Comments on: Does Anyone Use InDesign Alternatives?

By: reqnqww

reqnqww — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:29:14 +0000

By: Pebbles

Pebbles — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 04:21:18 +0000

Wow! That\’s a rellay neat answer!

By: -

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 10:44:36 +0000

used student version of q6 in 2001. worked fine for simple results (paste blocks of text from word processor: shape and position around a large image.)
if indesig ui resembles ps horrifically poor ui, i’d avoid indesign.
haven’t tried scribus, only because don’t yet have need.

sketchup layout2 is sluggish, for arch-e sheet. I also tried ooo3, but fine positioning apparently requires an obscure method (which i suppose I’ll research if/when i need to use…)

btw, the curved corners on this textarea, cause a false “empty line” at top, and the need for a horiz scroll at bottom seems silly..

By: Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:53:06 +0000

I just came across this thread. I started with Pagemaker back in 1987 – using a Mac. Then in the early 90’s onto Quark, then switched to InDesign 100% with version 2.

I upgraded Quark as far as version 6.5, and have used Q2ID from Markswarez since then for opening post 6.5 files.

By: Chad

Chad — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:57:31 +0000

As much as I love InDesign (CS2, CS3 expert), I’m infatuated with Apple’s Pages. And, actually, I use it a lot. It lacks InDesign’s finer controls (nested styles, variables, GREP, libraries.), for sure. But it is intuitive, fast, produces sharable/editable documents, and prints well. I don’t trust it with big production jobs. But for smaller to mid-sized work (posters, reports, ) it does just fine. Right now, I see it as more of a companion to InDesign (InDesign lite) than an alternative or replacement. That said, I haven’t upgraded to CS3, in part, because Pages is doing a good job for me and solid CS3 is there when needed.

I think what stands out for me in Pages is the Styles drawer. It’s a great visual cue to the styles in your document. It’s so easy to use, I’ve taught others to use it. I think another great advantage is that you can have a more fluid workflow in an all Mac or Mac-dominated shop. I can style a draft document, show editors how to maintain styles, clean it up, send it back to them when they inevitably need to make changes, and finalize it without excess reflowing, importing.

Pages use of Captured pages pales in comparison to Master pages. No nested styles is heartbreaking. Complex layering of objects with transparency is not recommended. It’s no replacement. But it does it’s job well.

By: Kenny

Kenny — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:07:20 +0000

I only use Quark for the customers that can’t seem to go with the flow and spend a few bucks to use a more up to date program. Quark is new Pagemaker.

By: Andy

Andy — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:35:10 +0000

Since the 80’s I’ve used about all of the commercial programs. Made the jump to ID1 when it came out and haven’t regretted it. Still have to deal with Quark on occasion. Got my present company to switch to Indesign (II at the time) and was so much more productive it forced our sister company to make the switch. One that worked well and I liked in the early days was Personal Press by Silicon Beach. Generally had always prefered Pagemaker over Quark. Never liked Quark’s interface.

By: federico platon

federico platon — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 08:33:57 +0000

>Then check out Deep Purple on September 15th!

IS this the name for an InDesign Conference in Madrid?

Or a special presentation for the “deep purple” icon InDesign, plus the “light orange” icon Illustrator performing as an opening act, all backed up by “deep blue” Photoshop all-star supergroup?

(And yes, the Jaguar car TV spot theme they wrote takes me back to late sixties, when the desktop publishing was not even dreamed of)

By: susan mathews

susan mathews — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:31:03 +0000

I have used QuarkXPress since version 3, now on version 8. I have tried ID in the past, and it just could not do what Quark could. But now in version 8 i HATE what they did to the tools. Very inconvenient. So I may have to try ID again.

By: F vd Geest

F vd Geest — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:29:41 +0000

>I’m a graphic designer in Madrid

Then check out Deep Purple on September 15th!