Anyone who regularly use Photoshop knows that there are a gross ton of plug - IN uncommitted to make all kinds of nerveless effects . But graphic artists often spend their workday in a page layout program , so , for those of you feeling a bit left out by the plug - in parade , I ’ve recently uncovered two MBD - ons for Adobe InDesign that should make your day a little easier .
First isPage Control , a collaborationism between plug - in developer DTP Tools and creative workflow expertPariah Burke . This simple plug - in lets you to have multiple page sizes in a single InDesign document , a feature of speech that greatly expands InDesign ’s capabilities . Here are just a few examples of how it can help you :
There are no extra palettes lend to InDesign ’s interface . Page Control plainly adds four items to the existing Pages pallet menu :
You might be thinking that anyone who launch the papers will need the plug - in to view it , but DTP Tools has smartly imagine this issue through . Any InDesign substance abuser can still open and cut your document ; clients can even add pages to the document , but only at the page specified when you ab initio set up the text file . If your clients or the printing machine need to move the dissimilar - sized page around in the text file , you will need the Page Reader quid - in .
user of Adobe ( formerly Macromedia , Aldus and Altsys ) Freehand have had this pick for a farseeing time , and Quark recently added this capability to QuarkXPress . Now InDesign users have this incredibly useful feature as well .
Page Control is $ 59 and DTP Tools offers a 14 - day run version — if you like it , you could buy a permission powerful from within the plug - in .
Preflighting made simple
Next up isInPreflightfrom Zevrix Solutions . InPreflight pucker all sorts of information about your InDesign document , admit colors , link and baptismal font , and then give notice your of potential problems base on the options you have defined for the occupation .
While many graphic artist have heard of or used other preflight app , they tend to be overly complicated . InPreflight is delightfully dim-witted to use and does its job well .
And yes , InDesign has its own preflight capacity , but what make InPreflight better is its thoroughness . It not only tell you when you have a “ problem ” image , but display the track to the data file , the kind of single file it is , its concretion scheme , resolving power and more . It can also expose the color info from order Illustrator and Photoshop file , including duotones and DCS files , andyou can spread the problem link directly from within the InPreflight window .
For those who shape on magazines or newspaper that use mickle of photograph , you ’ll be glad to listen that InPreflight worksmuchfaster than InDesign ’s built - in preflighting . It is definitely worth a look , especially at a sane $ 40 ( a demo version is available ) .
If these two InDesign add - ons do n’t stimulate you , I further you to find out out the InDesign section ofPluginsWorldfor an across-the-board list of commercial and freeware plugins . There are a slew of stopple - In uncommitted to keep you from being greenish with envy at all the goodies available for Photoshop .
