original post (edited):

>I have stayed with PageMaker since the Aldus days for short (e.g., 36 - 80
>page) magazine production. It has been my favorite for documents with
>more-complex layout and less-structured content than those for which
>FrameMaker is a more appropriate choice.
>
>...I have wondered how larger publishers can possibly maintain a production
schedule
>while using this tool -- which I do love for many reasons and whose PDF
>export is an excellent means of providing author proofs, etc., to say
>nothing of simple, high-res delivery to service bureaus and printers.
>
>...I must reluctantly conclude that re-designing the publication to be
produce-able by
>a tool which has proven more stable and less dangerous to the internal file
>structure -- e.g., FrameMaker -- is a tradeoff I am willing to make, even
>though compromising information design to suit the tool is not my preferred
>way of making such decisions.

Most LARGE publishers are not using PageMaker to maintain a production
schedule. According to a 10/98 survey by Folio magazine (a magazine for
magazine publishers), 94.1% of publishers are using QuarkXPress, 6.7% are
using PageMaker, and 3.4% are using other programs.

Now, that may change when InDesign hits the market (after some careful
testing, to be sure), but at the moment, Quark would be a better choice
for magazine publishing. Quark's newest PDF filter seems to work with
Acrobat smoothly (just make sure you do NOT optimize in Distiller),
however, I would run some tests before committing to anything.

Personally, I would check out Quark or wait a couple of more weeks for
InDesign before switching to FrameMaker for graphically complex magazine
design/production.

BTW: this is not meant to take away from FrameMaker, but, as you implied,
FM is better for more structured documents.

David Creamer
I.D.E.A.S.
www.ideasdtp.com
Publishing Consultant & Trainer
Authorized Quark Trainer
Authorized Adobe Training Provider
Apple Solution Expert Member
(Former, pre-Adobe FrameMaker Training Consultant)

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