Adobe InDesign’s un-sexy feature: Multiple page sizes

In a back & fourth discussion with a friend over the features in Adobe InDesign CS5, the topic of multiple page sizes came up.

My friend couldn’t for the the life of him figure out why you would want or need the feature in a page layout application.

Forgetting the fact that I prefer to think of InDesign as more than a “page layout” application, I offered him the first suggestion that appeared in my mental rolodex of uses for the feature. Expecting the standard “magazine foldouts” reason, my rather un-sexy answer surprised him. Having multiple page sizes in a single InDesign document is a great file management tool.

That’s right. Plain old, boring, un-sexy file management.

For years Freehand users laughed at us Adobe Illustrator freaks because we didn’t have a multiple-artboard feature. When Adobe finally added it in CS4, I immediately found a simple use. Each client I had required me to keep a minimum of 5 copies of their logo. A full color (CMYK), black, white (for reversed out use), grayscale mix, and a Pantone spot color version. That was five files to manage; a real pain in the butt. With multiple artboards, I could keep all five of the logos in a single Illustrator file.

With InDesign CS5, the same theory comes into play with multiple page sizes in a single document. Except now we’re not talking about logos, we’re talking about entire pieces. Let’s start off with the obvious; how many pieces are in a corporate identity package? At least three, and more likely six to ten if you count multiple color variations.

I have one client who has a full color letterhead, business card and envelope. He uses it for most external use. However he also prints a black & white version of his letterhead and envelopes for mailing invoices to his clients, and sending company info internally such as personal memos and paychecks, etc. For years that meant keeping track of six documents (one set of three for color files, and one set of three for B&W versions).

With InDesign’s multiple size page documents, I can keep his entire identity package in a single document. It not only makes it easier to make changes, but it cuts down on the amount of files to manage, and the space it takes up on my hard drive.

InDesign CS5 features multiple page sizes in a single document

If creating corporate identity packages isn’t your cup of tea, perhaps you’ve been known to design a print ad a time or two. Of course you have. And you probably created the exact same ad for several publications, which meant creating a different size ad for each pub. Sure is the sky is blue, the client will want to make a change to the add after you’ve created all those separate ad documents. With InDesign CS5, you can create all the ad sizes in one single document. Again, not only is it easier to make the changes quickly, but you don’t have to come up with a goofy naming scheme to keep track of all the different ads.

If you really think about it, I’m sure you can think of plenty of other ways to use multiple page sizes in a single InDesign document. If for no other reason, it’s a great way to cut down on the amount of files you have to manage for yourself, and your clients.