Our Number One Software Choice for Planner Design
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If you’ve ever thought about diving in to create your own planner, one of the first questions that sprang to mind was probably, “Where am I supposed to design this?!”
The good thing to know is that you have options. But the truth is, only ONE of the options is by far supreme and our personal choice for designing planner layouts.
I’m sharing what we use and why it matters below.
Why it matters
“Any design program should work, right?”
Honestly, not all design programs are created equal. In fact, most design programs have a specific purpose behind them — a primary use that makes each program ideal for a particular thing.
Design programs vary when it comes to features included in the actual design panel, but also export and editing capabilities that can make or break your design experience.
On the flip side, however, not every design program is as accessible as others.
While you can find online design tools with a free option (such as Canva.com), you’ll also find design tools that are paid and include software to download and update regularly on your computer (such as the Adobe Creative Suite).
Our preferred design software
For many reasons, our design software choice here at Copper Bottom Design Co. is InDesign by Adobe.
Specializing in layout and print design, InDesign is a powerful tool that gives our team full capabilities to:
Pull other design elements together in the final planner design
InDesign integrates beautifully with the rest of the Adobe Creative Suite, meaning we can seamlessly pull in any other design elements for the planner and update them without fail.Build unique layouts in an organized, efficient manner
The parent pages feature in InDesign is the perfect way to build layouts that will be shown again and again throughout the planner, saving time on our end and making edits a smooth and easy process.Finesse layout details easily and precisely
InDesign is powered with ALL of the design and alignment tools you could possibly need to create wonderfully precise layouts. The beauty truly is in the details with this software.Prepare and export files for print purposes (as requested by our production partners)
Having the capability to prepare files appropriately for print purposes (especially when working with a product as detailed as a planner) is CRUCIAL. InDesign gives our team everything we need to seamlessly export, review, edit, and prep for print — and we know the file will be understood and approved by our production partners.
The Adobe Creative Cloud operates on a subscription model these days, giving you the option to subscribe monthly to one program or the entire suite. This is a great option if you’re just interested in using InDesign to build your planner over the course of a few months and know that you’ll need access to this powerful design software for a limited time.
In addition, there are a TON of tutorials on YouTube and elsewhere to help you get familiar with InDesign and learn the tools you need within the program to bring your dream planner vision to life.
When it comes to layout and planner design, InDesign is an unbeatable design program.
Can you design a full planner in Canva, Microsoft Word, or another program that might be more intuitive or cost effective?
Absolutely.
But you might find yourself fighting the design to get it pixel perfect, and the export capabilities generally aren’t as sufficient for what is needed when working with a production partner.
Click here to learn more about Adobe InDesign and START YOUR 7-DAY FREE TRIAL.
Have you been feeling inspired and ready to kick off the design process for your own custom planner?
I created a guide featuring 5 things your day planner MUST include . . . and it’s available now at the link below.