InCompatibility CS2

I was assigned to design a couple 2-page print ads in Adobe InDesign on Friday. Even though I haven’t done any print work in a while, and haven’t used InDesign to develop anything that has actually gone to print, it wasn’t all that hard. Having a Quark background, and a ton of experience with Adobe’s other Creative Suite apps made working my design out a breeze, but when I was told it had to be compatible with InDesign CS I was a little confused. Illustrator CS2 lets you chose which versions you would like your document to be compatible with. Photoshop has that annoying “Maximize Compatibility” popup that lets you know the CS users will be able to work with you file. InDesign though, offers no hint on save whether or not an InDesign CS user will be able to open your work.

A little Googling revealed that InDesign CS2 is compatible with CS through the interchange format. Rather than just saving your file, you have to export it as an InDesign Interchange (inx) file. As long as the CS user has the plugin from Adobe, everything should be gravy. I emphasize should because this IS print design. Some designers are more leery of web design with all its little inconsistencies…not I. I’d much rather push around pixels than worry about how they will look in ink.

In other news, I have an official press release over at Erickson Marketing to go along with my official title of “Senior Designer”. It’s a little humbling to see “Mr. Beaird” spoken of so highly, but I really do look forward to growing into the 10-gallon boots they’ve given me to fill.