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It seems that the world of graphic design shares one critical element with fashion design, both are highly volatile. What was considered the cutting edge at one minute can easily become part of the cutting room floor the next. Although fashion changes a bit faster than software, the analogy has some merit. This has been particularly true in the world of graphic design page layout. At one time Adobe’s Pagemaker was once considered the standard in design. In some quarters it was the preferred software of choice. Now, the reigning King of print layout is QuarkXpress. Since Quark’s ascension, Adobe has worked diligently at wrestling the Crown.
In an interesting move, Adobe began to put their considerable efforts towards developing new software to sway Quark users. Their answer amounted to the creation of two entirely new programs, Indesign and Framemaker. From all appearances it seemed that Adobe had lost all interest in developing their one time contender. Like a Phoenix rising, Pagemaker is back, but with a few changes.
One noticeable one is tighter integration with Photoshop. Moving back and forth is not only easier, but can be accomplished via one button on the menu bar. There is also increased support for Adobe Illustrator files, although Illustrator 10 files could be an issue, the support is there for Illustrator, even if somewhat problematic. The biggest advantage to Pagemaker 7 is the ability to create PDF files with the inclusion of Distiller. Also added is increased support for Word documents, but again, there could be issues here as well. Even with those limitations, these are welcome additions to the program and could help keep Pagemaker in the game just a bit longer.
As to why Pagemaker was not updated to compete as a serious page layout program remains a point of conjecture. It is possible it could have been redesigned to fit the new demands now placed on page layout. The inclusion of more web based support would have been a major plus for one. However, when one considers the foundation for Pagemaker as an analogy to page layout, the limitations of the original concept becomes clear. My own feeling is that Adobe wanted to create something new, and remove any associations with the past, which Pagemaker has come to represent in light of Xpress’ dominance.
While Adobe has always seemed to be on target with Photoshop and Illustrator, with Pagemaker there is some serious identity crises taking place. Clearly Adobe wants to make it a business application along the lines of Microsoft’s Publisher, but at the same time price and features make this anything but an easy application to master. Given the advanced features, and the price, this program is not going to be welcome news to users who simple want to get up and running, or need some handholding. The inclusion of formatted layouts is nice, but this is hardly enough for those who are new to the world of design, or novice users who are just getting used to links and URL’s. If Adobe really wanted this market, a very different type of application is called for with a different pricing structure. At the heart of things Pagemaker is still an advanced layout program that does have a somewhat steep learning curve. For busy users who do not want or need to get their feet wet with complex design, Microsoft’s applications are a more suitable choice. For those wanting more, and willing to invest the time and money, Pagemaker is worth considering, but there are other, perhaps more suitable, alternatives.
Again, the problem is where does Pagemaker fit? For business users, there are certainly easier and less expensive alternatives. For professionals and those with the desire for more, there is Indesign, Framemaker and of course Xpress. Exactly where this programs sits within Adobe’s mostly high end offerings is hard to place and begs more questions than answers.
Another curious element about Pagemaker is the look of the program itself. For those familiar with version Six, Version Seven is not that much of a change. Compared to Photoshop and Illustrator, the entire interface looks dated. In spite of new features and some convenience elements, Pagemaker could have benefited from a major facelift rather than a few nips and tucks. Plus, a tighter integration with other products would have been welcome as well.
Over all, Pagemaker is not a terrible application. It does have much merit, but when factors such as cost, the learning curve and other elements are considered, Pagemaker seems like an aging application that may soon fall away in light of other offerings in the market place.
Talk to Kurt in Graphics Unleashed Forums
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