Computing & Technology

Adobe InDesign

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Adobe InDesign CS5 Box shot

InDesign is the successor to PageMaker, the original desktop publishing software program. It is a page layout software program available as a standalone package or in some of the editions of the Adobe Creative Suite. Dubbed the "Quark Killer" early on, it really started to live up to its name a few versions later. Adobe InDesign CS5 and CS4 are the versions in widespread use as of 2012 with CS6 just being released in early 2012.

The editions of CS5 and CS6 containing InDesign:

Design Standard (5 & 6)
Design Premium (5)
Design & Web Premium (6)
Master Collection (5 & 6)
Creative Cloud (6)

CS5 Features:

Key features of Adobe InDesign CS5 as listed by Adobe:

Enhanced cross-media publishing
Enhanced integration with Adobe design, web, and digital reading applications
Enhanced productivity tools including "smart guides, rapid table creation, multiple-file placement, the ability to create pages of different sizes in a single file, and streamlined object selection and editing."
Enhanced text composition including "styles, text wrap, the Paragraph Composer, OpenType® support, and drop caps. Include headlines that span or split columns without a separate text frame."
Enhanced creative tools such as "integrated drawing tools, built-in Adobe Photoshop effects, finer transparency controls, and support for 3D Photoshop artwork."
Enhanced preflighting and production
Automation, InDesign Markup Language (IDML, an XML-based file format), and tight integration between InDesign CS5 and Adobe InCopy® CS5 software for collaboration.

CS6 Features:

Key features of Adobe InDesign CS6 as listed by Adobe:

Liquid Layout automatically adapts content when you change the layout, such as new page size or orientation.
Alternate Layout lets you design for different devices all in the same file.
Link content within or across documents so a change in one updates the others.
Content Collector tools make it easier to gather up content from one document to reuse in another.
Create form fields within InDesign before export to PDF.
Split window view for side-by-side comparison of layouts in same document.
Middle Eastern language support, Persistent text frame fitting option, Grayscale preview, Recently used fonts at top of font list, Pages panel enhancements, Grayscale PDF export, Export to PNG, enhancements to several other features.

Using InDesign:

To learn more about Adobe InDesign (along with comparisons to QuarkXPress), browse the reader comments here:

QuarkXPress 8 - Will You Upgrade or Switch? (much discussion of InDesign)
QuarkXPress vs. InDesign for Speedy Production

Explore Adobe InDesign Tutorials and Training along with Best Places to Find InDesign Tutorials and Design Projects Using InDesign.

Buying InDesign:

Buy Direct links go to the Adobe Store - North America but you can access International Stores from there. Upgrade links are for upgrades from previous versions of InDesign or from the corresponding CS3 suite editions. Upgrade prices and eligibility will vary for upgrades from other single products, older editions of the Creative Suite, or from one edition to another.

InDesign CS5 for Windows.