DesignCraft 0.17.0 Features Test: 10 Tests of the Open Source InDesign Alternative

DesignCraft is the open source alternative to Adobe InDesign from the ArtCraft team, written from scratch in pure Rust. This is the baseline test for version 0.17.0: ten common features, each checked and graded PASS or FAIL, plus how big the project is compared with PhotoCraft and VectorCraft, and the features still missing that we will watch in future releases. In this video: 00:00 The test 00:16 What DesignCraft is 00:46 How big it is 01:24 How we test 01:53 Test 1: New documents and pages 02:15 Test 2: Text frames and editing 02:32 Test 3: Threaded text 02:51 Test 4: Paragraph styles 03:06 Test 5: Placing images 03:29 Test 6: Shapes and objects 03:50 Test 7: Color swatches 04:09 Test 8: Parent pages and numbers 04:27 Test 9: Tables 04:42 Test 10: PDF export 05:06 The score 05:19 Still missing The ten tests: new documents and pages, text frames and editing, threaded text and smart text reflow, paragraph styles, placing images, shapes and objects, color swatches, parent pages and page numbers, tables, and PDF export (PDF/X-4 with bleed and crop marks). How the tests work: a script does each job inside DesignCraft (with the real Type tool for the text test), we show it on screen, and the result is read back from the document or the exported file. These are the ten basics we knew were in place, so a perfect score is a baseline, not a finished app. We did not open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat or print it. DesignCraft calls itself pre-alpha: its own documentation estimates about 80 percent of InDesign's features present and about 47 percent ready for real work. Project numbers (GitHub, November 3, 2026): DesignCraft 4,569 commits, 113 contributors, 18 releases, about 14.6 MB of Rust code. PhotoCraft 8,539 commits and 391 contributors. VectorCraft 7,875 commits and 213 contributors. DesignCraft: https://getartcraft.com/apps/designcraft and https://github.com/storytold/designcraft Photos in this video: Open Designer Cloud Stock Photos, royalty free. Download them free at https://opendesignercloud.com/stock/p... We will run this same test on every new DesignCraft release. If you would like a deeper test of any area, such as InDesign file import or typography, tell us in the comments. More tests and news on open source software for creative professionals: https://opendesignercloud.com (the new website of Open Designer Cloud, formerly Open Creative Cloud) Subscribe so you do not miss the next one. DesignCraft, InDesign alternative, open source InDesign, free InDesign alternative, DesignCraft test, DesignCraft review, desktop publishing, page layout software, PDF X-4, ArtCraft, Open Designer Cloud, Rust, PhotoCraft, VectorCraft