Images Preparation Phase of Desktop Publishing

How a desktop published document is created

Image selection and preparation may occur at any point during document creation. It can involve traditional photography, digital photography, scanning, creation of original illustrations, and manipulation of images in graphics software. Then, the image has to be placed into the page layout software. Although presented step-by-step, desktop publishing is not an entirely linear progression. You'll find yourself going back and forth many times between tasks and between each phase.

Do the following image selection and preparation tasks, as required. Where available, there are corresponding tutorials, exercises, or resources for further study. Items identified with an * are not yet in lesson/tutorial format but do provide informational resources on the subject.

1. Image aquisition
   * Digital Cameras and Photography
   * Scanning
   Scanning B&W Clip Art
   Screen Captures
   Rights Controlled/Original Images
   Clip Art for Resale Products

2. Image creation & editing
   * Cropping
   * Clipping Paths (Background Removal)
   * Illustration and Photo Editing
   People Pictures

3. Image conversion
   * Converting Graphics Formats
   RGB to CMYK Conversion

4. Image placement
   * Import from Graphics Programs
   * Clipping Paths (Background Removal)
   Text Wraps
   Frames, Boxes, Borders
   Photo Captions

After the text and images are in place and the desktop publishing document looks the way you want it, it's time to do final proofing and any other file preparation tasks necessary to get the file ready for printing.

Next Phase > File Preparation

_{The Desktop Document > Images Phase}