by Anna Cruz

Created on: May 28, 2009

The most basic yet functional definition of desktop publishing is "the use of a computer and appropriate software programs to create documents for publication."

I told you that definition would be both basic and functional.

Yes, desktop publishing involves the use of a computer and a software program. However, this can be interpreted in many different ways by different people. The choice of which software to use to create documents is largely a matter of personal choice, and at this age and time, the options are virtually limitless.

For basic documents, many people use standard Microsoft publishing programs such as Word or Publisher. These are programs that offer WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) interface and functionality at a relatively affordable price. While most types of documents can be effectively produced with these programs, the designers list of options is somewhat limited.

Other, more powerful programs are also very popular for desktop publishing, especially among those who create documents, advertisements, marketing media, websites and design heavier and more complex graphic illustrations as a profession. The most popular ones among designers are Adobe's Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, CorelDRAW and QuarkXpress. Some lesser popular programs are PageMaker, Serif PagePlus and Scribus. Each of these programs offer more options than Microsoft Word and Publisher and provide the designer with more options and features with which to optimize and implement their designs. In most cases, these programs are expensive to purchase, although that is not always true. Scribus, for example, is an open source program that can be used for free.

Our basic (yet functional) definition is also somewhat misleading. Saying that desktop publishing is used to create documents for publication leads one to think that it is used only for large scale publications such as books and magazines, which is not true. Desktop publishing skills can be, and are, used for a vast array of applications. Designers, both professional and amateur, produce millions of documents every day, including promotional posters, printed brochures, color business cards, signs, exhibit papers or even simpler medium like photos.

While we can simply say that desktop publishing is the use of a computer, a software program, and individual skills to create a document, there is much more behind that definition.

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