PageMaker 6.5 Beta Review


	PATCH AVAILABLE ...for PM 6.5 from Abobe


	Adobe PageMaker 6.5
	By Lonnie Falk Publisher

When we reviewed Adobe PageMaker 6.0 earlier this year, one of the things on which we especially commented was the "Adobeization" of the program acquired from Aldus. In version 6.5's beta release, we see more Adobe-like features in PageMaker. Every one of them adds value to the product.

As with any update, you can be assurred there is a great deal of behind-the-scenes rewriting of the code. On the whole, it appears to us that PageMaker 6.5 runs a little faster than the previous version. Not that 6.0 was a slacker. But 6.5 does seem to be a little more swift.

What makes this version different, and worth upgrading to, are three new items that can make considerable difference in the way PageMaker performs. The first, and foremost of these, is the implementation of layers into the product.

Those of you familiar with illustration and image editing programs (such as Adobe's Photoshop) know all about layers. They make life a lot easier in terms of being able to stack elements on pages and they allow the manipulation of specific elements contained on one layer without worrying about harming the rest of the document (which may be on other layers). These layers are controlled by a layers pallete, much like the colors pallete you have seen in various other PageMaker versions.

With this pallete, you can move layers forwards and backwards, lock layers, make them temporarily appear or disappear and all sorts of other tricks. This new ability gives you all sorts of options for making better documents.

While on the general subject of palletes, there is a whole new look to them, as illustrated on the left.

Those of you familiar with Photoshop will recognize the Photoshop-like pallete look, with tabs at the top to switch between different pallettes. Needless to say this saves a lot of

screen space because, as here, you have the layer and master page pallettes combined. One click on the other tab changes to the other pallette.

But there is more. Also like Photoshop, you can "tear off" pallettes from one group and place it with another. The obvious advantage of this is that you can group pallettes to your liking, or you can just place all of the pallettes together and switch back and forth. No more going up to the menu bar and selecting the pallette you need and then having to move the pallettes around the screen if they get in the way.

This is what the new toolbox looks like, and, as you can see, there are some new tools with which you can play.

Actually, the new tools – which you see as various types of polygons with an "X" through them – represent a major innovation for PageMaker: the use of frames.

It has been frames which have always been a major difference between PageMaker and Quark XPress. Using the artists' pasteboard paradigm, PageMaker has never used frames before, but has, instead, been a sort of free-form layout environment. While some have argued that placing text in PageMaker by drawing out a text box after importing was much the same as creating an "invisible" frame, the way this is done is really very different.

Partly, I suppose, because I have evaluated every version of PageMaker since 1.0's beta, I have not been much of a frame person. In evaluating Quark, which requires frames to place anything on the page, I found they tended to slow me down.

On the other hand, frames are wonderful for setting up templates. One of the truly good things about them is that you can format frames: once formatted, you can just place text in them (you can also place graphic elements in them) and have the text take on the attributes of the frame. As you can see, this can save a bunch of time when working with a template.

The addition of frames to PageMaker 6.5 offers the best of both worlds. You can use them to set up templates (you can use them to construct documents from scratch, too, of course) and you can use the tried-and-true free-form layout to make new documents. You have your choice. Which, obviously, is a very large plus.

The third big feature added to this release is the ability to publish your documents on the Internet. To do this, two new features have been added: a way to generate hyperlinks and a way to adjust pages automatically to different shapes and sizes.

What you would do, actually, is design a page and then make a copy of the publication in another PageMaker file and apply the hyperlinks. Doing so is as easy as it it with most any web authoring program. Once the links are set up and tested, which PageMaker allows you to do, you can export the whole file to either an HTML or PDF (Adobe Acrobat's Portable Document Interface) format. Then, just upload the document to the web!

What is even more jazzy, through, is the ability to adjust page layout automatically. If you have a document which you have set up as a publication to be printed, all you have to do is change the layout of the page with this feature to, say, 640 x 480 screen size and magically you have a publication ready for the web.

Well, not quite. There is a rule. Every element must touch at least one ruler guide, column guide or page margin. There is some tweaking that has to be done as well, and you really should go through and check the pages to to be certain they are right. But, essentially, that is it. Heck, you can even change "normal" vertical pages to horizontal web pages this way.


	One of the best ways to make sure you have every element touching something is to use Extensis' PageTools. PageTools will have to be upgraded to work with PageMaker 6.5, but Extensis informs us that owners of version 2.0 which works with PageMaker 6.0 will receive a free upgrade.

Last but not least of the major revisions to PageMaker is the use of the right mouse button for additional commands. PageMaker was the first Windows program to make any use of the right mouse button – to switch views. That usage continued through version 6.0.

As you probably know, almost every new Windows program uses the right mouse button to pop up a list of options at the spot. So, from this context, using the right mouse button in this way makes PageMaker 6.5 more useful because you can cut, copy, paste and so on with a simple click of the right button.

I admit it takes a little time to get used to this. Previously, PageMaker alternated between the "actual size" and "fit in window" view. A quick zoom in and out. These views, and others, are part of the right mouse button options, but if you have used PageMaker for any amount of time, expect to

spend a day or two getting used to the new look of things.

You will like this program a great deal and it will add greatly to your productivity.

Adobe