Designers often find themselves needing to move work from Adobe InDesign to Figma — whether for a team collaboration shift, a new client's toolstack, or simply to take advantage of Figma's prototyping and real-time collaboration features. The problem? InDesign and Figma don't speak the same language natively.

Traditionally, migrating an InDesign document meant manually rebuilding every frame, text block, and image in Figma — a process that could take hours or days on complex layouts. Today, that's no longer necessary. With the pdf.to.design Figma plugin, you can import your InDesign files as fully editable Figma layers in just a few clicks.

This guide walks you through the complete process, from export to editing.

From InDesign to Figma — Quick Guide

1. Export your InDesign file as a PDF
2. Run pdf.to.design in Figma
3. Drop your PDF into the plugin
4. Hit “Import”
5. Your InDesign file is converted into fully-editable Figma designs!

Why move from InDesign to Figma?

Adobe InDesign excels at print-ready and long-form layout work — brochures, books, magazines, and multi-page documents. Figma, on the other hand, dominates in UI/UX design, digital publishing, and collaborative design workflows.

Common reasons designers make the switch:

• Team collaboration: Figma's multiplayer editing lets entire teams work in the same file simultaneously.
• Prototyping: Figma has native prototyping and interactive component features not available in InDesign.
• Developer handoff: Figma integrates directly with developer workflows via plugins like Inspect and Dev Mode.
• Client feedback: Clients can leave comments directly on Figma frames without needing an Adobe account.

If your project originated in InDesign but now needs to live in Figma, here's exactly how to make that move.

How to move designs from Adobe InDesign to Figma

Here’s a straightforward approach to quickly migrate your work from InDesign to Figma:

1. Export your InDesign file as a PDF

Since Figma cannot open .indd files directly, you'll first need to export your InDesign document as a PDF. The PDF format acts as a universal bridge, preserving your layout, typography, images, and vector elements.

How to export from InDesign:

1. Open your InDesign file.
2. Go to File → Export.
3. Choose Adobe PDF (Interactive) for digital designs, or Adobe PDF (Print) for print-accurate layouts.
4. Configure basic export settings (resolution, colour profile, pages to include).
5. Click Export and save the PDF to an accessible location.

ℹ️ Pro tip: If your document uses custom fonts, make sure they are embedded in the PDF during export. This ensures pdf.to.design can detect and map them accurately in Figma.

2. Open the pdf.to.design plugin in Figma

The pdf.to.design plugin is available for free in the Figma Community.

1. Inside Figma, open the file where you want your InDesign content to appear.
2. Go to the bottom toolbar→Plugins & widgets
3. Search for "pdf.to.design".
4. Click Run to launch the plugin.

Alternatively, visit pdf.to.design directly for a link to the plugin page.

3. Upload or drag-and-drop your PDF

With the plugin open, you have two options:

• Click to upload — use the file browser to locate your PDF.
• Drag-and-drop — drag the PDF file directly into the plugin window.

The plugin supports PDFs of any length, making it suitable for everything from single-page flyers to 100-page catalogues.

4. Choose “Import as editable layers”

Once your PDF is uploaded, you’ll see different options for import. Select “Import as editable layers” to ensure that text, shapes and other elements remain fully editable in Figma.

5. Map missing fonts and select pages to import

If the PDF contains fonts not installed in your Figma environment, the plugin gives you the option to map these fonts to available alternatives. Additionally, you can choose specific pages to import, which is especially useful for multi-page documents.

6. Edit your InDesign files in Figma

Once you’re done, your designs that were once in Adobe InDesign will now appear in Figma as fully editable layers. You can refine, collaborate and prototype with the same ease as a natively created Figma project.

Give it a try!

Moving from Adobe InDesign to Figma no longer means starting from scratch. With the pdf.to.design plugin, what once took hours of manual rebuilding now takes minutes. Export your InDesign file as a PDF, drop it into the plugin, choose editable layers, and your layout arrives in Figma ready to refine, collaborate on, and prototype with.

Whether you're migrating a single brochure or transitioning an entire design library, this workflow keeps your creative momentum intact — and keeps the focus where it belongs: on the design, not the process.

Try pdf.to.design for free →

FAQ

Can I open an InDesign file directly in Figma? No — Figma does not natively support .indd files. The best approach is to export your InDesign document as a PDF first, then import it into Figma using the pdf.to.design plugin.

Will my fonts transfer from InDesign to Figma? Fonts embedded in the PDF will be detected by pdf.to.design. If a font isn't available in your Figma environment, the plugin lets you map it to an alternative. For best results, ensure the same fonts are installed in your system or are available via Google Fonts.

Does pdf.to.design support multi-page InDesign documents? Yes. You can import all pages at once or select specific pages during the import process. Each page becomes an individual frame in Figma.

Is the pdf.to.design plugin free? The plugin comes with 5 free imports per month (up to 3 pages each). For unlimited imports, larger documents or advanced features, a paid plan is available.

What's the difference between "Interactive" and "Print" PDF export in InDesign? "Interactive" PDF preserves hyperlinks and is better suited for digital use. "Print" PDF embeds fonts more reliably and often produces crisper vector output. For Figma imports, either can work — test both if you're getting inconsistent results.