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InDesign vs Photoshop – Which one fits your needs?

by Amelie Timm  |  October 29, 2019

3 min. read
Command keys written on tape and scissors.

Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop offer amazing benefits. Use the following comparisons of these popular systems to decide which is optimal. The right software for the right project is the key to success. Here are some of the key functions each program handles.

Designing project layouts

The layout of a project is subject to numerous changes throughout the process. It’s vital you find the correct tools to handle adjustments. Photoshop is a great system for creating a logo in a project but the complete layout needs a system which handles multiple page function.

This is why InDesign is perfect for piecing together the ideal layout of a project. It offers a tool specifically formulated to control an entire layout design. This is called a master page and it acts as a nexus to the entire project’s pages. The master is used to edit numerous pages all at once. Because of the ability to create sophisticated, diverse appearances in a short period of time, InDesign is the superior system for project layouts.

A shoe in color with a black and white background.
Learn the benefits of InDesign and Photoshop to make intelligent choices for your projects.

Editing images

With Photoshop, you can change pictures to elicit emotions, capture ideas and persuade audiences. It’s great at handling different concerns over lighting and professionalism. Photoshop is king for editing images due to its overwhelming selection of tools, which give users the ability to change color, crop, add effects and sharpen images.

InDesign, on the other hand, leaves only a little wiggle room to work with pictures. Unfortunately, it’s generally for changing the size of an image rather than altering it drastically. When it comes to editing photos, Photoshop is a step above InDesign.

A swirl of different colors.
Photoshop is better at editing things like colors.

Upholding logo integrity

Logos are brand signifiers that require quality maintenance. This is because logos change in size often as they are used on everything an organization creates and distributes. Photoshop aids in the initial creation of a logo but after that it fails to maintain quality. The result of logo size changes in Photoshop is deterioration of the image – an unacceptable outcome.

InDesign is a bad choice to create logos but it offers resize options for imported images. This makes it a great tool for logo integrity, since it can change sizes of numerous logos using the master page function. As far as logos go, consider using Photoshop for the initial creation and InDesign for maintenance afterward.

A picture of a logo being created on a computer screen.
Photoshop and InDesign have different purposes when it comes to logos.

Using text in a project

Text defines a presentation in both its content and aesthetic. Depending on your needs, either system may work best. Photoshop might be preferable for changing the way a text appears. This includes things like color of text, a seemingly unimportant detail that is powerful in a presentation. Color of a text can even change the meaning entirely. Photoshop can edit text, check it for correct spelling and morph its appearance. These visual manipulations of text carry a lot of importance and make Photoshop a strong candidate for text use in a campaign.

InDesign handles projects with heavier text needs better than Photoshop and it can control mass amounts of text features all at once to simplify tasks. Ultimately, InDesign does more with text, especially with text-dominant layouts. Like Photoshop, InDesign can also change the color of text, though users will find the color-changing tools of each system have differences to them. Weigh the benefits of both InDesign and Photoshop alongside your typical projects.

InDesign and Photoshop are absolutely crucial to excel in the modern environment of design layouts. Depending on the necessities of a project, choose the software that best fits with the ideal outcome of a presentation layout.