Typesetting tool indesign briefly

I. Overview

For domestic MAC and PC ordinary users, the most widely used typesetting software in the prepress design professional field is Adobe's PageMaker, but this does not mean that PageMaker is the best. Quark's QuarkXPress (used in most European countries and regions) and FOUNDER's FIT are better than PageMaker in terms of professional performance, but due to various factors, these two kinds of software are not widely used. . For example, Quark's focus has not always been on China, so the Simplified Chinese MAC version upgrade is slow, and the PC version is rare; while Founder Feiteng (FIT) is mainly used in conjunction with other software developed by Peking University Founder Group, newspaper publishers, etc. Coherent and systematic large objects. In addition, the back-end output of FIT has limitations. That is, FIT's PS file can only be output on the expensive Founder RIP, etc., so ordinary users have to use fast upgrades and convenient output. But PageMaker, which doesn't make the professional happy.

Because PageMaker was originally inherited from Adobe company Aldus, its core technology is relatively old and there are many shortcomings. It is obviously impossible for PageMaker to defeat QuarkXPress for a long period of time in the prepress design professional field. Therefore, Adobe Company has taken another path in 1999. A more powerful typesetting software was released on September 1st of this year. As a counterattack that has been suppressed by Quark in the field of typesetting for 10 years, and it has completely achieved its position as the leader of the desktop publishing system, this innovative typesetting software is InDesign.

Second, InDesign introduction

Adobe's InDesign is a brand-new software that is positioned in the field of professional typography. Although its debut is relatively late, it is more perfect and mature in function.

InDesign is a long-standing company that extracts the essence from a variety of desktop publishing technologies, such as the combination of highly structured program methods such as QuarkXPress and Corel-Ventura (a famous typesetting software from Corel Corp.) and the more natural PageMaker approach. Provides a series of more sophisticated typesetting functions for magazines, books, advertisements and other flexible and complex design work. In particular, this software is based on an innovative, object-oriented open system (allows third parties to carry out secondary development and expansion ), greatly increased the ability of professional designers to express ideas and viewpoints using typesetting tool software. The function is not less powerful than QuarkXPress, and is even more excellent than PageMaker. In addition, Adobe and Gaoxu Group and Kaixuan Technology cooperate to jointly develop Chinese InDesign. The full expansion of InDesign to adapt to the requirements of Chinese typesetting habits, the function of the Founder Group (FOUNDER)'s integrated publishing software Feiteng (FIT), visible, InDesign is indeed unusual.

Third, the advantages of InDesign

The so-called layout design is to arrange well-processed text and graphics through pleasing arrangements for the purpose of achieving prominent themes. Therefore, during the layout, word processing is an important part influencing the creation and efficiency of the work. Whether it is flexible to deal with the text is very critical, InDesign's superiority in this regard is most vividly demonstrated, the following through the layout of the layout of some typical Examples illustrate.

1. The text block has flexible column division function. Generally, in the layout of newspapers, magazines, etc., the placement of the text block is very flexible, and often it is necessary to break the line (that is, it is not necessary to press the auxiliary line of the layout bar). If this is the case, then Independent text blocks cannot be divided into columns, which will affect the layout ideas and efficiency. However, PageMaker does not have this simple and practical function, but it must rely on a series of very tedious steps to achieve: text block first according to the layout column auxiliary column, and then use the "equilibrium field" in the plug-in utility. Flat, and finally into groups to change the size of the text block does not affect the equivalent column width and so on. InDesign, on the other hand, has a flexible columning function, which stands alone on the same level as QuarkXPress and FIT, which have been stronger than PageMaker.

2. The text in the text block and the text block has a magical color filling and bordering function. InDesign can fill the text in the text block with a solid color or a gradient color, and can also give the text a random rough or gradient color. side. At the same time, this text block can also be given a solid color or gradient background, text block border can be arbitrarily thick solid color or gradient color border, so cumbersome steps, InDesign with its fast features can be achieved at one go, and PageMaker single Relying on its "text background" function is impossible, even with the help of other software, even QuarkX-Press can only look back. In particular, the function of the gradient color of the text in the text block and the text block, only the FIT can compete with it.

3. The text size in the text block changes flexibly. When we perform the layout, we often encounter some special emphasis on certain texts in a text block, such as size, length, and so on. InDesign provides you with This convenient feature. InDe-sign allows the text within the text block to change size in the XY axis direction and can be arbitrarily tilted, while the text in the PageMaker text block can only change in the X axis direction, and it cannot tilt. What's even more amazing is that the whole text block in InDesign can be zoomed in and out with the “zoom key” (where the text is also zoomed in and out accordingly). This drawing software has unique features introduced by InDesign, which greatly reduces the change in layout due to layout changes. Workload improves work efficiency. But PageMaker can only catch the eye, honestly re-arranged layout from the size of the font change, time-consuming and laborious.

4. The text of the text block is more freely controlled in terms of spacing. Generally, when the text is arranged, the last line of the last column of the text block cannot always be flush with the last line of the front column, and the adjustment may be required at this time. Tracking is achieved. InDesign's text kerning can be easily adjusted by setting any value, which is very quick and easy. Is it because I have this flexible kerning feature that has caused InDesign not to include the "professional kerning" feature that is unique to PageMaker? PageMaker, on the other hand, has only five levels of control, making it clumsy. In addition, InDesign also performed well in terms of Kerning, Word spacing, and Letter Spacing, and it also innovated the "single-line/multi-line structure" function to ensure that the text was arranged beautifully.

5. The regular rectangular frame of the text block can be freely changed. If we need special shape of the text block in the layout, InDesign will allow you to use “direct” in addition to several rounded corners and chamfered rectangles. The "Tools of Choice" and "Bezier" tools are based on the default rectangular block of text to make more creative shape changes that truly make you "want to get what you want." This feature does not even think about PageMaker, even QuarkXPress is not so convenient.

6. Has the artistic effect text in the drawing software --- arranges the text along the path, in order to match the layout need to want to change a pattern for the text, InDesign only uses “Bezier tool” to draw your favorite curve, then along Curve alignment text can be easily implemented in InDesign. And PageMaker must go to other software to implement, if the modification is very troublesome, it will affect the work efficiency.

7. The text in the text block can be converted to graphics. After the layout is sent to the output center output, if there is no corresponding True Type word or PS word in the output center, the InDesign text-to-graphics function can come in handy. This unique feature of the drawing software is once again being used for typesetting software. PageMaker can only use other software to complete this task. Through the above examples, it can be seen that the comparison of word processing, InDesign performance is old and mature, and PageMaker is a bit old-fashioned.

8.InDesgn other features, InDesign also has many painting, drawing software features and their own unique features, greatly facilitate the user. E.g:

1InDesign can feather, shadow, and transparent images, eliminating steps that can be implemented in Photoshop.

2InDesign draws on Photoshop's "pipette tool", which provides a lot of convenience for quickly viewing and copying colors.

3InDesign's "Bezier tool" and "freelance pen", its mapping capabilities and CorelDRAW and other mapping software comparable, so that the need to go to another software drawing to save the hassle;

4InDesign palette can drag the CMYK control strip to get the color you want, so that the user can choose the color of the design more quickly and so on.

5InDesign's magical multiple UNDO and REDO features improve the flexibility of the user's product design. PageMaker only once, and even some operations are not even once.

6InDesign's "Restore" feature allows you to automatically recover your last operation in the event of a system failure, which greatly reduces the accidental loss.

7InDesign integrates a variety of key technologies, including images, fonts, and color management technologies that are now owned by all Adobe professional software. Through these programs Adobe provides the industry's first ability to achieve consistent screen and print capabilities;

8InDesign has extensive support for PDF, can directly store PDF format, without the need to pass Acrobat Distiller the same intermediate program, which has clear advantages for the future when PDF is completely standard. PageMaker is even more obsolete in these areas, and gradually aging PageMaker can only be repositioned into the business typesetting market, competing with Microsoft's Publisher. There are many advantages similar to the above, which are not illustrated here. In summary, InDesign's outstanding advantages in typesetting software are not in doubt. It is an inevitable trend that InDesign replaces PageMaker to become the mainstream of professional software in the professional field.

Reprinted from: Printed in China