General considerations on Publisher v2.6

[PaoloT]

Hi,

First of all, congratulation to Serif for this new leap forward. I guess machine learning was unexpected, and apparently will satisfy the requests of many users who need quick selection of people and objects.

I'm happy to see it is a separate module, so this makes me think that only AI features will be available in a Pro option, leaving the other features to the standard/one-time-purchase version.

Multi-page spreads should make Publisher the ideal tool for the small shops specialized in brochures, that I guess are a crowded part of the customer base. Freelancers are likely still left out by the lack of compatibility with the standard format used by the client agency, and I wonder if this isn't the higher number of perspective users.

The new accessibility feature (reading order) is great for those who make publications that have to be compliant with the law (and with the common sense of making publications accessible to everybody). It makes one think that the work on PDF output is going on with conviction.

As for myself, while I admire where Serif is heading, I have to finally admit that I'm probably tied to InDesign for the next five years, or more. The new features are very heavyweight, and will likely not allow the addition of further features until next summer.

What will come next in Publisher? I would believe it will be ePub export, for the self-publishing people. Maybe some improvement in color management, to make Publisher stronger in the small shops. Essential features for a technical communicator, like long tables, object styles, conditional text, will maybe start to be implemented in 2026. Output to the IDML interchange format will come, if it will, not earlier than 2028.

It is a matter of being realistic, and this release is a great help in doing some planning with some sense of the possible development pace.

Ending this post with a sense of deep depression, but I'll be happy to read about how happy are people with different needs than mine.

Paolo

 

[fde101]

17 hours ago, PaoloT said:

I'm happy to see it is a separate module, so this makes me think that only AI features will be available in a Pro option, leaving the other features to the standard/one-time-purchase version.

I don't think there will be two versions.  The explanation for this being separated was that Serif felt the models were too large to include in the base download, so they made them a separate download in order to keep the initial installation size down.  The code for the feature itself is included whether you have the models or not, the only extra download for this is the models themselves.

There are also hints that they may be able to update the models independently of the main application if improvements are made by whoever it was that they licensed the models from.

Also, this is a Photo feature rather than a Publisher feature, so it is only available in Publisher via the Photo persona (StudioLink) when both apps are owned and installed.

 

For those who are not aware, 2.6 is currently in beta and has not been released yet.  Everything is subject to change by the time it is released - features have changed or been pulled out during the beta cycle before.

[Pšenda]

3 hours ago, fde101 said:

There are also hints that they may be able to update the models independently of the main application if improvements are made by whoever it was that they licensed the models from.

A similar solution would also be suitable for the RAW converter - it is also an independent module with its own development cycle, and conditioning its update with application updates is not very flexible and handy.