Definition:
Many page layout programs use a pasteboard analogy, a work area that simulates the physical work area used in manual (non-software) creation of layouts. When you open a page layout application and create a new document, your desktop or work area within the application is typically larger than the document. Your page sits in the middle of this area, called the pasteboard.
You can move blocks of text and images off the page and leave them sitting on the pasteboard. You can pan or zoom out to view what's on the pasteboard. It's a convenient holding area while playing with your design and it's one way that desktop publishing software differs from word processing software.
Also Known As: work area
