Framemaker vs InDesign 3

[jalbao]

Looking for comments on Framemaker vs Indesign.

I've never done page layout or print before, but for some reason my company chose me to figure out which software package to go with. I've narrowed it down to go with either Framemaker or Indesign.

I've downloaded both trial versions - very strange world for me.

From what I can tell, Framemaker seems to give me more control and Indesign gives me more WYSIWYG.

Anyway, if you can just reply with a quick comment on what you like or dislike about any of the two products, it would be a great help.

thx

 

[markso]

tooled,

Check this out at the Adobe site.

http://www.adobe.com/products/pdfs/pagelayoutds.pdf

What kind of output are you after, documents or more glossy advertising type stuff.

Framemaker is aimed at producing long documents (something Word cannot handle) and I wouldn't use anything else for this kind of work.



If sunflower oil comes from sunflowers, and vegetable oil comes from vegetables, where does baby oil come from?

 

[jalbao]

markso,

I will be outputting to documents and glossy - manuals, product literature, brochures etc.

I want to be able to write a document (or whatever) one time and deliver to either .pdf, .rtf, .html, .txt, .doc (pda would be cool too).

btw, thanks for the link

 

[markso]

You can use Framemakers condiotional text feature which allows you to mark text for specific outputs that you set up yourself. You can use images as backgrounds to pages which should sort out the glossy stuff, as well as it's pantone colour handling.

The Webworks publisher (std edition comes with Framemaker 7)can handle html output (a bit primitive if you are used to Dreamweaver!) as well as outputting to Palm reader, so I guess it can cover all your bases. As with everything that claims to handle multiple outputs, I guess the results may not always be as good as using a specific tool for a specific media though.

If sunflower oil comes from sunflowers, and vegetable oil comes from vegetables, where does baby oil come from?

 

[jalbao]

Thanks for the input markso.

 

[IDEAStraining]

Here is my quick list of differences:

Adobe InDesign
Pros:
The most advanced page-layout program available for typography and graphics (drop shadows, feathering, object transparency, direct Photoshop import with transparency);
standard Adobe interface (similiar to Illustrator);
some third-party plug-ins available to extend features;
available in Design Collection with Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat at greatly reduced cost

Cons:
No Table Styles*;
no footnotes*
requires more powerful computer than older programs
*third-party plug-in available

FrameMaker
Pros:
Footnotes;
Table Styles and continuation headers;
Run-in paragraphs;
Heads and Subheads can extend across multi-column layout;
advanced Bullet and Number lists options;
advanced variable options;
advanced editorial functions, including change bars and version compare;
advanced spell check options;
Easier to use XML formatting features
built-in equation maker;
Conditional text

Cons:
Harder to learn;
very limited graphically (built-in graphic tools, color handling, gradients);
no “based-on” styles;
no Layers
no built-in service bureau collections features

Basically, for graphics work: InDesign; for long, technical documents: FrameMaker; for mostly graphics work with some long documents: InDesign with some plug-ins.

 

[jalbao]

Great info - thanks