You might be asking, "Is InDesign 2020 still relevant today?"
The answer is a resounding yes, specifically for: Adobe InDesign 2020
To help you decide whether to stay or upgrade, here is a side-by-side feature comparison: You might be asking, "Is InDesign 2020 still relevant today
| Feature | Adobe InDesign 2020 | Adobe InDesign 2024 | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Adjust Layout | ✅ Smart scaling | ✅ + Style mapping | | QR Code Generator | ✅ Basic vector | ✅ + Dynamic data merge | | Cloud Documents | ❌ Only local/CC Libraries | ✅ Full cloud sync | | AI Text Generation | ❌ Not available | ✅ "Text to Layout" beta | | WebP Import/Export | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | | GPU Speed | Good (DX12/Metal) | Excellent (RTX acceleration) | | Real-time Collaboration | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (Share for Review) | | Footnotes Handling | Stable | Buggy (reflow issues reported) | This is a complex typographic requirement in Asian
The Verdict: If you need collaboration and AI, go for 2024. If you need reliability and speed for print production, Adobe InDesign 2020 is still the king.
Sticking with typography, this version also introduced granular control over punctuation spacing. This is a complex typographic requirement in Asian languages, where the spacing between specific punctuation marks (like brackets or quotation marks) needs to be optically balanced.
InDesign 2020 added a new composition setting: Use OpenType Punctuation Spacing. This allowed for tighter, more professional typesetting that utilized the specific spacing metrics embedded in the fonts themselves, rather than relying on the software's generic rules.