Expert: Kevin Stohlmeyer - 6/16/2008

Question
QUESTION: Dear Kevin

I've an 80-paged children book to create. There'll be lots of words and coloured drawings for the book. Please advise which is the best adobe software for my book. I was told by one of the printer's staff that to be ideal for printing I shld. use Adobe Illustrator CS3, use CMYK, and scan images in .TIFF. If I'm scanning b/w sketches I'll need to bucket fill with colours, I'll also be needing to draw directly on the page to save time. I'll need auto numberings for the pages too. I've never used AI before. A friend told me Adobe InDesign is a better choice. What do you think ?

ANSWER: Hi Sally,

InDesign is a page layout program and Illustrator is for line drawings and technical illustration. If you are scanning sketches in to color, I would personally use Photoshop, then place them in InDesign. InDesign is not meant for adjusting images, but you can do your auto numbering and text layout in it.

I would recommend buying the CS3 Design Standard Package. You get Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop in one package and is cheaper than buying two separate programs.

Thanks

Kevin

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Kevin again

Thanks for your reply. I'll get the CS3 Design Standard Package you recommended but can you tell me if I should use Illustrator or InDesign for my book ? Which one would be closest to errr maybe like Microsoft Words :P that's easy to type with auto numbering & drawing with colours? Are you saying that there's no auto numbering in AI ? cos if that's the case I do wonder why the staff asked me to go my project in AI ?? I'll be buying a graphics tablet too for the direct drawing onscreen & will be refilling colours to save time. Which is the best of the 3 to use since I'll've all 3 on my pc. Sorry I'm a first timer in this. Thanks in advance.

Sally

Answer
Use InDesign for typing and laying out the pages. Illustrator does not have a multiple page function. Im not sure why they directed you to Illustrator, it is a much more technical program.

You will use Photoshop to retouch your scans and it works great with your graphics tablet.

Thanks

Kevin