"InDesign is a pretty authoritative software in the design industry and so comes with quite a learning curve to beginners."
Karim Beerahee
The latest upgrade to Adobe InDesign is an update across the brand, CS5.5 sees quite a few new features to make an already extensive package all the more thorough. With this upgrade of InDesign you truly will have all the design tools you need at your fingertips.
Added interactivity to your documents and presentations and more efficient tools to make repetitive tasks less time consuming are all featured in Adobe CS5.5. InDesign is a pretty authoritative software in the design industry and so comes with quite a learning curve to beginners, but the .5 upgrade adds a new reel of features, so your old hands will still have to study up a bit to make full use of Adobe’s latest rendition of InDesign.
What we like best:
With the surge in eBook sales, and projections that the market will double by 2015, the eBook creation tool in Adobe CS5.5 is a welcome feature. InDesign CS5.5 allows you to structure eBooks from the very base with hand features to edit across the publication, stacking dialogue boxes for input and mapping out exactly what you need. These eBooks can be read on modern devices like the iPad and Sony Reader.
The ePUB export enhancements allow you to author, edit and design your own eBooks, you can also embed video and audio as required to make your eBooks all the more attractive.
There are some great editing tools in Adobe InDesign CS5.5 including tracking of changes, a comprehensive layers panel so you can quickly switch between pages and manage items, shifting them between required locations in your document.
Publishing across channels is made simpler by the incorporation of database driven content, allowing you to create automated workflows based on XML features for the placing of text and images.
With the PDF2ID plugin you’ll also be able to quickly convert and edit PDFs in InDesign.
What we like least
For those of you wishing to enterprise in to the tablet market the creation of ebooks and more tablet based publications Adobe CS5.5 will be a very valuable tool. You will however need to install the Professional Edition. Once this has been bought your publication will then cost you again for a subscription of about £300 per month, or you can also pay per download which comes to about £3,000 per 25,000 downloads.
For designers everywhere Adobe InDesign CS5.5 makes for a great upgrade, keeping up with current developments in the design industry is all important and any tools that make your job easier will surely be worth the expense. Once you’ve familiarised yourself with this Creative Suite you’ll soon come to depend on it.
Features
Folio Producer tools
Access Adobe Digital Publishing Suite
Interactive documents and presentations
Export to Flash Professional
Download or CD
Both
Compatible with
Windows
Mac OS
System Requirements
- Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon Processor
- Windows XP/ Vista/ 7
- 1 Gb RAM
- 1.6 Gb storage
- 1024x768 display
- DVD-ROM
- Adobe Flash Player 10
- Broadband Internet Connection
Type of Software
Design
Students save 80% on Adobe software
You can save up to 80% off the full retail price on the following Adobe products:
• Adobe Creative Suite Web Premium
• Adobe Creative Suite Master Collection
• Adobe Creative Suite Production Premium
• Adobe Creative Suite Design Standard
• Adobe Creative Suite Web Standard
• Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended
• Adobe Dreamweaver CS4
• Adobe Flash CS4 Professional
Get the most up to date Adobe versions
Yes, all the discounted Adobe software will be the newest version
Who can buy and use Adobe Student Editions?
All full or part-time students enrolled at a higher education establishment, defined as an accredited public or private university or a college that grants degrees requiring not less than the equivalent of two (2) years of study, or students enrolled at an accredited public or private school providing full-time instruction are eligible.
Proof of eligibility for 80% Adobe student discount
Adobe asks that you provide a valid student photographed ID card with your name and dates of study displayed as valid proof of eligibility.
If you don’t have a current student ID as decribed above, then you can send them a valid photo ID AND proof of current enrolment. Adobe lists the following documents as acceptable proof of eligibility if provided with a valid photo ID:
An official current school tuition bill, indicating your name and name of school; another official dated proof of enrolment; an official, current nonphoto student ID with name and date; an official, current school transcript indicating your name and name of school; an official, current report card indicating your name and name of school.
Adobe Student Editions platforms
Versions are available for both Windows® and Mac OS platforms.
Adobe Student Edition languages
The products are available in English, French, German, and Italian.
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