InDesign version 1.0 is the latest suite produced by Adobe. It is a complete paper publishing package and complements GoLive version 1.0 (the web publishing and managing package). One can consider Adobe Acrobat 4 as a "link" between the two suites. InDesign meshes with other Adobe products such as Illustrator and Photoshop. Since I have never used Quark, I cannot compare the two products as has been done in many reviews. I, however, have used two of Adobe's dtp packages, PageMaker and FrameMaker. This initial release of InDesign is not supposed to take the place of Adobe's two other dtp programs.

The system requirements for the window's version of InDesign are: Intel Pentium II or faster processor, (300 MHz or faster recommended) Microsoft NT 4 workstation or later with Service pack 4 or Windows 98 or later operating system, 48 MB of ram installed with 64 recommended, 130 MB or more of available hard disk space for installation, CD-Rom drive, video card that supports 256 colors at 800x600 monitor resolution with 24-bit high resolution display recommended. For postscript printers, PostScript Level 2 or later required, and an internet connection recommended. One can see that these minimum requirements are meant for a professional or production oriented system.

The cost of InDesign is $699; however, Adobe offers a special price of $299 for owners of specified other Adobe products such as PageMaker, Illustrator, and Photoshop. For information, see http://www.adobe.com.

Since InDesign version 1.0 was just released this summer, I believe many people will not know exactly what it does. This program was basically created for high-end graphic designers, production artists, and prepress professionals. It is a whole publishing package that integrates with other Adobe software such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and their other design and layout programs. This program is geared toward allowing the user tremendous creative freedom while also allowing precise productivity control.

I basically did not realize how true the statement was that the proposed users of InDesign were to be high end-users or those with total prepress access. While I found using InDesign to be easy, when it came to printing, my troubles began. Adobe did not pretend that InDesign would work well on a non-postscript printer; I, however, thought that at least I would be able to create a booklet type publication. When I tried on both an Inkjet and a Laser printer, I could not control enough of the features to be able to accomplish it.

After experiencing the above problem, I decided to see if I could print what I call my "calibration file" that is made up of boxes keyed to a third party swatch sheet. I insist that my monitor be set up to reproduce as closely as possible these swatches. Then, I require the same from my printers. Both Photoshop and Illustrator work extremely well. I brought in this "calibration file" from Photoshop. It did not contain embedded profiles. Using the InDesign color default settings, I printed it on my Epson 850. It printed perfectly and matched my swatches, my monitor, and the Photoshop print out very closely.

Documents created in PageMaker 6.5 and QuarkXPress 3.3-4.04 can be easily opened in InDesign. Thus, one does not lose time in tedious conversions.

PDF documents can be exported from InDesign with the controls specified from within InDesign. In addition, Photoshop, Illustrator, and PDF files can be imported in the native format without having to convert them to, TIFF files, for example. These files set up beautifully in InDesign. I could set them up with a low proxy resolution or use the resolution of the native files.

One also does not have to bring a completed piece of art work into InDesign for one can change a graphic by applying a fill, a different color stroke, by rotating or shearing it, etc. Also, clipping paths can be preserved with a graphic import from Photoshop or even created in InDesign.

Basic layout techniques are easy to perform with automatic layout adjustment for resizing, ease of creation of master pages, easy access to character and style sheets, etc. In addition, if one has used any of the Adobe design products such as Illustrator or Photoshop or their layout software such as PageMaker or FrameMaker, the user will find so much that is familiar. This will lessen the learning curve as well as speed up initial productivity.

I always am impressed when a tutorial is easy to follow. The initial InDesign "tour" which comprises chapter one in their thick and informative manual was excellent in making me realize how much of this program I already new having used FrameMaker, Illustrator, and Photoshop extensively. The 3 tutorials (as opposed to the "tour" lesson) were easy to follow being well planned and well written. They were, probably, the best that I have seen in a long time.

Since basic features of the program seemed so intuitive, I thought that I must be missing something when I could not create a table or place a table created in another program. Granted I was able to bring it in using other methods, but I could not bring in the table directly from another program. I decided to see if I had just missed something so I went on the Adobe site and entered their InDesign User Forum. I really was surprised to find that I had not done anything wrong. According to many others, InDesign does not have the table building or importing ability. Thus, while one can create footnotes and endnotes according to the literature, one cannot with this release create tables directly with cell, row, column control, etc.

I, also, discovered that while InDesign will open PageMaker 6.5 files, it will leave out any tables created by Adobe Table 3.0 which is necessary if one wants to create tables in PageMaker 6.5. Since so much advertising utilizes data in the form of tables, I do not understand how this function is absent from this otherwise powerful program.

As a graphic text and layout program it seems to work flawlessly, but I feel that tables should have been an inherent part of its design.

Although the program is geared, according to Adobe, toward "high-end graphic designers, production artists, and prepress professionals," I found the most basic part of the program easier to learn than other layout and design programs. Thus, I feel that the simpler parts extend to a much wider audience and one can adapt the program to many different work situations. If one already owns the appropriate versions of PageMaker, Illustrator, or Photoshop, I believe that this program would be put to good use for anyone doing any type of layout and design work provided that they have a postscript printer or access to one unless they were doing very simple artwork and/or text layouts.

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