What are the bare minimum tools for editing pages for export for PDF? Can I use MS Word or OfficeWriter to do most of what I would need to, or will I end up pulling out my hair trying to insert simple graphics? What would be a good, basic, easy to use tool if I wanted to move past the word processor?
I don't know about OfficeWriter, but you're asking for hair pulling with Word. It really depends, though, on just how crazy you'd like to go. The Le used to swear by using Word to do all his work, but I found it problematic to what I wanted when I tried it years ago. You have very little control over image colour (particularly if you have CMYK and RGB files combined) and I had a nasty time with fonts.
I use Xara Xtreme Pro 4.0 for all my designs, page layout and RPG maps. There is a "non-Pro" version for only $49 I think, however you can download it for 2 week free trial that is fully functional.
Xara is more like a desktop publishing app combined with a vector drawing tool and a page layout program. Something akin to CorelDraw or Illustrator. Much more powerful, fully featured and easy to use.
I never use strictly word processing programs, they are so limited and forces you down their limited path which isn't very flexible.
There are many other apps like Xara Xtreme, but that's just one I'm overly familiar with...
By the way, I am a pro graphic designer, I use Xara in my dayjob.
You can make do with Word. IME, you'll be spending more time fighting Word to get it to do what you want than you will doing what you want, but you can make do. Word 2007 can Save As PDF (you may have to download a free add-in from Microsoft first), or (if you don't have Word 2007 or want to check out other options) there are other free PDF "printer" programs out there that will do the trick.
Let me recommend the following for inserting graphics: use a single-cell table, set Text Wrapping to Around, make sure the left and right cell margins are 0.08", and line it up against either the left or right margin. Paste your graphic in the table and make sure Text Wrapping is set "In Line with Text."
The table procedure has always been, for me, the easiest way to get a graphic to stay more or less in place in Microsoft Word. There are more stable ways, but they are one or more orders of magnitude more difficult and unwieldy.
As far as the actual writing, IME, you need to first seize control of Word through the AutoCorrect dialog box... most of the options in the "AutoFormat" and "AutoFormat as You Type" tabs should be turned off. (In Word 2007, go to Word Options > Proofing.) After you've done that, you should be able to boss Word around more easily, including (drumroll)....
Paragraph Styles.
Seriously, they're that important. Trying to reformat a document where every paragraph style is Normal + (local formatting) is a hair-pulling nightmare. You'll thank yourself later.
[EDIT] Leaving aside graphics production/editing/whatever, all my work for EN Publishing is accomplished with Word and Adobe InDesign. In my day job I am generally required to stick with Word from beginning to end. [/EDIT]
Well, I've performed some experiments. It appears that the new Word as well as OfficeWriter are both pretty handy. I had some problems with my first few attempts, until I realized I was doing something stupid (instead of lorem ipsum or a random file or something sensible, I was using random keystrokes, and since I forget to insert spaces like ordinary text, it wasn't wrapping because it was all one big nonsense word, ha).
It also appears that setting an image as a background allows some quick and dirty layout for the cover page, and it's not that dirty if you use paragraph formatting to position the text.
Also, I learned that OfficeWriter can do some very convincing graphics transforms that make a picture look like a painting.
Probably not so helpful for the average tight budget small publisher, but I use Xara Xtreme Pro 4.0. Although a $50 version exists, to get the full word processing capability you need the Pro version for $249 - which is the primary app I use for most of my professional, cartographic and page layout needs.
Even less helpful, is that I'm one of those artsy kind of designers who cannot stand most word processing apps because they format margins and force conventions in using art placement in their documents - that I hate using those types of apps.
I prefer a drawing tool/page layout program, because I have total control of setting margins, including graphics or creating quality graphics from the within the application itself. I want total controll and word processors force their control, so I never use them (except when printing other peoples work created in those apps) - I never create with them.
Creating multipage PDFs is available in both the Pro and lower cost version, but the Pro version has all sorts of word processing functions built in that make it more versatile for my needs. Plus I use it for work anyway, so I can justify a $250 software purchase moreso than the average guy.
Good luck in finding your perfect solution - I've already got mine.
Let me recommend the following for inserting graphics: use a single-cell table, set Text Wrapping to Around, make sure the left and right cell margins are 0.08", and line it up against either the left or right margin. Paste your graphic in the table and make sure Text Wrapping is set "In Line with Text."
Thanks so much for the great answer and links.
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