In today’s world, it takes more than a good story to get a point across — you need good design, typography and a professional look to get the attention of readers. Making magazine-like stories and newsletters that look great without doing a lot of work is the idea behind a new app from Adobe that became available today. Adobe Slate (free with in-app purchases) is designed to let iPad owners publish written word documents with rich design, images, photo layouts, and links that are readable on just about every platform.
The story, called a Slate, is created on an iPad but is viewable on everything from an iPhone to a 27-inch iMac with Retina display. Since you use your own photos and artwork to tell your story and those images can look different depending on what screen size and orientation is being used, you can set the focal point of your image with a tap.
What makes Slate so simple is that there are a number of professionally-designed templates that can be swapped with a tap. All of the templates are powered by Adobe Typeset and create a harmonious blending of fonts in each Slate that looks great without having to make a decision on what fonts to use. The Slates are animated and fluid, creating a wonderful reader experience — especially on touchscreen devices.
The app was quite stable in testing, but I did have issues sharing my Slates. While I don’t know for sure, I would assume that a lot of iPad users are probably trying Slate out and that Adobe’s servers simply can’t handle the demand right now.
Slates are sharable from the app by sharing a URL, emailing or messaging that URL, or copying an embed code for inclusion on a website. The app requires no Creative Cloud subscription — all you’ll need is a free Adobe ID, although you can also sign in with Facebook. For a better idea of what Slate is all about, be sure to check out the video below.
Hi Steve,
I’m sorry to hear that you are having trouble sharing your Slate. Could you describe what went wrong in a little more detail so we can investigate further? Was there any error message?
Feel free email me directly if you would prefer.
Thanks,
Steve – Adobe Slate Team