Adobe InDesign CS6 review

With the continued growth of digital publishing, Adobe InDesign CS6 is packed with new features that enable you to not only design for print, but for tablet devices, too. But does this new version live up to expectations?

Our Verdict

Unlike Photoshop, where there are a lot of amateur users who like to dabble, Adobe InDesign CS6 is predominantly a professional publishing tool, and Adobe has squarely aimed this latest update at the professional designer. Quite whether Adobe understands the exact working practices of designers - especially those working on large multi-format publications - is another matter, but it has set out with the best intentions to make their lives easier. The new tools in Adobe InDesign CS6 offer a lot of potential for the freelance designer working on smaller scale, short run or one-off projects - where the new alternate layout and re-purposing tools will probably prove to be very valuable. On a larger scale, it's a struggle to see how some of these tools will be implemented in larger organisations, where there are probably already very solid working practices in place. That said, there are some more subtle additions that will certainly benefit the designer everyday but whether or not it's worth upgrading for this alone is debatable. If you're running InDesign CS5 or earlier then definitely upgrade to CS6 to take advantage of, not only the new features, but the big overhaul to the digital publishing tools introduced in CS5.5. If you're already running 5.5, and just thinking of upgrading InDesign on its own, then perhaps think twice. Overall, this update is by no means a game changer. Instead, it builds on the foundation that was established in CS5 and CS5.5.

For

  • Cross platform support
  • Split window view
  • Better asset management tools
  • Enhanced Digital Publishing tools

Against

  • Not a huge upgrade
  • Varying results with Alternate Layout
  • Limited benefits to people running CS5.5
  • Limited professional applications of new features

Why you can trust Creative Bloq Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

The launch of any new iteration of the Creative Suite is hyped to the extreme by Adobe, which knows that there's an army of fanatics out there eager to lap up every new whizz-bang feature, tweak and addition regardless of how subtle some of them may seem to the slightly more jaded reviewer. Amidst all this hoopla, Photoshop, without exception, takes the lion's share of the limelight, followed by Illustrator and After Effects, leaving InDesign languishing in fourth place in the attention and column inches stakes.

Although Adobe InDesign CS6 perhaps isn't the most glamourous or exciting of the apps within the CS6 roster, for designers and creative professionals alike - who use it extensively on a daily basis - any new additions are certainly worth taking note of. The question is, though, after such a major overhaul with CS5, and then subsequently 5.5, what substantial additions can this new version offer that would warrant the cash outlay to upgrade?

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

The Verdict
7

out of 10

Adobe InDesign CS6

Unlike Photoshop, where there are a lot of amateur users who like to dabble, Adobe InDesign CS6 is predominantly a professional publishing tool, and Adobe has squarely aimed this latest update at the professional designer. Quite whether Adobe understands the exact working practices of designers - especially those working on large multi-format publications - is another matter, but it has set out with the best intentions to make their lives easier. The new tools in Adobe InDesign CS6 offer a lot of potential for the freelance designer working on smaller scale, short run or one-off projects - where the new alternate layout and re-purposing tools will probably prove to be very valuable. On a larger scale, it's a struggle to see how some of these tools will be implemented in larger organisations, where there are probably already very solid working practices in place. That said, there are some more subtle additions that will certainly benefit the designer everyday but whether or not it's worth upgrading for this alone is debatable. If you're running InDesign CS5 or earlier then definitely upgrade to CS6 to take advantage of, not only the new features, but the big overhaul to the digital publishing tools introduced in CS5.5. If you're already running 5.5, and just thinking of upgrading InDesign on its own, then perhaps think twice. Overall, this update is by no means a game changer. Instead, it builds on the foundation that was established in CS5 and CS5.5.

The Creative Bloq team is made up of a group of design fans, and has changed and evolved since Creative Bloq began back in 2012. The current website team consists of eight full-time members of staff: Editor Georgia Coggan, Deputy Editor Rosie Hilder, Ecommerce Editor Beren Neale, Senior News Editor Daniel Piper, Editor, Digital Art and 3D Ian Dean, Tech Reviews Editor Erlingur Einarsson and Ecommerce Writer Beth Nicholls and Staff Writer Natalie Fear, as well as a roster of freelancers from around the world. The 3D World and ImagineFX magazine teams also pitch in, ensuring that content from 3D World and ImagineFX is represented on Creative Bloq. 

TOPICS