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#1 2008-07-01 2:36 pm
Help converting/opening old FreeHand files
I have a number of old layouts done in FreeHand 3 that I want to update into a new format (tape sleeve to CD booklet type of thing). Problem is I can't open these old, old, old FreeHand 3 files in FreeHand 10...or even in an older version of 8 I have kicking around here.
Is there any way to convert or open these into a newer version of FreeHand so that I can access the content and figure out what fonts were used in them? They weren't archived well so no fonts were included, no notes, so I'm a bit lost and it's going to take forever to track everything down. If I could just open the files they would tell me what fonts are missing and it would make things much, much easier.
Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
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#2 2008-07-01 4:55 pm
- seetomtype
- technically a pro
- From: Seattle
- Registered: 2005-06-21
- Posts: 172
Re: Help converting/opening old FreeHand files
Have you tried opening them in Illustrator CS3? If
I recall, CS3 has Freehand support, but Freehand 3
is a pretty old version. Might be worth a shot if you
have a copy, or know a friend who does.
Prepress, where dreams go to die.
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#3 2008-07-01 7:34 pm
- Jonski
- System Lord
- From: Parts Unknown
- Registered: 2005-02-22
- Posts: 726
Re: Help converting/opening old FreeHand files
I'm surprised you cannot open them is FH8. FH9 is the one that is "supposed" to not be able to open earlier files. Running FH8 in Classic is supposed to work.
I had a identical problem some time ago, but managed to sort it out - Sheepshaver, blah blah blah!
I still have the set-up on a disk partition. Let me know if you want me to try to convert them!!
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#4 2008-07-02 8:14 am
- zoees
- Member
- From: Maryland
- Registered: 2001-08-14
- Posts: 2558
Re: Help converting/opening old FreeHand files
"They weren't archived well so no fonts were included, no notes, so I'm a bit lost and it's going to take forever to track everything down."
If no fonts were included then how will opening them help? Won't whatever program you're going to use just replace them with the default font? Maybe you'll get a warning when you open one and it will tell you what font was used. . .
Good luck.
One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. It is simply too painful to acknowledge even to ourselves that we've been so credulous. -Carl Sagan
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#5 2008-07-02 9:24 am
- user
- Your plastic pal who's fun to be with
- From: I'm not getting you down, am I
- Registered: 2001-10-15
- Posts: 14551
Re: Help converting/opening old FreeHand files
I think he's looking for the font list, so Illustrator may not help (I'm not sure, I haven't tried to open a FH file that's that old). I think my oldest copy of FH is version 2.2 and I skipped 3 and went to 5 after Macromind bought it.
I'd suggest locating a copy of 3 (can't say how here) and run it in Sheepsaver.
Aw, he's no fun, he fell right over.
Unless you become as little children, there's no way you will believe this crap.
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#6 2008-07-05 12:23 am
Re: Help converting/opening old FreeHand files
Illustrator CS3 just says it's an unknown file format. It was worth a shot though.
What I meant by not having the fonts archived was having them collected with the individual projects. I have all of the fonts, I just don't know what each is offhand to look at in my printed samples. The list that pops up in FH when I open files helps.
I found an old copy of FH8 and it seems to open the files ok. I also found this download on this great site:
http://www.freehandsource.com/
http://www.freehandsource.com/_files/_s … 8-fh10.sit
The file has AppleScripts that will convert older files to 8, 9 and 10.
I'm glad FH8 can open these old files. Thanks for the help.
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#7 2008-07-07 2:41 am
- Antonio
- Now with more cowbell!
- From: San Francisco, CA
- Registered: 2007-01-16
- Posts: 520
Re: Help converting/opening old FreeHand files
Ah, the days of Aldus...
“The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents.”
--HP Lovecraft, The Call Of Cthulhu
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#8 2008-07-09 2:05 am
Re: Help converting/opening old FreeHand files
Aldus...holy college flashback.
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#9 2008-07-09 11:42 am
- Antonio
- Now with more cowbell!
- From: San Francisco, CA
- Registered: 2007-01-16
- Posts: 520
Re: Help converting/opening old FreeHand files
Yeah, I learned Freehand during v4, when they were just purchased by Macromedia. I still have the v4 user manuals on my bookshelf, complete with Aldus branding.
“The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents.”
--HP Lovecraft, The Call Of Cthulhu
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#10 2008-07-09 11:51 pm
Re: Help converting/opening old FreeHand files
Classic. Now if only someone would buy FreeHand from Adobe and resurrect the app so that everything in the world would be as it should be.
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#11 2008-07-10 12:58 am
- Antonio
- Now with more cowbell!
- From: San Francisco, CA
- Registered: 2007-01-16
- Posts: 520
Re: Help converting/opening old FreeHand files
I still have the 'Festi Di Pasta" tutorial...
“The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents.”
--HP Lovecraft, The Call Of Cthulhu
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#12 2008-07-10 8:31 am
- user
- Your plastic pal who's fun to be with
- From: I'm not getting you down, am I
- Registered: 2001-10-15
- Posts: 14551
Re: Help converting/opening old FreeHand files
That was the first thing I printed on my brand new $500 Apple Color Stylewriter.
Adobe has already bought and sold Freehand once before. They were made to do that, though, so I doubt they will do it again on their own. Actually, it doesn't make sense that they aren't being made to sell it this time, as the market consolidation situation is even worse.
Aw, he's no fun, he fell right over.
Unless you become as little children, there's no way you will believe this crap.
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#13 2008-07-11 12:57 am
Re: Help converting/opening old FreeHand files
Festi Di Pasta! Holy crap! Hahaha!
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#14 2008-07-11 10:30 pm
- Antonio
- Now with more cowbell!
- From: San Francisco, CA
- Registered: 2007-01-16
- Posts: 520
Re: Help converting/opening old FreeHand files
Haha, yeah 
And when I say Festi Di Pasta tutorial, I mean I have the book (as in the paper-bound Getting Started).
Illustrator is a more powerful program, but there are things you can do in Illustrator which are more easily done in Freehand. I, for one, have always appreciated how Freehand handles gradients.
Maybe Corel could buy it. I like what they've done with Painter.
“The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents.”
--HP Lovecraft, The Call Of Cthulhu
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#15 2008-07-18 12:17 am
Re: Help converting/opening old FreeHand files
I like how FH handled colours and gradients as well...I don't find Illustrator's colour tools intuitive at all or as easy to manipulate as much as FH's were.
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