TopPicks Index
Top 4 Steps to Perfect Publications
No matter what your level of expertise or your desktop publishing experience you can turn out a great looking desktop document by focusing on four basic areas: page layout, typography, graphics, and printing.
Top 10 Books on Design Creativity and Inspiration
Where do you get ideas? Where do you find inspiration? Whether you come up with your design ideas by looking at the work of others, studying how other designers approach the design process, or by looking at pictures or the world around you, one of these books is sure to provide just the right type of brainstorming and creativity boost you need.
Top 7 Myths and Misconceptions About Desktop Publishing
Aldus Corporation founder Paul Brainerd, is generally credited for coining the phrase, desktop publishing after the development of Aldus PageMaker (now Adobe PageMaker). Before the invention of desktop publishing software the tasks involved in desktop publishing were done manually, by a variety of people and involved both graphic design and prepress tasks which sometimes leads to confusion about what desktop publishing is and how it is done.
Top 5 Ways to Kickstart Your Creativity
Stuck for an idea? Don't know where to start? Kickstart your brain and your desktop publishing projects with creative thinking, books, creativity exercises, sketches, and templates.
Top 4 Iron-on Transfer Software for Windows
Here are a selection of programs designed specifically for creating personalized t-shirts and similar fabric iron-on transfer crafts.
Top 5 Ways to Not Get Paid for Your Desktop Publishing
If you're in the business of graphic design or desktop publishing you expect to get paid for your time and talents. However, some designers don't get paid or get paid much less than they deserve and it's nobody's fault but their own. Avoid these pitfalls of non-payment.
Top 6 Desktop Publishing Gifts Under \$15
Maybe money is tight or you're doing a gift exchange with a set spending limit. Whatever the reason, if the recipient is a graphic designer, aspiring designer, or other person who likes to create artwork on the computer you're sure to find a low-cost desktop publishing gift to put a smile on their face everytime they use it.
Top 9 Desktop Publishing Mugs
Whether the designer on your gift-shopping lists sits at their desk sipping coffee or tea, gulping colas, or enjoying a nice mug of hot chocolate they'll enjoy it more in one of these large or small mugs featuring designer-themed artwork and slogans. Give desktop publishing and graphic design mug gifts.
Top 10 Desktop Publishing Mouse Pads
To give or to get, these aren't your run-of-the-mill mouse pads from the computer or office supply store. These mouse pads feature artwork or slogans that the professional or aspiring designer on your list will appreciate everytime they sit down at the computer. Put a smile on someone's face with these desktop publishing and graphic design mouse pad gifts.
Top 10 Graphic Design Gifts to Wear
Need a creative graphic design gift for the designer on your gift list? You can't go wrong with designer clothing. From tee-riffic type to designer genes give your favorite designer, art director, or font fanatic some graphic softwear that's a perfect fit.
Top 10 Graphic Design Gifts for Aspiring Designers
Is there a new or aspiring graphic designer on your gift list? Getting started in desktop publishing and design can get expensive with all the software, clip art, fonts, gadgets, and books that we need. Help someone explore and expand their creativity with one of these ideas for around $20-150.
Top 9 Creative Graphic Design Gifts for the Designer With Everything
It can be hard to know what software someone wants or needs or which books they already have in their reference library. So, for the designer who has it all, give a creative graphic design gift they'll appreciate that isn't always strictly work-related. Choose one or more of these Creative Graphic Design Gifts for Designers Who Have Everything.
Top 3 Free Desktop Publishing Software Programs
Free doesn't always mean stripped down or severely limited. There are some free desktop publishing software options with admirable desktop publishing and page layout capabilities.
Top 10 Sans Serif Body Text Fonts
The crisp, clean, uncluttered lines of these sans serif fonts are periennial favorites that designers turn to again and again. Within each grouping are many varieties and renditions, some more suitable than others for body copy.
Top 10 Serif Body Text Fonts
If you want to be sure your font collection includes the most legible and readable, tried and true typefaces for text, you can't go wrong with the selection of serif fonts presented here. While this is only the tip of the iceberg, these classic fonts are versatile and reliable standards. Within each grouping are many varieties and renditions, some more suitable than others for body copy.
Top 7 Page Composition Tips
Page layout or page composition is the process of placing and arranging and rearranging text and graphics on the page. A good composition is one that is not only pleasing to look at but also effectively conveys the message of the text and graphics to the intended audience.
Top 6 Books for Non-Designer SOHO Businesses
As a small business owner you may -- often out of necessity -- create your own logos, business cards, brochures, and other marketing materials. It's important to make a good impression with your printed materials. These books assist you in putting your best foot forward by teaching the basics of design and offering an excellent assortment of desktop publishing projects for business use.
Top 3 Pantone Color Guides for Both Process and Spot Color Work
When you do both process and spot color work, these Pantone color guides and reference materials provide color-matching tools for both types of printing.
Top 3 Pantone Process Color Guides
Use these Panton Process Color books to make more accurate color selections for process color printing (4-color or cmyk). Find the best Pantone Process Color Swatch Books for desktop publishing.
Top 5 Pantone Spot Color Guides
These Pantone Spot Color guides are your best bets for accurate color-matching with solid PANTONE spot colors. Find the right swatch book for your desktop publishing needs.
Top 4 OCR for Macintosh
OCR (Optical Charactor Recognition) is the process of turning a picture of words (such as a scan of a typed letter) into an editable document that you can open and use in your desktop publishing software, word processor, or other text editor. Today's OCR software packages contain sophisticated support for multiple languages, PDF and HTML output, and format retention.
Top 6 Ways to Get Desktop Publishing Training
Desktop publishing training can be formal, informal, or on-the-job training. Choose the type of desktop publishing training that best suits your needs and learning style.
Top 5 Design & Publishing Blogs
There are many blogs/RSS news feeds covering graphic design issues and the plethora of software used in desktop publishing and typography. Here are some of the best of the bunch. Although I read many blogs weekly, these are the ones that I turn to again and again for news, commentary, and just plain fun stuff related to desktop publishing, graphic design, and typography.
Top 7 Clip Art Collections for Windows
This selection of clip art provides a variety of quality images at reasonable prices.
Top 6 Clip Art Collections for Macintosh
This selection of clip art provides a variety of quality images at reasonable prices.