[kevs]

A photographer friend had a great document. It listed names, and had them in boxes in center and right of page. Said could not really be created easily in Word.

He said he used Corel Draw. But I don't think they have Mac version. any similar recommendations? And what is it about this software that is able to achieve this while Word cannot. thanks!

[Zimphire]

http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satelli...=1047022690654

[nooon]

http://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator/main.html

[BuonRotto]

www.stone.com/Create if you don't want to spend $600 for a few more features.

[kevs]

Ok I went back to Corel url, since you listed it, and it still does not have Mac for system requirements.

Illustrator, bit pricey and huge learning curve. and in inbetweens that people love?

[midwinter]

Originally posted by kevs:
Ok I went back to Corel url, since you listed it, and it still does not have Mac for system requirements.

Illustrator, bit pricey and huge learning curve. and in inbetweens that people love?

Corel Draw

[theolein]

Originally posted by kevs:
Ok I went back to Corel url, since you listed it, and it still does not have Mac for system requirements.

Illustrator, bit pricey and huge learning curve. and in inbetweens that people love?

CorelDRaw for the Mac has been discontinued sadly. Canvas is an all in one package, with vector and bitmap editing and page layout and just about everything else as well. It works quite well for most things actually and costs around $349. If you want the cheapest software available that can do vectors and import bitmap images, then eazydraw is the way to go for $95.

[kevs]

Ok:
let me describe my needs and let me know what would be the best combinations of quality/interface/price -- hopfully small /learning curve -- hopefully not huge/ and support--hopefully good.

I am getting this just to make a 2-3 page document for wedding photography. The document will be a worksheet that will ask people to fill out general info like e mail addresses, regular addresses etc. Now I can do this in word, but you can't easily put lines, and names in middle or right part of page. Hence I don't know if I need vector this or bitmat that. do I? thanks!

[midwinter]

Originally posted by kevs:
Ok:
let me describe my needs and let me know what would be the best combinations of quality/interface/price -- hopfully small /learning curve -- hopefully not huge/ and support--hopefully good.

I am getting this just to make a 2-3 page document for wedding photography. The document will be a worksheet that will ask people to fill out general info like e mail addresses, regular addresses etc. Now I can do this in word, but you can't easily put lines, and names in middle or right part of page. Hence I don't know if I need vector this or bitmat that. do I? thanks!

Why can you not just do that in Word? Just set up columns and section breaks and whatnot, and you're fine.

[TETENAL]

http://www.ragtime-online.com/link.c...ad_rts_program

If you are looking for low price, check out RagTime Solo. It can do all of that and it's free.

[IonCable]

DON'T SAY THAT WORD!!!! CorelDraw for Mac is the a nightmare for those of us in Prepress. <holding hands of ears> "I'm not listening" "I'm not listening"

Run for the hills someone said CorelDraw!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHH The sky is falling the sky is falling!

[theolein]

Originally posted by kevs:
Ok:
let me describe my needs and let me know what would be the best combinations of quality/interface/price -- hopfully small /learning curve -- hopefully not huge/ and support--hopefully good.

I am getting this just to make a 2-3 page document for wedding photography. The document will be a worksheet that will ask people to fill out general info like e mail addresses, regular addresses etc. Now I can do this in word, but you can't easily put lines, and names in middle or right part of page. Hence I don't know if I need vector this or bitmat that. do I? thanks!

Kevs, Ragtime, the software mentioned by TETENAL further up, is probably the best for what you want to do. It's a free page layout programme and can do what you want. That said, if you were prepared, quality wise, to do it in Word, then you could probably do it in Powerpoint, which I assume you have (not just word alone), and, for that matter, you could probably do it in word as well (using autoshapes, tables and columns etc).

[cpac]

Originally posted by midwinter:
Why can you not just do that in Word? Just set up columns and section breaks and whatnot, and you're fine.

exactly.

Just do it in Word.

Use tables (and then turn off some gridlines) if you want.

There's no reason to pay for, or even bother learning, other software if you just need to create a basic form.

[cpac]

Originally posted by cpac:
exactly.

Just do it in Word.

Use tables (and then turn off some gridlines) if you want.

There's no reason to pay for, or even bother learning, other software if you just need to create a basic form.

PS - you might even be able to do this in something as basic as TextEdit.

[kevs]

thanks everyone.

Here is the link to the worksheet I'm talking about. I've spoken to Daniel, very cool, don't think he'll mind posting it:

http://www.danielkeiling.com/pdf/worksheet.pdf

Now he said, he tried to do this in Word, and it was really tough, and much easier in Corel Draw. I, too, have no experience making tables etc. (I have Office 2004)

Anyway, to create a similar document, cutomized to my needs, what do you all think? Ragtime looks cool, any tech support over there? Any other ideas? thanks!

[midwinter]

Originally posted by kevs:
thanks everyone.

Here is the link to the worksheet I'm talking about. I've spoken to Daniel, very cool, don't think he'll mind posting it:

http://www.danielkeiling.com/pdf/worksheet.pdf

Now he said, he tried to do this in Word, and it was really tough, and much easier in Corel Draw. I, too, have no experience making tables etc. (I have Office 2004)

Anyway, to create a similar document, cutomized to my needs, what do you all think? Ragtime looks cool, any tech support over there? Any other ideas? thanks!

Tables. This would take about an hour to make in Word. Maybe not the rounded corners. But it wouldn't take long to make.

[X-Ti]

Expression

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/13211

I have no idea how it works, just remember seeing the link. It's vector based like Illustrator/Corel Draw.

[kevs]

What does vector based mean?

Don't like beta, but i'll keep an eye out. any other ideas appreciated.

[foamy]

Canvas is the Corel Draw for Mac.

http://www.deneba.com/

[kevs]

thanks, just started playing around, and perhaps one could do it with Word, although I'm new to table etc, and you are right about the round corners. What benefits to the page layout programs give you? easier interface?

[midwinter]

Originally posted by kevs:
thanks, just started playing around, and perhaps one could do it with Word, although I'm new to table etc, and you are right about the round corners. What benefits to the page layout programs give you? easier interface?

Kevs:

Play around with tables in Word. Try merging cells (select multiple cells and then merge them) to make unusual arrangements. Try "nesting" tables (i.e. inserting tables within tables).

[bergy]

I've used this for years .. works great and a real bargain.
Check out the reviews ..

Desktop Publisher Pro
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/7982

[Amorya]

Try OmniGraffle.

[tooki]

Originally posted by X-Ti:
Expression

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/13211

I have no idea how it works, just remember seeing the link. It's vector based like Illustrator/Corel Draw.

Ignore this suggestion.

Expression is a HIGHLY specialized program for making art that simulates natural media. It is not for layouts, not in the slightest. (It was designed as a vector version of Painter, the venerable natural-media bitmap program.)

Try OmniGraffle.

Ignore that suggestion, too. OmniGraffle is another very specialized program, for making flowcharts and diagrams. It's not a page layout or general-purpose drawing app.


My vote, of course, is for Macromedia Freehand. But if money is an issue, I agree: try RagTime.

That document certainly could be done in Word, but I agree that it'd be easier to do (and do more precisely) in a layout or drawing program.

tooki

[Amorya]

Originally posted by tooki:
Ignore that suggestion, too. OmniGraffle is another very specialized program, for making flowcharts and diagrams. It's not a page layout or general-purpose drawing app.

I thought he was asking for diagrams... listing names then putting them in boxes is the perfect job for OmniGraffle.

Regarding page layout, I know it's not as ideal as Indesign or Quark, but I've done some pretty complicated things in it. It handles layout an order of magnitude better than Word, and better than Appleworks too (especially due to not assuming every graphic is 72dpi unless told otherwise). I did the whole of a seventy-page A3 design-tech folio in it, and that was only version 2.

Amorya

[kevs]

Tookie:
what do you think of desktop publisher vs ragtime?

[kevs]

Maybe could get cheap version of freehand. For the document I posted, how much better would that be, also support wise than the two I just mentioned as well?