We have probably all heard of it, but what is it exactly? Desktop publishing is the production of page designs with your computer using a special DTP software that integrates text and images. The first DTP software was released in the mids and desktop-publishing skyrocket from there. In the early 90s desktop publishing had almost completely replaced previous technologies used for that purpose.
While in the 80s and 90s desktop-publishing was almost exclusively used by professionals and for print, now it is also used for digital products, such as e-books, websites and much more. Today, thanks to better devices, faster internet connections and cloud solutions basically everyone can use desktop publishing technology. Some DTP programs are even available for free online, no installation needed. In this article we tell you everything about desktop publishing software functions, free and paid desktop publishing software and what DTP- software is used for.
Desktop-publishing software can be used to create the layout for a wide range of different publications, such as:. The number of desktop publishing programs is growing and growing.
The good news, a lot of them are for free or available for subscription. The leading desktop publishing software these days comes from Adobe. Products from the Adobe Creative Cloud are available for subscription. The costs vary, depending on the product and plan selected. This package includes programs, such as Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign. But you can also opt for a single app. Adobe InDesign CC is a top-rated desktop publishing software, one of the market leaders and used by most professionals.
Functions of desktop publishing software these days seem endless and InDesign CC is no exception. It offers a wide range of tools, to just name a few:. Choose a word processor that can import and export a variety of formats for maximum compatibility with others. Page layout software is closely associated with print and desktop publishing. This kind of software allows for the integration of text and images on the page, easy manipulation of page elements, artistic layout creation, and multipage publications such as newsletters and books.
High-end or professional-level tools include prepress features, while software for home publishing or creative projects often involves more templates and clip art. Print publishing and webpage design often require a vector illustration program and a photo editor. Some graphics software programs incorporate a few photo editing features, but for most professional work, you will need each one.
Most designers today, even those in print, need web-publishing skills. Many of today's page layout or other desktop publishing programs include some electronic publishing capabilities. Even dedicated web designers still need illustration and image-editing software. If your work is exclusively web design, you may want to try a comprehensive program such as Adobe Dreamweaver, which is available for PCs and Macs.
Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Significant differences lie in the location of commands in the pull-down menu. One of the most controversial aspects of rebranding is the inability of Affinity users to read PagePlus and InDesign file formats. Nevertheless, it is an affordable and fully-featured application that brings many useful tools to the table. Released in , Quark has long been the major market player especially during the 90s.
The number one choice for LSP industry, it is a great choice for translators who work on multiple projects at a time. Besides, the application is also used by designers, large publishing houses and corporates for creating all kinds of files: from single-page flyers to multi-media projects for magazines, newspapers, catalogs, etc.
Moreover, Quark also supports eBooks, webpages and mobile apps creation. Nowadays the program is one of the best and most popular alternatives to InDesign. A large amount of features Quark offers is not even comparable to InDesign with the former winning over. This layout and prepress program helps produce dynamic final output using an impressive toolset. The program has gained plenty of useful features over the years. It is focused on small business professionals where firms do not have dedicated designers for creating marketing materials.
Nowadays, it allows creating professional-looking publications with the use of photos and text blocks. The program is highly capable and provides a rich selection of already existing templates and typography tools while users can choose to start with a blank sheet. It is considered one of the most common DTP systems used by both beginners and professionals. Microsoft Publisher usually goes as a part of Microsoft Office packages. The latest versions adopted a more touch-friendly UI. Eventually, its interface would be familiar to anyone who has used other Office apps.
Programs that use custom guides and proportional snapping help you maintain a level of professionalism in your creations.
If you want a program that can print projects in colors that are similar to what you see on your screen, you will definitely want to get one that offers CMYK optimization. It is less common for these kinds of programs to be able to make charts, graphs and tables. If these elements are important to you, make sure you find a program that offers them. Programs that allow you to import Word and PSD files can also be incredibly helpful since this increases the amount of text and image documents you can use.
If you plan on creating a lot of your documents from scratch, you should look for a software that offers a wide range of graphic design tools like photo correction tools, the ability to add gradients and transparency to your projects, and photo color adjustments.
Ridl told us, "sometimes one program is better to use than others. I tend to use [Microsoft] Publisher for really simple projects. If you need to create more formal looking documents, you'll want to pay a little more to obtain professional-quality art assets and layout tools. Templates Some programs do a better job of providing creative templates for calendars, posters and stationary sets, while others are more professional, covering business cards, letter heads, menus and resumes.
The number of templates offered varies from program to program, but the best offer hundreds of choices. Remember that just because a program offers more templates, it doesn't mean that they are chic or modern enough for you to actually want to use them. Before you decide, take time to look at the sample templates offered by each program. Typography Many desktop publishers come with fonts for you to use, but more importantly, they come with tools that can help you optimize your text.
Most programs offer text reflow that allows you to make sure that content from one textbox gets neatly placed in a new location without losing any. Spellcheckers are also very common and will help you catch any errors that could distract from your creations.
Some programs go so far as to provide word processing tools so you can make common changes and enhancements to your text. This can include making changes to fonts and adjusting kerning and tracking directly within the program instead of needing to import it from another document.
Similarly, community forums can help you get answers to your questions from other users. Programs that offer multiple ways to contact customer support — email, phone or live chat — can make your life easier. Desktop publishing software is used to combine typography with images in an aesthetically pleasing way.
Professionals in thousands of fields use it every day to create newspapers, newsletters, pamphlets, flyers, brochures, books, magazines and more. Microsoft Publisher is the most commonly owned DTP, since many people already have access to it through Office However, the most commonly used professional program is Adobe InDesign. You purchase InDesign as a subscription, and many home users prefer alternative software options that only require a one-time payment.
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