Why convert AFPUB to IDML?
People want .afpub as .IDML so an Adobe InDesign user or other DTP app can reopen an editable layout, since IDML is the neutral InDesign Markup interchange format. Affinity imports IDML but never exports it, so a PDF-based bridge is required.
How to convert AFPUB to IDML
Affinity PDF export + PDFMarkz EASIEST
In Affinity choose File > Export and pick PDF (for print), then open that .pdf in Markzware PDFMarkz and save it as .idml.
PDFMarkz SE (Windows)
On Windows, use PDFMarkz SE to convert the exported .pdf into .idml, which then opens in InDesign, QuarkXPress or back into Affinity Publisher.
PDFMarkz InDesign plug-in
With InDesign open, use the Markzware > Convert PDF Document command to turn the Affinity-exported PDF into an editable InDesign file.
About these formats
An .afpub file is a page-layout document created by Affinity Publisher, Serif's desktop publishing app (now owned by Canva). It stores an entire publication in one file: pages, master…
Open .AFPUB details →
.IDML
Adobe InDesign Markup Language
An IDML file is an Adobe InDesign page layout saved in InDesign Markup Language, an open XML-based interchange format introduced in 2008. Open it in Adobe InDesign (File → Open, then save…
Open .IDML details →Quality & what to watch
- Because the bridge is a PDF, the conversion rebuilds the layout rather than copying native Affinity structure, so text threading and styles often need manual fixes.
- PDFMarkz is paid third-party software; there is no free, reliable afpub-to-IDML path.
- Fonts, spacing and complex effects can shift, so always proofread the resulting IDML against the original.
