Adobe InDesign/InDesign for Mac?

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Expert: InDesign Pro - 3/3/2009


Question
Sorry in advance for the basicness of this question!   I started in publishing
when Corel was Ventura Publishing and ASCII was the method.  I've been out
of publishing for a long time and know little about it now.   However, I was
recently asked by a friend wanting to publish a book if I could turn some
AppleWorks manuscripts into PDF/X-1a documents for Lightning Source and
do some color covers.  Frankly I didn't know what a PDF/X-1a was till I went
to the library.  But, I'm willing to take a stab at the project.

I own a Mac OS x 10.4.11 and a PC windows XP.   The manuscripts are
currently written on the AppleWorks program.   I prefer working on Macs
because it's easier for me to learn their software.  But all the websites I've
looked at seem to be geared toward people that use MS so, not much help
there.

Can you possibly tell me what software I should buy to do the project on a
Mac?  Some people have told me to get InDesign CS4 and then Distill through
Adobe 6 or higher.  But maybe the answer is just to refer my friend to a
designer.  I appreciate your thoughts.

Answer

Adobe InDesign CS4
Hi Sophie, and thanks for the question.

Well, I'm a long-time Mac user and have been using InDesign since version 1.0.

As for the platform you choose, InDesign is virtually identical on a Mac and PC. And its documents are completely cross-platform, including the Open Type fonts that ship with it.

I have used AppleWorks a bit, but I'm not as familiar with it and how any older documents would fit into today's workflow. If you have a manuscript you'd like to import into InDesign, I would try to export it as rich text (.rtf) if possible.

That said, taking on a program like InDesign can be daunting. It is a very powerful, and therefor, complex program that can take years to learn to its full potential.

I'm not sure the full extent of this project, but learning InDesign properly isn't a part-time job. If your friend is looking for something that will put a lot of pressure on you, it might be best to hand this one off to someone else and keep your friendship intact.

Hope this helps. If you do choose to take it on, feel free to send me all your questions and I'll do my best to get you through it.

Good luck!

Scott  
    Questioner's Rating
    Rating(1-10)Knowledgeability = 10Clarity of Response = 10Politeness = 10
    CommentVery helpful answer. He gave me some excellent ideas, and advice.


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InDesign Pro

Expertise

As a professional graphic designer, I use Adobe InDesign every day and can answer all of your InDesign-related questions. I will give you easy-to-understand and precise answers, along with many tips and tricks to save you time while working on every project. I have spent years helping beginners learn InDesign, as well as helping professionals master the many features of the world's most powerful page-layout software. Thank-you for your submissions. Please include your operating system (e.g., Mac OS X 10.5.x) and InDesign version (e.g., InDesign CS4) with your questions. Thanks!

Experience

After starting my design career using QuarkXPress and PageMaker for many years, the release of InDesign instantly caught my eye. Being one of the reasons for Adobe buying Aldus, I knew this would change the publishing world very quickly. I started using InDesign's first release and haven't looked back. I have dedicated my work and much of my spare time using InDesign to its fullest—and it's paid off. My workflow is quicker, my computer runs smoother, and my files print cleaner and without problem.

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