Altering files in layout can be time-consuming and costly. An easy solution: Editors, learn to use InDesign layout software. My colleagues and I have been using it over the past several months, and we’ve found it to be:
Cost-effective. CS3 InDesign costs $700-plus, but publications managers will recover the cost quickly when graphic designers (at upwards of $85 an hour outsourced) need to turn PDFs around only half as often as before. I can rewrite headlines and make minor corrections right on the page. And I trim overset copy to exactly the right length, the first time.
Easy to use. It took me just a few hours of reading the relevant parts of the manual and fiddling around, with an occasional assist from a graphic designer, to become a competent InDesign user.
A boost to creativity. InDesign is a headline writer’s dream. I can try out half a dozen heads to find one that says the right thing and fits perfectly. Working directly on the page has helped me sharpen my sense for where to place text boxes, pull quotes, and bulleted lists for the greatest visual appeal.
Good for teamwork. Designers and editors too often work at cross-purposes, especially under deadline or when they are located at separate sites. When the editor uses InDesign, he/she and the designer are “on the same page” in every sense. They discuss options early on, nip layout problems in the bud, and understand each other’s priorities much better than before.
As for the cost savings, do we editors see a raise on the horizon?
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[...] are times when you have to shell out for premium software. For example, recently we discussed how useful InDesign has been to us, worth its hefty $700-per-user price [...]