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Desktop Publishing Software

Desktop publishing is the use of the computer and specialized desktop publishing software to create documents for desktop or commercial printing. Desktop publishing software is a tool for graphic designers and non-designers to create visual communications for professional or desktop printing. Find, choose, and use page layout and other desktop publishing software including cross-platform solutions, word processing software, and font utilities. Locate industry-standard desktop publishing software programs from Adobe, Corel, and Quark as well as consumer titles, budget bundles, and specialty software for graphics and design.
Desktop Publishing Software Screenshots
Desktop Publishing Software Screenshots
Free Desktop Publishing Software Programs
Many of the "free desktop publishing software" programs are really specialty utilities. They are fine for a specific job — such as labels or business cards — but they aren't your all-around page design tools. However, there are a few free programs with full desktop publishing capabilities.
Updated: November 2006
Take It For a Spin: Trial and Demo Versions of Desktop Publishing Software
Many software publishers do provide at least some means of testdriving their products before you invest heavily. While demos and trial versions may differ from the full product, they can give you an overview of the product and help you get a feel for which program will best suit your needs and your style of working.
Advanced Page Layout Programs - Guide Picks
These are the programs that most Mac-based professional desktop publishers use.
Budget DTP Programs for Professional Use - Guide Picks
When you want to do professional desktop publishing or need commercial printing but can't afford the pro packages, these lower-cost options can deliver the goods.
Clip Art Collections for Mac - Guide Picks
Jumpstart your designs with these packages featuring thousands of clip art and photo images for the Mac OS.
Greeting Card Software - Guide Picks
Dedicated software for cards, announcement, and invitations.
Free Desktop Publishing Software Programs
Many of the "free desktop publishing software" programs are really specialty utilities. They are fine for a specific job &#151; such as labels or business cards &#151; but they aren't your all-around page design tools. However, there are a few free programs with full desktop publishing capabilities.<br><i>Updated: November 2006</i>
Find the Right Desktop Publishing Software
Desktop publishing software is a tool for graphic designers and non-designers to create visual communications for professional or desktop printing. Discover the many types of desktop publishing software, major publishers of desktop publishing software, and how to use desktop publishing software.
Find the Right Graphic Design Software
Discover what graphic design software is, who makes it, and what the top choices are in graphic design software and how graphic design software and desktop publishing software differ and coincide.
Find the Right Graphics Software for Desktop Publishing
While you might only use canned clip art and unmodified stock photography, at some point most designers will want to create original artwork or make substantial changes to existing images. For that you need a dedicated graphics software package. Get help on choosing the right graphics software for use with desktop publishing software.
Minimum Desktop Publishing Software Requirements
There is one absolute requirement for desktop publishing and that is a page layout application, also known as "desktop publishing software." However, the realistic mininum requirements depend on what type of desktop publishing you plan to do, most notably how you plan to print your documents.
Key Desktop Publishing Software Publishers
The main players in the desktop publishing software field are Adobe, Inc., Corel Corporation, and Quark, Inc. with products that stick close to the original desktop publishing software definition. Additionally, Microsoft, Serif, and others have been producing consumer and business desktop publishing software (aka page layout software) for many years.
Best Desktop Publishing Software
There is no single best desktop publishing software program. There are, however, specific desktop publishing software programs that are better suited for certain tasks than others.
Best Graphics Software for Logo Design
Ideally, logos should be created first in a drawing program. Illustration or drawing software produces scalable vector artwork making them ideal as the all-around logo design graphics software. Discover which programs work best for logo design work.
Microsoft Word is Not Desktop Publishing Software
Posted July 2004: Really, we're trying to help you when we suggest that you need to get a real desktop publishing software program if you want to go beyond inkjet printing at your desk.
Corel Corporation
Founded in 1985, Corel Corporation has long been known primarily for its graphics software and digital imaging products. Corel produces products frequently considered strong alternatives to Adobe and Microsoft. Once a top choice for page layout, Corel Ventura -- version 10 was released in 2002 -- is not currently a frontrunner in the Corel product line. However, CorelDRAW, much like Adobe Illustrator, if often used for graphics-intensive page layout tasks.
Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft may be best known for its operating systems. But in the desktop publishing, Web design, and home creativity arena, Microsoft produces several lines such as Digital Image Suite, Microsoft Expression, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Office Publisher as well as a number of apps that come with the Windows OS.
Quark, Inc.
In the late 80s and 90s Quark usurped the desktop publishing community's first love, PageMaker, with QuarkXPress. Once the undisputed king of desktop publishing software applications for both Mac and Windows users, Quark's premiere product - QuarkXPress - is still a powerhouse publishing platform despite strong competition from Adobe.
Serif, Inc.
Serif is a publisher of desktop publishing and graphics software for print and Web. Back in the 1990s their initial offering -- Serif PagePlus -- was the first low-cost desktop publishing program for Windows that rivaled more expensive programs such as PageMaker in its features. Today, Serif produces a range of desktop publishing, Web Design, photo editing, and illustration software for Windows.

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