Anyone here Know the Best Print catalog software?

7 replies
i found :
indesign,illustrator,photoshop>> learning curve is harder, need creativity idea(time consuming)

what i want to find is;
  • the easiest,
  • looking professional,
  • with lot template built in.
#catalog #print #software
  • Profile picture of the author steelhead
    Try Microsoft Publisher. It is newbie friendly. Professional designers and print media pros like myself don't particularly like client files prepared from Publisher due to some limiting factors. However, if your needs and resources are modest, Publisher is hard to beat. Has 100's of templates, graphics, wizards and color schemes built in.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jesus Perez
    Short answer: InDesign.

    Long Answer:
    InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop are ALL hard if you haven't been exposed to Adobe yet.

    InDesign is technically used to create print products like Catalogs, Brochures, Books, Flyers, Newsletters, Magazines and Books. it especially excels at books and magazines that require various style sheets for various page layouts.

    Illustrator is for creating vector artwork like posters, icons and other illustrations.

    Photoshop is technically for creating and manipulating raster graphics like photos, art and illustrations. It cannot output in vector.

    Yes, Illustrator and Photoshop can be used to create brochures, flyers and other print pieces...but it's not recommended by printers. I personally don't care...I still create them with Photoshop...but Illustrator and InDesign can render much sharper output than Photoshop.

    If you want easy + professional + lots of templates, none of the above qualify. The above are for true design professionals that have invested dozens and dozens of hours in learning the software for their personal or business use.

    If you really want easy + lots of templates (professional is so-so), check out the following:

    Microsoft Publisher as mentioned above.

    Desktop Publishing Software – PagePlus X5 from Serif

    Design & Print | Broderbund | Official Software Site

    The rest: Desktop Publishing Software Review 2011 - TopTenREVIEWS

    I personally wouldn't go near these with a 10 foot poisoned pole...but I'm not exactly the target market. I have hundreds of design hours under my belt and I've designed everything from billboards to bus designs to business cards in my past life.

    Good luck!

    If you want to take the smart semi-hard road...get InDesign + a 1 month subscription to Lynda.com for $25/mth. That's all you'll need to take off running.
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  • Profile picture of the author nickey512
    thnx.. thanks for the info, i check that out. i think the best way is to get PSD template (super cheap) here:

    Brochures, Newsletters, Folders, Flyers, Posters and Postcards
    Design Templates, Photoshop Brushes, and Stock Vectors | GraphicRiver

    is there any other good psd template that can i buy? cheap & look professional
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  • Profile picture of the author Danny Turner
    Try inkscape.org
    free - will do vectors

    I have only played with it a bit but it seams pretty straightforward
    You did not mention Corel Draw - similar to illustrator but much more user friendly
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  • Profile picture of the author Blase
    Originally Posted by nickey512 View Post

    i found :
    indesign,illustrator,photoshop>> learning curve is harder, need creativity idea(time consuming)

    what i want to find is;
    • the easiest,
    • looking professional,
    • with lot template built in.
    You didn't say if this is a one time thing or on going.

    I did catalog work for a client for about two years.

    My advice is to hire it out, the tools are expensive and the learning
    curve is high.

    I used a software provided by my client, it was $6000, but they had great support for only $1500 per year.
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    "Nothing Happens Until Something Is Sold"
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    • Profile picture of the author Azarna
      Why not check out Serif Drawplus - this is the free version:
      Free Graphic Design Software – DrawPlus Starter Edition from Serif

      I have the full version and it is really good. I have only had it a few weeks but already feeling very comfortable - it is very intuitive and there are loads of videos and tutorials included to get you up to speed.

      (I have no connection with Serif, heh, just pleased with this piece of software).
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      • Profile picture of the author catalogondemand
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