Desktop publishing: changing the way you work

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, May, 1989 by Alex Brown

These aren't minor issues. In fact, the way your organization adopts DTP is even more important than the software and hardware you choose. And remember that interest in working with DTP fades. The designer who tries executing an idea all the way through final composition will probably try it only once. The editor of a small magazine who decides he'll be his own art director eventually tires of eliminating widows and trying out new headline fonts. The mechanical artist who was thrilled by the responsive new tools soon knows them all too well.

This isn't bad news. It's the sign that people ultimately take on a share of the work that truly suits their abilities and time. They often need direction in finding that spot, but DTP won't permanently blur it. DTP extends the reach of your responsibilities, but it also builds on your skills. In that sense, it will always remain exhilarating.