Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

(University of City of Manila)

College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
Department of Mass Communication

DESKTOP PUBLISHING
GROUP 3

Submitted by:
Catienza, Kleo Marjoreen L.
Dizon, Xena Gabrielle B.
Guimoc, Gianelli Anne T.
Maandal, Maria Vanessa S.
Quinto, Margarette H.

Submitted to:

Prof. Alfred G. Gabot

January 4, 2018
 INTRODUCTION

Desktop publishing is the use of the computer and software to create visual
displays of ideas and information. Desktop publishing documents may be for desktop or
commercial printing or electronic distribution, including PDF, slideshows, email
newsletters, electronic books, and the Web.

Desktop publishing (abbreviated DTP) is the creation of documents using page

layout skills on a personal ("desktop") computer primarily for print. Desktop publishing
software can generate layouts and produce typographic quality text and images
comparable to traditional typography and printing. This technology allows individuals,
businesses, and other organizations to self-publish a wide range of printed matter.
Desktop publishing is also the main reference for digital typography. When used skillfully,
desktop publishing allows the user to produce a wide variety of materials, from menus to
magazines and books, without the expense of commercial printing. (Wikipedia)

IMPORTANT DATES IN HISTORY

1970s
Desktop publishing was first developed at Xerox PARC

1983
A contradictory claim states that desktop publishing began in 1983 with a program
developed by James Davise at a community newspaper in Philadelphia.

1984
Type Processor One ran on a PC using a graphics card for a WYSIWYG display
and was offered commercially by Best info in 1984.
1985
DTP market exploded with the release of Apple Laser Printer (January) and
PageMaker by Aldus in July which later become the standard DTP tool in the industry as
it is cheaper than Apple.
The term "desktop publishing" is attributed to Aldus founder Paul Brainerd, who
sought a marketing catch-phrase to describe the small size and relative affordability of
this suite of products, in contrast to the expensive commercial phototypesetting
equipment of the day.

1986
Desktop publishing moved into the home market in 1986 with Professional Page
for the Amiga, Publishing Partner (now PageStream) for the Atari ST, GST's Timeworks
Publisher on the PC and Atari ST, and Calamus for the Atari TT030.
Software was published even for 8-bit computers like the Apple II and Commodore
64: Home Publisher, The Newsroom, and geoPublish. During its early years, desktop
publishing acquired a bad reputation as a result of untrained users who created poorly
organized, unprofessional-looking "ransom note effect" layouts; similar criticism was
leveled again against early World Wide Web publishers a decade later.

WHAT DOES A DTP ARTIST DO?

Desktop publishing skills were considered of primary importance in career

advancement in the 1980s, but increased accessibility to more user-friendly DTP software
has made DTP a secondary skill to art direction, graphic design, multimedia development,
marketing communications, and administrative careers. DTP skill levels range from what
may be learned in a few hours (e.g., learning how to put clip art in a word processor) to
what requires a college education. The discipline of DTP skills range from technical skills
such as prepress production and programming to creative skills such as communication
design and graphic image development.
 A DTP artist or artworker is a desktop publishing worker, responsible for translating
the work of art directors and graphic designers into digital files ready to go to print or be
placed online. A DTP operator is usually skilled in multiple computer design applications,
such as Adobe CS.

This job description is used in advertising agencies, publishing, color separation,

printing and related industries. DTP operators were formerly known as FA artists (FA:
Finished artwork); the name changed with the introduction of digital processes.

THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH DESKTOP PUBLISHING

With desktop publishing software and hardware, you can:

• Design print communications such as brochures, fliers, ads, and posters.

• Design print communications such as catalogs, directories, and annual reports.
• Design logos, business cards, and letterhead.
• Design and publish newsletters, magazines, and newspapers.
• Design books and booklets.
• Convert print communications to formats for the web and smart devices such as
tablets and phones.
• Create resumes and business forms including invoices, inventory sheets, memos,
and labels.
• Self-publish books, newsletters, and e-books.
• Design and publish blogs and websites.
• Design slides shows, presentations, and handouts.
• Create and print greeting cards, banners, postcards, candy wrappers, and iron-on
transfers.
• Make digital scrapbooks and print or digital photo albums.
• Create decorative labels, envelopes, trading cards, calendars, and charts.
• Design packaging for retail merchandise from wrappers for bars of soap to
software boxes.
 • Design store signs, highway signs, and billboards.
• Take work designed by others and putting it into the correct format for digital or
offset printing or for publishing online.

HOW DESKTOP PUBLISHING HAS CHANGED

In the '80s and '90s, desktop publishing was for print almost exclusively. Today,
desktop publishing includes much more than just print publications. It's publishing as PDF
or an e-book. It's publishing to blogs and designing websites. It's designing content for
multiple platforms, including smartphones and tablets.

TRANSITION FROM TRADITIONAL TO DIGITAL

PUBLISHING

TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING
Layout designing has evolved significantly, from the Middle Ages where it was
usually seen in monasteries and churches, to offices, and later to personal computers.
While the goal of sending and communicating the message to the audience has not
changed, the technicalities surrounding desktop publishing has been evolving through
technology.

Illuminated manuscripts
Early examples of page layouting can be found in medieval illuminated
manuscripts. The work process of the manuscript creators sounds remarkably
modern: they would plan the overall layout of the page, including the ornately
decorated drop capital and the decorative border, then they would draw straight
lines on the parchment or vellum where the text would go. The medieval publishers
showed specialization in splitting the duties of the rubricators (who filled in the red
text), illuminators (the illustrators—forerunners of today's graphic designers), and
other scribes and artists. By the late Middle Ages, commercial scriptoria in cities
were competing with the small-shop cloisters and monasteries.
From the story of illuminated manuscripts, we can see the importance of
advance planning in thoughtful layout design, and the inevitability of
commercialization and mass production.

Gutenberg Printing Press

By using movable type to expedite the printing process, a single press could
produce thousands of pages per day, as opposed to a few hand-drawn copies.
During the post-Gutenberg era, some of the personalization of book layouts
was lost. The use of two columns of justified text looks very modern. It lacks some
of the opulent artistic qualities of the illuminated manuscript page. This era can be
thought of the moment when word processing and layout design split into two
distinct fields. This is still reflected in specialized programs, some aimed at text-
based projects, and some more specifically aimed at visual layout design.

Pre-computer Layout Design

Before the advent desktop publishing, the only way to make typed
documents (except handwritten) was a typewriter, which offered only a handful of
typefaces and one or two font sizes. Art directors, publishers, and printers
physically designed their documents; writers and journalists used typewriters,
which later on evolved into electric typewriters, then standalone word processors.
Many of the conventions of layout design were established during this
period. The standardization of templates influenced the look of today's books,
newspapers, and magazines, even though they're often consumed on different
platforms.
Mid-century layout design shows that competing mediums for design can
coexist. While this era saw innovation in design tools, traditional artists and printers
were still part of the media landscape.
COMPUTER DESKTOP PUBLISHING
Desktop publishing (DTP) at Xerox PARC in 1970. However, there’s a
contradictory claim that states desktop publishing began in 1983 with the program Type
Processor One that ran on PC using graphic cards for a WYSIWYG display. WYSIWYG
implies the ability to directly manipulate the layout of a document without having to type
or remember names of layout commands. Before the adoption of WYSIWYG, users were
required to enter special non-printing control codes (now referred to as markup code
tags) to indicate that some text should be in boldface, italics, or a different typeface or
size.
Desktop publishing market exploded in 1985 with the introduction of Apple
LaserWriter printer. Later in July, the introduction of PageMaker from Aldus, which
became the standard software of DTP industry in 1985.
Early 1980s became the primitive years of desktop publishing as PageMaker-
LaserWriter-Macintosh system often endured software crashes, cramped display on
monochrome screen, inability to control spacings, other errors in typographic features,
and discrepancies between the screen display and the printed output.

Layout Software
Adobe Systems set the foundation for professional desktop publishing
applications by developing technologies including the use of PostScript in their
LaserWriter printers in 1985. The LaserWriter's PostScript capability allowed
publication designers to proof files on a local printer, then print the same file at
DTP service bureaus.
Around 2000s, big names in desktop publishing software rolled out their
products – some of which are Adobe InDesign, Scribus, OpenOffice, Microsoft
Publisher, and Pages – which are, still, the major players in the professional market.
Here is a list of desktop publishing software:

• Adobe FrameMaker
 • Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe InDesign
• Adobe Muse
• Adobe PageMaker
• Adobe Photoshop
• Apple Pages 4.x
• Banner Mania
• Corel Ventura
• Coreldraw
• Fontographer
• GeoPublish
• Hyphen Studio
• IStudio Publisher
• LibreOffice Impress
• LibreOffice Writer
• Macromedia FreeHand
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Publisher
• Microsoft Word
• OpenOffice.org / LibreOffice
• PageStream
• PTC Arbortext
• QuarkXPress
• Ready,Set,Go
• Scribus
• Serif PagePlus
• Xara Page & Layout Designer
Cloud-based Layout Design Software
Desktop publishing underwent a significant shift. As internet becomes
faster, browsers more reliable, and memory capacity increased, layout design
 software, instead of licensed-based options only, transitioned to cloud. Even word
processor went to browser (e.g Google Docs).

Here are some of the web-based desktop publishing applications:

• Canva
• Fatpaint
• Lucidpress

PRINCIPLES OF DESKTOP PUBLISHING

1. Define the audience

The best to way present information is to understand and get to know your
audience well. Your content and design should be appropriate to your chosen audience.

2. Use white space accordingly

White space is the area in a document where there is no text or graphics. This
should be used effectively for it serves as a guide to your readers.

3. Do not use all caps for headings

Use the standard headline style for headers. The readability of the title decreases
if it is in all caps.

4. Space once at the end of a sentence

Many have been taught to space twice when ending a sentence, but this is not true.
According to the standard rules of desktop publishing, there should only be one space
following a punctuation mark.

5. Don’t go overboard with fonts

In creating a clean and organized document, use as few fonts as possible. Too
many fonts can be distracting and unpleasant to the eyes.
6. Margins

Using the correct margin settings is most important in word processing. If not
careful, your words can be printed off the page or cause the text to be spaced incorrectly.
Margins vary according to project so be sure to do your research beforehand.

7. Spacing

Another word processing rule, this is very essential when it comes to readability.
Desktop publishing professionals also refer to spacing as leading. Most programs come
preset with the correct spacing setting

8. Balance

Your elements should be visually balanced. Make sure no one section is heavier than
the other. Your goal is to make your document readable as well as attractive. Avoid too
much crowded or cluttered information for it might overwhelm your audience. Pay close
attention to things such as:

• Proximity / Unity
In design, proximity or closeness creates a bond between people and between
elements on a page. How close together or far apart elements are placed suggests
a relationship (or lack of) between otherwise disparate parts. Unity is also achieved
by using a third element to connect distant parts. It is basically the distance
between elements.
• Alignment
Alignment brings order to chaos. How you align type and graphics on a page and
in relation to each other can make your layout easier or more difficult to read, foster
familiarity, or bring excitement to a stale design. It is basically the position of an
element on a page in relation to other elements.

• Repetition / Consistency
 Repeating design elements and consistent use of type and graphics styles within a
document shows a reader where to go and helps them navigate your designs and
layouts safely. It is basically how often certain elements or messages appear.

• Contrast
In design, big and small elements, black and white text, squares and circles, can
all create contrast in design. It is basically the balance of light and dark tones.

• White Space
Designs that try to cram too much text and graphics onto the page are
uncomfortable and may be impossible to read. White space gives your design
breathing room.

ELEMENTS OF LAYOUT DESIGN

1. Color

• Warm - As the name suggests they evoke feelings of warmth. These colors are
also known as Advancing colors because they appear to be closer to the viewer
than other colors.
Example: Red, Orange, Yellow
• Cool - As the name suggests they evoke feelings of being cold. These colors are
also known as receding colors because they appear to be further away from the
viewer than other colors.
Example: Green, Blue, Violet
• Contrasting - Colors that are contrasting are far apart on the color wheel. When
used together they help to make objects stand out.
Example: Red & Green, Blue & Yellow
• Harmonizing - Colors that are harmonizing are close together on the color wheel.
Harmonizing colors are easy on the eye and help to create a relaxing image.
Example: Red & Orange, Blue & Green
 • Accent - Accent colors are used to tie text and graphics together as you can see
from the example Red has been used to tie the brochure together helping to create
unity within the document.

2. Line

Lines can be used to connect different areas of a document creating unity within
the document. They can also be used to separate areas of the document e.g. web
addresses/ headings from the main body text and can help create emphasis.

3. Shape

Shapes are used within a document to help highlight information and organize and
separate information to make the design more interesting.

4. Texture

Texture is used within a document to help create emphasis and make the
document

more interesting looking.

• Texture can be added to a document by removing a block color from a background

and adding photographs, images, textured fill etc.
• Texture can also be added inside other images and inside fonts also.

Often, the texture that is added ties in with the theme of the document.

5. Value

The lightness or darkness of an object or portion of a design, regardless of color,

is its value.

Value can be used with other principles and elements of design to create emphasis
or a focal point in a page layout or image, leading the eye to what the designer deems is
most important. It can also be used to increase contrast and create movement. The
greater the difference in the value of an object and its background and other objects, the
greater the contrast. Objects with differing values lead the eye from most prominent to
least and give the illusion that parts of the design are moving.

6. Alignment

Alignment is an effective method to improve the structure of a layout. Good alignment

makes a page readable and organized which helps in making it appear neat and sharp.

• Alignment is between two or more objects on a page.

• Alignment can be horizontal or vertical
• Alignment can be central, left or right

7. Balance

a. Symmetrical balance is easiest to see in perfectly centered compositions or

those with mirror images. In a design with only two elements they would be almost
identical or have nearly the same visual mass. When a design can be centered or evenly
divided both vertically and horizontally, it has the most complete symmetry possible.

b. Asymmetrical balance is typically off-center or created with an odd or

mismatched number of disparate elements. However, you can still have an interesting
design without perfect symmetry.

PROCESSES
Ever since the discovery and transformation of the movable type to the modern
printers of this generation, the need to relay important messages and preserve them, in
the longest time possible, has never been stronger.

As the time slowly shifts to digital, it may not be impossible that the preservation
does not only mean keeping information in an actual library but a virtual one. Although
the idea of losing physical copies of reading materials can be a little negative, the
transformation brought by the digital age surely have made positive impacts to the users.
ACCESIBILITY
“Suddenly, anyone with the means to purchase a computer and laser printer could
conceivably become a publisher…” –Kevin Featherly

Before, only large companies who were able to afford the huge and bulky printing
press has the power to relay important information— either for the purpose of educating
informing, or entertaining.

Now. Since Aldus’ release of the first desktop publishing software, PageMaker, in
1985, lay-outing articles and content has never been so available to almost everyone.

Aldus’ more successful competitors, QuarkXPress, Macintosh, and InDesign,

keeps up with the rising demand of the face-paced society by releasing a newer version
every year making it more accessible and user-friendly.

QUALITY
Before, ink blots are excusable for their inevitability. The manual arrangement of
letters with the Movable Type leaves more chance of staining the paper with ink or worse,
distorting the letters from too much ink in the letter blocks. Even the manual cut-and-paste
of page galleys during the mid-1960s did not guarantee clean work. Pictures for the
articles were also taken and placed separately with poor image quality.

Now. The flexibility and innovations of the software as well as modern printers can
guarantee a clean and high-quality work. Leading and kerning can also be adjusted
depending on user-preference. Basic image cropping, unique color selection, and various
file format are some of the few features of DTP software. It also allows import of large
image formats which preserve the quality of an image and stores information on the
computer or a laptop which is useful and convenient especially for revisions.

DESIGN
Before, newspapers can only have text and few sketches (for editorial) and images
(for articles). The design did not matter as much because there weren’t a lot of distractions
at the time and people are focused on reading the paper.
 Now. The competition, not only in the market but also the attention-span of the
reader can greatly rely on the design of the paper. People tend to look at the overview of
the newspaper whenever they are in a hurry— which is usual in the present time.

Pictures tend to capture the attention of the readers as well as other computer-
generated visual images that properly fit an article or a literary piece. More software were
released to cater these improvements. Photoshop and Illustrator were both created by
Adobe to adjust images and draw digitally, respectively.

SPEED
Alongside accessibility is the speed. Before, lay-outing and printing an article can
take more than a day. This is because of the manual work in lay-outing and the speed of
available printers.

Now. With a fast-paced society, everything has to keep up. Every gadget,
equipment machine is designed to give fast performance. The software were designed to
perform in a publication environment full of deadlines while printers were optimized for
fast performance.

REACH
Before, only places where the newspapers are distributed can have access to the
publisher’s content. In line with this, people with the purchasing power are the only ones
capable or getting a copy.

Now. With the recent shift of platform by some publication houses to online or
digital, the possibilities for a wider reach is bigger. A typical Filipino spends 6 hours in his
or her social media which is only one of the digital platforms that a publisher or publication
can get an exposure. Online publications also tend to give free access to some, if not all,
of its articles which can encourage most readers.
REFERENCES
http://cmst310.blogspot.com/2005/06/principles-of-design.html

https://calderglentechnical.weebly.com/uploads/2/5/9/7/25979910/dtp_elements___prin
ciples1.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_publishing

https://www.lucidpress.com/blog/evolution-desktop-
publishing?fbclid=IwAR3QCtgHMkGsY5xHaGvlVOAMuXtdFfh6myWZRsPrmlFBQRwZPlt
_i6nqC4g