Help with upgrade decision

[V12CatMan]

Unless you do multi-page documents of more than four pages because then page numbering and printing are quite cumbersome.

I do some dtp (thanks Frank for pointing that out) but single or double page mostly. Can you expand on the limitations you are referring to?

[Boy]

When you want to produce multi-page newsletters or booklets Xara's software doesn't organize the pages and page numbering in the correct order for printing and binding.

Let's say you want to print an A4-size, 8-page newsletter on double-sided A3 paper. The printer would need two sheets of A3 paper and on each of the four available sides two A4-size pages (portrait) would fit side by side (landscape). Once printed you want to fold (and perhaps staple) the two sheets of A3 paper. To have the correct order of pages and page numbers your printer would have to process your newsletter as follows: for the first sheet, pages 8 and 1 on one side and pages 2 and 7 on the other side; for the second sheet, pages 6 and 3 on one side and pages 4 and 5 (the actual center fold) on the other side. Xara software, unfortunately, is not capable of handling print jobs like that.

[mwenz]

Boy,

Imposition really is the purview of the printer. I have rarely (like extremely rarely) ever imposed a document for print. Likely the only time is when I have printed to my desktop printer.

What most any printer with even a remotely modern work-flow needs is a rader-spread PDF. Which is what Xara will produce. The RIP software used by any semi-modern printer will do the imposition and the creep needed for some binding methods.

Take care, Mike

[Boy]

I perhaps should have been clearer. I was talking about printing to a desktop printer and the impossibility to print such a multi-page document straight from within Xara software. In addition, Xara software doesn't provide automatic page numbering.

Anyway, Mike, you do agree that in the case of booklets or larger publications other software, such as Serif's PagePlus, is preferable, as you mentioned in this thread that:

I also use Design Pro for all smaller composition work. However, as I mentioned, for something like a booklet or longer publication, PP cannot be bested for the price.

But this might be all moot as the OP is more interested in the web features of XDP X.

[mwenz]

Boy,

It doesn't take much to get me to use a layout application. I personally would use a layout app for anything longer than a two-sided document. Always have, likely always will.

However, you can print in "booklet" mode from within Adobe Reader and Acrobat. As well, several other free and low cost PDF solutions allow this. Take a look at the options panel in Reader to print as a booklet. Does the imposition well. With the usual caveats: One needs the proper number of pages. Pages need to be printed (just like at a service bureau) to paper at least twice the size of the page, etc.

Take care, Mike