Indesign save as "word" or NeOffice "write"?

[eclipse]

Hi all,
I'm wondering if I design a poster in Indesign can I save it as a Word file? This is because, while the majority of my poster would be designed/finished, I'd like to save the poster in a format that my activist contacts could download from my blog and then edit to add their own phone numbers / websites etc to the tear off tabs.

You know, a typical real world bulletin board with those snazzy little tear-off tabs? I'd want them to be able to edit what shows up in the text on the tabs.

So would Indesign keep the formatting for that or should I just do the tabs in Word and the design in Indesign/Quark?

[LeviG]

I haven't tried indesign for this but I have tried acrobat and on plain text its not too bad, add in pictures and then it doesn't seem to like things much.

As an alternative you could use an edittable acrobat file to do the same thing maybe?

[design-is]

I did a little tutorial here on how to make customizable PDFs...

Customisable PDF Documents (http://dougbarned.co.uk/blog/customisable-pdf-documents/)

Hope it helps! :cool:

[eclipse]

Hi Design-is,
thanks for that... so anyone on PC, Linux or Mac can edit it in free PDF readers? Cool! :)

[design-is]

Yep, anyone who downloads the latest version of the free Acrobat Reader.

Older version have support too, but I couldn't tell you how far back it goes.

[design-is]

Whoops, double post...

[eclipse]

Oh, 2 last questions if anyone has the time:

1. Does Acrobat allow me to have the text facing at 90degrees/vertically down the text box (to allow customisable tear-off tabs at the base of the poster)?

2. What happens about fonts? Does it automatically pick up whatever fonts the user has on their machine?

Thanks in advance

[eclipse]

Hi all,
I'm the 2ic in our design studio here. (Husband and wife team, so being 2ic kind of means I'm the "gofer" and not like I'm the 2ic at Duffy or anything. ;))

Anyway, I was just wondering what your opinion on the future of graphic design was. I was checking out this PAGES (http://www.apple.com/findouthow/iwork/#tutorial=wordprocessing) video, and felt a bit threatened by how beautiful and sumptuous some of the pre-designed layout templates were. Knowing how easy mac is to use in so many other design applications, I guess I'm feeling that as software becomes more and more affordable and easier to use with more and more beautiful templates to tinker with, there goes a chunk of our market? :(

[design-is]

1 - can't say I've tried, but have a fiddle with the options and see what happens :) I'll try and have a look later.

2 - PDFs embed fonts (if created correctly - sometimes this needs to be selected as an option) so this is not an issue.

2ic - I don't think any advancement in technology can substitute knowing what your talking about, having technical production knowledge, or having an eye for good design. Bespoke design can't be achieved using existing templates. I think there will always be a market for designers. Clients who just want a bit of DTP to print on their laser or inkjet printer should of done it themselves in the first place if you ask me :)

[Lau]

1. Does Acrobat allow me to have the text facing at 90degrees/vertically down the text box (to allow customisable tear-off tabs at the base of the poster)?


If you only need to edit the tabs and nothing else, you could always save the poster rotated 90° counter-clockwise, so that the graphic is sideways, but the tabs are the right way up (if that makes any sense). It would probably be easier for people to see what they're writing that way as well.

[eclipse]

Ooops... I meant that 2ic question to be a new thread. :o But thanks for all your responses and suggestions, you're all too kind. :)

[design-is]

No prob :)

I can confirm that you can have text at angles. See attachment for example.