For transfer to a commercial printer, documents are generally saved as PDF or PostScript files. See graphics.Ī laser printer may be used for final output, but shaded drawings and photographs print better on commercial high-resolution imagesetters. Photos are modified and enhanced in an image editor. Text is generally created in a word processing program, and graphics are created in a drawing, CAD or paint program. Typically, all data are created externally and imported into the publishing program. Text and graphics may be created in a desktop publishing program, but graphics tools are often elementary. Although word processing programs may offer some of these features, a desktop publishing program provides much greater flexibility. A key feature is its ability to flow text around graphic objects in a variety of ways. Today, everything is created on a desktop or laptop computer for publication, whether for print, CD, DVD or online.Ī desktop publishing program (DTP), also called a 'page layout program' or 'publishing program,' provides complete page design capabilities, including magazine style columns, rules and borders, page, chapter and caption numbering as well as precise typographic alignment.

The term was more popular when personal computers emerged in the 1980s.

For simple layouts, desktop publishing may be accomplished with a word processor however, books and complicated designs require a publishing program, such as Adobe InDesign or QuarkXPress. This article is provided by FOLDOC - Free Online Dictionary of Computing ( ) desktop publishingUsing a desktop computer to produce high-quality printed output or camera-ready output for commercial printing.

Apple desktop publishing software free