The long awaited release of Adobe's Framemaker 5.5 proves itself to be the most advanced software for creating large complex documents. Capitalizing on the
Internet's relationship to publication this release comes with several features designed to ease the transition to printing online. These tools include Adobe Acrobat 3.0 (which is included with the package) and the
ability to save files directly to Portable Document Format (PDF).The Mac version comes with some unique features including trapping of process and spot colors; the ability to handle imposition software and output via
Open Prepress Interface 1.3. is included.
Framemaker 5.5 can successfully create advanced cross-referencing, indexing, search/replace, list-generation, and hypertext capabilities. This allows the generation of many
version of the same document including tools that allow comparisons between each document. Auto-numbering of paragraphs and the creation of compound numbers and tables of contents that reference specific tables, frames,
or paragraphs can be easily designed.
Version 5.5 also retains style information between different programs. A chapter that has been given identical styles in Word (and FrameMaker), will restyle automatically when
imported from Word. This allows tighter control between different departments (for example, marketing) who wish to write in one word processing program and then allow the publishing department to print the document with
no style changes.
HTML is successfully incorporated with the release. Cascading style sheets can be easily created, single file documents can be separated into a series of linked files and graphics can be saved as
either GIF, JPEG or PING.
Saving a file "As HTML" automatically creates the Cascading Style Sheet; this also generates the necessary CSS file. Browsers that support CSS will faithfully reproduce your
original document by mapping fonts, styles, colors, and indents; browsers that do not support CSS will ignore the .CSS file allowing the defaults to be shown.
Framemaker 5.5 can also automatically generate hypertext
links to tables of contents, indexes and cross-references; it will also update all links automatically as a document is modified. Links are then updated automatically when users save a document as PDF or HTML.
Other
features include the ability to export tables to third-party spreadsheet applications and import/export filters for more than 50 file types.
The table utilities allow complex styles, row and column sorting, cells
containing multiple paragraphs, and customized cell attributes. This ability to created table styles that are different from paragraph and character styles is unique to Framemaker.
Nonetheless, FrameMaker has always
been considered an awkward program to master and this release has no major interface changes. The need to assign master pages requires clicking through numerous pull-down menus. No ruler or column guides are included
increasing the difficulty for precise alignments.
Complex color images are also not FrameMaker's strength - Pagemaker has many advantages in this area. Although it includes 12 spot color libraries and the ability to
produce color tints, there is no support for trapping or conversion of RGB images to CMYK.
Another weakness is the inferior help system. This is both difficult to navigate and out-of-date.
International features
include support for double-byte characters. There is also in-line input of Japanese characters and the ability to combine Latin and Japanese font families. Though this is helpful for those who need such tools
improvements in other areas such as macros, improved color handling and more sophisticated illustration tools would seems be more welcomed.
Version 5.5's robust qualities put it far ahead of its main competitors
including the improved Ventura 7.0 release earlier this year. Working through the cryptic dialog boxes will reward the user with a package that is both high efficient and extremely stable. For those who are concerned
with advanced, highly complex monochrome publications, Framemaker 5.5 offers feature that place it far ahead of its competitors.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Macintosh: 68040 or faster processor
16MB RAM
55MB hard drive space
System 7.5 or higher
Windows: 30MB hard drive space
Adobe Type Manager 3.x
Windows 95 or Windows NT
List Price: $895
