Desktop Publishing

A desktop publishing system allows you to use different typefaces, specify various margins and justifications, and embed pictures and graphics to produce high-quality printed documents. The most powerful desktop publishing systems enable you to create illustrations, while less powerful systems let you insert illustrations created by other programs.

The distinction between desktop publishing systems and word processors is becoming thinner as word processors become more powerful. Generally, desktop publishing applications give you greater control over typographical characteristics and provide more support for full-color output.

An essential feature of DTP packages is that they enable you to see exactly how the printed document will appear. This feature is called WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get).

As the prices of computers and printers has fallen, DTP systems have become increasingly popular for producing newsletters, brochures, books, and other documents.