iCalamus

iCalamus is the new publisher for Mac OS X, presented by invers Software from Loeningen, Germany. The DTP program can be used lightly as a feather and offers newbies and pros in Desktop Publishing all kinds of freedom to publish your ideas.

iCalamus was created for Mac and hasn't much relationship to its cousin, Calamus SL, the well-known DTP program for Windows and Atari, but the name is similar.

iCalamus is an excellent choice for all layout purposes from simple posters and business letters over complex layouted magazines up to books and scientific works.

Complete Unicode support and the smart PDF import offer easy access to creating and layout work. The reasoned user interface with its low learning curve guarantees for fast success. iCalamus doesn't limit your layout freedom by offering prepared layouts. Its practical tools offer all options for your own creative and productive layout work.

iCalamus is a modular program which will grow in future by external modules, even from third-party developers. Therefore invers Software will create an Open Development Area (ODA) and publish the plug-in interface. iCalamus has been developed in Objective C with intensive usage of Apple's Cocoa library.

You can import all image and text formats which are supported by Mac OS X into iCalamus documents. Images from digital camera,s scanners or iPhoto libraries can be imported as well as whole web page content and PDF documents. Grab text content from large PDF documents easily for further text processing.

Elaborated masking options and many predefined, partly dynamically changeable frame shapes offer freedom for creativity. Working in precise measurement units is the other side of the iCalamus world. Use virtual copies for multiple document elements and change them afterwards with a few mouse clicks.

Print output uses all printers which are supported by Mac OS X. Optionally output documents in various PDF formats (e.g. PDF-X, encrypted PDF, PDF Fax).

iCalamus requires Mac OS X 10.4.5 or later and is shipped as a Universal Binary in single language versions or as a complete bundle with the languages English, German, French, Danish, Dutch and Czech on CD or via download.

Here are some key features of "iCalamus":

 Loads all image formats supported by Mac OS X.
· Loads all text formats supported by Mac OS X.
· Imports image data from scanner.
· Imports image data from digital camera.
· Supports all fonts useable with Mac OS X.
· Loads URL based contents (URL or file path).
· Snapshot from web pages into frame (as image).
· Typeless frames = content defines frame type.
· Frame and vector shape object are identical (frame shape can be edited as vector object).
· Frame shape can be used for clipping.
· All contents (text, images, graphics) can be output with stepless opacity.
· Output on printer
· Output to PDF file
· Exchange via system pasteboard
· Drag 'n' drop support
· Print marks in bleed area: cut'n'crop marks, color and grayscale controls, info line
· Modular system
· Unlimited Undo/Redo
· Zoom up to 10,000%
· Unicode
· Mac OS X Spell Checking support
· Document grid, adjustable
· Page guides and guide columns can be defined
· Multiple views (in one or more windows, realtime updated!)
· User-defined workspaces (Inspectors, visibilities, positions, sizes) can be defined, saved and loaded
· Document-specific informations can be saved for Spotlight.
· Selection tool (select frames or 'grab points', move)
Vector path editor tool
· Rotation tool
· Text tool (text editor)
· Image tool for easy import of image frames
· Freehand vector tool (draws vector paths)
· Frame tool (creates typeless frames)
· Line shape tool
· Hand tool (movings)
· Magnifier tool (zoom)
· Double page / Single page mode can be chosen.
· Add pages (take layout of existing layout pages optionally).
· Remove pages.
· Move layout pages (resorting).
· Assign master pages to layout pages.
· Manage master pages with indicator colors.
· Unlimited number of layers for Layout and master pages.
· Layers can be added, moved and removed.
· Layers can be switched visible/invisible.
· Layers can be protected.
· Manage layers with indicator colors. Guides of elements in the according layer will then be shown in the indicator color.
· Various frame shapes (may be enhanced by plug-ins).
· Various line shapes
· Various line end types (can be scaled separately)
· Corners can be set to Miter/Round/Bevel.
· Path rotation direction can be defined
· Outline can be switched visible/invisible.
· Outline width can be defined.
· Outline shape can be used for content clipping optionally.
· Many vector shapes can be adjusted (e.g. stars with adjustable number of rays)
· Gradiation blend colors can be assigned to frame shape and content separately.
· Gradiation blend angle can be adjusted (for shape and content separately).
· Shadow can be defined with transparency, blur radius and offset.
· Frames can be named.
· Group frames and ungroup frame groups.
· Grouped frames are sub elements of frame groups like an image is sub element of a frame.
· All sub elements of a frame can be accessed by opening the frame (transparent editing).
· Frames and vector grab points can be selected at the same time (thus you can operate them simultaneously).
· Selected guides can be moved with other selected frames or grab points at the same time.
· Snapping on various guides (guide grids, page guide columns, 'normal' guides).
· Frames can be moved backward and forward in a layer's frame hierarchy).
· Supported color modes: RGB/CYMK
· Color gradiation blends with unlimited colors.
· Colors can be sorted.
· Colors can be deleted.
· Text styles can be named and managed with indicator colors.
· Adjustable parameters: font, font size, kerning, fill color.
· More assignable parameters: underlined, strikethrough, outline, shadow (with adjustable color each), superscript and subscript.
· Text rulers can be named and managed with indicator colors.
· Adjustable parameters: horizontal justification, first line indent, line distance, left and right indent, space before and behind paragraphs, fixed or variable line height.
· Tabulators: left, right, centered, numeric point
· Each text ruler can have a text style (paragraph styles).
· Context-sensitive inspector for frame contents
· Geometry inspector, supporting X/Y/W/H, rotation, mirroring, scaling, shearing and optional geometry protection
· Frame inspector offers outline, shape and shadow parameters
· Align inspector (supports distribution and alignment)
· Textwrap inspector
· Color inspector for outline, content color, shadow and text color
· Text inspector for creative work without styles
· Text style inspector
· Text ruler inspector
· Page inspector
· Layer inspector
· Navigator inspector (small overview on current view)
· Numbering inspector (free page number formats)