Adobe Page Maker software is the ideal page layout program for business, education, and small- and home-office professionals who want to create high-quality publications such as brochures and newsletters. Get started quickly with templates, graphics, and intuitive design tools; work productively across Adobe applications; and easily leverage existing content to create customized communications.Not quite on a par with InDesign or QuarkXPress, Adobe PageMaker 7 is still a professional-level page layout application. Marketed as a small business/enterprise publishing solution, Page Maker shines just as bright as the similarly-targeted Microsoft Publisher in output but not in price or ease of use. However, lack of development (in favor of InDesign) means that you won't be seeing any future upgrades and enhancements to stay current with other desktop publishing software.
Once the darling of high-end work, Adobe Page Maker now targets business users. With features for non-designers, including templates and clip art, it still retains its pro-level attributes. Version 7 adds merge, PDF import/export, native Photoshop and Illustrator format support, and a converter for some QuarkXPress and Publisher files. Type controls and layout options make it a designer's tool. Improved Word support and data merge features increase its usefulness for small business users.
Not as inexpensive or easy-to-use as Microsoft Publisher and missing the newest "must-have" features of InDesign and QuarkXPress, PageMaker is somewhere in the middle - a capable program for general desktop publishing tasks for individuals and small to mid-size businesses requiring a product with widespread industry support and high-end capabilities. Despite its marketing focus, it is still a viable option for freelance desktop publishing.
