Migrating from InDesign to Publisher - what's better/what do you miss?

[lacerto]

My more or less random list of features (some mentioned already above) available only in InDesign [based on CC 2024), some of which so important to make it impossible for me to make an exclusive switch. Having said that, Affinity apps shine in certain areas and are a welcome addition in my toolbox.

1. Ability to handle any PDF versions (1.3 to 2) and export them to another PDF version (1.3 to 1.7) without rasterization, and retaining (or converting, when necessary) all relevant information of the source files
2. Ability to apply blend modes (incl. transparency) on placed PDFs
3. Ability to flatten transparencies without rasterization; flattener preview; trapping presets
4. Overprint and Separation Previews (including Ink limit)
5. Image-specific color profile / rendering intent assignment
6. Automatic image specific JPG compression in PDF export; separate downscale settings for color, grayscale and monochrome
7. Support for Job options (PDF presets)
8. Advanced multitargeting (digital / press / alternative color profiles)
9. Scalable UI, customizable menus, advanced multiple-window layouts, rotatable spreads
10. InDesign and PDF proofing and commenting, ability to share InDesign files on cloud (team work), publishing online; ability to track changes
11. Ability to save back (IDML) and save story texts to RTF (including ability import back, retaining essential formatting)
12. Ability to flatten lists; gradient swatches; smart global swatches (covering profile conversions; multilevel parenthood in respect of tints; smart [Black] (K&RGB mode)
13. Story and Copy editor, conditional text, structure view
14. Captions
15. Ability to unthread text frames; auto-sizing text frames
16. Saved Find & Replaces (including GREP, glyphs and colors)
17. Collect & Place Content Tool
18. Extract shapes, color themes and type from images
19. GREP styles
20. Interactive tools and features
21. Hundreds of plug-ins available
22. Advanced scripting supporting powerful IDEs like Microsoft Visual Studio with full capability for runtime debugging, including having InDesign object model at hand in context of IntelliSense; and UXP and JavaScript (ES5,ES6); lots of useful scripts included, large developer community
23. Paragraph composer (including non-Western scripts), optical kerning
24. Ability to have 'notes in tables, and (overridable) spanned footnotes in multi-column layouts
25. Layout adjustments, alternate and liquid layouts, gap tool
26. Accessibility tools
27. Updatable data merges (including possibility for online linking)
28. Adobe Fonts (> 25,000)

[madiko]

18 hours ago, MikeTO said:

left aligned, ragged right

Exactly, that is, what I meant. (No sharing or aligning right)

InDesign helps a lot with this (automated), especially in consort with hyphenation to it's bare minimum. To do it by hand is very cumbersome. Especially with living texts and you do not want to do this work again and again.

I very much hope, Affinity considers to put this to work. Adobe InDesign safes me a lot of work that way.

 

Thank you for the answers! Have a nice day.

[MikeW]

If the request is for the InDesign Balanced Ragged Lines feature, it's been requested/talked about here:

https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/65732-balance-ragged-lines/

In general, it can work well. If applied to a book-length work, it can really slow down ID.

When used on shorter pieces, like two-line headings, bullet lists, pull-quotes, etc., the first line will always be longer by default. This balance method can be overridden via scripting, however, so the first line is shorter, a point of discussion brought up in the linked thread.

[Dazmondo77]

Not seen anyone mention proper inline, flowing tables or printable/PDFable slug area.

[MikeW]

12 minutes ago, Dazmondo77 said:

Not seen anyone mention proper inline, flowing tables or printable/PDFable slug area.

These have been requested in various threads in the past. 

[Juhani]

Good list, but you forgot about spaning text/paragraphs across columns within one frame, which is pretty much the only actual dealbreaker for me right now to transition a magazine layout over to Publisher.

Of couse Serif should start thinking about offering its users some better Font options like Adobe does, even if comes as part of an optional monthly subscription. Right now if you're not part of CC, your next stop is probably Monotype, which is quite expensive.