Desktop publishing

Desktop publishing, also known as DTP, is the creation of documents using special software on a personal computer. It was first used for making printed materials like magazines and books. Now, it also helps create many types of online content. With desktop publishing, people can design pages that look very professional, just like what traditional typography and printing can produce, without needing an expensive printing company.

This technology lets anyone—from small businesses to large organizations—publish many kinds of materials, such as menus, books, or newsletters, right from their own computer. To do desktop publishing, you usually need a personal computer and WYSIWYG page layout software. This software helps you design documents that can be printed or shared online. Even though some specialized systems like LaTeX are used in scientific publishing, most people use easy-to-understand desktop publishing tools.

The skills and tools used for making printed materials are also useful for creating many other kinds of graphics. These include designs for point of sale displays, presentations, infographics, brochures, business cards, promotional items, trade show exhibits, retail package designs, and even outdoor signs. Desktop publishing has made it easier for everyone to produce high-quality designs and publications.

History

Desktop publishing started in the 1970s at Xerox PARC. Some people say it began in 1983 with a program called Type Processor One for a newspaper in Philadelphia. This program ran on a personal computer and could show exactly how a page would look when printed.

The desktop publishing market grew fast in 1985 when Apple made the LaserWriter printer for its Apple Macintosh computer. That same year, PageMaker software from Aldus became the main tool for making publications. This software helped people design pages with text and pictures better than older word processors like Microsoft Word.

Before desktop publishing, people used typewriters to make documents. These could only use a few fonts and sizes. Desktop publishing changed this. It let people design whole pages on their computer screens and print them with high quality. This new way changed how newspapers and magazines were made, moving them from expensive special equipment to regular personal computers.

Terminology

In desktop publishing, there are two main types of pages: digital pages and printed pages. Digital pages, like web pages, can change size. Printed pages need to match standard paper sizes such as A4 or letter paper. Some programs even allow custom sizes for posters or billboards.

Master pages are templates that help designers apply consistent styles and elements across many pages. This makes it easier to update a design without changing every page. Layout involves arranging text and images on the page in an organized and attractive way. Styles for colors, fonts, and other design elements can be applied to make the document look professional.

Comparisons

Desktop publishing software is like word processing programs, but it has extra tools for designing pages to print. In the early 1980s, word processors like WordPerfect and WordStar were mainly for writing text and did not have many design tools. As computers got better, word processors started adding some publishing features.

Desktop publishing is also different from other digital layout tools. Programs like TeX and LaTeX need special codes to make layouts, but desktop publishing uses a "what you see is what you get" (WYSIWYG) style. This means users can see the design on the screen exactly as it will look when printed. Some newer tools mix these methods, focusing more on what the text means instead of just how it looks. Desktop publishing and web design have similar skills, but web design uses special codes like Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to control how pages look online, while desktop publishing is mostly for printed materials.

Software

For a more comprehensive list, see List of desktop publishing software.

Many programs and websites can help you make and design documents. These tools let you arrange text and pictures like the pros do when they create books, magazines, and other printed materials.

File formats

For a more comprehensive list, see List of desktop publishing file formats.

The design industry standard is PDF. The older EPS format is also used and supported by most applications.