Adobe InDesign CS2 is a desktop publishing program created by Adobe.
As a predecessor to Adobe and Aldus' PageMaker, InDesign is a leading solution for creating high quality print media like that seen in brochures, magazines and professionally created documents.
While not the most current version, InDesign CS2 managed to get above average reviews that still make it a viable choice for those interested in desktop publishing.
History
In the mid 1980's a company known as Aldus literally revolutionized the way printed media was created.
Before Aldus PageMaker, big machines and printing presses were used.
This new software made the process much easier and gave developers much more creative freedom.
In 1995 Adobe purchased Aldus and changed the software's name to Adobe PageMaker.
In 2001 Adobe stopped the creation and support of PageMaker and replaced it with a totally original desktop publishing program, InDesign.
Pros
Despite a few minor issues, Adobe InDesign CS2 integrates well with their other programs.
This means that you'll be able to use other popular Adobe products such as Photoshop to help create your desktop media.
According to a MacWorld.com review, many new features and menus have been copied from competitor QuarkXPress, making InDesign much more accessible to users of its largest rival.
Another new, well-received feature is Snippets.
Snippets allow you to copy specific parts of a document or image and save it as its own file.
This makes reusing the image, effect or text much easier than before.
Cons
While InDesign CS2 offers new text capabilities, they're features that have been included in Microsoft Word for years such as anchored frames, auto correction and bullet point lists.
Some features of Photoshop, such as blending modes, are incompatible with InDesign, though compatibility is touted as a key feature in InDesign CS2.
Another compatibility disadvantage is that you can only export content to the Web using Adobe GoLive CS2 so those who use other programs such as Macromedia Dreamweaver must either purchase GoLive or go without this feature
.
Tutorials
Learning new software can be difficult.
Especially such advanced software that has as many features as Adobe InDesign CS2.
On their official website, Adobe offers many tutorials and "how to" guides for their products.
To make locating CS2 specific information even easier, enter "CS2" into the search bar at Adobe's tutorial page.
http://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/topics.html
The information provided, along with the in-program tutorials in InDesign CS2 will be enough to get you familiar with and using InDesign CS2 quickly.
Purchasing
Since InDesign CS2 is an older program no longer supported by Adobe, you cannot purchase it directly from their website.
Finding the software may be a bit tricky, which is why you may want to consider a more recent version of InDesign.
If you don't want to pay the hefty price tag associated with the most current version you'll be much more likely to find the last version.
Many websites offer the next to current version, though prices vary from $99 to over $600.
http://www.adobe.com/support/indesign/
http://www.makingpages.org/pagemaker/history/
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