Adobe to Introduce Graphic Design Products
Adobe Systems Inc., a maker of desktop publishing software, is expected to unveil today a slate of products aimed at streamlining the behind-the-scenes work for graphic artists and designers.
Often, much resizing and reformatting has to occur to make an image document viewable, whether on a Web site, a company brochure, a magazine or a hand-held computer.
The San Jose-based company said its new products will make it easier to move text and images around--automating much of the process.
The new products include:
* AlterCast, image software for servers that automates the image production process. An e-commerce company, for instance, can automatically update its Web site images to reflect its biggest sellers.
* InDesign 2.0, the first major overhaul of the design layout program since its debut in 1999. New features include being able to edit Photoshop or Illustrator files from within the program and to export the files in XML, or extensible markup language, a programming language that is becoming a standard architecture so computers can basically speak the same language.
* Illustrator 10, a beefier version with many new drawing tools.
* Adobe Studio, a new Web site that provides a free community area with design-related resources and a subscription-based service that acts as an online meeting place for designers and their clients.
Adobe’s announcements, which will be made at Seybold San Francisco, the world’s largest cross-media publishing trade show, comes as the $1.27-billion company is suffering from slowed sales in the United States and abroad.
Last week, the company reported third-quarter revenue of $292.1 million, down 11% from a year earlier, and lowered its revenue targets for the fourth quarter.
