Skip to main content
S
StpSinc
Participant
March 13, 2024
Question

Isn't it about time for Indesign to have an integrated graph tool?

  • March 13, 2024
  • 2 replies
  • 999 views

I've tryied some options during the years and lately I'm using Keynote>Illustrator>Indesign to create graphs that are easily adjustable and cratively enhanced for my works. Isn't it about time to have one proper tool at our disposal? What are your thoughts?

    2 replies

    E
    Community Expert
    Eugene TysonCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 15, 2024

    I don't see a need. Charts should be created in Illustrator and placed as a graphic - that's what they are, graphics.


    Cacidi is a plugin for InDesign that allows making charts.

    Then have fonts like Chartwell too.

     

    There are some options. 

     

    I create graphs/charts in Illustrator - you can do really powerful things with Illustrator graphs.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66GSgrehDGk&ab_channel=TheComputerWorkshop

     

    Anyway - I don't think InDesign needs graphs/charts tool - Illustrator has it. And there are other places online or other applications that can create graphs/charts.

      T
      TooFriendly
      Participant
      June 16, 2025

      I think that they need to completely overhaul the Graphing tool in Illustrator.
      It is so underpowered and fiddly and does not allow for fine control of placement of text etc. and if you change the placement by hand, the graph completely breaks when you enter new numbers.

       

      Making good looking graphs in Adobe software mainly requires workarounds and they are a nightmare.

       

      I'm sorry but if you think the graphs in the video you posted look good, or that adding graphics like a building or flower to a bar graph is actually useful or a beautiful design element... I don't know what to say.

      Dave Creamer of IDEAS
      Community Expert
      Dave Creamer of IDEASCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      June 17, 2025

      This has been requested for some time. Make your voice known: 

      https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601021-adobe-indesign-feature-requests?query=graphshttps://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/31150012-improve-graph-chart-tool

      [Edited to remove senior moment...]

       

      As an aside, I use Excel to create my charts. I either copy-and-paste into Illustrator or save directly as PDF. The PDFs are RGB, but I can convert them to CMYK in Acrobat Pro, including converting the RGB black to 100K.

       

      David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
        Mike Witherell
        Community Expert
        Mike WitherellCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        March 13, 2024

        Yes, and the right time would have been the year 2000. <perpetual sigh>

        Mike Witherell
        James Gifford—NitroPress
        James Gifford—NitroPress
        Legend
        March 13, 2024

        I am surprised there are no good graph or equation plugins. Both would seem worth considerable development/support/marketing efforts.

        James Gifford—NitroPress
        James Gifford—NitroPress
        Legend
        March 15, 2024

        I suppose marketing people use Powerpoint/Excel graphs, etc., while in academics LaTEX equations, SPSS, MatLab, and so on are used to generate graphs.

         

        If I think about it, graphs are generally delivered to graphic designers/layout people, and hardly ever created by designers themselves. Or perhaps designers will beautify those graphs, but that would require a good design package, and is a custom job. Default graph tools just don't cut it then.

         

        Having a graph tool in InDesign would never satisfy the broad yet deep requirements for all users. And then how are you going to import advanced data? Too much of a hassle, and a hotbed for potential mistakes as well.

         

        Better to stick with the original source app, and generate graphs from there, controlled by the original author who knows the data. Leaving graph design to a designer is just too risky.

        Besides, graph tools such as the one in Illustrator are pretty limited anyway.

        And then there are occasional users who would rather just produce their graphs in Excel and export those. Or for free in software such as LibreOffice.

         

        So, no; I am not surprised. I believe this market to be smaller than it seems to be.


        On one hand, I agree completely with almost everything you've said here.

         

        But... you could say there's no real need for designers at all, if the expert just types out his/her material in Word there's no need to prettify it at all from there, and multiply that across the spectrum.

         

        I don't think taking basic data and making an attractive visual display out of it is necessarily an overstep by a designer (as opposed by the great mind that collated the data in the first place). OTOH, a lot of graph prettifying is to try and obscure some grim message — "It can't be all that bad if it's expressed with pink 3D dots!"

         

        And equations... there should be a middle ground between the gray grim things that come out of academic tools and, I dunno, Schoolhouse Rock dancing digits.

         

        But it did occur to me that following your thought all they way to the end, we should take Word away from the masses because so few people can write a novel. Or, for that matter, a memo. 😄

        Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
        Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices