Rufus Deuchler

So you think Adobe InDesign has become all about interactive Schnickschnack? Think again.

Many times have I heard users asking me “so what are the new features in InDesign?” or telling me “there is nothing in the new versions that would benefit my workflow". Really!? I needed to see... To compile this list, I simply went to Adobe.com and copied the “what’s new” section for each of the above mentioned versions of Adobe InDesign, and then laid it out in such a way to actually be able to see the amount of new stuff in each release. I then reordered the new features by areas of interest (which do not necessarily reflect those chosen by Adobe), and here are the surprising results.

Basically, InDesign CS4 introduced about 52 new features, and InDesign CS5 about 68. This list will help understand what you are missing in case you haven't upgraded yet. And if you are still with InDesign CS3, well then, there's over a 100 new features that could benefit your workflow.

View and download the image of the list [.png, 1.3Mb]

View and download the PDF of the list [.pdf, 111Kb]

Enjoy!

How to Create an eBook with Adobe InDesign CS5

It seems that the words eBook and ePub are on everyone's lips these days, and that there is a genuine interest for publishing books and magazines electronically. So one night I was laying in my bed with my eyes wide open (happens a lot...) and thought to myself that I should really learn the ins and outs of that new, so much talked about, format. Is there a better way to learn about creating ePub from InDesign than writing an eBook about how to do it myself? Well my friends, here it is: How to Create an eBook with Adobe InDesign CS5 - A step by step guide to creating ePub with InDesign. In this eBook you will learn about all the things I have come across while creating the eBook using InDesign.

I have made the eBook available on the Amazon Digital Text Platform, making a conscious decision not to apply any kind of Digital Rights Management (DRM) to it. The publishing to the Amazon platform was something I decided very early on in the writing process, because that would have meant that I was able to close the circle: writing > layout > ePub export > publishing. Basically I became the publisher of myself. And all that using Adobe InDesign.

Grab your copy of How to Create an eBook with Adobe® InDesign® CS5 [Kindle Edition]

Amazon has all kinds of readers, for iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows, Mac, and even Blackberry, not only for their own Kindle device. You can download them here: Free Kindle Reading Apps.

I thank Pariah Burke for having a look at the text when my eyes couldn't any more, and Marijan Tompa for creating the Illustration on the cover.

Let me know what you think about the eBook!

Also make sure to check out this free ePub about CSS and XHTML Tags for ePub, it can serve as a good reference guide as you tweak the CSS in ePub generated with InDesign.

This eBook also has a companion page on Facebook.

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From the Introduction of the eBook.

The acronym ePUB, which stands for electronic publication, has been capitalized in almost every possible way: ePub, ePUB, EPub. epub, or even EPUB. Pick your favorite... Throughout this eBook I have chosen to use the ePub variant, which is much easier on my designer eyes. The official ePub logo of the International Digital Publishing Forum uses the ePUB version, although they themselves, use EPUB in their literature. Go figure.

CSS and XHTML Tags for ePub

ePub is the electronic version of a publication that has been optimized for on-screen viewing. Essentially it is a file format for publishing eBooks, which is rapidly becoming a standard (see International Digital Publishing Forum). There is a lot of interest around this format because text and images flow in a continuous flow, and can adapt to any size of screen, from your mobile phone, to you tablet, or personal computer.

The first lesson in ePub is that designer and publishers have very little control over the formatting of their eBooks. The rules are very strict, and are mainly based on CSS and XHTML, as far as formatting is concerned. Much of that formatting can be done with Adobe InDesign by scrupulously applying paragraph and character styles, which will be exported in a Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) in the ePub. Out of the box, ePubs created with InDesign work, and can be published as are, but there are many things a designer or publisher can do to tweak the CSS and the XHTML.

I am like Saint Thomas, I don't believe until I see... So I created this ePub file to see exactly how the various CSS and XHTML tags perform in various eBook readers (software and devices), to be able to decide what tags to use in my eBooks. The results can be quite surprising. So, before you start manually coding your CSS and XHTML code, it may be interesting to check which tags are supported by your target eBook reader.

You can download my ePub for free from here: ePubTags.epub [315Kb].

Evangelist - Creative Solutions (Adobe Systems)

At the end of May 2007 I have become part of the Adobe family as a full time employee. After over 15 years of freelancing in the fields of graphic design, consultancy and training, I have chosen a new path for the years to come.
As "Evangelist-Creative Solutions", my activities focus on spreading the word and gathering feedback from around the world. I also shall, among other activities, provide live support at strategic events and marketing activities in the areas of product demonstrations and speaking engagements.

You can read more on my official Adobe Blog: http://blogs.adobe.com/rufus or follow me on Twitter (rufusd).

I also have a TV Show on Adobe TV  (search for Caffe Fibonacci) together with Tim Cole. Enjoy!

Rufus Deuchler: a Career at the Antipodes

In the world of graphic communication, from the mid-eighties to our days, the trends have been mainly two, on one hand we have an escalation in the use of software applications in corporate communication and in the graphic design, advertising and publishing industry; on the other hand, we have the paradoxical escalation of a new generation of graphic designers who concentrate more on the mastery of applications rather than on their original creative profession. Whoever today has a Mac considers himself a graphic designer, whilst the real professionals cannot stay behind the applications that should make their life easier.
Rufus’ career stands out against both these trends. Starting off with a high level of professionalism and competence as a graphic designer, Rufus first made his all the necessary computer knowledge to perform his job better and then took the opposite path: while he perceived the necessity for a broader professional understanding of software applications, he realized that sooner or later someone would have to fill the gap, which broadens as time goes by, between technology and the profession (and vice-versa). Sooner or later someone would have had to know the applications used by creative professionals so well to, on one hand, be able to help the professionals to use them better, and on the other to help software developers to better understand the necessities of creative professionals.
Therefore today, Rufus positions himself in an almost non existent field. On one side he brings his own professional experience towards the world of software developers and on the other he is one of the few able to bring the world of software towards the professionals with a non-traumatic approach. Consultants who are able to perform both these tasks are rather rare: understand critical issues as felt by art directors, publishers, graphic designers or service bureaus, and act as spokesman or hands-on expert with software developers.
Should one have to label Rufus, this would result from his having maintained an overview. He did not let himself get carried away by the topical problems of the profession of the graphic designer or the engineer and has thus been able to keep it all in perspective, the perspective that distinguishes a manager from a professional: the ability to understand on the job how to better organize it whilst maintaining a strategic vision.
It is so that Rufus positions himself today: a manager whose task is to understand which professional, or personal, competencies and which tools, software applications, media will be suitable to reach specific goals.
Also, it is important to understand that the boundaries of his operational range are not limited by the classical graphic creativity and corporate communication, but also extend into the field of general communication, both internal and external: from the old paper-flow to the new frontiers of creative management.

Michael March Fantacci
Creative Director, Model T
Florence, Italy