What is Desktop Publishing?

Desktop publishing refers to the act of using software on a personal computer to combine mixed-media elements, such as text, photos, or charts, into printable documents. Once created, these documents can either be printed on a home printer or outsourced to a professional printing service. One of the key features is the ability to preview a page layout before prior to printing, via a feature called What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG), pronounced wizzy-wig. While this was once taught through advanced education programs, advancements in software means that the process is less difficult to master than in past decades.

The practice exploded in popularity in 1984 and 1985, when MacPublisher was produced to capitalize on the capabilities of Apple's Macintosh® computers. Additionally, the Aldus Corporation introduced its PageMaker® software, which was later acquired by Adobe Systems. Each of these programs introduced users to the ability to easily manipulate page elements while producing a document.

In recent years, word processing services have provided users with many of the perks once exclusive to desktop publishing programs. In addition, electronically-formatted documents, such as PDF files or eBooks, have diminished user reliance on the software. These popular programs don't provide quite the same amount of fine control over documents that desktop publishing does. In the design industry, high-end software is considered fundamental to quality document design when producing catalogs, brochures, or business cards. Not only is it used to produce high-quality documents, but it also used for high-volume printing as is used in book publishing.

Unlike word processing applications, desktop publishing software permits users to modify multiple elements within a document through master pages. Instead of needing to change each instance of an element on several pages of a document, users can modify a single linked element and thus change every occurrence of this element in the document; typographical elements, such as column width, spacing, or font size, can be easily altered, and text can be modified to wrap around graphical images, or enlarged or reduced on command.

Printing plates can be produced through these programs, downloaded as files, and printed through a range of printing methods. While desktop publishers are compatible with standard lasers printers, they can also function with more specialized devices such as the flexographic printers used in product packaging, photogravure printers used for making art prints, or thermographical printers used to make raised lettering on wedding invitations.