Basic Guidelines and Requirements
By Jacci Howard Bear, About.com Guide to Desktop Publishing
At its most basic level, desktop publishing is taking some text and some graphics and mixing them together on a page then publishing that page.
Defining Desktop Publishing
Desktop publishing is a term coined after the development of a specific type of software.
- What is Desktop Publishing?
- When Was Desktop Publishing Invented?
- What is Page Layout?
- Myths & Misconceptions
- The Graphic Design Connection
- The Web Design Connection
- The Word Processing Connection
- The Digital Scrapbooking Connection
Rules and Key Steps
Novice designers and non-designers can create good-looking brochures, newsletters, greeting cards, and Web pages by following a few basic guidelines and simple steps.
- The Rules of Desktop Publishing
- 4 Steps to Perfect Publications
- Learn to Use Desktop Publishing Software
- How to Do Desktop Publishing and Desktop Printing
Things You Need
The main thing needed to do desktop publishing is the software and a computer to run it on. After that you'll need paper, fonts, clip art, templates, and other computer add-ons.
- Computers, Cameras, Printers, Scanners
- 4 Types of Software
- Minimum Software
- Top Windows Professional Software
- Top Mac Professional Software
Things to Make
What are you going to create? Dig into detailed design tips and tutorials, makeovers, ideas, techniques, and supplies for anything you can do with desktop publishing software.
- Advertising Pieces
- Annual Reports
- Books
- Business Cards
- Calendars
- Cards & Invitations
- Digital Scrapbooks
- Envelopes
- Identity System
Skills You Need
Although almost anyone can do desktop publishing, certain skills and education make it easier -- and may be critical for doing professional desktop publishing.
Related Areas of Interest
The lines are often blurred between designing for print and for the Web as well as desktop publishing professionally or for personal projects for fun or profit.
Desktop Publishing In-Depth
The basics of desktop publishing aren't simply a few quick lessons. You can spend months or years learning, practicing, and improving your basic skills. But at the same time you're digging deeper into the basics you can be learning more of the task and techiques involved in all parts of desktop publishing and learning how to take full advantage of everything that your desktop publishing software can do.
