Layout Programs: What do you use?

[Prest0]

MS Word for writing and editing (the "track changes" function is ideal for collaborative work)
InDesign CS for layout
Photoshop CS for art
Acrobat 6.0 for the obvious

 

[mikedidthis]

I split my layout time between Quark 4.0 and InDesign 2.0. on my Mac. I prefer InDesign overall (native pdf export is a big plus), but more often than not, either one will fit the project's needs.

For single page stuff (posters, flyers, etc.) I prefer Illustrator (still using version 9). Very often, though, I'm jumping between the layout program, Illustrator, and Photoshop to make a project work.

I'll be making the upgrade to Adobe's Creative Suite and Mac OS X in a couple of weeks, so I'll probably be using InDesign more and more. Just can't rationalize the upgrade cost for Quark when InDesign will do most everything I need.

 

[HellHound]

For ENP products:

Dextra & I both use Quark XPress 5 on our PCs (and my laptop, while working on the road).
Duncan uses Indesign (not sure what edition)
I'm not sure what Eric uses.

 

[Marius Delphus]

I'm not sure what Eric uses.

InDesign 2, Photoshop 7, Illustrator 10, and Acrobat Professional 6.0.

What Kiln said. I wouldn't do what I do without Acro Pro 6, for the file optimizing/shrinking capability as mentioned.

I have, in the past, had access to ID/PS/IL CS (my employer purchased a copy of Creative Suite Standard for my work machine), but that machine died and I haven't been brave enough to try authenticating CS to the backup machine. I SO want to fiddle with the layered PDF thing, but I don't think I'll have CS up and running before it's time to get my next project underway.

I have also, in the past, used PageMaker (cut my teeth on 4.2 for the Mac) and Quark 5, but after using InDesign I've gotten quite rusty at both. I've tinkered with Microsoft Publisher (I perfected my 2nd Edition character sheet in it in '99, but I'm sure I didn't use the program optimally).

At my real job, I use Microsoft Word to lay out documents, but only because I'm forced to. If it were a person, I'd get into fistfights with it daily. That and the rest of the MS Office suite. I've been itching to have a really good go at OpenOffice, but time and tide....

 

[morrigan]

Layout

At Morrigan we use: InDesign CS, Photoshop 8, Illustrator 10, Acrobat Professional 6.0 and usually do the writing in Word.

I find InDesign MUCH more user friendly than Quark.

 

[Roger]

I use good old Notepad (bare-bones text editor) for composition, editing, note-taking, etc. MS Word for layout. The Windows version of Ghostscript (GSView32) for conversion into pdf format. A little bit of hand-tweaking of the pdfmark source here and there.


..Roger

 

[JVisgaitis]

Indesign 2, Photoshop 7, and Painter 8 on a Mac. I have most of the other programs mentioned (Pagemaker, Quark, Illustrator, Freehand, etc.), but these are the 3 we use for almost everything.

 

[lmpjr007]

Indesign 2, Photoshop 7, and Painter 8 on a Mac. I have most of the other programs mentioned (Pagemaker, Quark, Illustrator, Freehand, etc.), but these are the 3 we use for almost everything.

How do you like Painter 8?

 

[Dimwhit]

You're gonna love the switch to InDesign on a Mac. I'm using InDesign 2/Photoshop 7 on a Mac.

 

[lmpjr007]

You're gonna love the switch to InDesign on a Mac. I'm using InDesign 2/Photoshop 7 on a Mac.

We had Adobe come in the office and show off what InDesign can do. Very Impressive.