Lettering/Layout software?

[pigkiller]

I have been messing around with lettering for a little while, and was wondering what programs people use to letter their comics.

I'm especially interested in what people consider the best for laying out baloons and dialogue and what not.

[Sophisticated_Gamer]

Illustrator mixed with photoshop is the best...

[Tahko Tetsujin]

Illustrator mixed with photoshop is the best...

Of course if you don't have a thousand dollars, you could get the job done with Scribus (http://www.scribus.net/) and GIMP (http://gimp.org/)

[howyadoin]

Of course if you don't have a thousand dollars, you could get the job done with Scribus (http://www.scribus.net/) and GIMP (http://gimp.org/)Which is fine as long as it's compatible with whatever software your printer is using.

[LewMoxinsghost]

Canvas and Comic Life are two good cheap `uns.

[LewMoxinsghost]

WHoops, scuze the repeat. Must be an echo in here.

[Mladen]

I tend to use illustrator and indesign. photoshop is just too cumbersome for that kind of lettering/layout work (and illustrator and indesign are specifically designed for text and layout stuff and belong to the same suite of applications... I can't work out why you'd use photoshop for that stuff).

[howyadoin]

I tend to use illustrator and indesign. photoshop is just too cumbersome for that kind of lettering/layout work (and illustrator and indesign are specifically designed for text and layout stuff and belong to the same suite of applications... I can't work out why you'd use photoshop for that stuff).I'd much rather have vector type than raster, too. But Photoshop is part of that same suite...

[thepixelsmith]

I'd much rather have vector type than raster, too. But Photoshop is part of that same suite...

Actually Text in Photoshop is vector based, it has been since about version 5.5. It will rasterize when you convert it to another format (unless that format is EPS or PDF) but not when saved as a PSD file. The same is true for both Illustrator and InDesign.

[Meyvn]

I use Inkscape; basically an open source Illustrator. The only thing Illustrator has that Inkscape doesn't is more effects.