End user and organizations can use desktop publishing (DTP) software to produce their own printed materials that look professionally published.
That is they can design and print their own newsletter, brochures, manuals and books with several types, graphics, photos and colors on each page.
Word processing packages and desktop publishing packages like Adobe PageMaker and QuarkXPress are used to do desktop publishing.
Typically, text material and graphics can be generated by word processing and graphic packages and imported as texts and graphics files.
Optical scanners may be used to input text and graphics from printed material. Files of clip arts also can be used, which are redrawn graphic illustrations provided by the software package or available from other sources.
The heart of desktop publishing is a page design process called page makeup or page composition. Video screen becomes an electronic paste-up board with rulers, column guides and other page design aids.
Text materials and illustrations are then merged into the page format that has been design before.
The software will automatically move excess text to another column or page and help size and place illustrations and headings.
Most desktop publishing packages provide WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) displays so user can see exactly what the finished document will look like before it is printed.
Desktop Publishing
