Over the past decade, the desktop publishing industry has experienced an explosion of technological advancement and heightened popularity. The term desktop publishing software has been expanded to include graphics, Web publishing, or presentation software. This webpage will address the desktop publishing programs that do the core task of desktop publishing-composing text and graphics into page layouts for print publishing.
While there was originally only one desktop publisher, now many companies make various forms of desktop publishing applications, with the main players being Adobe, Corel, and Quark. The first five desktop publisher programs listed below have been ranked as the Top Five Desktop Publisher Software Packages on the market today by trade journals.
Adobe makes three desktop programs, or page layout software applications. They are:
- Adobe FrameMaker
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe PageMaker
Corel has one primary desktop publisher program. It is:
- Corel Ventura
Quark, with its excellent family of XTensions that enhance and expand the basic capabilities of their software, offer:
- Quark XPress
Microsoft, who makes the all-popular Word, Excel, FrontPage and PowerPoint, has one desktop publishing program:
Serif has one primary desktop publishing software application. It is:
- Serif PagePlus
Some small, less-known software publishers and packages that qualify as desktop publishing applications are:
- Deneba Canvas
- Diwan Ready, Set, Go!
- RagTime
An excellent and comprehensive guide to the many broader versions and applications of desktop publishing software can be found at http://desktoppub.about.com/.
