PageMaker / InDesign / Quark and FrameMaker

[Seanb_us]

This thread considers FrameMaker and its relationship, if any, to PageMaker, InDesign, and Quark.

[Seanb_us]

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

These forums seem to consider PageMaker better for:

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

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

[Seanb_us]

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.

[Arnis Gubins]

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.