Working with PSD files in Quark/InDesign
Both Quark and InDesign can import native PSD files. But which one is better at supporting PSD features? Find out at usingindesign.blogspot.com.
Labels: InDesign, Photoshop, PSD, QuarkXPress
Both Quark and InDesign can import native PSD files. But which one is better at supporting PSD features? Find out at usingindesign.blogspot.com.
Labels: InDesign, Photoshop, PSD, QuarkXPress
Strange things are going on in the Quark camp. Find out what's happening.
Labels: InDesign, QuarkXPress
Looking to make the leap from the QuarkXPress dinosaur to the snappy InDesign? Check out this conversion guide.
Labels: Conversion Guide, InDesign, QuarkXPress
Find out about a cool feature for placing multiple images in InDesign.
Labels: Contact Sheet Cascade, css-web, InDesign, InDesign CS4
CS4 Backward Compatibility
CS4 has been around about nine months now and so everyone should’ve upgraded, right? Well, not exactly. The adoption rate has been a little slow this time ‘round, given the economy and for some, a lack of compelling reasons to upgrade. Adobe has been on a spree lately, getting the CS4 word out there and working with their evangelists to create compelling reasons to upgrade.
So let’s say that you did upgrade and now you’re in a situation where you are working with a client that is still in CS3 land. Inevitably, you’ll run into compatibility issues. This article will help you navigate that particular topic.
InDesign
InDesign has had a built-in, cross-product file format since CS2. An INX file is basically an XML file that describes how an InDesign document has been created and all of its linked assets.
In InDesign, when you go to File > Save As, you won’t be able to save down to CS3, you can only save as a CS4 document or template. However, if you go to File > Export, you’ll find the InDesign CS3 Interchange (INX) file format. Export as this file format to send to anyone who’s on CS3.
A word of warning, linked assets and fonts are not bundled with the INX file, so you’ll have to send those along as well. In InDesign CS3, simply go to File > Open and open the InDesign file.
Illustrator
Illustrator has also always featured a cross-compatibility file format in the Illustrator Save Options dialog. You won’t find a Illustrator CS3 option under File > Save As, but you will find multiple formats in the Options dialog.
As you can see, you can go back as far as Illustrator 3.
A little warning here is that some of the transparency effects and the new gradient transparency feature will not be backward-compatible. Also, since Illustrator CS4 supports multiple artboards, opening a file like that in CS3 will be problematic. You may have to save each artboard as a separate file.
Photoshop
Photoshop backward-compatibility is also built-in to the current version of the program. When you save a Photoshop file, you might see this dialog:
You can enable file compatibility options in the File Handling preferences. All you need to do to save the file is choose the Photoshop format from the file format drop-down:
Again, certain features will not be supported in CS3, but a majority of the file will be useable.
Flash
Flash actually does allow you to save down to the CS3 format. Just choose File > Save As and you can use the CS3 file format.
What you’ll lose here is the Motion Tweens you create in CS4 will be translated into Classic Tweens in CS3. ActionScript hasn’t changed much (Flash is still using AS3), so there’s not much to worry about there. Your easing values might be different, since CS4’s Motion Editor is more robust than simple easing in CS3.
Summary
You may find people still on CS2 or on other versions of the Creative Suite. At that point, backward-compatibility becomes more difficult. There may be other approaches of working with older documents. For example, InDesign allows you to place InDesign files and PDF documents. So you may be able to import older files into CS4 as a starting point. Going backwards though, not so easy.
Labels: Creative Suite, Flash, Flash CS4, Illustrator CS4, InDesign, InDesign CS4, Photoshop CS4
There's a great script for InDesign called Layout Zones, which offers functionality similar to that of QuarkXPress's Composition Zones feature. Layout Zones can also do more than Composition Zones. Check it out!
Labels: Composition Zones, InDesign, Layout Zones, QuarkXPress
Application program Help is all over the place on the Mac platform. Sometimes, you'll see the standard OS interface, other times, it will be a proprietary interface, and in Adobe's case (for CS4 that is), it's all web-based.
Labels: Adobe, Flash, Help, Illustrator, InDesign
An interesting article, on IT-Enquirer, reveals that Quark performs better than InDesign in a variety of tasks. The result is that for speed in performance, Quark was faster in 79% of tasks, leaving a paltry 21% for InDesign.
We found that QuarkXPress 7 has better support for design departments where more than one person must be able to control and manage the layout process by offering support for Job Jackets, Composition Zones and sharing colour management elements. In many areas, QuarkXPress 7 also is just faster, supporting the creative process better by including –right within the application– Web and Flash layouts, and the most often needed creative tools and effects.
Labels: Adobe, InDesign, InDesign CS3, Quark, Quark 7, QuarkXPress
Adobe insider, Tim Cole seems to have started a firestorm about InDesign's new transparency effects, in this blog post. He crosses the line between technology and design usability. Anyway, it's a very interesting read.
I went to the Adobe CS3 Creative License conference yesterday at the Hynes convention center in Boston and was splendidly surprised at all the whiz bang of it. Aside from the presentations, they gave us a whole month's worth of training from Lynda.com. Plus, the people at On1 software gave us $400 worth of plug-in software for Photoshop CS3! In our little Adobe bags they also included a DVD version of the video workshop which includes video tutorials for all of the products in the creative suite. Well worth the $79 price for attendance.
Labels: Adobe, After Effects, CS3, Flash, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop