Word Processing and Page Layout

1. Word Processingand Page Layout Choices for different needs

2. Choices • Microsoft Word • Corel WordPerfect • Adobe FrameMaker • Adobe PageMaker/InDesign/Quark • LaTex

3. Microsoft Word • Standard – everyone has it • Not much training needed for simple tasks • Fairly powerful . . . If you know the tricks • Crashes, bugs, weirdness of Microsoft • Not cross-platform compatible • Equations cumbersome to publish and edit • Not designed for books or other long projects • Page layout features limited

4. Corel WordPerfect • It’s not from Microsoft • Easy to use • Not as standard as Word • Poor page layout • Poor cross-platform compatibility

5. Adobe FrameMaker • Designed for books and long publications • Tools for indexing, bibliographies, etc. • Excellent cross-platform performance • Ready to multipurpose documents • Stable • Equations easily edited, published • Excellent import/export capabilities

6. PageMaker/InDesign/Quark • Designed for page layout • Works well with others • Excellent typographical control • Require some training to be effective • No native equation editing • Best for image-intensive layouts • Best choice for pre-press

7. PageMaker vsInDesign vs Quark Express • PageMakerEasy to use, but becoming outdated • InDesignPowerfulIt’s from Adobe, works with Photoshop, etc. • State of the art tools • Quark ExpressOutpaced by InDesignIt’s not from Adobe

8. LaTex et al • Powerful typographical control • Standard for some publications • Cross platform compatible • Outstanding equation editing • Cumbersome, requires extensive training • Open source, so support can be hard to find or unavailable

9. Summary • Choose the right tool for the right job • Analyze needs • Consider time spent writing versus time spent fiddling • Consider publisher’s needs • Consider content creation • It’s best to use several packages

10. Questions?