Desktop publishing involves using page layout skills on a personal computer to design publications. It allows users to combine text, graphics, and other elements into a standardized format for printed output or digital distribution. Key benefits of desktop publishing include making documents visually appealing and streamlining the process of disseminating information to others. While graphic design focuses more on conceptual creativity, desktop publishing is a more production-oriented process of implementing design ideas. Popular desktop publishing software gives users tools for formatting pages, inserting images and arranging objects on a page in layers for high-quality output comparable to traditional printing. Factors like intended audience, delivery method, and page limitations must be considered during the desktop publishing process.

1. Desktop
Publishing

6. Ethiopia, 568 BC Book of Darrow, 680 AD

7. La Operina da imparare di
scrivere littera
cancellarescha, 1522
Handbill, 1876

8. Art Nouveau, 1903 Type as art, 1918

10. What is desktop publishing?
Desktop publishing
(abbreviated DTP) is the
creation of documents using
page layout skills on a
personal computer.
Desktop publishing software
can generate layouts and
produce typographic quality
text and images comparable
to traditional typography and
printing.
Publication system
applications that combine
text, graphics, animations,
illustrations into a standard
formatting to create and
produce publications
material

11. Why is Desktop Publishing Important?
Make documents look
better, prettier.
Desktop publishing, used
properly, enhances visual
communication and
streamlines the process
of disseminating
information
Tool that can enhance
communication by
making it possible to
quickly and efficiently
produce printed and
electronic documents.

12. Graphic design vs. Desktop Publishing
Graphic design involves the creative process of coming
up with the concepts and ideas and arrangements for
visually communicating a specific message.
Desktop publishing is the mechanical process that the
designer and the non-designer use to turn their ideas
for newsletters, brochures, ads, posters, greeting cards,
and other projects into digital files for desktop or
commercial printing.
• While desktop publishing does require a certain amount of creativity,
it is more production-oriented than design-oriented.

13. WP vs. DTP: Similarities
Create, edit, store, &
print documents /
publications
Character &
paragraph formatting
Graphics & other
objects - inline & text
wrap
NOTE: Top-of-the-
line word processors
of today can be used
to generate very
good “DTP-Like”
publications, but...

14. WP vs. DTP: Differences
• Margins
• Paragraphs
In Margins/
Columns
• Single
Layered
Word
Processing
•Page
•Guides
•Text Boxes
•Multiple
Layered
Objects
Desktop
Publishing

16. History
• Type Processor One1983
• Apple LaserWriter Printer & PageMaker1985
• Adobe PostScript Fonts
• Adobe IllustratorMid-1980’s
• QuarkXpress1987
• Photoshop Introduced1989

17. DTP Software
Adobe InDesign Adobe
PageMaker
Adobe
Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator Adobe
FrameMaker
Corel DRAW Corel Photo-
Paint
Corel Ventura Microsoft Office
Publisher
QuarkXPress
Serif PagePlus Deneba Canvas RagTime

18. 8 Things to Consider (Before You Begin)
• Time
• Audience
• Reader Motivation
• Method of Delivery
• Image
• Ease of Reading
• Limitations
• Feedback

19. How much time?
• There are always
deadlines.
• Get the job done on
time
• Get the job done and
then tweak later if there
is time.

20. Who is the audience?
– Age Group
– Reading Level
– Education Level
– White-collar VS Blue-collar
– Ethnic Background

21. Opps …
• In the end, however,
the blunder didn't
end up hurting KFC
too badly:
• It's the No. 1 quick-
service restaurant
brand in China
today, with more
than 4,400
restaurants in more
than 850 cities.

22. Why are they reading this?
• Personal Interest
• Needing Information
• Required Reading
• Casual Browsing

23. How will they get this?
• Direct Mail
• Bulletin Board
• Brochure Rack
• Table or Counter
• Person to Person

24. RGB & CMYK

25. What is our/their image?

27. Can I make the reader’s job easier?

28. Color Considerations

30. Are there limitations?
• Always!
• Budget
• Resources
• Size (Dimensions & Number
Of Pages)
• Medium
• Time
• Personal Preferences (Esp.
The Client’s)

31. Is feedback desired?
• contact information (address, phone, email, website)
• coupons
• forms
• Surveys

33. Typography
Legibility
• Speed and ease with
which individual letters
can be recognized
Readability
• Likelihood that your
readers will pick up
material, read it and
take action

34. San-Serif vs. Serif
Screen Print
Heading Heads: Minimum of 2
times larger than
subheads
Subheads: minimum of 2
pts larger than body copy
Heads: Minimum of 2
times larger than subheads
Subheads: minimum of 2
pts larger than body copy
Body San-Serif Serif
Weight Bold Bold
Captions Same size as body text 2 pts larger or 1 pt smaller

35. Serif vs. San Serif Text

36. How Many Typefaces?
• Just because you have 2500 typefaces ... You don’t have to use them all!!!!
• One gives consistent look. Two complementary typefaces is common Three is the max!
• More makes the publication to busy and confusing.

37. Layout Mistakes
Poor column
spacing
Claustrophobic
pages
Whispering
headlines
Misaligned
elements
Improperly
positioned
headlines
Too much
copy
Rotated type
Excessive
hyphenation
Too many fonts
& sizes
Unnecessary
special effects
Double
returns and
spaces
Hyphens for
bullets
Page 1 of 3

38. In Review…
Focus on four basic
design elements
• Contrast
• Repetition
• Alignment
• Proximity
It’s all subjective
Simple changes
make a HUGE
difference
Don’t make it
harder than it has
to be