Introduction

Adobe, the worldwide leader of graphics publishing software and network publishing, has recently released a long awaited update to their well-known publishing program, PageMaker. Initially made by Aldus, PageMaker was bought back by Adobe before being developed for the Windows platform. In the mean time, Adobe added many features to this major software which made it one of the most powerful publishing software products on the market. However, during the battle Adobe engaged in against Quark, PageMaker was kind of abandoned. With PageMaker 7 Adobe has got a consistent product range by offering two different types of software, which address various publishing needs. InDesign 2.0 is dedicated to advanced graphic users that design advertisements, magazines and flyers, while PageMaker is now primarily focused on the SOHO (Small Office - Home Office) market. This new version 7.0 enhances the integration of PageMaker with other widely used software while providing new PDF tools.

New Features

• Merge text and graphics stored originally in spreadsheets or databases to create custom publications, including form letters, mailing labels, envelopes, catalogs, or direct mail campaigns.

• Create and view Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files. Add document information, change security and compatibility options, embed tags for accessibility, and modify advanced Acrobat® Distiller® settings — all from within PageMaker.

• Easily place Adobe PDF files created with Adobe Photoshop® 5.0-6.0 or Adobe Illustrator® 9.0 directly into PageMaker publications.

• Save time by importing native Photoshop and Illustrator files. You can drag and drop the native file or use the Place dialog box.

• Use a converter utility to open Quark XPress 3.3-4.1 publications directly in PageMaker. Use the same utility to open Microsoft Publisher 95-2000 in PageMaker (Windows only). Import and export text and graphics to and from Microsoft Office applications. Import and export text and graphics to and from key business applications such as Microsoft Word.

Installation

   Installing Adobe PageMaker 7.0 is quite a breeze. Once you have inserted the CD, the setup begins and you can choose to perform a custom or complete installation. If you select the custom install, there is a real myriad of optional components to dig in. When you have made your choice, the setup won’t really start until you type your serial number. Then the files’ copy will start. Adobe PageMaker 7.0’s file copy process lasts at least five minutes since there’s a lot of stuff to install (around 200MB).