A creative solution for publishers
Adobe InDesign Creative Cloud is a desktop publishing program (DTP) for Windows devices. It is used worldwide by businesses and professional graphic designers to create documents for both digital and print media. The tool comes with various features and integrations that make it easier to collaborate and publish documents. While the application isn’t free, it does offer a free 7-days trial period. The latest version of the layout and page design software is also available for download on devices running macOS.
What is Adobe InDesign CC?
Used by thousands of professionals, Adobe InDesign CC is a page design and layout solution. It has all the essential layout elements and a comprehensive CC library that users can easily access. All these tools, including different fonts, shapes, and graphics, help create digital magazines as well as print documents. While the tool comes with several tutorials, it’s best suited for professionals or experienced publishers.
Why do people use Adobe InDesign?
Adobe Indesign CC is generally used to create brochures, flyers, posters, reports, magazines, and books, among other graphics-rich documents. You can use the tool to create interactive documents that are enhanced using images, music, video, animations, and other professional tools. The design software also offers different tools and workspaces for both print and interactive documents.
Customizable user interface
Like other Creative Cloud applications, Adobe InDesign CC has an intuitive interface that is almost entirely customizable. The background is dark grey color and can be changed to another if required. Its primary workspace comes with tools on top as well as a toolbox with specific features on the left. The latest version of the design software offers minor changes in the UI, making it easier for users to access features.
Since print and digital documents often require different layouts, the software comes with separate workspace for each. One fares better in typography, while the other is more suitable for copy editing. Moreover, the primary workspace can be customized according to your unique requirements. In case you find you lack an element in the toolbox, you can easily add it whenever required.
If you’ve worked with Adobe programs before, you’ll get familiar with InDesign quickly. The tool allows users to move around functions, undock all panels and place them anywhere on the workspace. Apart from being highly-customizable, the tool is simple to master, irrespective of your skill level. The built-in learning options that appear when you start the program can also help you become proficient with the software.
Suitable for publishing tasks
Adobe InDesign CC offers all the tools required to complete a publishing project. You can add headers and footers to your document, make changes to a PDF file, resize images while maintaining proportions, and add text using symmetrical lines. You can also directly import Microsoft Word and Photoshop PSD files to start editing instantly.
The publishing tool also comes integrated with a word processor to edit the text in the manner you choose. It gives users access to over 500 fonts that are available as part of the Adobe Typekit. The latest version of the software comes Harfbuzz, a text engine, known to improve fonts of South East Asian languages like Burmese, Thai, and Sinhala.
The typesetting app’s latest update comes with variable fonts, allowing users to fine-tune the weight, slant, size, and width of any font. You can even increase or decrease the space between individual words and letters, using the kerning tool. Moreover, you can now add column-rules to multi-column text frames using the Text Frame option.
With the format style feature, you can replicate the typography in numerous text boxes and create tables that are easy to edit. Apart from these, users can access numerous other elements like graphs, charts, stickers, and more. However, Adobe puts a price on many of these assets, making it a little expensive for individual users.
The latest version offers reverse spell check
One of the additions of the latest version of Adobe InDesign CC is the option to reverse an ongoing spell check. Now users can search backward so that they can check for incorrect spellings they may have unintentionally skipped. This feature saves time, especially when working with a very long document.
Limited photo editing tools
Since InDesign is usually grouped with Illustrator as well as Photoshop under the Creative Suite, it lacks tools needed for photo editing. Users can’t add 3D effects or shapes to their documents, nor change transparency and gradients. However, the tool does provide an essential feature of removing white spaces from an image when you wrap text around it.
Notable bug fixes
Adobe InDesign comes updated with significant bug fixes that have inevitably improved its overall performance. For instance, users no longer have to wait for the text to appear after they’ve already finished typing. The version ensures that words appear on the screen almost instantaneously. Adobe has also gotten rid of sources that led to document corruption. Now users can continue working without worrying about losing their work.
Is Adobe InDesign CC free?
No, to use the software, you must either have a Creative Cloud membership or a single-app subscription. While the tool is expensive, it does offer cutting-edge tools that can help you with publishing print as well as digital documents. To give the tool a try, you can opt for the unlimited 7-day trial period.
Are there any alternatives?
Yes, Adobe InDesign CC has a few competitors, including QuarkXpress, which dominated the digital publishing program market before Adobe. Another alternative is CorelDRAW, which offers a layout with multi-page functionality and is far less expensive than InDesign. However, the former does have a limited number of tools as compared to other publishing programs.
Should I download Adobe InDesign CC?
If you’re looking for a page layout program for either print or digital media, you should download InDesign CC. It has a comprehensive set of tools and functions that make it quite popular in the publishing field. Its features can be used for projects of any scale, and the workflow is customizable as per your unique requirements. However, it does have a subscription model, which may seem expensive to individual users.
