DTP applications

The following is a list of major desktop publishing software. A wide range of related software tools exist in this field, including many plug-ins and tools related to the applications listed below.
There is some overlap between desktop publishing and what is known as Hypermedia publishing (i.e. Web design, Kiosk, CD-ROM). Many graphical HTML editors such as Microsoft FrontPage and Adobe Dreamweaver use a layout engine similar to a DTP program. However, some Web designers still prefer to write HTML without the assistance of a WYSIWYG editor and resort to such software, if at all, solely for complex layout that cannot easily be rendered in hand-written HTML code.
There are several different DTP applications to produce professional layouts. They are distinguished by their different functions and manufacturers. Some of them are even from the same manufacturer like the Adobe products PageMaker, Indesign and Framemaker. In
this module, it is impossible to describe all functions and features for each program. For detailed information, visit their web pages. We can only give an overall view relating to their biggest differences. The most popular DTP applications are:
• Adobe PageMaker
• Adobe InDesign
• Adobe FrameMaker
• QuarkXPress

Differences of DTPs to Word processors

While desktop publishing software still provides extensive features necessary for print publishing, modern word processors now have publishing capabilities beyond those of many older DTP applications, blurring the line between word processing and desktop publishing.
In the early days of graphical user interfaces, DTP software was in a class of its own when compared to the fairly spartan word processing applications of the time. Programs such as WordPerfect and WordStar were still mainly text-based and offered little in the way of page layout, other than perhaps margins and line spacing. On the other hand, word processing software was necessary for features like indexing and spell checking, features that are today taken for granted.
The possibilities of DTP applications are more powerful than the ones of text processors like Microsoft Word or WordPerfect. The tasks of text processors are, among other things, to register and to save text. The capability of text processors to arrange text is sufficient concerning the printing of these files on a laser- or inkjet printer, but not for extensive documents and professional printouts. Professional printouts are usually made with offset printing. Therefore, any newspaper- or magazine publisher uses a DTP application.
The benefits of DTP applications in comparison with text processors
are:
• WYSIWYG ability (What You See Is What You Get).
• Possibilities to judge the printout (Soft proof).
• More possibilities to manipulate the typography (kerning, spacing)
• Text and pictures are placed in frames.
• Text- and picture frames are objects which can
• More possibilities to design the layout.
• Possibilities to adjust and control the pictures and illustrations
related to their colours (colour management).
• Exact positioning of objects (text, pictures) with the help of grid-
and auxiliary lines.
• Possibility to place objects outside of the document temporarily in
order to use the whole area of the screen.
• Tool palettes to manipulate objects.
As computers and operating systems have become more powerful, vendors have sought to provide users with a single application platform that can meet all needs. Software such as Open Office.org Writer and Microsoft Word offers advanced layouts and linking between documents, and DTP applications have added in common word processor features.

What is DTP?

In the age of computers, it is relatively simple to create documents and to produce professional printouts. Nevertheless, the results of the work with the computer clearly show the differences between specialists and amateurs. A few years ago, many specialists were involved in order to produce professional printouts: a graphic designer, a typography specialist, an illustrator, a photographer, a touch up specialist and a reprographic specialist. With a computer and special software, anyone is able to produce a layout up to the data needed by the printing office. But depending on the lack of knowledge concerning the processes, techniques, and applications, the results will have less quality and will be more expensive.The term "desktop publishing" is commonly used to describe page layout skills. However, the skills and software are not limited to paper and book publishing. The same skills and software are often used to create graphics for point of sale displays, promotional items, trade show exhibits, retail package designs, and outdoor signs. DTP is the abbreviation of „Desktop Publishing“ which means the production of printouts like catalogues, brochures and newspapers on a computer with special software. Recently, additional new output media for electronic distributing, like web pages and PDF documents, have been included. The main task of DTP or rather DTP- applications is the combination of text- and picture elements (illustrations, photos) to a printable layout. The focus of these kinds of applications is the text- processing and arrangement.
A wide range of related software tools exist in this field, including many plug-ins and tools related to the applications listed below.
# Adobe InDesign
# Adobe PageMaker, was Aldus Pagemaker
# Adobe Home Publisher, was Aldus Personal Press, was Silicon Beach Personal Press
# Advanced Print Publisher, formerly the 3B2 Publishing System
# QuarkXPress
# FrameMaker, now owned by Adobe
# iCalamus for Mac OS X
# Impression Publisher – RISC OS
# Interleaf/QuickSilver
# MemoryPress – DTP that allows online collaboration
# Microsoft Publisher
# Microsoft Word 2008 – This Word release contains a DTP mode
# OvationPro – RISC OS
# PagePlus SE (External link: http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/software/PagePlus/)
# Pages
# PageStream, formerly known as Publishing Partner
# Prince XML, by YesLogic
# Print Explosion, by Nova Development
# Print Shop, originally produced by Broderbund
# RagTime
# Ventura Publisher, now owned by Corel and originally developed by Ventura Software
# Xclamation
# UltraXML, XML Dynamic Publishing Solution
# Print MIS (http://www.printmis.com), Solution provider for the printing industry
# Business Builder for Print (http://www.systems4print.co.uk

About TCP/IP

TCP/IP has become an almost universal standard in network communications. Networks of all sizes, and in particular the Internet, depend upon TCP/IP protocols to enable communications between different segments and devices. Some examples of where TCP/IP is used:

The Internet, which facilitates
communications between computers all over the world, and access to data and applications at geographically scattered sites (including the World Wide Web)
* Intranets, which make information readily visible via a browser to users of a LAN or WAN, such as within a single corporation
* Extranets, which share data between users within a group of companies, for example a supplier may create an Extranet with its major customers to facilitate sharing of information
* Private networks: LANs and WANs where data is shared and e-mails are exchanged between members of a single organisation
* Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) where remote users can be given access rights to make a dial-in connection via modem to the resources of a private network (usually protected by encryption).
The wide use of TCP/IP means that you will need to understand the essentials of this group of protocols when installing and
maintaining networked machines.

Protection from computer viruses

Viruses are programs intended to damage or destroy data in a computer system. They are called viruses because they are rapidly transmitted to other users, usually without their knowledge. Viruses are often located in a network’s software or in a computer’s RAM, and are
triggered by certain events such as a time or date, or the user executing a program. RAM
viruses are particularly destructive because every program that is executed will pass on
the virus. The most widespread solution to viruses is preventative software. Preventative software checks for viruses before software is executed and is usually able to destroy the virus once detected. Virus detection software needs to be updated frequently as new viruses are created and identified. In order to prevent the spread of viruses, good practice dictates that only the System Administrator can load files onto the network. Care must be taken not to expose customer sites to risk of viruses.

Network security

A major concern of network management is data security. Maintaining LAN data security means:

# maintaining data integrity

# securing the LAN from unauthorized access

# securing the LAN from computer viruses

# ensuring the availability of network components and access.

Because security is a primary concern and responsibility of network managers, you will not normally be given direct access to network settings and configurations when working on network printer installations.

Data integrity
The protection of a network’s data resource is achieved in a number of ways:
# by the use of uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) to allow the network and servers long enough to keep running through minor power outages and to shut down gracefully during long outage
# by providing redundant hardware, including redundant hard drives, so that secondary systems can take over in the event of the failure of the primary system
# by regular backups of data, so that in the event of a loss of integrity data can be restored with a minimum of lost work.
Protection from unauthorized access
Most networks have a system allowing access to only authorised users. Security systems can
allocate rights such as access to resources like applications, printers, directories and specific files. Normal security requires that users have a unique ID and password to access network resources. If an organisation wishes to grant an external user access to the network, a user ID and password will have to be issued, for a limited period of time.

Wireless Networks

Some environments or very large distances are physically difficult to cable. In this case a wireless solution may be viable. Wireless networks operate using microwave, radio or infrared communication technology. The logical topology of such systems is still typically Ethernet or Token Ring. Wireless LAN communications are governed by IEEE standard 802.11b
Bluetooth
Bluetooth wireless technology is a specification for short-range radio links between mobile PCs, mobile phones and other portable devices. It can be used for both voice and data and operates in a globally available frequency band. Bluetooth is the result of a collaboration
between 9 major communications and computing corporations (3Com, Ericsson, Intel, IBM, Lucent, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia and Toshiba). This has made it an industry standard which is being rapidly adopted by other manufacturers.
Infrared Data Association (IrDA)
The Infrared Data Association (IrDA) is a trade association of more than 150 computer and
telecommunications hardware and software suppliers, including Hewlett-Packard, Apple
Computer, AST, Compaq, Dell, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Motorola, Novell, and others.
The IrDA standard allows devices to communicate with each other via an infrared port running at up to 115.2 Kbps. IrDA ports can be created by attaching an infrared adapter (such as the Adaptec AIRport) to a serial or parallel port. IrDA provides a universal standard for LAN connections, peripherals, telephones and for communicating with other devices such as
digital cameras and kitchen appliances.

Printing Options For a Microsoft Word Document Template

In the third of this article series on how to set up a technical document template by using Microsoft Word we'll explain the various printing options you can choose from to print your MS Word technical document.

While your document template is open, select File > Page Setup to display the Page Setup dialog box.

Click and select the PAPER tab.

Click PRINT OPTIONS button to display the PRINT tab and the print options available. This is the same dialog box that you can also reach by selecting File > Print and then selecting the Options button from the main menu.

DRAFT OUTPUT option, when selected, will print a fast and low-quality draft copy with no images. The blocks where the images are located will appear as blank spots.

I recommend you select the UPDATE FIELDS and UPDATE LINKS options to make sure you have the latest values for the date and time fields as well as the most current document links before your document is printed.

BACKGROUND PRINTING option, selected by default, allows you to continue working while a long document is sent to printer and printed on the "background."

PRINT POSTSCRIPT OVER TEXT option, when selected, prints any PostScript-coded document components (like the watermark, for example) on top of the body text, instead of underneath it.

REVERSE PRINT ORDER option, when selected, reverses the print order of the pages; prints the last page first and the first page last.

XML TAGS option, when selected, prints all the XML tags in your document, whether they are normally visible or not.

BACKGROUND COLORS and IMAGES option, when selected, prints any background images or colors (like in a watermark) underneath the body next.

FIELD CODES and HIDDEN TEXT options, when selected, print any field codes and hidden texts that you might not want printed normally. NOTE: If you do not select it, the CONTENT of the field code will still print without, however, printing the field code itself.

DOCUMENT PROPERTIES option, when selected, prints ( as a new section at the end of the Word document) all the information you have entered into the DOCUMENT PROPERTIES dialog box by selecting File > Properties from the main menu.

NOTE: If you enter more than one Comments field through selecting Insert > Field from the main menu, all comments will print in the main body of the document but only the LAST comment will be printed in the Document Properties block.

Click OK when you're done with the printing options to return to the PAPER tab.

Click OK once again to close the Page Setup dialog box.