There are hundreds of different software programs available that can be used for desktop publishing projects of all different sizes and levels of detail, ranging from a small invitation mailing for a home user to a catalog design for a large business. With such a wide array of choices, it can be difficult to choose the correct program for your project based only on the descriptions of these software packages found online. In this guide we help you choose the best software for your desktop publishing project based on your own individual requirements.
The difficulty of choosing software for your desktop publishing project comes about because there is such a large range of different capabilities offered by the different software vendors. Some programs are very inexpensive, but they only allow the user to design one kind of project such as greeting cards, business cards, scrapbooks, etc. Other programs include hundreds of different features and could conceivably be used for any kind of project, but these also cost hundreds of dollars. The bottom line is that there is no single solution that is best for all users. You have to decide which program or programs are best based on the features you need and your budget.
We make this decision easier for you by categorizing the many different publishing software titles out there into just six different categories and listing the pros and cons of software from each category, along with short descriptions of the major entries in some categories. While we do not provide reviews or recommendations, this guide serves as a starting point from which you can narrow down your selection and look for more information about titles within each category. One or more of the titles below is sure to fulfill your desktop publishing needs. You may even discover that you already own the software you need for your desktop publishing project!
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Word Processing SoftwareWord processing software is the most commonly used software for getting information on paper. While word processing software remains best suited for producing long text documents and reports, the latest incarnations of titles such as Microsoft Word are flexible enough to undertake a wide variety of graphics-intensive publishing projects.
Pros: A big advantage of using word processing software for desktop publishing is that you probably already have this software available to you, and so it is a big benefit to you to be able to get your project done without having to invest time and money in new software. Additionally, word processing software is great for text-intensive projects such as envelope mailings and address labels.
Cons: Because word processing software is designed primarily to deal with streams of text, it is often awkward to use it for projects that require precise placement of graphics and text objects. While it often works well for common, basic projects using standard-size paper stock, it can be difficult to get the results you want when working with custom paper layouts.
Titles:
Microsoft Word - One of the most popular pieces of software on the planet, Microsoft's Word is the recognized standard in word processing everywhere. The benefit of using software as popular as Microsoft Word for your project is that there is a wealth of information in books and on the Internet on how to do just about anything in Word. You can also find templates for your projects at Microsoft's Web site or elsewhere, including here on our own site.
Apple iWork Pages - This is the word processing software that is part of Apple's iWork productivity suite, with features similar to Microsoft Word.
OpenOffice.org Writer - OpenOffice.org presents a compelling alternative to other word processing programs with its Writer software, which is available for the amazing price of free. Writer contains most of the same features as proprietary word processing programs, and also has the ability to read and edit Microsoft Word files. Free software of this quality is definitely worth a try if you do not already own other word processing software.
KWord - This is another piece of free software with similar features and goals as OpenOffice.org Writer, though not as popular.
Google Docs Documents - Google's entry into the word processing field is different in that it runs off of Google's servers and you edit your document right in your Web browser. The document is saved on Google's servers, and you can easily share the document with your friends or colleagues in order to facilitate collaboration. This arrangement comes with its own pros and cons versus the other word processing titles. The two main advantages of Google Docs are that it is free to use and sharing documents is incredibly easy - your documents are available wherever you have an Internet connection. However, a disadvantage is that Google Docs does not have as many features as the other word processing titles described here.
--------------------------------Raster Image Editing SoftwareImage editing software is designed to manipulate photographic-quality images, often using complicated mathematical transformations of the image. Also known as raster graphics editors, these programs excel at changing bitmapped images while maintaining photographic realism, and they also include on-page placement options and drawing capabilities.
Pros: Image editing software is a requirement if you want to make changes to photographs or other raster graphics files, including bitmaps and JPEGs. Most professional brochures, catalogs
Cons: These programs were designed first and foremost to edit photographs, and therefore their drawing capabilities are not as straightforward to use as those of vector drawing software packages, nor are they designed to handle long streams of text like word processing software can.
Titles:
Adobe Photoshop - This program is widely considered the gold standard in image editing and is used by professionals and home users alike. It is so commonly used that the act of altering a photograph is widely referred to as "Photoshopping" it. This is powerful software not only for photo editing but also for other tasks - the latest versions make it easy to incorporate images into desktop publishing projects such as calendars, greeting cards, and more.
Corel Photo-Paint - Corel's entry is not as recognized as Photoshop but includes many of the same features.
GIMP (The GNU Image Manipulation Program) - This is a free, open-source alternative to proprietary image editors. It excels at image editing but is aimed at more technical users than the proprietary entries into this field.
There are many more options available for raster graphics editing, too many to list here. Wikipedia has a good list and comparison of features here.
-----------------------------Vector Drawing SoftwareVector drawing software is designed to allow the user to create simple, scalable images very quickly and easily. It lacks the photo-realistic change capabilities of raster graphics editors, but excels at creating images based on geometric shapes and precisely placing these images on a page.
Pros: Vector drawing software tends to be very intuitive to use and can create simple projects very quickly. It can also perform basic operations on photos and other raster images, and is great for incorporating those types of graphics in with vector graphics in a larger project.
Cons: Vector drawing software is distinct from raster image editors and word processing software. It is great for geometric shape manipulation but lacks sophisticated operations for raster images and text.
Titles:
Adobe Illustrator - Once again, the Adobe entry into this field is considered the industry standard. It is not the easiest to use of the vector graphics editors but is considered the most powerful.
Microsoft Visio - This vector graphics editor is widely used in the corporate world to create simple but professional diagrams.
CorelDRAW - This entry from Corel is another powerful vector graphics editor that has been around a long time and has a large feature set.
OpenOffice.org Draw - This is a free, open-source alternative to proprietary vector drawing software. It aims to have a feature set similar to Microsoft Visio, and can even open and edit Visio files.
Inkscape - This is another free, open-source software package that is under active development.
Google Docs Drawings - The Google vector graphics editor is free and runs through your Web browser. It aims to be extremely intuitive and simple to use (which it is), but at the cost of having a smaller feature set than the other vector graphics programs.
Once again, Wikipedia has a good list of software and comparison of features, here.
-----------------------------------------Dedicated Project Publishing SoftwareThere are many programs out there that are designed to be very good at publishing small, specific projects (business cards, greeting cards, envelopes, etc.) as quickly as possible. These dedicated project publishing software packages are often the fastest option for taking a project from idea to paper because they guide you through each step and include several suggested project layouts for you to choose from.
Pros: These programs perform a lot of the work of a project for you because they were designed specifically to get your kind of project done. They can get your idea print-ready faster than any other software solution. They are also often very inexpensive.
Cons: The ease of use of these packages often comes at the expense of flexibility. For example, a dedicated business card printing program will not be useful for a different desktop publishing project involving post cards.
Some Titles in this Category:
ArcSoft Print CreationsArcSoft Greeting Card CreatorAvanquest My Professional Business CardsBelight PrintfolioBelight Swift Publisher (for Mac)Broderbund - This software manufacturer has dedicated titles for several different projects, just run a Web search using their name.Hallmark Card StudioNova: Business Card / Greeting Card / Scrapbook / T-shirt FactoryPhotoMix
There are many more options out there for dedicated project publishing titles, and a quick Web search for "business card software" or "calendar software" or (other project) software will turn up many results for you to look into.
-------------------------------------------------Consumer Full-Featured Publishing SoftwareSeveral vendors sell desktop publishing titles that aim to perform all steps of a desktop publishing project, including text editing, image editing, drawing, and page layout. There are many such titles to choose from, and they can be extremely helpful for many different projects.
Pros: These titles contain most of the functionality you will need to create many different projects while staying at a reasonable price point - most sell for under $100. They are also designed with ease of use in mind.
Cons: These under-$100 programs may lack some of the most advanced features found in the highest-end publishing software.
Titles:
Nova Print ArtistAvanquest Print Explosion (for Mac)Avanquest Design & PrintBroderbund Print MasterBroderbund: The Print ShopCristallight Desktop Publisher ProDiwan Ready, Set, Go!Serif PagePlusGrasshopper PageStreamAvery DesignPro (free to download)
A thorough review of several of the above titles can be found here.
----------------------------------------------High-End Publishing and Page Layout SoftwareWhile the "Consumer" full-featured publishing titles were designed with ease of use in mind, there is another set of programs that is designed first and foremost to have the largest set of functionality and capabilities. These programs are professional design software that can accomplish most any design goal you have for your project - after you have taken the time to learn how to use them properly.
Pros: These titles are used professionally to make literally any kind of graphics-based print project. If you spend time to learn the feature set of these products, you can accomplish anything you need to do.
Cons: Many of these titles are expensive, and because of their large feature sets and capabilities they have more of a learning curve than the other software categories presented here.
High-end publishing software includes the following titles from the major desktop publishing software vendors:Adobe InDesignAdobe FrameMakerCorel VenturaMicrosoft PublisherQuarkXPress
Scribus - This program is particularly interesting because it is a free, open-source software title that gives you professional-level capabilities despite being free. It is worth looking into before spending hundreds of dollars on other professional-grade software.
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