Inside the Publishing Revolution: The Adobe Story [Hardcover]

Pamela Pfiffner (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0321115643 | ISBN-13: 978-0321115645 | Publication Date: September 26, 2002 | Edition: 1

Tech journalist Pamela Pfiffner explores the rich history behind the modern publishing revolution, as seen through the lens of one of its most important players. In the past 20 years, Adobe Systems has become synonymous with great design tools, and the company's impact on how we work in publishing, graphic arts, and on the Web is unmatched. Join Pfiffner on a colorful journey from the roots of the desktop publishing revolution through the rise of the Web and interactive design. Along the way, you'll witness the birth and evolution of PostScript, the explosion of the Photoshop market, the realization of the paperless office, and other events that have shaped the way we communicate.

Inside the Publishing Revolution is not one of those dull historical tomes you know and loathe from high school. Pfiffner packs its pages with lively, insightful interviews with world-class designers and illustrators, as well as personal insights and recollections from John Warnock, Chuck Geschke, Jonathan Seybold, and other publishing luminaries. Richly illustrated and beautifully designed, the book features galleries of historically significant work by leading artists and rare photographs from the Adobe archives. For added perspective, Pfiffner walks you through an illustrated timeline of the publishing revolution. As with history, the final chapter of the Adobe story remains to be written, so the book ends with an eye toward the future: an exclusive overview of the company's vision of publishing in the next decade.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Tech journalist Pamela Pfiffner explores the rich history behind the modernpublishing revolution, as seen through the lens of one of its most importantplayers. In the past 20 years, Adobe Systems has become synonymous withgreat design tools, and the company's impact on how we work in publishing,graphic arts, and on the Web is unmatched. Join Pfiffner on a colorfuljourney from the roots of the desktop publishing revolution through the riseof the Web and interactive design. Along the way, you'll witness the birthand evolution of PostScript, the explosion of the Photoshop market, therealization of the paperless office, and other events that have shaped theway we communicate.

Inside the Publishing Revolution is not one of those dull historicaltomes you know and loathe from high school. Pfiffner packs its pages withlively, insightful interviews with world-class designers and illustrators,as well as personal insights and recollections from John Warnock, ChuckGeschke, Jonathan Seybold, and other publishing luminaries. Richlyillustrated and beautifully designed, the book features galleries ofhistorically significant work by leading artists and rare photographs fromthe Adobe archives. For added perspective, Pfiffner walks you through anillustrated timeline of the publishing revolution. As with history, thefinal chapter of the Adobe story remains to be written, so the book endswith an eye toward the future: an exclusive overview of the company'svision of publishing in the next decade.

About the Author

Pamela Pfiffner's 14-year career in publishing encompasses print, Web, and television. She has been editor in chief of such magazines as MacUser and Publish, working to extend the publications' brands to the Internet. She joined the launch team of the 24-hour cable television station ZDTV (now TechTV) in 1997 as executive producer of its dynamic media Web site. In 1999 she launched creativepro.com as an independent portal for creative professionals.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Adobe Press; 1 edition (September 26, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321115643
• ISBN-13: 978-0321115645
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #978,553 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Belongs in every designer's library!, September 20, 2002

By 

"sandeec" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inside the Publishing Revolution: The Adobe Story (Hardcover)

Anyone who uses a computer to design graphics, create printed documents, edit Web graphics, make movies and animations, or just type a letter should read this book.

While most people recognize the contributions Apple and Microsoft made to computers, few realize how much Adobe was right in there with those other companies.

This book tells that story--and does so with humor, behind-the-scenes gossip, and inside information. What were the "Font wars" of 1989? What were Adobe's original plans for Photoshop? What was the original purpose for the Acrobat PDF format?

Even better the quotes from industry greats. What did Steve Jobs think the first time he saw PostScript added to a printer? How did designers such as Roger Black and Louis Fishauf feel about products such as Illustrator and Photoshop?

The book is filled with tons of candid photos of those early days. You'll gasp as you see the much-younger versions of today's famous speakers and industry giants. My favorite is the extremely young Steve Jobs (in a tie and jacket!) at the debut of the PostScript LaserWriter.

The author must have been given quite a bit of leeway with the writing because she also describes those times Adobe didn't get it exactly right. What were the mistakes Adobe made in their first Web page-creation program? What was the problem with the original distribution of Acrobat Reader? And who was the only person at Adobe who could easily use the original Illustrator Pen tool?

And in an age of trade paperbacks, this book is a physical joy--a beautifully bound embossed-hardcover book with a varnish-coated dust jacket. The inside pages are exquisitely designed, with full-color photos throughout the book.

This is the sort of book you pick up and read, then pick up again, then again, then again. There's always one more little tidbit to laugh or smile over.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not the usual corporate history., October 1, 2002

By 

Rufus Deuchler (Firenze, Italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inside the Publishing Revolution: The Adobe Story (Hardcover)

I got the book in the morning and started reading right away, skipped lunch and finished. Short read you might say... not at all; the text and the images are excellent and the book reads like a novel (reason why I skipped lunch). What a story!

It answered many questions that came up in my 10+ years of experience as a graphic design professional. Why Adobe this and how Adobe that.

The great thing about the book that it made me re-live my experiences; the advent of the mac and the LaserWriter, early releases of the software (it is quite touching to see pictures of the first, say, Illustrator), the successes and the failure the company went through. Those of us (graphic designers) who have pasted photostated type on the blue outline grid by hand will relate.

The book is about what and how things happened to allow us (graphic designers) to work the way we do today; it is, however, also about how Adobe changed the publishing world and global communication altogether.

Thumbs up on this one. Thank you Pamela Pfiffner for a great piece of research and writing. Thank you Adobe for the perseverance in bringing it all together towards the age of Network Publishing.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pleasure, February 24, 2003

By 

Eolake "eolake.blogspot.com" (Lancashire, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Inside the Publishing Revolution: The Adobe Story (Hardcover)

A pleasure to read, both for the inspiration coming from reading about people being very successful being idealistic, and from learning about the history of the Desktop Publishing revolution.