InDesign versus Illustrator

[Karyn_W._Sader@adobeforums.com]

I'd be grateful for some designer/expert user opinions regarding Illustrator and InDesign to help settle on ongoing disagreement between my boss and I.

My opinion is that Adobe created Illustrator for illustration purposes (hence the name) and InDesign for page layout. My boss insists on using Illustrator for page layout. For example, he'll create a 2-page, 6-panel brochure in Illustrator, putting each page on a different layer. I find that a little like cutting steak with a butter knife. Sure, you can do it but that doesn't mean it's the most efficient way to cut steak.

I am coming across many designers in my city that are using Illustrator for every purpose.

I think Illustrator is a great program...for illustrating. And for some page layout documents, such as a poster, it might be the way to go. But for most documents (brochures, invitations, programs, etc.) I think InDesign is the program of choice.

Can I get other opinions from some of you out there? It might help put our disagreement to rest.

[Fred_Goldman@adobeforums.com]

If the brochure has a lot of vector drawings I would definitely use Illustrator for it. It would be much harder to place and manipulate all the illustrations in InDesign than in Illustrator. However if the brochure will have a lot of text and few illustrations then I would use InDesign because of its typography controls.

In short, both are correct tool for a brochure.

[Tom_L@adobeforums.com]

I disagree with Fred - for me it's ID all the way. But that's because I know how to use it and find Illustrator a bit awkward (used to use freehand and have never invested the time to get to know Illustrator).

Tell your boss to learn ID and promise him he will never look back - especially for brochure work!

[JohnO@adobeforums.com]

>For example, he'll create a 2-page, 6-panel brochure in Illustrator,

>putting each page on a different layer. I find that a little like cutting
>steak with a butter knife.

The key IMO is pages. Once you have more than one, you have to use all sorts
of gyrations and workarounds to get a second one in the same file. There
must be several different ways to do "multiple pages" in Illustrator, all of
them bizarre at some level. ID, on the other hand, is perfect for multiple
page projects.

-John O

[Jim_Oblak@adobeforums.com]

Use what you know and with what you are most productive. Some people are productive making brochures in PowerPoint.

Multiple pages is clearly a reason to lean toward InDesign but depending on your version of Illustrator, you would probably also benefit from character/paragraph styles in InDesign. Notice how recent versions of these apps are blurring lines.

[Mike_Rempe@adobeforums.com]

IMO

Anything with a lot of text that needs formatting, or anything more than 1 page = ID

Anything 1 page with a small amount of text (business cards, logos, letterhead), or anything that works better as vector (car wraps, billboards) = Illy

[Brutus_Maximus@adobeforums.com]

I'll echo the others--something like this can be done in Illustrator, but it would be so much easier in InDesign. The real kicker is multiple pages. He'll have to break the job up into two separate files, instead of having a single file with unified style sheets and color palettes.

I have some customers who still work exclusively in FreeHand, which supports multiple pages. As a result, I've become the plant's unofficial FreeHand "expert." I'd honestly rather get FreeHand files than Illustrator files for a multi-page job. But we take just about anything our customers can throw at us, from InDesign and Quark to Word and Publisher. Just be glad your boss isn't a die-hard Publisher user!

[Fred_Goldman@adobeforums.com]

It looks like I'm outvoted. I suppose if the text has to flow from one side to the next it wold be troublesome in AI. Otherwise I don't see why each side can't be seperate documents.

[Erika_Heggie@adobeforums.com]

I love Illustrator, I really do -- for creating certain types of projects, specifically single page documents, or artwork. And I'd rather eat broken glass than set large blocks of type in AI, the refresh rate is ridiculously slow.

I agree with some of the posters about working with what you're comfortable, but if working efficiently is of any concern, you should know and use both apps.

[Jay_Chevako@adobeforums.com]

I'm on CS1 so I'm not sure if all of this applies
Master pages, margin and column guides, easy text wrap, styles based on
other styles, nested styles, easier import (cmd D) and control of
imported images (resize that image to place at 100% after you have
imported and sized the image). separations preview, preflight and
package functions, table of contents and index functions, basic
imposition software etc.
Jay

[terrapindesign@carolina.rr.com]

I'd say Jay covered most of the talking points in favor of InD (though he left out Object Styles, but that isn't in CS1). Personally, I wouldn't consider doing even a single page layout in AI- though I know several people that do. Like some others, I used FreeHand for many years (but not for page layout) and still have not adjusted to what I see as a very clunky illustration program in AI.

So much for my opinion on AI. On a different note, I suspect your debate with your boss is fairly pointless and unwinnable. I would maintain that if he knew... really knew... how to use InD, the argument would not exist. He'd see instantly the advantages. If he's determined to use AI, he will find reasons either real or imagined to believe that it's the better choice. Your time is probably better spent discussing the size of your next pay raise...

[Buko@adobeforums.com]

I posted this in the other thread Karyn started over in creative Suite forum.

Buko - 12:50pm Sep 7, 06 PST (#3 of 3)

Illustrator is for illustrating.

InDesign is for Page layout.

but he is the boss and probably won't change his ways any time soon.

[Erika_Heggie@adobeforums.com]

You CAN win the debate, but like Eric mentions, he'll have to really use ID to discover the advantages on his own. By looking at his AI layouts, you should be able to identify which features he'd appreciate most. If you have the time to spend, sit down with him on a project and show him all the nifty stuff.

[Jay_Chevako@adobeforums.com]

…Baseline grid.

I'm sure more will come to me later.
Jay

[Richard_Sohanchyk@adobeforums.com]

Baseline grid




That's hot!

[Kenneth_Lasley@adobeforums.com]

Your boss is an idiot. Yes for very basic 1 page stuff, brochures, posters, business cards and such...Illustrator does just fine. But if you do any type of multiple page documents such as catalogs, magazines, newsletters more than 4 pages....a page layout application is the clear choice.

Whether it be InDesign or that other layout application, the object styles, text wrap capability, paragraph composer, style sheets, master pages, ability to select mutiple pages and a host of other features that just do not cross my mind right now. PDF export capability is much better, imposing and the book features and Indexing.

I really do not see how anyone could do a magazine without a layout application.

Ken

[Mike_Rempe@adobeforums.com]

I worked with a person that only knew photoshop....only....and insisted to do all his layouts for brochures, newsletters, etc. in Photoshop. Anyway he didn't last long, he got hired b/c his portfolio was actually really good. But being able to work effectively and know what kind of program helps your workflow the best is just as important if not more than a nice looking portfolio.

Plus the fact that formatting text in Illy is a nightmare compared to ID.

[Jay_Chevako@adobeforums.com]

I print brokered a 100 page "annual report" done almost entirely in
Photoshop It took the artist 4 months to complete a job I would have
spent less than a week on.
Jay

[Thomas_Phinney@adobeforums.com]

LOL! Jay, that's priceless.

Anyway, Karyn, you're right, it's like cutting steak with a butter knife. Clearly your boss is wanting to use the tool he's most familiar with. But clearly it's less appropriate here.

Cheers,

T

[ZZizzibuzz@adobeforums.com]

The ability to flow text through tables sustained my use of Illustrator rather than designing in the earlier versions of In Design. The inability to see columns and rows in the CS2 Illustrator has diminished my enthusiasm and I will take a fresh look at In Design.