My iPad Pro is always with me. If it’s not in my backpack it’s on my couch, ottoman or night table. Recently, I needed to take a day off to bring my father to the doctor. I was in the middle of a project at work that was time sensitive – a creative slick to pitch a client. A file I’d normally create in Adobe InDesign was setup in Apple Pages in order to come along with me that day. It worked out very well
InDesign is nearly everyone’s ‘go to’ layout application on a Mac or PC. But InDesign is not available on the iPad (Adobe has a watered down iPad app called Comp that works with InDesign). So I built the file in Apple Pages based on a layout I had previously done in InDesign. Surprisingly, I was able to replicate it exactly – and quickly!
Once the layout was complete, I not only had a template for future work, I had the file that was due tomorrow on my iPad. Dad and I went to the doctor the next day and as we waited a handful of emails came thru asking for changes to the file. I was easily able to make all of the changes. Once complete, it was easy to convert the file to PDF and email to the team.
It was a pleasure using Apple Pages for page layout. I always just considered it a Microsoft Word replacement. But it’s much more! Once I discovered the Text Box option creating fluid layouts was easy. Amazingly, you can link the text and have it flow thru multiple columns – just like InDesign.
Ultimately, I was able to easily and efficiently complete the project on my iPad. Once I was back at my work desk I opened the file on my iMac in Pages – it was perfect.
InDesign is regarded as the standard when it comes to sophisticated page layout but Apple Pages is not too far behind with its wonderfully simple interface. For me, on this specific project, the features in Pages were all I needed to produce a professional looking advertising slick. Being able to take my work on the road on an iPad piques my interest further in learning more about Pages and how it can be used as a professional layout tool – at my desk as well as on the go!