Magazine Design

[dklickstudio]

Hello room, please i'm designing a magazine and i don't know what and what i will start with what software will i use i really i want it to look prefessional. i'm looking at using COREL DRAW and usifng PHOTOSHOP for improving my Images. what do you think guys ?

[PrintDriver]

I personally think you should hire a designer.

Coreldraw and Photoshop are not Magazine layout programs and any printer will charge you a bootful to fix your files for print, if they take them at all. Use InDesign or Quark to layout the magazine.
Do you really have a studio?

[doctorfoz]

You need some software which can set type and images together on the page. QuarkXpress and Adobe Indesign are the industry favourites but there are freeware packages available which will do a similar job.

For the love of all that's holy, don't use Microsoft Word or Publisher to do this. Publisher can do the job - but... well, please, just don't.

You will also need to understand the importance of using a grid/guides and creating a template for your pages. (Both Quark and ID are perfect for this).

What will the magazine be about?

[PrintDriver]

With the freeware packages, you have to know what you are doing to set up a printable pdf for handoff. Most print vendors don't support native freeware. Or if they do, start filling that boot.

[dklickstudio]

I must tell you here in Nigeria most of them use Corel for nice Magazine and use photoshop for images.. you see even the printer here expect to see your work in Corel draw and all that.. but if i use any of this program can i archive good design? layout and not eveyrone uses Indesign and QuarkExpress but u see it just like you designing a website and there are different software for designing website and all that.. i think it applies to Magazine design too.

@Print Device, i have a design Studio, i'm into Various design jobs.. basically i just use Corel, Photoshop, Fireworks,Ilustration,Real Draw e.t.c i'm just loooking for other Graphic software i can also use for all this Graphic jobs too.

[mojoprime]

i would look at getting the adobe creative suite 3 design premium edition. it'll have all you need for print design, and has dreamweaver for web design as well. if you have a current version of photoshop, you might be able to upgrade from there.

[PrintDriver]

If in Nigeria they use corel, then use corel. A printer's rip there might not know what to do with the postscript that comes out of the CS3 products.

The program doesn't give you good designs. You have to do that.

[mojoprime]

i assumed they meant illustrator up above, instead of illustration, so my thinking was that if they could rip those files, they could handle indesign.

of course, like PD said, i have no idea if they're just primarily using corel and if that's all the printers are using. a good point.

[dklickstudio]

i wish i can put in some of the design they have use it for, u will be amazed.. well i think what i grab from you layout programm is a sofware tha already has a magazine template already ?

[CkretAjint]

I still don't get why you want a program to place some text boxes and image boxes on blank page. that probably isnt the right size for your magazine. It's not THAT hard to do... I mean seriously, with a template that's all your gonna get, a few generic colors and blank image and text boxes in the wrong size document.

If your looking for inspiration check out some online inspirational PDF magazines (http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/04/22/inspirational-pdf-magazines/).

[mojoprime]

yeah, ajint's right. you're not going to have any luck -- i don't think -- with the software containing templates already. however, it'll take a little bit to set up a template, depending on how complex you want to make it.