Adobe InDesign

Adobe InDesign is advanced desktop publishing software used for putting together images and text to make seamless multimedia designs for print and web. Along with Quark Xpress, it is the professional standard used by top magazines, newspapers, advertising agencies and publishing houses to create their products. Examples of items you can create with InDesign include advertising spreads, newsletters, books, graphic novels and brochures.http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign/

The current version is CS4, and the software can either be purchased alone or bundled in what Adobe refers to as Creative Suites, which are groups of similar programs that work in tandem to meet an individual or organization's publishing needs.http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign/

Traditionally used more often for print publications, it is part of the Design Standard, Design Premium and Master Collection Creative Suites. Web-friendly files can also be created using the program, which works seamlessly with Adobe Flash.http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign/features/?view=topnew

Adobe InDesign is available for Mac and PC platforms and comes in 21 different languages, including two version of Chinese, Spanish, French, Italian and Japanese.http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign/languages/

Minimum system requirements for Mac OS are:http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign/systemreqs/?promoid=DRHXE

• PowerPC G5 or a multicore Intel processor
• Mac OS X v10.4.11–10.5.4
• 512 MB of RAM, though Adobe recommends 1 GB
• 1.6 GB of available hard-disk space to install the software with available free space during installation
• 1,024 x 768 display (with 1,280 x 800 recommended by Adobe) with a 16-bit video card
• DVD-ROM drive
• QuickTime 7 software if you want to take advantage of multimedia features

Minimum system requirements for Windows are:http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign/systemreqs/?promoid=DRHXE

• 1.5 GHz or faster processor
• Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (though Adobe recommends having Service Pack 3) or Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Ultimate or Enterprise with Service Pack 1
• 512 MB of RAM, though Adobe recommends 1 GB
• 1.8 GB of available hard-disk space for installation with additional free space available during the process
• 1,024 x 768 display, though Adobe recommends 1,280 x 800, with a 16-bit video card
• DVD-ROM drive
• QuickTime 7 must be installed to use the program's multimedia features

For those who already own an older version of Adobe InDesign, a CS4 upgrade can be purchased at a discount off the full version price.https://store1.adobe.com/cfusion/store/index.cfm?store=OLS-US&view=ols_prod&category=/Applications/InDesign&distributionMethod=UPGRADE&nr=0&promoid=DRHXE#loc=en_us&view=ols_prod&store=OLS-US&category=/Applications/InDesign Some of the new features included in the latest version that cannot be found in older ones are Smart Guides, Dimensions, Cursors and Spacing; image ghosting in anchored objects; all-language user dictionaries; live preflight; and support for Adobe Illustrator CS4 artboards.http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign/upgrade/?view=compare

For those that are undecided if InDesign is right for them, Adobe offers 30-day trials of most of its software. These trials begin on the day the installed files are opened and are fully functional, so users can try out every feature of the complete edition of the software. After 30 days, the software must be purchased to continue functioning and no new files need to be downloaded once the software is purchased.http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign/faq/?promoid=DRHXE

Adobe also offers educationhttp://www.adobe.com/education/ and volumehttp://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/volumelicensing/ discounts.