Format: Other Page Layout Programs
These are extracts from the FORMAT NEWSLETTER.
Multi-Ad Services have just released a 6.05 update for Creator. It adds new compatibility with Illustrator and many performance improvements. 5.5MB for Mac, 4.1MB for PC. <http://www.creatorsoftware.com/support/updates.shtml>
-----
RETURN OF READY SET GO
=========================
I know of at least one user of Ready Set Go for a magazine who very reluctantly moved to another program because RSG fell several versions behind updated operating systems on the Mac (and wasn't available on PC). But a while ago ownership changed again, and the program is not only being developed again but a version for PC has just been released.
For the Mac it is now at version 7.2 and as well as the standard version at US$150, there is a dearer version called RSG Global that will handle Asian and Eastern European fonts. It is now from Diwan Software Ltd <http://www.diwan.com/> who have actually been involved with RSG since its early days, but not as owners. The PC version 1 sells for only US$99. I've been playing with their 14-day 9MB demo and am quite impressed.
This program (originally launched in 1985) was PageMaker's main competitor before QuarkXPress came on the scene, so it has a major place in the history of desktop publishing. It is a workmanlike low end page layout program, well worth considering by anyone who might otherwise otherwise be looking at MS Publisher. Their "Global" edition, claimed to support any world language, costs US$850 but also adds support for transparency and an impressive range of other features: <http://www.diwan.com/ready/prsg.htm>
-----
We will be adding RSG to our brief summary of the options in page layout software for PC users which you will find at <http://www.worsleypress.com/pubprod/DTPcontenders.htm>
-----
Canvas 8 for Mac is now shipping after being available for PC users for around three months. Canvas has always been slightly ahead of its time... the first to integrate drawing, image editing, document design, presentations and web graphics design into one program. It is also OS X compatible.
One criticism we've seen is that it now has "big, clunky palettes, just like Adobe's". Price is US$399.95 or US$249.95 for the competitive upgrade. US$50 off in each case if you do the download instead of ordering the box. See <http://www.deneba.com>
-----
There are some problems with FrameMaker under the Mac OS X "Classic mode" that Adobe have promised to fix in the next release. These include that opening a Word 97 file will cause a crash, error messages may be generated when opening a WordPerfect file, the application will crash when saving documents containing graphics to HTML, and online help does not work.
NEW FROM MULTI-AD CREATOR
==========================
Several new items are in the wings from Multi-Ad Creator, including an internet version that is claimed to let anyone create print ready artwork or ads using a web browser.
The new version of Multi-Ad Creator, now known just as "Creator6 Publishing Software" should ship in June for Mac OS9, OSX, Windows 98, NT, 2000.
For those who haven't come across it before, Creator is a standard means of producing display ads and is used by many classified ad typesetting departments including many of those who produce Yellow Pages directories around the world.
New features include extra drawing tools and the ability to save in native PDF format. Files are also completely cross platform compatible.
A Creator6 Preview Version is available for download.
Creator Server: This is said to allow anyone to create print ready artwork using a web browser. A simple multiple choice process concludes with Creator Server building the artwork in native PDF, EPS or an open format that can be edited in Creator, QuarkXpress or InDesign.
The program is said to be "ideal for common format ads like real-estate, car ads, employment etc. Companies like Lexus and Toyota USA use it to let their dealers build customised and personalised promotional artwork across the internet. Runs on any Mac OS X server, or Windows NT, 2000 or Unixserver.
The third new item is AdBuilder.com, a subscription based creative resource for those in advertising sales or production. It includes thousands of dummy ads for industry categories such as car, food, health, community, sport and many others. These ads can be edited in Creator, Quark or InDesign. They are described as "a wonderful way to generate ad ideas to close prospects" and the package includes more than 3,000,000 art pieces designed for ad production, plus a range of editorial sections to help with ad sales such as editorial articles on technology which might be used to leverage computer or IT ads.
We have suggested in the past that Creator was well worth a look by publications carrying a lot of small space display ads, and it seemed to have the market tied up in this field for publications which used QuarkXPress for their other page production work. Then with a newer version Multi-Ad seemed to be going after the general page layout software market. That extension in program capabilities has continued but they are definitely back in the area where they have long done a job better than anything else.
We've only had the quickest of looks at Creator6, but it certainly seems well worth a further look. The download is a little over 20MB on either platform.
For North and South America check <http://www.multi-ad.com>
For Australasia & Pacific check <http://www.triotech.com.au>
However, it is far easier to find things on the Australian site, though even there were some mixed up pages (we clicked for info on Creator and got info on AdBuilder. We hope those things have been fixed by now.
-----
The PC version of Canvas 8 is now available for download from <http://www.deneba.com>. We've been reading some enthusiastic comments recently from users about the program's ability to handle raster and vector graphics editing and page layout for print, web and presentation work in the one package and within the one page view, though this has come with warnings that present users of other page layout programs will find the layout side takes a bit of time to get used to. The new Mac version should be available shortly.
New features include: vector and raster sequence recording, full scripting support, manual and automatic web image slicing, and direct Flash (SWF) format export.
The new scripting engine lets users take control of Canvas using Visual Basic, VBScript, Java Script and other Windows Automation compliant systems. A script can use Canvas 8 to automate anything from downloading files from the Internet to preparing tens of thousands of files for use in print or on the Web - all without human intervention.
The new sequence recorder/player lets even novice users automate complex actions.
Canvas 8 Professional Edition is priced at US$399.95, with a competitive upgrade at US$249.95, upgrade from version 7 at US$129.95 and from previous versions at US$199.95. A 15-day evaluation demo is available on the Deneba website.
-----
|
