Creative Page Layout
These programs are generally used to create greeting cards, business documents, banners, and computer crafts from the desktop. Printing is usually handled by the user's own desktop printer. They often come with many templates and large font and clip art collections.
Examples: Sierra Print Artist, Broderbund's Print Shop series, Corel Print House, American Greetings Createacard series
Basic Page Layout
Primarily a SOHO tool, this group of products may straddle the line between Creative and Advanced Page Layout with features of each (but a lower price tag than the Advanced programs). Although often used for printing items from the user's own desktop printer, it may contain features that allow for use with commercial printers, such as the ability to create PostScript files. Additionally, some of the high-end word processing programs can be considered basic page layout tools.
Examples: Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Word, Corel WordPerfect, Diwan Ready, Set, Go!
Advanced Page Layout
Higher priced and with more features of particular interest to graphic designers, these programs usually include finer typographic controls, advanced color options, more import and export options than the other programs, and the native file formats are more widely accepted by service bureaus and commercial printers making commercial printing easier.
Examples: Adobe InDesign, Adobe PageMaker, QuarkXPress, Corel Ventura, Adobe FrameMaker, (and possibly) Microsoft Publisher (versions 2000 and above)
Creative Photo Editing/Illustration
These graphics programs are targeted at the home user and are fun and easy to use programs that often allow users to take their own photos and edit them (clean up red eye, remove scratches), create simple greeting cards, create composite photos (add a hat or other prop to a photo).
Examples: Digital Darkroom, Sierra SnapShot, Microsoft Picture It, Kai's Photo Soap
Basic Photo Editing/Illustration
Usually less expensive than the Advanced Graphics programs but sometimes almost as powerful. These programs allow creation of graphics, editing of existing images including color changes, application of filters, and often accept third-party plug-ins. Usually used in connection with Page Layout program for print projects, they may also be used for simple posters or ad designs.
Examples: JASC Paint Shop Pro, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Ulead PhotoImpact, Mayura Draw, Serif DrawPlus
Advanced Photo Editing/Illustration
Powerful, expensive, and widely used by professional graphic designers. Some have their own page layout and typographic abilities similar to dedicated page layout programs. For professional level photo editing and the creation of complex graphics, these are the programs of choice.
Examples: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW, Macromedia FreeHand, Corel Photo-Paint
The principles discussed in this class are applicable to any program.
Create a Greeting Card > Lesson 1 Definitions | Instruction | Assignment
