Before computers were widespread, publishing was done manually. Large printing machines were required to copy the pages. The images and text had to be printed separately, then cut out, placed on a single sheet, taped in place and then copied and printed. Add to that the amount of different layouts and fonts that may be needed in a given document, such as a newspaper which has a different layout for almost every page and publishing ended up a very costly and time-consuming endeavor. Today, almost all of this process and much more can be done through just a computer and the right software.

Desktop publishing is the process of preparing a document for print or online viewing through the use of a computer and a desktop publishing software. It includes setting up page layouts, typesetting (choosing the fonts and the text layout) and, depending on the project, also graphic design. Desktop publishing is used in the creation of a wide range of materials. Examples include: Books and book covers, e-books, newspapers, email newsletters, web pages, blogs, business cards, logos, all types of packaging and even the preparation of billboards and highway signs are all considered desktop publishing.

The software used in desktop publishing may vary depending on the situation but mainly, dedicated desktop publishing software is used such as Adobe InDesign and Corel Draw. Other applications such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator may also be used if the project requires graphic design and even Word processors such as Microsoft Word and Google Docs may prove sufficient if it is a simple enough project.

Hasan Ozugurlu