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Adobe PageMaker 7

Richard Price
August 2001

Those who thought that InDesign from Adobe would be the new PageMaker can breathe easy. With the launch of PageMaker 7, Adobe is signalling that PageMaker is still a force to be reckoned with.

Since it first appeared in 1987, the minimalist look of PageMaker has endured - a few tools and a blank page surrounded by white space that can be used to drag and drop bits and pieces where they can easily be re-used on other pages.

That interface has not changed much. Users of earlier versions will notice the changes, 6.5 users will hardly notice a difference. The template box still pops up when you first open the program, but it is easy enough to switch off.

There is an updated converter utility that converts documents from QuarkXpress 4.0 and 4.1 as well as Microsoft Publisher 2000 - this is in addition to QuarkXpress 3.3 and Publisher 97 and 98 files.

Microsoft Word 2001 and earlier files are also imported retaining formatting and stylesheet information. But, when importing from a Word 97 document some formatting, bullet points and tabs were lost even though the same page settings were used in PageMaker 7.

The most interesting addition to PageMaker 7 is Data Merge. Similar to doing a mail merge in Microsoft Word, it allows the user to take data from a spreadsheet, database or comma-separated .txt file and merge it with a PageMaker template.

It was easy to open the Data Merge palette and select a data source to create a brochure based on an Excel spreadsheet. The palette lists headings associated with each record or line of the Excel document - product name, code, price, size, and so on.

These entries can then be placed in the document, formatted with the Style palette, and previewed before the data is merged.

Because the default setting is to have one record printed per page, producing a catalogue with more than one product record on a page is possible but tricky.

It is also a useful feature for quickly producing personalized marketing flyers or brochures. Having an existing database helps, but creating one from scratch would be easy for the business professionals Adobe is now targeting.

Graphic images associated with each product in the database are also imported. It helps if they have been correctly sized first.

Data Merge only works with text and static graphics. The colourful graphs and charts so simply generated within Excel can NOT be imported.

There is a close integration with other Adobe products, but it is not possible to open InDesign files in PageMaker.

Native PhotoShop and Illustrator files can be placed directly. A good feature is that images created in PhotoShop or Illustrator do not have to be flattened or saved as TIFF or EPS files. PhotoShop files are imported with their layers intact and are automatically updated if changes are made to the original PhotoShop file.

This is because PageMaker 7 supports ActiveX, which in the old days was known as OLE (Object Linking and Embedding).

PageMaker 7 can import EPS files saved as Adobe PostScript 3, so it is possible to print and perform in-RIP separations on PostScript 3 devices.

If evaluating PageMaker for the first time, be aware that EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) files do not print well on non-postscript printers.

PageMaker also makes good use of the Adobe Acrobat PDF format. Regardless of how a PDF file was created it can be placed as easily as any other image. PageMaker 7 imports Adobe PDF 1.3 and 1.4 files created elsewhere as well as PDF files created by PhotoShop and Illustrator.

While PageMaker 7 does not come with a full version of Adobe Acrobat it does comes with Distiller 5 which can output to Acrobat version 3, 4, or 5.

It has improved Adobe PDF export features and an enhanced user interface with direct access to Acrobat Distiller for specifying export options such as security.

Distiller 5 offers a more compact PDF format than version 4. This is good news for sites where file size issues are important.

PDF files look good when viewed in Acrobat Reader but, like EPS files seem jaggy when placed in PageMaker. New users need to understand that information has not been lost. The .PM7 file will print correctly to a PostScript printer.

Other imported images placed in PageMaker have similar jagged bitmap-like on-screen quality and non-postscript printers will give a less than perfect result.

Adobe no longer includes PPDs (PostScript Printer Descriptions) with PageMaker. Users need to download PPDs directly from the printer manufacturer or refer to the software that came with the printer.

PageMaker can also export to HTML. Adobe has a history of successful implementation of hyperlinks in Acrobat files and PM7 builds on this expertise. It is a pity the Hyperlinks palette is not more intuitive.

There are a limited number of options for exporting to HTML and page layout is approximate. This is an HTML limitation, not PM7's fault. It is necessary to make changes to the average PM7 document to ensure matching HTML code. Alternatively, the code could be tweaked using an HTML editor.

For some applications such as an on-line product sheet, which must match the page in a printed manual, the PDF format would be more appropriate.

More interesting is the support for eBooks. Using this option a PageMaker 7 document can be exported as a PDF eBook suitable for "reading" on a PDA device.

The full boxed version of PageMaker is described as including Acrobat Reader and Distiller 5.0, Adobe Type Manager Lite, a few hundred Adobe typefaces and a printed manual

This review is based on an unboxed beta copy with no manual. Help files included with PageMaker are in HTML format and require a web browser.

Users requiring stock artwork may find the hefty AU$1299 price tag partly justified by 4700 illustrations, 300 high-resolution photographs and hundreds of templates for newsletters, brochures, flyers and business cards

PageMaker 7 loaded quickly and worked well on an older, slower Pentium II, with 192 MB RAM. Plenty of RAM is more important than processor speed for this type of software.

Adobe products are known for being almost identical between platforms and PM7 is no exception. OS requirements are Mac OS 8.6, 9.1 or OS X Classic and Windows 97 or later. The product is compatible with Windows 2000 but is not certified. It should also run under Windows XP but again this is not certified.

The upgrade price is excellent at AU$194. Do not hesitate. There are enough new features to make upgrading eminently sensible.

First-time users need to consider what type of printer they have. A PostScript printer is preferable. Some bubble and ink jets have PostScript 2 drivers so it is not necessary to own a high-end machine.

The final document can be sent as a PM7 or PDF file to a commercial printer or bureau. They will be among the first to upgrade and their high-resolution printers make it feasible to afford the software without investing in an expensive printer.

Price: AU$1299; Upgrade AU$194 (incl GST)
www.adobe.com

By Richard Price, Editor, EnergyME.com

For information on getting a product reviewed email richard@energyme.com