Digital ArtsComputer Basics: 2-Applications

Computer Basics

2 - Applications: Desktop Publishing

Newspaper Desktop publishing does on the computer what used to be done with scissors and glue and other non-computer methods - put together text and graphics for printing.

High-end word processors can do much of what a desktop publishing program does, at least for fairly simple documents. The difference between them has become a bit blurred.

Look at a national magazine and try to duplicate the layout and graphics quality in a word processor! You will see that there IS a difference.

For professional publications, a desktop publishing program gives the precise control needed and also advanced capacities such as preparing four-color separations for commercial printing.

Levels of Software

"Desktop publishing" covers a wide range of activities and difficulty levels:

Professional	Create for commercial printing - magazine, company annual report, newspaper, book, full-color advertising
Small business/home office	Use a wizard or template to create a brochure, business card, or ad and print on your own printer
Specialty programs	Make your own greeting cards, calendars, or labels. Print T-shirts.

Major players in the desktop publishing game include Microsoft Publisher, Corel Ventura, QuarkXpress, and several Adobe products - PageMaker, FrameMaker, InDesign.

Purpose:	To prepare documents with graphics with precise control of the layout
Major Advantages:	Ability to place text and graphics precisely on page Ability to chain sections together like newspaper columns Advanced tools for professional work

Where you are: Digital Literacy > Lessons > Computer Basics
	1. Computer Types
	2. Applications Intro Word Processing Desktop Publishing Spreadsheet Database Graphics Presentations Communications Browser Web Pages Email Project Management PIM Integrated & Suites Quiz
	3. Input
	4. Processing
	5. Output
	6. Storage
	7. Computer to Computer
	8. System Software
	9. Programming

	10. What You See
	11. Hands On!
	12. On Your Own

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Features/Terms:

Layout -	arranging text and graphics
Clip art -	pre-drawn pictures to add to page
WYSIWYG -	What You See Is What You Get pronounced "wiz-e-wig" How page displays on screen is the same as how it prints
separations-	For full color in high quality printing, the paper goes through the printing press 4 times, once for each of the colors cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK color system). The print shop must create separate versions of your document, called separations, for each color.

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Last updated: 08 Sep 2005