to have the original file saved into the IDML format at the time it is created. One way to open InDesign files created in a more recent version. Yet it is possible to share InDesign documents between different versions. If you work with a client or business partner that is using the most recent version of InDesign, and they send a file to you, you would not be able to easily open the document. Adobe hopes you will avoid these options, causing all InDesign to upgrade to the latest version to more easily share files. Similarly, if you have InDesign CC, but receive a document created with the recently released InDesign CC 2014, you also will not be able to open the document created in the more modern version without some effort or purchasing a plug-in.

For example, if a client sends you a file completed in InDesign version CC, and you are using the older InDesign CS6, you won’t be able to open the document. Unless you are willing to do some extra work, to open and edit an InDesign document in its native format you must have the version of InDesign that is the same or newer as what was used to create the document. Adobe InDesign is unique among the Creative Cloud design tools. You can open an InDesign CC file in CS6, or open an InDesign CC 2014 document using InDesign CC, but it requires a bit of work or some help from a plug-in to open your InDesign files in earlier versions of the application.

Open adobe indesign cc 2017 files