Desktop Publishing

I am finding more and more that we almost have to go to a Mac for publishing. Every time I use any MS product we have problems at the printers.

Our co-worker bought a Mac recently. We are going to try it next time. It comes bundled with the software, but after the trial period you have to pay for the publishing software

 

Have you tried OpenOffice?

I hear it is different somewhat than Microsoft Office. Is it possible that it is compatible with the printers?

 

Snoop Serif's site and see what you find. They have a publisher program. You can usually find some offers of an older version very cheap. They offer then now and then for 10 bucks to get your address so they can try to sell you the new one.

They have photo software etc. as well.

www.serif.com

Microsoft has a publisher but it is spendy.

If Serif looks good I might have an older version in the garage I could give you to try. Email me.

 

I use Microsoft Publisher.

If the printer doesn't have publisher, I have cutePDF (free). I save the pulisher file as a PDF.

 

I would have thought saving and presenting to the printer as a pdf would solve your problem. Of course, I am going to tell you to buy a Mac and use QuarkXpress, that way you and your printer will be singing from the same hymnsheet.

 

The only sort of bundled program for DTP that comes with a Mac is a trial of Apple Pages and costs $79.
I love it but I do not do heavy duty publishing.
If you would like to see some of the things I have done with it let me know.
The nice thing is that you can easily import all of your word files into it.

http://www.apple.com/iwork/pages/
Check that link out.

 

Are you talking about pages?
I hated pages at first but after I got used to it, I really liked it.

 

Still had problems with pdf at the printers.

Pages is the Mac package we hope to try in the future.

 

Quark will work on the PC as well. If you want to stay free, try Scribus. It is a Quarklike program that is supposed to work with printing. I have not tried that aspect of it but I have used it for design work. I like it. Not as good as Quark, but the price is right.

 

If you ever need any help let me know, there are a few things that seem tricky at first but seem so obvious once you get used to it.

Yeah, Quark should be fine..but I am not a DTP expert.
But that is why I use Pages...don't need to be an expert.

 

I am in the graphic business and have been before DTP was around.

PC have come along way. Macs still are king in graphics. Just as PCs are king in the business world, so is Macs in the graphic world. about 80% are macs. We now have 5 offices. Each office has one PC in case we need it. The rest of the computers are Macs, around 15-20 for each office. You will find the same thing in each office that deals in high graphics.

There is more to it then just running the software. PCs can run the same software as Macs.

Microsoft Publisher is a joke and all printers (offset printers) HATE Microsoft Publisher. I make a small mint when I take a MP file, because I charge 3 times as much to handle it because it is such a pain. They will not take it to another graphic person, because no one in my cities will take MP at all...so I'm the only game in town.....but as I said they pay for the pain I go through.

Sorry dale...but Pages is a joke too. Ok..not as bad as MP...but not a good choice.

QXpress and Indesign will be needed in order to do it right and make your printer happy. I use QXpress myself, but Indesign is the best deal and has come along way. One office I have runs only Indesign. The other offices use QX.

You will also need Photoshop. Not a program like photoshop. Nothing can do all that photoshop can do. You cannot do it all with PS...its for photos not line work and type.

Also...a vector type of program is a must. This is where you draw your graphics...logos and other art. Illustrator, Freehand are the top vector programs.

If money is a key point...go to ebay and find a mac that is loaded with Graphics. Some people update with each new computer that comes out...which i think is silly. But...you can find great deals on ebay. At times the software is worth more then the Mac


For wed-design...dreamweaver all the way. Flash for movies...both are from the same company that makes freehand.

 

Perhaps that is why it is marketed at a competitor to Word and not Indesign or Quark

It has done well for me but then I only do light duty stuff and that only occasionally.

 

I did just that a few years back. I needed Dreamweaver and Flash and ended up with both plus Photoshop and an eMac for 1200.
This was a pretty good deal in 2003.

 

Here are two free online office suites that I've heard good things about but have never used. They might be alternatives for you. You need to be online to use them.

http://www.thinkfree.com/
http://www.zoho.com/

If you are interested in a pure image editing software, GIMP is a fully featured open source program.

http://www.gimp.org/


I found Scribus when I googled "open source desktop publishing". Might want to give it a shot.

http://www.scribus.net/