Beginner Question
JapanScope (6 pencils) | Thu, 2007-02-22 07:26Hello Everyone,
I am the managing editor for a Tokyo-based English magazine. We are having heaps of trouble with what seem like a few very basic questions. As an editor, my strength is in words and grammar, not design. Therefore, please excuse my very very rookie questions, but if our problems are not resolved soon, careers will be affected. When you respond, please be so kind as to explain things to me like I'm a six year old. Actually in the world of design, I am sure that there are quite a few six year olds more skilled and informed than myself. Also, another thing to keep in mind, we have 3 designers for the magazine, none of whom speak the same native language also none of whom speak English as a native language so admittedly, some of our problems are simply communication-based. Here goes:
1. It is ludicrous to try designing a 40-page full-color 300 dpi publication using just Illustrator, is this correct?
2. It is similarly ludicrous to use just InDesign, yes?
3. Is it necessary to manually set crop/trim marks for each page if the publication is being laid out in InDesign or is it done automatically?
4. Does it make sense that crop/trim marks would change when moving from using CS to InDesign?
5. Using Illustrator, I imagine everything needs to be outlined, does the same rule apply for page layout in InDesign?
Again, I am sorry if these basic questions are elementary but rest assured, your feedback will save headaches and heartbreaks in the Land of the Rising Sun. Thank you for your help.
Commenting on this Forum topic is closed.
1. Yes, you should really use indesign or quarkXpress. Illustrator as the name suggests is for illustrating.
2. No, indesign is fine for the layout of a magazine.
3. It can be done automatically when about to print.
4. Don't understand this question CS is the generic term for the adobe applications bundle - photoshop, illustrator and indesign + others - various bundles are available. No, though the crop marks should not move, unless you make them move.
5. In illustrator it is useful to outline everything yes, but in indesign you should not need to.
Hope that helps.
Thanks for the advice, Sidesey! It helps a lot. One last question, perhaps not really a design question but if any readers are in publishing they might know:
1. Is it possible to convert an entire magazine into a PDF file and print from that? Is the resolution from a PDF sufficient for a print publication?
The best thing is to talk to your printer, but in the print dialogue box there is an opption to save as press ready pdf, so hope that helps.