PageMaker / InDesign / Quark and FrameMaker

There is a Quark XT now available that allows the import and export from Quark of MIF format files (text & attributes only).

For the Quark MIF filter, please see: http://www.goldwein.com/products/

The filter is available for both the Windows and Mac platforms.

Converting between FrameMaker and PageMaker / InDesign / Quark

If you have an Adobe PageMaker, InDesign, or Quark document and you want to bring it into FrameMaker:

• Export and import the document via RTF.

Similarly, if you are taking FrameMaker to one of these other products:

• Export and import the document via RTF.

Things such as graphics will need to be reimported when you reformat the imported RTF in the destination product.

PageMaker versus FrameMaker

Which should you use, PageMaker or FrameMaker? Consensus in the FrameMaker forum is that FrameMaker is better for:

• long, structured, technical documents
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• documents using cross-references and generated lists, such as TOCs, indexes, lists of figures, etc.
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• documents going to online help
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• documents with a high page count

These forums seem to consider PageMaker better for:

• using lots of color
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• newsletters, marketing pieces, and documents where page layout varies a lot
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• typography (with InDesign reportedly being superior in this regard)

Of course, consider the format of and need to update your legacy documentation.