Although the term “desktop publishing” became popular in the early 1980’s it was outdated by the early 1990's. The terms was originally a reaction to the amazement many people felt when they discovered that much of the traditional cameras, typesetters, and stripping departments normally associated with the creation of printed material could be replaced with a microcomputer, scanner and laser printer that could (almost) be housed on a desktop.

The advent of the laser printer made the production of handsome one color documents affordable to practically every business and individual. The laser printer interpreted data from a word processing program, like Microsoft Word™, or a page layout program, such as PageMaker™ and produced the typeset page by use of heat sensitive toner deposited on the paper, in very much the same way a Xerox machine does. One color documents were usually printed in black and white. The document could be produced in small quantities directly from a laser printer or the laser printer original could be used as a master to reproduce slightly larger quantities via Xerography or offset printing. These laser printed masters were of inferior quality to conventional photo typesetting techniques, but they were so economical they found widespread acceptance.

In the mid 1990’s the popularity of laser printers began to wane as less expensive and more versatile inkjet printers were introduced. Suddenly the desk top publisher could produce high resolution documents in full color. Color photographs could be digitially altered and reproduced on the desktop using Adobe’s Photoshop™ program. Still, high volume quality reproduction was beyond the scope of desktop publishers.

Three dramatic innovations in publishing have created the basis for the business models we will investigate in this book. They are:

1. Direct-to-press printing. re
2. PDF (portable document format) and the E-Book
3. The Internet and its offspring, the blog. graphic design business plan sample

Some would argue that, in time, computer video editing will be seen as an equally integral function of desktop publishing. As the utilization of bandwidth becomes more efficient, the web will become a natural vehicle for all forms of video distribution and e-books will contain as many video clips as photos to illustrate key concepts. However, for the purposes of this edition of this book, we will focus on the forms of electronic publishing that are most analogous to traditional print media including the web page. In an attempt to make our program more accessible, I have created an arbitrary division between traditional media (print-based) and new media (Internet based). Today, most designers move freely between the two while a few practitioners have a distinct preference for one or the other.

WHY PUBLISH

It's a well established fact, we are far more likely to believe information received from the printed page than in any other form. How many times have you heard some one say, ‘I saw it in the paper so it must be true?’ Naturally, this is an over simplification, but it does express our unconscious tendency to believe what we read more readily than what we hear. Most people studied report a tendency to assign greater credibility to newspapers and other print media journalism than to broadcast media.

Prior to a sales meeting many organizations go to great expense to prepare elaborate brochures for their representatives. Although the prospect knows there may be only a dozen copies of the brochure in existence, the dramatic power of the printed word is often a deciding factor in a successful presentation.

Whenever you need to convince someone to do something, be sure to enlist the aid of print. Statistics are especially impressive when presented in print. A written testimonial carries far greater weight than the statement, "Harry thought it was a good idea."

DESKTOP & DESIGN

The graphic design industry has been radically altered in the last thirty years. Prior to desktop publishing, the graphic designer would indicate their layout or design on paper, specify the type position and have an outside type service set the type. This was very expensive and resulted in long delays when revisions were required. Today the designer works on the screen with the exact type that will appear on the finished page. Revisions are made quickly and efficiently and the client receives an excellent proof of the job before costly hours are committed to final production.

However, many desktop publishers are entering the field from other disciplines, namely computer technology and clerical backgrounds. We frequently hear publishers say, “We aren’t really designers, we just know what we think looks good.” Well, that’s what a designer is, someone who knows how to make something look good.

The truth is, anyone who causes marks to be made on a page is a graphic designer. The good ones take responsibility for it. They look at the pages they produce and criticize them for balance, tension, contrast and legibility. They use each job as an opportunity to explore new techniques, formats and layouts, thus enhancing their skill and broadening their repertoiré. The poor designers say, “I’m just a technician, not a designer.” And they use this rational to continue to produce second-rate documents.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD PAGE?

Many attempts have been made to distill the design process to a list of do’s and don’ts. Most of these attempts fail because they ignore the essential question behind the production of every document:

How do you want your reader to respond to your document?
You must first answer this question before you can design your page.

Do you want to create the impression that you represent an aggressive, dynamic organization such as a sales or marketing firm? Do you want to give the impression of quiet, detached professionalism appropriate to a bank, doctor or attorney? What is the over-all tone of your document? Whether you are creating documents for your own company or for hire, its a good idea to collect examples from other organizations in the same industry. Examine them for type style, spacing, the use of bold or large headlines, graphic devices such as star bursts and other elements to add emphasis or attract attention.

Exactly how do you want your reader to digest your document. If you publish a general interest newsletter to a large organization you may want to use large bold headlines to identify the beginning of each article. In this way, your reader is free to pick the articles that interest him. You may also want to add a front page “highlights column” that lists the important features of your paper and their location in the paper.

On the other hand publishers of single topic reports may decide to use smaller “inter-headlines” (small topic heads that identify sections of an article) to break long boring columns of type and help readers who want to skim the report for key features. Publishers of fiction or highly technical papers who want to discourage skimming will use “pull quotes” (enlarged phrases or sentences pulled from the text, often used in lieu of illustrations) to enliven their pages without assisting the casual reader to skip important data. At the far extreme, the publisher of an important medical or legal document may decide that all their data is so vital that it must be read word for word. This publisher may decide to forgo all graphic conventions for straight columns of type. Few people will read such a dry paper, but those who do will probably read it in a strictly linear form, the way it was intended.

Create a hierarchy of importance in your document. What do you want your reader to see first, second, third, etc.? Give these elements progressively less weight in relation to their importance. Remember, if something is more important, other things must be less important. The novice publisher will often create pages containing 10 elements screaming for attention with equal volume. This only achieves reader annoyance.

The basis of good page design is a strong underlying grid. The gird may be partially visible in the form of rule lines or column breaks, or it may be visible only to the designer. But, in either case it holds the elements of the page in place in a logical, and visually pleasing way. It also lends continuity to multiple page documents. One of the most important skills of a desktop designer is the ability to construct a grid that is flexible enough to allow reasonable variety within the document yet rigid enough to provide the continuity a reader needs. All good page layout programs allow great flexibility in the construction of the document grid. Consult your specific software manuals for more instructions, but never start a page without considering the construction of the underlying grid. desktop publishing for nonprofits

UNDERSTANDING TYPE g

Type is the basis of all language. It is the series of symbols we use to convey meaning, not only in a literal sense, through the combination of letters to create words, but through the choice of type faces we use to imply a context for our words. Today’s print buyer can choose from thousands of type faces that add meaning to their messages. The key to good typography is in selecting a type face that evokes the same image your words convey. Type also gives the page color and texture. Different faces have different textures. Developing a sensitivity to the color and texture of your type allows you to compose more interesting pages.

The greatest double edge blessing/curse of desktop publishing is the vast selection of typefaces available to the publisher. Inexperienced desktop technicians, especially those with a computer or clerical background, are inclined to use every typeface they own on their first page. The results are hideous! More experienced designers are always more conservative in their selection of faces.

All typefaces are divided by form into two general categories; serif faces that are drawn with tabs at the end of each stroke, and san serif faces that lack these tabs. Typefaces are then subcategorized by families which often bare the name of the designer who created them. For instance, Caslon was created by the English designer William Caslon (1692 - 1766). It was used to print the original publication of our Declaration of Independence and it remains popular today. Like many classic typefaces, it has been modified over the years by many designers and type foundries. But each modification has been intended to adapt the face to new technology while preserving the basic beauty and grace of the original design. There are several fonts within the Caslon family including; Caslon, Caslon Bold, Caslon Italic, Caslon Bold Italic, Caslon Swash (an ornate initial capital used to begin a document or important section). Other type families contain even more variety. Some, like the contemporary Stone family include both serif and san serif faces.

Type is also divided into two functional categories; headline type and body type. The same type face may be used in both headlines and body (the main text of a page) or you may choose different type faces for both.

Type is measured in points. There are 72 points to an inch. However, a 72 point letter is not one inch high. The 72 points include the space occupied by the upper case (capital) letter plus the descenders of the lower case letters.

We call the space between lines of type leading after the lead bars used in antique movable type presses. If type is used without leading we say it is set solid. Setting type solid allows you to get more words on a page but the words will be more difficult to read and less attractive than type set with a few points of leading. Various type faces look better with varying amounts of leading. Experience will train your eye to use each type face to its best advantage. By changing the amount of leading and the point size of the type we may also change the color and texture of the page.

The process of designing typefaces is a complex and demanding task. Over the centuries our eyes have become accustom to highly refined characters, drawn by masters of the art of typography and further refined by digital computers. For this reason, the novice is encouraged to employ one of the thousands of type faces available and leave innovation to professionals.

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