Refined desktop publishing - includes related articles on font matching and setting up a system for publishing - Small-Business Computing

Nation's Business, August, 1994 by Ripley Hotch

Buying a computer doesn't automatically turn you into a designer. Sometimes it pays to consult a professional.

Gary Leavelle used several software programs before he bought PagePlus to meet the desktop publishing needs of his bicycle and skate store, Las Colinas Bike & Fitness, in Irving, Texas.

PagePlus, which runs under Microsoft's Windows, had the features he needed to produce direct-mail advertisements and newsletters for customers and in-store signage, he says. Moreover, the program, by Serif Inc., of Nashua, N.H. cost only $59.95.

Leavelle honed his desktop publishing skills by reading trade magazines and taking continuing education courses because, he realized, "buying a program doesn't instantly make you an artist or a graphic designer."

Because he is still aware of his limits, Leavelle contracts with professionals to publish complicated pieces. There comes a time, he says, when penny-wise is pound-foolish: "I'm pretty cheap, so I can justify in my mind doing it myself, but there are times when it is cheaper to go to a professional."

Leavelle's experiences with desktop publishing demonstrate two rules that generally apply to most small-business owners who are about to launch a newsletter, advertising campaign, or other ongoing publishing program:

* You can find the needed software at a relatively low price, but a larger investment in reading, practice time, and, possibly, schooling will be required to produce documents that attract more people than they put off.

* When the publishing is really complex, it usually makes sense to obtain the services of a professional.

Several years ago, when computers and laser printers powerful enough for desktop publishing became affordable, many small-business people became enthralled over becoming their own publisher. While the computer industry fed this excitement with promised savings of time and money, early desktop publishing documents often were less than exciting.

But desktop publishing software has made substantial advances in the past few years, and many programs really can save your business time and money--if you learn to use them correctly. Furthermore, most of today's entry-level desktop publishing programs offer online tutorials that can help you avoid producing publications that are embarrassing.

Right now, almost all current Windows-based word processors enable you to crop and enlarge or reduce graphics, provide adequate typographical control, and make it easy to print out anything from invoices and sales reports to books. Most also include drawing tools and templates for newsletters and other documents that once were the domain of specialized desktop publishing software.

So our first piece of money-saving advice is to take a close look at your word processor to see how far you can take it before buying additional software.

When will you exceed the capabilities of your word processor and need a full-scale desktop publishing program? In most cases, it depends on the level of control you desire. Desktop publishing software generally yields a much higher quality of typography than word processors.

You'll find that desktop publishing documents look better than word-processing output, especially with justified type. Moreover, desktop publishing programs are more precise than word processors. For example, the programs allow you to skew type and graphics and insert large capital letters at the beginning of text for a professional look.

Overall, today's desktop publishing packages bring to the PC or Macintosh capabilities that were beyond the reach of even the most expensive professional equipment five years ago. In-house PC or Mac-based desktop publishers can now contemplate producing not only small brochures, newsletters, business cards, greeting cards, and reports but also nigh-end, full-color sales material, catalogs, company reports, and books.

Desktop publishing "is a unique revolution in the printing industry," says Eugene Barnes, who works in electronic-publishing technical support for Allen Press Inc., of Lawrence, Kan. "For the first time, the tools required for typesetting, pasteup, illustration, layout, etc., are actually affordable. A desktop computer, laser printer, and the required software to do the job cost roughly a tenth of what a former 'professional' system would have cost." Now you can spend as little as $4,000 to $5,000.

If you are ready to take the step beyond word processing, decide if you want the low-end or high-end program. On the lower end, we recommend version 2.0 of Microsoft's Publisher for Windows or Serif's PagePlus. On the high end, we recommend either Aldus Corp.'s PageMaker or Quark Inc.'s QuarkXPress. Both programs are available in Windows and Macintosh versions. Just be sure to pay careful attention to the hardware requirements for the more powerful packages.

The important issues for the business person contemplating any kind of publishing are budget, audience, time, and cost. "When you are going to do documents for internal use, it's no big deal; do it yourself," says Heidi F. Waldmann, who owns Eureka! Designs, a design firm in St. Paul, Minn. On the other hand, says Waldmann, "For sales materials or publications that go outside, and are important to your image, it would behoove you to use the services of those who know what they're doing." You can even hire a professional as a tutor.