Desktop Publishing Introduction

Topics to Study DTP Definitions: Why is Desktop Publishing Important? What is the difference between graphic design and desktop...What is the difference between graphic design and desktop... DTP’s Software

Publication system applications combines texts, graphics, animations, illustrations into a standard formatting to create and produces publications material. BACK

Why is Desktop Publishing Important? Desktop publishing and graphic design can make documents look better, prettier. Desktop publishing, used properly, enhances visual communication and streamlines the process of disseminating information of all kinds. A. Desktop publishing is a tool that can enhance communication by making it possible to quickly and efficiently produce printed and electronic documents.

Desktop Publishing Software allows the user to rearrange text and graphics on screen, change typefaces as easily as changing shoes, and resize graphics on the fly, before finally committing a design to paper. There are drawbacks to desktop publishing in that it also makes it easier and less expensive to produce really bad designs. So, while desktop publishing is important, education in basic principles of graphic design and desktop publishing techniques is equally important. BACK

What is the difference between graphic design and desktop publishing? A.Graphic design jobs involve the creative process of coming up with the concepts and ideas and arrangements for visually communicating a specific message. B.Desktop publishing is the mechanical process that the designer and the non-designer use to turn their ideas for newsletters, brochures, ads, posters, greeting cards, and other projects into digital files for desktop or commercial printing. While desktop publishing does require a certain amount of creativity, it is more production-oriented than design-oriented.

Graphic design is the process and art of combining text and graphics and communicating an effective message in the design of logos, graphics, brochures, newsletters, posters, signs, and any other type of visual communication. Desktop publishing is the process of using the computer and specific types of software to combine text and graphics to produce documents such as newsletters, brochures, books, etc. BACK

DTP’s Software Adobe makes many software packages used by designers. You've probably heard of Photoshop, for example. But these other programs are not page layout software applications for print publishing. They are graphics software, Web design software, programs for creating and working with the PDF format, such as Adobe Acrobat, and other related software tools. The DTP software or page layout software applications are: Adobe Adobe FrameMaker Adobe InDesign Adobe PageMaker Adobe Photoshop Adobe Illustrator

Corel is best known for its graphics suite that includes Corel DRAW and Corel Photo-Paint. In the past it has produced creative printing or home publishing programs used for desktop publishing too but the primary page layout software from Corel is: Corel Corel Ventura Microsoft produces Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and various consumer graphics and creative printing programs but they are not DTP software. Their entry into page layout for print is: Microsoft Microsoft Office Publisher

Quark has other software but the one most closely associated with DTP is QuarkXPress and its many XTensions (produced by many third party vendors) that enhance and expand the basic capabilities of QuarkXPress. Quark QuarkXPress Serif produces a suite of applications for graphics and Web design but the core desktop publishing software application is: Serif PagePlus Also, a few of the other desktop publishing software packages that qualify as page layout applications or software suites that have a page layout component are:software suites Deneba Canvas RagTime BACK