January 2007 The Desktop Toolbox... ...Software for Document Creation he term desktop publishing is generally agreed to have been coined in 1985 Graphics by Paul Brainerd, founder of Aldus TCorporation, following the development of Aldus Printing PageMaker (later purchased by Adobe). In its original usage, desktop publishing meant the ability Mailing of one person to use a computer to perform what Under One Roof had previously been many separate functions – design, typesetting, pasteup, and preparation of camera ready artwork. Thus desktop publishing TechneGraphics, Inc. Park 50 TechneCenter combined several disciplines (graphic design, writing, 2002 Ford Circle editing, typography, and page composition) into one. Milford, OH 45150 (513) 248-2121 Word processing, a term invented by IBM in the grammar check, etc.). Desktop publishing includes Fax (513) 248-5141 1960s, predates desktop publishing by more than most of these functions along with page layout a decade. Early word processors were typewriters – arranging text and graphics on the page. (Page Web site: with some form of electronic editing and www.techgra.com layout is sometimes called page composition or correction capability; later machines incorporated document design.) File Transfer site: CRT screens (as exemplified by the Wang word www.tgidirect.net processor). Eventually, dedicated word processing Word processing was developed to make typing FTP site: equipment was replaced by software applications with a typewriter more efficient; desktop ftp.techgra.com running on personal computers. The most publishing was developed to make typesetting Email: popular word processing program in use today is and pasteup more efficient. The original users of [email protected] Microsoft Word. word processing software were secretaries, and the original users of desktop publishing software were Desktop publishing versus word graphic designers. processing Would you like Although some may use the terms The distinction is blurred more tips? interchangeably, there is a difference between Today the distinction between high-end word Try our weekly email word processing and desktop publishing. Broadly processors and low-end desktop publishing newsletter – Tuesday speaking, word processing consists of assigning software is blurred. Lower-cost alternatives to Tips. To be added to style characteristics to the page (margins, line established desktop publishing programs like the mailing list, send length, indents, space between paragraphs, page Quark XPress and Adobe InDesign are now any email message to numbers, etc.) and the text itself (fonts, point available, while word processing software like [email protected] size, and font characteristics); and editing text Word and WordPerfect are adding page layout (cut-and-paste, search-and-replace, spell check, features. And two programs – Microsoft Publisher The Desktop Toolbox (continued) and Adobe PageMaker – are positioned between • Graphics software. You will need separate the two groups. programs to handle illustrations and photographs. Illustrations are handled Using Microsoft Word effectively for by drawing programs such as Adobe desktop publishing Illustrator, CorelDRAW, and Macromedia If the document you want to create is primarily Freehand and work with vector images. “... Word may be able text, Word may be able to serve a desktop publishing role. Use this checklist: Photo image editors, sometimes called paint to serve a desktop programs, work with bitmap images. Popular publishing role.” 1. Is the document primarily text? programs are Adobe Photoshop and Jasc Paint Shop Pro. 2. Is the finished size of the document a standard page size (letter or legal)? • Electronic publishing. Portable Document 3. Will the document be flat when finished or Format (PDF) is increasingly becoming a have only a single fold? standard in print publishing. In fact, we prefer receiving files in PDF format rather 4. Is the entire document printing in one than the native application. Adobe Acrobat ink color? If not, is it being printed on our is the standard for producing print ready digital equipment? PDF files. If your document meets all these criteria, then you More than hardware and software can use Word to create it. Some documents that Before we leave this topic, we’d like to remind might meet these criteria include letterheads, FAX you that hardware and software are necessary but sheets, forms, flyers, reports, manuals, product not sufficient to produce professional-looking bulletins, and newsletters. documents. You must also become proficient at using the tools and learn the principles of graphic Desktop publishing software design. “You must also If you want to be a qualified desktop publisher, become proficient at you will need a software program from each of A good desktop publisher has a base of knowledge using the tools and four desktop publishing groups: of color, typography, grids, halftones, raster image processing, offset and digital printing processes, learn the principles • Word processor. Use a word processor to type and bindery. Desktop publishing tools give the of graphic design.” and edit text and apply some formatting. user precise control over all the elements of design Do not attempt to fully format a document and production art, leading to the desired printed in the word processor. The most popular product. word processing programs are Microsoft Word and Corel WordPerfect. • Page layout. Page layout software allows you to easily integrate text and images on the page, easily manipulate page elements, and create artistic layouts. You will have superior control over type, including kerning and tracking, and tools for supporting prepress (color separations, imposition). The leading page layout programs are Adobe InDesign and Quark XPress; Microsoft Publisher and Adobe PageMaker are also choices. Preparing a Word Document f you are preparing a document such as outside margins. If you need space along the a program that folds in half to create a fold to accommodate binding, type or select the booklet, Word has a page setup command amount of space you want in the Gutter box. TRICKS Ithat will format the pages to a half-sheet size and tips order the pages in printer spreads so that when In the Sheets per Booklet list, select the number of pages that will constitute a single booklet. Be & the booklet is printed and assembled, the page will appear in order. It is best to use this feature sure the number of pages is divisible by four. If of Word when you begin creating the document the number of pages in the document exceeds “Word has a page because if you select it later, you may need to the number of pages you select for the booklet, setup command..” reposition some elements. Word will print the document as multiple booklets. On the File menu, click Page Setup, then click the Margins tab. In the Multiple pages list, You can now create your document, including select Book fold. Word will automatically set the text, graphics, headers, or footers. When you document to landscape orientation. print the document, Word will automatically create printer spreads. In the Inside and Outside boxes, type or select the amount of space you want for the inside and • It is cross platform. No matter what computer workstation or operating system or application was used to create the file, What is a it can be viewed on any other workstation Q. exactly as it was intended to be seen. & PDF file? • It is independent of any output device. A PDF questions and answers file can be printed on any output device QA (though output may not be optimized for every device). “... used to PDF is an acronym for • It is compact. PDF files support create electronic sophisticated compression algorithms that APortable Document. Format. PDF files are used documents, between software applications to exchange data keep the file size to a minimum. that describes documents. PDF files can also archive data, and • It can be made secure. The creator of a PDF be used to create electronic documents, archive file can set security options to password- prepare interactive data, and prepare interactive documents such as protect the file, forbid content changes, or electronic forms that capture data and store it in documents...” disable the file print option. a database. Here at TechneGraphics, we use a PDF workflow. A PDF file can be recognized by its extension We will be glad to help you prepare your files for (.pdf) and by its icon. PDF files can be submission in PDF – just call us at 513-248-2121 viewed with the Adobe Reader, which can be with questions or comments. downloaded for free from the Adobe web site. A PDF file has a number of advantages over a native application file: January 2007 PRSRT STD PRSRT US Postage PAID Permit #271 Milford, OH Object Oriented Formatting esktop publishing programs have one thing in common – the way Dthey handle document formatting. Whereas a word processing program www.techgra.com Fax 513-248-5141 [email protected] such as Word treats a document 513-248-2121 as a continuous flow of characters, a page layout program like Adobe InDesign, Quark XPress, Microsoft Publisher, and Adobe PageMaker are object-oriented. This means that a change in printer drivers (such as Please Route to the Printing Buyer all the document’s elements are printing the file on two different laser separate and distinct objects that printers) may cause an unwanted shift can be moved, edited, or deleted in text. independently. Object-oriented formatting, by 2002 Ford Circle Milford, OH 45150 If you have ever used Word to contrast, anchors elements in place format a trifold brochure, you are on each page or section of the familiar with the difference between document. A change in one section continuous and object-oriented does not have to affect other sections. formatting. Word treats a document In addition, desktop publishing as a continuous flow of characters; software has no predetermined therefore a formatting change number or location for regions, anywhere in the flow of characters giving the document creator affects the entire document.