Saving back files from Adobe CS3 to CS2

[rin]

We have several stations at our print shop. Our 2 prepress stations are always having to save back Adobe CS3 files to older CS2 versions because our other 3 copy stations don't have the upgrade. Our boss won't spend the money to upgrade them, but it's cutting into our prepress time. Is there any way that we can make a hot folder or something that can automatically save back those files? Any ideas?

[Franknater]

We've got that situation here. As the boss/owner how much money he can spend for reprinting errors. Our owner bought 3 more licenses. I have warned them of using CS2 files in CS3. In three days, two near misses. PMS changed and some fonts shifted.

It's like, "HURRY! I NEED TO PUT THIS ON PRESS, BECAUSE IT DELIVERS TODAY. DON'T SHOW ANOTHER PROOF!" Yet...we seem to have plenty of time to reprint it.

Frank

[Sequoyah Graphics]

If you have at least one good working install of IDCS3, you can export the file to a press quality pdf, and PLACE it into IDCS2 (there are scripts for placing multi page pdfs into ID). This allows the for the final output to be done from the workstations with only IDCS2, but you will not be able to do any edits in CS2.

I am using this work around to solve a "jumbled type problem" as described in this thread:

http://www.adobeforums.com/webx/.3c05c472/2

Al

[rin]

The boss just doesn't want to spend the money to upgrade the other 3 stations. Their stations only output large format prints and color/bw copies, so accurate pantone matching hasn't been a problem.

Whether I save it back to CS2 or export to pdf doesn't really solve the problem of it taking up our time. I was looking to find something that they could use themselves, like a hot folder, so that they can do it instead of us having to stop our work and change their files.

[Sequoyah Graphics]

Well, maybe you should time yourself for how long it takes to do it for the next ten occurrences or so, and compare that time costs to the upgrade costs.

Al

[DavidMa]

any hot folder or script fix would still need to access the application that created the source file, so it would still tie up your only working copy of CS3.

[Vee]

Bingo DavidMa!!

You could buy an automation program like Switch, but it would cost more than upgrading the 3 workstations! I'd time it too, and report your time to the upper powers. Tell them to put a price on it vs/ upgrading.

[William Campbell]

From CS3 export an "InDesign Exchange Document." (.inx)

Open that in CS2. Reliabilty is dependent on CS3 features used that do not exist in CS2. If none, documents move backwards fine in most cases. As others note, the better solution is to upgrade other copies.