Desktop publishing software is a range of software that serves the purpose of making both digital and paper-based content that follows similar rules of consistency to that of web development.
In the domain of website development, there exists templating engines. These engines help maintain consistency across a website.
We use CSS to ensure that styles remain similar across different pages.
This slideshow was built with HTML and CSS, which is why it is consistent with other slideshows made with the same engine.
So, where might you have seen something produced by desktop publishing software?
What is desktop publishing?
An example of this is with magazine production:
Magazines are produced so that each writer can produce their own articles
Each article needs to be consistent with the look and feel of the whole magazine
How do we ensure that each writer is making each article consistent? We use a template!
Templating is exactly what desktop publishing is all about!
Desktop publishing software
One of the simplest pieces of software used for this purpose is Microsoft Publisher.
Whilst it may look like Microsoft Word, it's actually very different and involves creating a design template before actually creating content (think of CSS first, then HTML)
Templating is easy in Publisher, which is why it is often used as a beginners DTP software.
You are going to become a magazine writer!
Choose 4 other people in the class who you would like to work with
Discuss with those people what topic(s) you would like your magazine to cover
Pick an individual area in those topics that you would personally like to write about
Using Microsoft Word, begin to jot down some ideas and then formulate your own article.
