InDesign for 2024: New Features, Extensibility, Express and AI
Max Dunn
San Francisco, California
Virtual
October 19, 2023
3:45-4:00 p.m. Pacific — Networking
4:00-5:45 p.m. Pacific — Presentation
This meeting was sponsored by the Adobe Community Experts Program
He also discussed the Unified eXtensibility Platform or UXP. This significant technology, which required the efforts of many brilliant individuals and took a long time to implement, has brought InDesign’s extensibility into the modern age. He showcased the use of the latest JavaScript along with REACT support and debugging tools.
Furthermore, Adobe Express—Adobe’s response to Canva—has been enriched with sophisticated new extensibility tools (as well as AI features based on Adobe Firefly). Max highlighted the two Express SDKs available: The Add-in SDK, which allows for the addition of features to Express, and the Embed SDK, which facilitates the inclusion of Express in other applications.
During the session, it was revealed that developers now have the capacity to elevate Adobe’s creative tools. For example, Max’s company, Silicon Publishing, has seamlessly integrated Express with its InDesign-based document editor. This integration means that users can now edit documents in a web browser, utilize Express to create or process content, and subsequently reintegrate it into the document, all the while maintaining compatibility with InDesign.
Max delved deep into the innovative capabilities unlocked by Adobe Express and Adobe Firefly. He touched upon the role of AI and elucidated how Adobe’s suite of tools synergizes to redefine modern publishing workflows. Attendees gained insights into making informed decisions between InDesign and Express and received guidance on optimally utilizing both applications. The session also spotlighted the integration of generative AI from Adobe and other sources, showcasing their benefits in InDesign-centric publishing processes.
About the Presenter
Max Dunn
Max Dunn (left) is co-founder of Silicon Publishing, a global leader of Adobe InDesign automation solutions for over two decades. Silicon Publishing pioneered the use of InDesign Server since its inception in 2005. Max has a deep background in document automation, and leads a team of world experts at publishing software, several of whom were on the original InDesign development team.
