Layout Software

[ProfessorPain]

I am getting into publishing and want to do the layout work myself. Can anyone recommend the best layout software out there that is also affordable? Any that I should avoid? Our products will be print, not PDF, if that makes any difference.

 

[Urizen]

I am getting into publishing and want to do the layout work myself. Can anyone recommend the best layout software out there that is also affordable? Any that I should avoid? Our products will be print, not PDF, if that makes any difference.

Some programs are out there there are free, such as open office. Though not traditinally layout software, you can create pdfs in it.

I've never used it.

I use Adobe INdesign. It's certainly not the most affordable program out there, but it's the industry standard, hands down the best you'll find.

Other people like quark. I've used it very infrequently, and it's not a bad program. I can't speak for the price though.

 

[ProfessorPain]

Some programs are out there there are free, such as open office. Though not traditinally layout software, you can create pdfs in it.

I've never used it.

I use Adobe INdesign. It's certainly not the most affordable program out there, but it's the industry standard, hands down the best you'll find.

Other people like quark. I've used it very infrequently, and it's not a bad program. I can't speak for the price though.

Thanks for the advice Urizen. I saw an ad for Adobe INdesign CS4 at 700$. Is it easy to use. A friend of mine recommended Quark, but he is in marketing for the security industry, so I expect he has much different needs. Do you have a specific reason for not using Quark tha much?

 

[Urizen]

Thanks for the advice Urizen. I saw an ad for Adobe INdesign CS4 at 700$. Is it easy to use. A friend of mine recommended Quark, but he is in marketing for the security industry, so I expect he has much different needs. Do you have a specific reason for not using Quark tha much?

I haven't had any problems at all using it, BUT I also new something about photoshop before I started doing layout, and the photoshop/indesign interfaces are similar, so it was easy for me to pick it up.

If you've never done layout/graphic design ever, then there will probably be a learning curve, but there are plenty of books you can pickup that will help you. I personally recommend the "Adobe INdesign Classroom in a book" Books.

They'll teach you everything you need to know about layout using adobe INdesign.

 

[Urizen]

Do you have a specific reason for not using Quark tha much?

Missed this part.

Ehh... I just didn't like the interface. I didn't think it was as easy to work with as INdesign is, especially with things like table creation (pretty much a mandatory thing to know for rpg work) and indexing.

 

[fissionessence]

I've also worked with both Quark and InDesign. I prefer InDesign as well (and it's what I use), but, without checking, I don't think there's that much difference in their price (is there?)

Also, if you're only making stuff for print, I'm pretty sure you still have to generate a pdf. So while you might not have to worry about things like bookmarks and in-document linking, you still need a pdf to send off to the printer. (Then again, the printer might be able to generate a pdf based on a workfile you send them.) Either way, it doesn't help that much since exporting to pdf format is the easiest part of the layout process

~

 

[The Black Kestrel]

I've just recently become interested in DTP software and if you're on a budget or simply don't want to spend $700 on InDesign I'd suggest checking out Scribus which is an open-source, free DTP program. It's probably not nearly as polished as InDesign or Quark there is the advantage of cost along with a decent tutorial.

 

[ProfessorPain]

I've also worked with both Quark and InDesign. I prefer InDesign as well (and it's what I use), but, without checking, I don't think there's that much difference in their price (is there?)

~

The price difference was about one hundred dollars cheaper for InDesign against Quark Express.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Quark was traditionally the king of layout design programs. Adobe had Pagemaker.

Indesign killed both of them and took their stuff.

 

[afstanton]

Quark was traditionally the king of layout design programs. Adobe had Pagemaker.

Indesign killed both of them and took their stuff.

Fortunately for Adobe, they had not only PageMaker, but InDesign.