I was debating with my students this week about which software to submit their files in for my package design class. A few advantages of InDesign I see are as follow:
- The capability of creating mixed swatches with Pantones.
- The ability to customize the links panels so I can see right away which files and in what color mode and resolution, etc.
- Better type management, and in many languages.
- Getting a warning if I have overset text.
- Possibility of lowering the display performance if the file is heavy
After checking opinions on a few forums, it seems Illustrator is the preferred choice for package design. I've also freelanced in an agency specialized in package design and all their stuff was in Illustrator but after discussing, this seems to have been due to habit and the investment it would have required to switch everything to InDesign...
Am I missing something that makes the industry prefer Illustrator over InDesign? What would be the pros and cons of using Illustrator vs. InDesign for package design?