Conceptual - is ID the right tool?

[buckwheatphd]

I looked around first, but still have a nagging [newbie] question.

I typically have long docs, probably min 30 pages, max up to 500. Headers, footers, TOCs, indexes, some footnotes, diagrams, tables etc. I use a Mac. Word REALLY gets on my nerves. OpenO is ok, so is NeoOffice but even they act up with big docs.

I'm playing with the eval of ID. With the help of lots of wonderful info on this forum, a few tutortials etc I was able to get the hang of it albeit in an elementary form.

Since I can't use FrameMaker (not available for Mac), is ID the right tool for this sort of long-doc/book editing? I tried Ragtime, thought about Quark. But keep coming back to ID. Before I spend the time to really dig in and learn to use it well, I need opinions. Just don't want to waste time if there's a better solution -

thanks in advance

 

[jmgalvin]

Indesign, like Quark, is really a page layout tool geared for output on commercial presses and not the best app if your authoring stuff. It's really nothing like a word processor. It's also an awful lot of money for writing stuff.

You might try Apple's iWork which includes the Pages word processing app. It's said to be superb. iWork only cost 79 bucks so you really can't get burned. Go to apple.com click on the software tab to see more about this.



Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4

 

[Ekwoman]

I use InDesign for authoring all the time. In fact, most books are laid out in InDesign, so many authors (at least those in mine/my husband's fields) actually work in and deliver InDesign files.

For what you've described, I think InDesign would be a perfect fit. It handles tables well (imported or created), you can set up master pages with headers and footers, automatically generate (and re-generate) TOCs and indexes. Of course, when it comes to placing graphics or images, that's a breeze. Because of InD's "book" feature, you can even keep your document in smaller sections (chapters or whatever) and work with them all together when it comes to exporting or printing and you can synch across the individual docs.

Pages from Apple is a nice program for doing smaller runs, digitally (since it doesn't support CMYK). I jokingly refer to it as InDesign Lite. I have it and use it (rarely) and it's a perfect fit for some people...but if your product needs to be a professionally produced printed piece, use a professional tool...like InDesign.

Hope that helps, some.

 

[buckwheatphd]

Excellent reply, galvin. After I made my post last night, I imported a 203 page word doc into ID - just for grins. To my surprise, in came in fine, but lost the usual formatting. After I fooled with master pages a bit, I was able to get ID to look a little like the original Word doc. I was working on TOC when I saw your reply.

I guess what I'm saying is *IF* the doc is already typed (as a STORY would be), then even for book level docs it may just be a matter of formatting?

Now - this is what I have NOT done. I haven't used ID as the initial word processor. I'm going to try that soon, and I'd expect things like auto-correct etc so we'll see.

At your suggestion I'm also looking at Iwork. It appears very elegant at first glance. It is a competitor to Word? It looks like a pretty sexy word processor, I'm very curious to see if it has any page layout facilities ie Framemaker ---

 

[buckwheatphd]

Wow Ekwoman - you're telling me just what I want to hear. Since I'm under the proverbial time crunch, I'll certainly give Iwork a look but I [think] I'm already getting into the ID groove.

I'm just scared - scared that I'll bump into some unknown wall or functionality I'll need that the program doesn't provide.

It's important to consider my target. I've produced tech docs for customers and the manufacturer for years. Always in a .doc or .sxw format. Extremely technical high-end computing docs. So of late I've been asked to provide my output to a more formalized layout. A layout that would be expected of a pro. Which I'm not, yet. For instance, if it goes to publication, they will certainly need CYMK. Frankly I've never had the need until now.

Formatting issues like technical columns (a thinner text column with a large title - sorry there's a name for it that escapes me). Point is if I get asked to produce this I'll need to go on a short learning curve but STILL knowning it can be done with my layout package.

Thanks so much for your reply, very much appreciated

 

[Ekwoman]

You're very welcome...right tool for the job kind of thing.

I'm just scared - scared that I'll bump into some unknown wall or functionality I'll need that the program doesn't provide.

There are plugins and scripts that add so much MORE functionality to InDesign...finding them? That's what we're all here for ;-)