Xara Designer Pro as a Professional app for Pro work?

[WilliamHere]

Xara have posted this on their Facebook:

Adobe’s recent announcement that they’re moving to a subscription model for future versions of Creative Suite hasn’t gone down too well with many users, so we’ve devised a special Xara Welcome Offer on Designer Pro for owners of Adobe products who don’t like the idea or the cost of a subscription – find out more @ http://bit.ly/15WHri3

Very nice. I'll spread the word.

[angelize]

I have to agree with Mike XDP would be impossible to use for a large publication or a book. I get away with using it for our publication because it is small, we fluctuate between 4 and 8 pages depending on advertising sales. I layout the pages as 11X17 spreads in folios so when it's printed and folded it's like a small 8.5 x 11 tabloid.

[jon404]

Thanks Mike and Angelize. Guess it's like cameras, you can't have one that does everything! But XDP sure comes close. I'll just make a mental note that it can handle, say, four 11" x 17" highly graphical pages, and leave it at that.

[WilliamHere]

Thanks Mike and Angelize. Guess it's like cameras, you can't have one that does everything! But XDP sure comes close. I'll just make a mental note that it can handle, say, four 11" x 17" highly graphical pages, and leave it at that.

Hi Jon,
I am in the same situation as you at times. I think that for me, XDP and PagePlus together will do the trick. I have heard a lot of good things about PagePlus X6. Corel is another good alternative for large multiple page publications.

[andre luiz]

angelize nice day!
I would like to ask you something else that has nothing with this issue?
I live in Brazil and I use the English version with no problem, but you know if they plan to release more languages​​? Portuguese for example? because Brazil is the fourth country that spends the most on advertising and xara'd get a good slice of the pie.
I have tried to disclose the maximum xara pro in my country.

[Gamerprinter]

I have to agree with Mike XDP would be impossible to use for a large publication or a book. I get away with using it for our publication because it is small, we fluctuate between 4 and 8 pages depending on advertising sales. I layout the pages as 11X17 spreads in folios so when it's printed and folded it's like a small 8.5 x 11 tabloid.

Impossible? I beg to differ.

I've used Xara Xtreme Pro 4 to create page-layouts, cover designs and illustrations, exported to Printers Marks 300 ppi PDF files that are print ready to a major printing house for CMYK web press printing for full color books up to 96 pages. When I finally do the layouts for our Gamemaster's Guide to Kaidan (RPG game setting book) that will be the same format and resolution for a 200 page book. Also, if I do the Map Tutorials book using Xara, that will be the same format for a 250 page book.

I find due to the memory sucking nature of exporting large PDF files a complete pain in the behind, so rather than exporting 200 pages at a time, I export 10 pages, or 5 pages of intense graphics at a time, then put the PDFs together as one file using Adobe Acrobat Pro. Although a bit cumbersome, I have no real problems creating professional book creation with Xara.

While the maps I create tend to be single page, they are still generally 24 x 36 inch, even 36 x 48 inch full color 300 ppi graphics files in both JPG and PDF.

I have several versions of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator (though I don't have InDesign), yet I refuse to use them preferring to do all my work in Xara.

Edit: while the following is a much smaller book than the previous mentioned ones, at only 29 pages, it is still a full color book with a POD printed version (that I had to jump hoops to get approved, but it was eventually). Order the book for $6.99, or download the FREE PDF version to see the kind of page layout, graphics used and 'professional quality work' done in it's creation: Frozen Wind adventure module. Just to prove that what I am claiming is correct using an actual product as my example.

I've designed using Xara, published and released 14 such books so far.

[angelize]

@ Andre: I have no idea what Xara may or may not release. like all the moderators here at Talkgraphics I am a volunteer. I am not employed by Xara Ltd or it's parent company MAGIX

@ GamePrinter : I stand corrected it is impossible to do in Xara alone. As you have shown it is possible using a combination of Xara and other software There are however DTP features that Xara doesn't have like the ability to set up a proper booklet and create a table of contents (yes this can be done manually but for a large publication the amount of work would be huge.)

[Gamerprinter]

Xara alone[/I]. As you have shown it is possible using a combination of Xara and other software There are however DTP features that Xara doesn't have like the ability to set up a proper booklet and create a table of contents (yes this can be done manually but for a large publication the amount of work would be huge.)

Well the only other software is Adobe Acrobat Pro, but that is only for exporting large PDF files, when I don't need to export to PDF, I only use Xara. I consider the using of Acrobat Pro as a post-production step, having nothing to do with book design itself. I know that Xara can't do everything, however, I have yet to find a need for a more robust book designing software. If that ever should come up, I'm sure I'll look to some other application. But, as stated, nothing like that has ever come up. All my books have tables of contents. The printing house pre-press department gives me the gutter and margin requirements. I build that into the basic page design, then do all necessary page layout to get it done. Why would I need a proper booklet template? In a sense I've created my own within Xara. With the information provided, I place text boxes at the right place. Once one page is designed to specs, all I do is Copy Page, then change the content for the next page, change the page number and move on. It's not a problem whatsoever.

And I do full book page layouts in Xara, in a single day, sometimes 2, even for 96 page books. Can a more robust design program do that faster?

[jon404]

@Gamerprinter thanks for your post... I could hit myself in the head for not thinking of your obvious solution to make what, 8 to 10 pages at a time in XDP, and then bolt them all together later with Acrobat Pro into the final PDF.

Up to now, I've made my books using Framemaker and Open Office Writer... almost all text, a few illustrations here and there. But nothing highly graphical. These programs are good for regular books... page numbering, variable headers and footers, etc. But I won't be making any more print books... the money's not there. And that frees me up to use XDP/P&GD, since any new work will only be sold in PDF format. No limits on color, or graphics. Could probably make one chapter per .XAR file, using page numbering like 2-1, 2-2, 2-3 etc so I don't have to renumber across chapters, across .XARs. Can't think of any other real problem.

Will give XDP a shot. I like the program, have used it for years. At 69, would be very happy if I could condense my computer life to just a few programs, with XDP or P&GD one of them. Thanks again for the advice!

[WilliamHere]

Impossible? I beg to differ.

I've used Xara Xtreme Pro 4 to create page-layouts, cover designs and illustrations, exported to Printers Marks 300 ppi PDF files that are print ready to a major printing house for CMYK web press printing for full color books up to 96 pages. When I finally do the layouts for our Gamemaster's Guide to Kaidan (RPG game setting book) that will be the same format and resolution for a 200 page book. Also, if I do the Map Tutorials book using Xara, that will be the same format for a 250 page book.

I find due to the memory sucking nature of exporting large PDF files a complete pain in the behind, so rather than exporting 200 pages at a time, I export 10 pages, or 5 pages of intense graphics at a time, then put the PDFs together as one file using Adobe Acrobat Pro. Although a bit cumbersome, I have no real problems creating professional book creation with Xara.

While the maps I create tend to be single page, they are still generally 24 x 36 inch, even 36 x 48 inch full color 300 ppi graphics files in both JPG and PDF.

I have several versions of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator (though I don't have InDesign), yet I refuse to use them preferring to do all my work in Xara.

Edit: while the following is a much smaller book than the previous mentioned ones, at only 29 pages, it is still a full color book with a POD printed version (that I had to jump hoops to get approved, but it was eventually). Order the book for $6.99, or download the FREE PDF version to see the kind of page layout, graphics used and 'professional quality work' done in it's creation: Frozen Wind adventure module. Just to prove that what I am claiming is correct using an actual product as my example.

I've designed using Xara, published and released 14 such books so far.

@ GamePrinter - Thanks for the post. Your comments are very helpful.