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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