I Need Some Suggestions
March 14, 2009
Okay folks. I need some suggestions. I'm looking for two types of software applications.
One, I want a publishing application that will allow me to do newsletter layouts as well as edits of PDFs. I'm assuming this is some brand of the Adobe suite, although they ought to consider making their website more user-friendly. (I'm just saying). Your recommendation?
Two, I'm interested in easy-to-use, but fairly sophisticated software for the Mac for website design. RapidWeaver sounds good and won't break the bank, but I could use some recommendations from you folks.
So, what do you suggest?
Cheers,
Mark
posted by Mark Terry at 9:57 AM
7 Comments:
I always liked Pagemaker, but I've heard Adobe's rolled this into their suite of programs, the name of which is escaping me right this minute. There's also InDesign, which some people swear by.
I'm afraid I don't know the Mac platforms at all.
You can use Acrobat to edit PDFs. They have a great tool bar for edits. I use it all the time (as a tech editor.)
I'm not an InDesign fan, but a lot of people really love it. I think I was spoiled in college with Quark.
My web designer uses Dreamweaver which is now Adobe product but I don't think it is cheap. I use PPS Paint Shop Pro and would like Adobe Photo Shop but it is so pricey.
Not sure about newsletters and such, though. I still use Microsoft Publisher for some things.
But I don't know much at all about Mac.
I think Pagemaker has been folded into InDesign, although it's a little hard to tell. Adobe's professional level software is very expensive, which is why I'm shopping around and getting feedback.
Generally speaking Adobe makes the same software for the Mac as the PC.
A paper, printed-out newsletter? I use Microsoft Publisher. I can't imagine that there's anything it doesn't do that one would need for a newsletter. I've been using it for piano newsletters and recital program for years. There's a ton of free conversions to .pdf on the net.
As far as web design, I have not found a better, more perfect program than Rapid CSS. I do like to handwrite my code, but this has ways for it to help you (don't know how to work that part--don't use it), and the best thing is you can see how your tweaks to the css will affect your overall design.
Dreamweaver is like way overkill, and it delivers bulky code.
Let me know if you need any help with web stuff!
Actually the Mac OS, Leopard OS-X has a conversion to PDF and even allows some basic editing--notes, mostly--but I'm looking for something a little more sophisticated.
I'll check out Microsoft Publisher, but it's not necessarily Mac-able.
Adobe doesn't make anything that is cheap (except Acrobat Reader -- which is free). I use Adobe FrameMaker at work, but that is way more than you need for a newsletter (like buying a full-size farm tractor for a twenty foot by twenty foot backyard garden). (But PDF files are what we send off for production printing.)
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