Best practice?
Actually I agree. I have always set packaging in Illustrator.
However, should you use allot of linked files in Illustrator, she can create some incredibly cumbersome and inefficient files. So assembling and thinking clever with a page setting app can be a time and space saving practice allowing more efficient work flow.
I feared this was going to happen, this point opens discussion further to; how software "should" be used, "Can" be used and "best" be used. I also know full well that there are usually heaps of different ways to do any one job. I always say that there is rarely a right or wrong way to use software, so long as it gets the job done. But there are often moral reasoning and good practice to these uses and each job is different. For example;
When setting documents InDesign I mainly use logos, placed in a picture box and most often an EPS file. Which is an old school, but tried and tested, here to stay method of working technically "best practice". But Indesign can handle ai files just as well, if not better, as it display's a better quality preview that is more efficient to display. (Seems to out put well enough too!)
In my recent experience, I have seen that new to industry young designers are without these practices, often prefer to copy and paste vectors straight from Illustartor into InDesign! I was shocked to say the least. (this isn't a blanket rule just I have been surprised at the amount of people doing this.) This does work (sometimes) however it can cause issues with effects in the art work, problems during ripping to output and even worse, the pasted graphic will be editable in InDesign and can be changed, editing an element that should be left well alone, therefore the art work can change and be inconsistent with other designs! Danger! Danger!
In light of this it is best practice to have well managed files and linked elements. I think this old school method is essential to studio practice, with many benefits, such as uneditable elements, updated-able links, better file management and better performance from your machine. But then this is just my preference and recommendation that sees me right.
Like I say there is rarely a right or wrong way, but always be prepared, that one day we can and may have to change our minds or our methods.
I took great delight in abandoning Quark for Indesign 2.0 and never regretted it, I like to be adaptable and experimental and then I will always benefit and never stuck in the stone age. Even after 17 years, I bet you are still learning?
Just read this thread...why use 3 applications to set up artwork when one will do?
If the artwork can be laid out solely in Illustrator, then why not? Why do you need to involve InDesign?
Presuming that everything that needs to be printed has to be output via Pagemaker (old school), Quark, InDesign is archaic!
I'm not suggesting that you set a document such as a brochure in Illustrator, but packaging graphics, stationery, posters, flyers - in fact anything that is based on a single canvas is perfect for Illustrator.
Importing EPS/TIFFs into InDesign then means you have linked files to potentially deal with.
Anyway I've only been doing this for 17 years. Just my input!:icon_smile: