Overview

Unit 1 : Overview
Desktop publishing has several components like hardware,
software and brainwork (i.e., design). Different forms and
variations of each are available. In this unit an overview of the
desktop publishing process the equipment is given.

Lesson 1 : Introduction
1.1. Learning Objectives

On completion of this lesson you will be able to describe:

♦ Steps in desktop publishing process.

♦ Brainwork in design.
♦ Six steps for success in desktop publishing.

1.2. Introduction

There is a greater need for effective design today than ever

before. The spread of desktop publishing and word processing
software coupled with the availability numerous typeface options
and low-cost inkjet and laser printers have made readers more
sensitive to effective design. As a result, design blunders that
would once be tolerated are now noticed. Bad design is almost
considered an insult by readers, who now know how to recognize
careless design and production.

1.3. The Desktop Publishing Process

The desktop publishing process can be organized in the following

steps:

♦ Assemble tools: Analyze hardware and software resources.

Desktop publishing
♦ Define project: Identify audience, message and budget
process.
limitations.
♦ Select Layout: Choose page size, borders and columns.
♦ Add headlines: Select typeface, type size, weights, widths and
line spacing.
♦ Place body copy: Choose typeface, type size, line and letter
spacing, punctuation and hyphenation.
♦ Add visuals: Select correct type of visual, resize, place on
page, fine tune.
♦ Choose colors: Make sure that color enhances, rather than
confuses, the message.

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♦ Production and printing: Choose output resolution (i.e., dots

per inch) and paper (weight, color and texture).

1.4. What is Design?

Design is the process of taking responsibility for the appearance

and the content of your pages. You need to continually ask
questions, make appropriate decisions, and pay attention to
details. You have to break large projects into their component
parts and then refine each part. Design is taking the time to do the
job right. Try it, and if it works, make it better.

Effective design is the result of planning before acting. You first

Design is the process of analyze the purpose of the document and the obstacles to
taking responsibility for overcome. You then analyze the environment where the
the appearance and the publication will appear, including the reader's level of motivation
content of your pages. and where the reader will encounter the publication. You must
examine documents competing for the reader's attention.

1.5. Six Steps to Success

Regardless of whether you're designing, successful the result of

following the same six step procedure:

♦ Establish goals and organize your material: Analyze your

message and your readers. You shouldn’t even being to think
about what your publication should look like until you have
answered the Who, What, Where, When, and Why questions.

♦ Choose an appropriate format and page layout: What's the

Six Steps to Success. overall "look" of your publication? How many columns of type
will you use? How many colors will you use? What color,
weight, and texture paper will be printed? What graphic
accents will you use to direct the reader's eyes?

♦ Make appropriate typeface, type size, and spacing

decision: Although we live in a picture-oriented world, the
majority of your message will appear as headlines and body
copy. Your job is to create titles and headlines that attract
attention and body copy that’s transparent and doesn't
interfere with your reader's ability to quick message.

♦ Add and manipulate visuals: When possible, replace words

with visuals. Visuals encompass illustrations, charts, graphs,
tables, organizational timelines, and more. Keep in mind that
each type has advantages and disadvantages, and each type
requires careful placement on the page.

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Overview

♦ Build momentum into your page: After you have readers'

attention, you need to keep them interested in your
publication. Break large amounts of material into bite-sized
chunks by using organizational devices such as subheads, pull
quotes, and sidebars.

♦ Refine and fine-tune until you drop: Perfect wholes are the
results of perfect details, and you get perfect details by
breaking a project into its component parts and fine-tuning
each part. A single glaring error can undermine the credibility
and readability of your document.

1.6. Exercise

1.6.1. Multiple choice questions

a. Effective clesiqu is the result of

i) Setting
ii) Studying
iii) Working
iv) Planning.

b. When possible replace words with

i) Blanks space
ii) Numbers
iii) Visuals
iv) Sentences.

1.6.2. Question for short answer

a) What is design?

1.6.3. Analytical question

a) What are the steps for success?

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Lesson 2 : Importance of Good Design

2.1. Learning Objectives

On completion of this lesson you will be able to describe:

♦ How design improves the quality of publishing.

♦ How design increases the profit.

2.2. How Design Add Values to your Ideas

Design sometimes takes place before words are written, but in

most cases the starting point consists of previously written words.
Design adds value to these words in four ways:

♦ Design enhances readership.

Design Add Values ♦ Design provides organization.
♦ Design provides unity.
♦ Design sets your publications apart.

If design doesn't add value to the words, then the words should be
distributed as a typewritten manuscript or a word-processed file
that readers can read on the screen of their computer!

2.3. Design Enhances Readership

Effective design pre-sells readers on the importance of your

words. Design enhances your words by making them appear more
valuable and easier to read. People make immediate assumptions
about the value of your words by the appearance of your pages. A
well-designed page projects a spirit of optimism and an
atmosphere of professionalism. A cluttered page indicates that the
person preparing the document didn't care enough about the
words to take the time to present them as neatly as possible. And
if the person preparing the document didn't care about the
document, then why should the reader?

Compare figure 1.1 with figure 1.2. Which projects a more

professional image?

Readership studies have documented the amazing impact that

design has on readership. The most recent study was done in
Australia by Colin Wheildon and reported in his recent book, Type
and Layout: How Typeography and Design Can Get Your
Message Across - or Get in the Way (Berkley, CA: Strathmoor
Press, 1995). Colin's research indicated the following:

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 Overview

♦ Changes in headline typography can increase readership from

57 % to 92%, meaning a readership gain of 38%. Readership
of the worst possible combination of typeface dropped legibility
to a mere 3%.

♦ Body copy comprehension jumped from 12% to 67% when a

different typeface was used.

♦ Subtle changes in line spacing typically increased body copy

comprehension from 77% to 98%.

♦ Setting body copy against a background screen could reduce

comprehension from 70% to 3%, depending on the "grayness"
of the background.

♦ Headline colors could reduce the comprehension of adjacent

type from 67% to 17%.

♦ Revising the layout of a page increased readership from 32%

to 67%, doubling the impact of the message without changing
a single word or increasing printing costs.

2.4. Design Provides Organization

Your readers are in a hurry. They don't have time to read

everything that enters their mailboxes or gets handed to them.
Effective design provides a hierarchy to information that helps
Design Provides readers quickly separate what's important from what's less
Organization
important. Design helps readers avoid "information overload" and
helps them quickly locate desired information.

Which document helps you to quickly locate information? Which of

the headlines would you read first?

2.5. Design Provides Unity

Design can multiply your printing communication dollars by

creating unity within and among your publications. Within a
document, design can create a whole from a series of pages.
Design can also create a whole from a series of brochures or
newsletters.

The elements of unity include consistent margins, column

placement, graphic accents, typeface, type size, and color
choices. Things as simple as consistent margins and the
consistent use of a few well-chosen typefaces can create a
welcome familiarity.

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2.6. Design Influences Income

Your income and job security will increase to the extent that you
can effectively wear more than one hat. If you're a writer/designer
or marketer/designer, for example, you can command a higher
salary and enjoy more job security than someone who can be
replaced by a freelancer.

Fig. 1.1: This document lacks a clearly defined starting point and
information hierarchy.

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 Overview

2.7. How Design Makes Money

Design doesn't cost money; design makes money. Design helps

you utilize the most of printing and distribution costs. Make no
mistakes about it: design influences readership. Refer to the
studies mentioned earlier in this lesson. Think about the impact
that increased readership can have.

How Design Makes When you present your words with care, they appear valuable.
Money You can charge more for them, and your message will be treated
with more respect.

Fig. 1.2: A page with a clearly defined hierarchy is easier to read.

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2.8. Design Saves Time

You don’t have to make typeface, type size, margin, color, and
paper decisions every time you start a new project. You can
create a family of templates (empty or formatted documents that
you complete by "filling in the holes") and styles (combinations of
typeface, type size, and line-spacing settings that you can access
with the click of a mouse). This way, you not only make your own
job easier, but you can also enhance the efficiency of your clients
and coworkers.

2.9. Design and Desktop Publishing Efficiency

Design and Desktop You can't attain enhanced design skills without simultaneously
Publishing Efficiency attaining enhanced desktop publishing skills. You can't design and
produce good-looking documents if you're not working efficiently.

2.10. Exercise

2.10.1. Multiple choice questions

a. Changes in headline typography can increases readership

up to
i) 0% ii) 30%
iii) 50% iv) 90%.
b. For an appropriate typeface body copy comprehension can
jump up to
i) 0% ii) 50%
iii) 67% iv) 100%.
c. Revising the layout of a page can increase the readership
up to

i) 0% ii) 33%
iii) 67% iv) 100%.

2.10.2. Questions for short answers

a) How does design influences income?

b) Discuss how design can add value to ideas.
c) How design can save time of a desk-top publishing
operating?

2.10.3. Analytical question

a) Discuss several advantages of good design.

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 Overview

Lesson 3 : Choosing the Right Software

3.1. Learning Objectives

On completion of this lesson you will be able to describe:

♦ Facilities of dedicated page layout program.

♦ Whether you need or not a page layout program.

3.2. Introduction

Desktop publishing is technology-based. The better your

technology, the more control you enjoy over your finished designs.
Better tools lead to better output. This chapter helps you identify
the tools you need to succeed.

Avoid under-buying. Frustration quickly sets in when you don't

have the proper tools. In the long run, quality hardware and
software results in better-looking documents in less time. Also,
don't depend too much on computer salespeople for guidance.
Most salespeople don't know as much about desktop publishing
and your particular needs as you will know after you read this
book.

3.3. Do You Need a Dedicated Page Layout Program?

Word processing programs are suitable for documentation, price

sheets, and simple one-or two-column newsletters printed in a
single color. For all but the simplest projects, however, dedicated
page layout programs offer significant advantages over word
processing programs. Here are some of the reasons page layout
programs are a superior choice for complex projects:

♦ Text placement: Page layout programs make it easier to

Word processing place text anywhere on the page. Although some word
programs are suitable for processing programs let you place text in frames anywhere on
documentation, price
the page, the process is not nearly as intuitive as "grabbing
sheets, and simple one-
or two-column and dragging" a text or graphic element anywhere on a page,
newsletters printed in a as you can do with a page layout program.
single color.
♦ Setting up page layouts: With most page layout programs,
you can set up left and right master pages that display the
vertical column setup and position horizontal and vertical
guides at numerous locations.

♦ Working with fonts: Page layout programs offer more precise

control over word and letter spacing. They make it easier to

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create better-looking text columns and to fine-tune headline

spacing.

♦ Working with scanned images: Most page layout programs

offer sophisticated capabilities for manipulating scanned
images, including lightening or darkening images. Most page
layout programs also operate significantly faster than word
processing programs when pages contain one or more
complex illustrations or scanned images.

♦ Working with print shops: Unlike word processing programs,

page layout programs can add registration marks to your
pages. These marks, placed outside the printing area of your
document, help the print shop precisely align artwork on the
printing press so that each page is placed in exactly the right
position for printing. In addition, most page layout programs
can create color separations, which involves separating a color
image into its four component colors (cyan, magenta, yellow,
and black) and then outputting each as a separate layer.

3.4. How much of a Page Layout Program do you Need?

Two types of programs are available: frame-based programs such

as Microsoft Publisher and Corel (formerly Ventura) Publisher and
column-based programs such as PageMaker. QuarkXPress lets
you choose between either type. With frame-based programs, you
create "containers" for placing text and graphics on a page.
Column-based programs offer a bit more creative freedom. Here
are some of the differences you might notice between high-end
and low-end page layout programs:

♦ Ease of use: Many low-end programs are less intuitive than

Two types of programs full-featured page layout programs. Sometimes simple
are available: frame- shortcuts, such as the capability to assign styles by using
based programs such as keystroke combinations, are not available.
Microsoft Publisher and
Corel (formerly Ventura)
Publisher and column-
♦ Assistance: If you run into a problem using a high-end
based programs such as program such as PageMaker or QuarkXPress, help is
PageMaker. generally available. This may not be true if you’re using a
program with is less-devoted help file.

♦ Font handling: Excellence in typography is the result of

paying attention to details such as controlling the minimum
and maximum amounts that spaces between words can be
closed or opened in order to line up the last letters of each
line. Many popular low-end programs do not allow you to
control this.

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Overview

♦ Document length and complexity: Low-end programs may

run into difficulty with long documents. You may not be able to
"chain" multiple files together to create book-length
manuscripts, for example. Color handling and image-
manipulation capabilities may be limited. The capability to
manipulate letter and word spacing may be limited, and you
may not have as much control over hyphenation.

3.5. Exercise

3.5.1. Multiple choice questions

a. Desk-top publishing is

i) Hardware based
ii) Software based
iii) Technology based
iv) Design based.

b. Quark X-press is a

i) Column based
ii) Frame based
iii) Supports all of the above
iv) Supports none of the above.

3.5.2. Question for short answer

a) How does page layout programs assist while working with

fonts?

3.5.3. Analytical question

a) Give a comparative study between high and low-end page

layout program.

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Lesson 4 : Choosing the Right Font

4.1. Learning Objectives

On completion of this lesson you will be able to describe:

♦ Sources of fonts.
♦ Features of font managers and font editors.
♦ Kerning.

4.2. Introduction

Acquiring additional typeface options represents the single most

important contribution you can make to your desktop publishing
and design skills. Type is your primary tool of communication. Just
as a carpenter can't work without wood, you can’t work without
type.

Typeface refers to the particular design, or "look" of a family of

type, such as ‘Times’ or ‘Arial’. Within each family, numerous
variations are available. Each variation-such as italic, hold, semi-
hold, extra-bold, or condensed, is referred to as a font. A font
refers to a complete character set (uppercase and lowercase
alphabet, numbers, punctuation, and symbols) depicting a single
variation of a single typeface. When you buy type, you can buy the
entire family or just the font you need.

4.3. Where does Type come from?

The majority of type used on computers today is scalable type.

Scalable type, as the name implies, is a typeface design that you
can increase or decrease in size. With scalable type, you create
the type, as you need it from the font outlines stored on your
computer's hard disk.

There are two primary sources for scalable type resident fonts and
downloadable fonts. Resident fonts are built into your printer. You
Scalable type, as the
must load the matching screen fonts onto your computer so that
name implies, is a
typeface design that you
your computers can display them onscreen. Resident fonts are
can increase or decrease installed when you load your printer driver. The advantage of
in size. resident fonts is that they print quickly. The disadvantages are that
your design options are limited (usually only the most basic fonts
are included).

Downloadable fonts are the second source of scalable type. The

outlines for downloadable fonts are stored on your computer's
hard disk and sent to the screen (for display) and to the printer (for

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 Overview

printing) as needed. Two types of downloadable fonts are

available: free and discretionary.

♦ Free downloadable fonts are included with Windows or your

Apple Macintosh's operating system software. You can install
them when you install the operating system. In addition, just
about every major software publisher includes downloadable
fonts with their programs. When you purchase one of today's
page layout or word processing programs, you're likely to get
several (in some cases, hundreds) of quality fonts at no extra
cost. The advantage of these downloadable fonts is their low
purchase price (they're free) and the design options they offer.

♦ Discretionary downloadable fonts refer to typeface designs

you purchase to serve a definite purpose. Discretionary
downloadable fonts are sold by firms called typeface foundries
and are distributed on floppy disks or CD-ROMs. You can also
download fonts from on-line computer services such as
CompuServe.

A single CD-ROM can contain the font outline for thousands of

typefaces. In most cases, these fonts are locked: you can
examine them, but you can't use them until you get an unlocking
code from the typeface publisher. The unlocking code enables you
to load the typeface onto your computer's hard disk. The
advantage of distributing type on CD-ROM is that the process is
environmentally friendly and saves space and a virtually unlimited
selection of fonts is as close as your telephone.

4.4. Font Managers

When you expand your font library, problems soon arise. It takes
time and effort to add and remove fonts, so you tend to work with
Font Managers too many fonts open. Each open font occupies memory (which
can contribute to slow program loading and system crashes) and
clutters your Font menu (making it more difficult to locate the font
you really want).

Font managers, such as Fifth Generation System's Suitcase for

the Macintosh and Ares's Font Minder for Windows, make it easy
to add and remove individual fonts or groups of fonts. You can
organize your fonts around function (such as news letters or
annual reports) or by client (IDG Books, Bill's Texaco, or The
Wooden Spoon). These font groupings can be quickly and easily
added or removed as a single unit.

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4.5. Font Editors

Font editors, such as Altys Fontographer and Area Font

Chameleon, enable you to change the appearance of type.
Designers use font editors to create new typeface designs, but
you may want to purchase one to create a logo or special effects,
as shown in figure 4.1.

With Fontographer, for example, you can scan your handwriting or

your firm's logo and make it into a typeface that can be applied as
a single character.

4.6. Kerning

Although the white space is designed into a typeface, inevitably

some letter combinations will be too tight and others will be too
loose. Kerning editors, such as Fontographer, enable you to fine-
Kerning tune letter spacing of specific letter combinations, which can
greatly improve the appearance of your publications as well as
eliminate the need to manually adjust letter spacing for headlines
set at frequently used sizes. Some programs, including
QuarkXPress, allow you to edit kerning tables without editing the
font itself.

Fig. 4.1: You can use font editors to modify existing typefaces or
to design your own typeface.

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Overview

4.7. Exercise

4.7.1. Multiple choice questions

a. Resident for it are built in to the

i) Operating system
ii) DTP package
iii) CD-ROM
iv) Printer.

b. Altys fontographer is a

i) Font
ii) Font manager
iii) Font editor
iv) Font collection.

4.7.2. Questions for short answers

a) What is the difference between free and discretionary

down badable fonts?
b) What is kerning?

4.7.3. Analytical questions

a) Discuss different sources of type.

b) Discuss about different types of DTP software.

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Lesson 5 : Working with Pictures

5.1. Learning Objectives

On completion of this lesson you will be able to describe:

♦ Different types of photo manipulation hardware.

♦ Photo manipulation software.

5.2. Introduction

You can get as involved with scanned images as you want.

Working with pictures involves several categories of hardware and
software: image scanners (which convert images taken with your
film-based camera into digital files) and photo manipulation
software (which allows you to add or subtract colors and modify
photographic images as well as add texture effects).

5.3. Image Scanners

An image scanner is a necessity if you frequently work with

photographs. Scanners convert black-and-white photographs and
35mm color slides into digital files that you can manipulate on your
An image scanner is a computer and add to your documents. Even if you continue to
necessity if you submit black-and-white photographs or 35mm color slides to your
frequently work with printer, an image scanner can help you do a better job of cropping
photographs. and placing photographs on a page. Scanners also allow you to
use a hand-drawn sketch as the basis for a sophisticated, color-
filled drawing.

There are three types of image scanners: hand-held, flatbed, and

slide.

♦ To use a hand-held scanner, you must manually move the

scanner over the image.

♦ To use a flatbed scanner, you must work from a printed

photograph. Most flatbed scanners can scan an entire
photograph at a single pass. These scanners are faster and
more accurate than hand-held units.

♦ To use a slide scanner, you must work from film or slides.

Another advantage of owning an image scanner is that most come

with OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software. OCR software
converts printed pages into word-processed files. For example, if
you didn't backup your hard disk and it crashed, you could restore

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 Overview

a file by scanning a printout, saving hundreds of hours of retyping.

Of course, you need to have a printout of the manuscript.

5.4. Photo Manipulation Software

As digital photography replaces film-based photography,

darkrooms are becoming a thing of the past. Photo manipulation
software, such as Adobe PhotoShop, enables you to retouch
photographs on your computer. You can bring out shadow detail,
reduce bright spots, and even modify the image.

Photo manipulation You can also use photo manipulation software to enhance text.
software, such as Adobe You can fill text with photographs, and create collages with
PhotoShop, enables you transparency effects, such as layering text with the lower levels
to retouch photographs visible through the top layers.
on your computer.
Digital photography is associated with a long learning curve. The
sooner you become familiar with it, the sooner you can take
advantage of it. Even if you don't become an expert photo
retoucher, you should become familiar with the process so that
you can direct the efforts of others.

5.5. Image Managers

Image managers enable you to catalog clip art and scanned

images. Instead of searching through your hard desk to locate an
elusive illustration by name (which you may have forgotten), you
can quickly locate it by viewing it at a reduced size. With image
managers, you can view thumbnails of your entire illustration
library at reduced size and select an image by simply clicking on
it. Aldus Fetch is an example of a Macintosh image manager, and
Corel makes a similar program for the Windows environment.

5.6. Digital Cameras

Filmless, digital cameras represent the latest technology to

emerge. Digital cameras eliminate the costs and delays of film
processing as well as the need to scan images. With a digital
Digital Cameras camera, images go directly from the camera into your computer.
At this point, there is no “middle” ground. There are several
relatively low-cost digital cameras and numerous professional
digital accessories, but both have compromises.

Low-cost digital cameras (ranging from $600 to $700) are

unacceptable for serious use. They lack the sharpness and color
quality available with 35mm cameras and conventional films. In
addition, these low-cost cameras are of fixed focal length. You
can't choose between wide-angle lenses (which take in an entire

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room or group of people), telephoto lenses (which allow you to fill

an image with just a person's head and throw the background out
of focus) or macro lenses (which allow you to take pictures of
small objects, such as grasshoppers).

5.7. Exercise

5.7.1. Multiple choice questions

a. Which one is a photo manipulation software?

i) Microsoft word
ii) Adobe PageMaker
iii) Adobe PhotoShop
iv) Quark X-press.

5.7.2. Questions for short answers

a) What are the three types of image scanners?

b) What is the advantage of digital camera?

5.7.3. Analytical question

a) Discuss the feature of different photo manipulation

hardware and software.

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 Overview

Lesson 6 : Using Advanced Hardware

6.1. Learning Objectives

On completion of this lesson you will be able to describe:

♦ Different types of advanced hardware for desktop publishing.

♦ Advantages of the advanced hardware.

6.2. Introduction

Computers with performance entirely adequate for standard word

processing, spreadsheet, and database applications often appear
totally inadequate when used for desktop publishing applications
involving scanned images. The slowdowns in speed become
intolerable and you quickly find yourself running out of hard disk
space. The following sections describe some of the issues to
consider when up grading your computer or purchasing a new one
for desktop publishing.

6.3. CD-ROM Players

Each day there are more and more reasons to purchase a CD-
ROM player. Increasing numbers of programs are being delivered
on CD-ROM. Installing a program from a CD-ROM is a snap
compared to the hassle of inserting and removing too many
diskettes to install a software program.

CD-ROMs offer immediate or near-immediate access to additional

typefaces and clip art. A single CD-ROM, such as those from
CD-ROM Players Adobe and Monotype, can contain all available typefaces plus
thousands of pieces of clip-art illustrations, including maps,
special symbols, and decorative typefaces.

Additional reasons to add a CD-ROM to your computer include the

increasing availability of interactive training as well as the ability to
take advantage of the royalty-free color photographs Corel and
other vendors offer. CD-ROMs make to easy to distribute huge
files that would otherwise be too large to economically distribute.

6.4. Additional Memory and Hard Disk Capacity

Today's sophisticated page layout and word processing programs

require a great deal of computer memory and hard disk storage
Additional Memory and
Hard Disk Capacity
space. This is partly because they can do more things but also
because the files are larger. Graphic files, especially those

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involving scanned color images, quickly become huge! And

programs and their RAM requirements get bigger every year.

With additional computer memory, you can have more than one
program open at one time. With enough system memory, you can
have your page layout, charting, and drawing programs open at
the same time, allowing you to quickly move among them. You
can create a chart or a drawing and seamlessly place it into the
page without quitting one program and opening another.

With increased capabilities come increased storage needs. You'll

be surprised how quickly your hard disk fills up when you start
creating complex documents containing scanned images and
complex illustrations. Even if you're not using state-of-the-art
applications, your productivity increases when you increase your
hard disk capacity. Performance usually increases as hard disk
capacity increases, too. In addition, you won’t have to spend so
much time swapping files and making tape backups of completed
projects.

6.5. Removable Storage Media

Several vendors offer removable hard disk storage. There are

several reasons why many desktop publishers consider
removable hard disks a necessity rather than a luxury.

Removable Storage
♦ Removable hard disk enables you to easily take large
Media documents, including scanned images. An eight-page
newsletter containing several scanned images, illustrations
and the necessary fonts can quickly grow too large to be
carried in any other way.

♦ Removable hard disks make it fast and easy to back up your

work and the backups offer immediate file access. It can take
several hours to make a tape backup of your hard disk, and
you can't work off of the tape. The information on the tape has
to be retrieved and reloaded onto the hard disk.

♦ Removable hard disks make it easy to archive completed

projects. You can easily access the information at a later date.

6.6. Big Screen Monitors and Video Accelerators

A big screen monitor can

make a major A big screen monitor can make a major contribution to increased
contribution to increased efficiency. Instead of viewing just a portion of a page, on-screen,
efficiency. you can view the whole page. This reduces the amount of
zooming, or hanging magnification, needed.

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 Overview

Video accelerator help you work faster when you create

sophisticated illustrations or retouch photographs. Video
accelerators often contain their own memory, which increases the
detail visible on your monitor. When you create a graduated fill
pattern, you'll see a smooth transition from black to white rather
than abrupt jumps. Video accelerators are a virtual necessity
when you do creative photo manipulation with programs such as
Adobe Illustrator. You'll be able to work faster and with more
detail.

6.7. High Resolution Laser Printers

Resolution, measured in dots-per-inch (dpi), refers to the clarity

and crispness of the camera-ready art. As the number of dots-per-
inch increases, text and scanned images appear sharper;
photographs display more gray or middle, tones; and screened
backgrounds, or graduated fills, appear smooth rather than
mottled (or grainy).

Also, as dots-per-inch increase, smooth transitions between light

and dark replace banding, or abrupt "jumps." High-resolution
printers can also offer faster performance because they typically
include more memory.

At one time, 300 dots-per-inch were considered a breakthrough.

Today, 600 dots-per-inch is becoming the norm. Firms such as
Laser Master and Hewlett Packard offer laser printers with 900,
1,200, and even 1,800 dot-per-inch resolution.

Many of these high-performance printers permit you to print on 11

by 17 inch pages, or even larger. You can print two-page spreads
at a time. You can also bleed text and graphics to the edges of the
printing area of your pages as well as include crop marks beyond
the printing area of your pages to guide your print shop when they
place your pages on their printing press.

6.8. Color Printers

Color printers can be used for proofing or final output in small

quantities. They are definitely not replacements for print shops.
Color printers can be Don't plan on printing 500 copies of your newsletter on them.
used for proofing or final Office color printers are perfect for proposals and important
output in small quantities. documents containing color charts and graphs that will be
distributed to a few key people, however. Color printers are also
ideal for making "masters" that can be taken to a commercial
duplication service that has color copiers.

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Graphics Design

6.9. Special Papers

If you are creating camera-ready artwork on your laser printer,

you'll want to investigate the many special-coated, or glossy,
papers available. These highly reflective papers reproduce both
text and scanned photographs with greater detail. They are
usually heavier and thicker than the "copier grade" paper normally
used for proofing. Heavier papers also are ideal for creating
mechanical paste-ups.

Finally, you should investigate papers containing borders or

graphic elements printed in color. These papers allow you to
"appear in color on a black-and white budget." Special papers are
available for a variety of purposes, including brochures,
correspondence, reports, and presentations. Chances are that
your clients or prospects will think you printed your piece in color
only your paper supplier have to know that your "color brochure"
was actually created on your black-and-white laser printer-on the
way to the meeting!

6.10. Exercise

6.10.1. Multiple choice questions

a. Resolution of laser printer is measured in

i) Dpi
ii) MB
iii) MHz
iv) GB.

b. Today the normal resolution of laser printers is

i) 300 dpi
ii) 600 dpi
iii) 900 dpi
iv) 1200 dpi.

6.10.2. Questions for short answers

a) Why more memory is better for DPT?

b) What are the advantages of removable storage media?

6.10.3. Analytical question

a) Discuss about different types of advanced hardware for

DTP.

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