XeLaTeX or ConTeXt?

[Peter Davis <pfd@pfdstudio.com>]

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I'm still wrestling with this issue of doing InDesign-like documents.  Does
ConTeXt provide a way to simulate multiple "stories" or flows of text?  For
example, suppose I have a newspaper with two articles on page 1.  One of
them continues on page 2, and the other on page 3.  Is there a way to do
that?

Alternatively, I could consider plain TeX or LuaTeX, but I know very little
about either of those.  I'm prepared to learn, but I'd like to get some
hints about what seems like the likliest path to produce this kind of
document.

Thank you!
-pd


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Peter Davis <pfd@pfdstudio.com>
Date: Sat, Jun 4, 2011 at 5:36 PM
Subject: XeLaTeX or ConTeXt?
To: texhax <texhax@tug.org>


I'm looking for a way to produce InDesign-like documents with TeX.  By
"InDesign-like," I mean, apart from excellent typography, the abillity to
have 'stories' automatically overflow from one container to another, either
on the same page or on additional pages, to embed graphics into the text, to
copyfit, to wrap text around irregular shapes, etc.

I've been working with XeLaTeX, using the Textpos package, which is very
useful.  However, I think I need to switch to (or add?) the Flowfram package
to get automatic overflow handling.  I think that will let me get the effect
of multiple stories by concatenating the stories together into one document
environment, and using explicit frame breaks to start a new 'story.'

However, I'm wondering if I should be considering ConTeXt at this point.  I
keep seeing that it's supposed to provide more sophisticated typographic
control than LaTeX, but I don't know what.  Is there a way to get this
multiple story, automatic overflow effect with ConTeXt?  Layers seem a
little like text frames, but I don't see anything about overflow.  What
about copyfitting?  Wrapping around irregular shapes?  I've looked at the
ConTeXt docs, but it seems mostly to be a different way to get the same
effects as LaTeX, rather than a way to get a whole new range of effects.

Thanks,
-pd


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