Desktop publishing (also known as DTP) combines a personal computer, page layout software and a printer to create publications on a small economic scale. Users create page layouts with text, graphics, photos and other visual elements using desktop publishing software such as QuarkXPress, Adobe InDesign, the free Scribus, Microsoft Publisher, or Apple Pages. For small jobs a few copies of a publication might be printed on a local printer. For larger jobs a computer file can be sent to a vendor for high-volume printing.

Desktop publishing began in 1985 with the introduction of PageMaker software from Aldus and the LaserWriter printer from Apple Computer for the Apple Macintosh computer. The ability to create WYSIWYG page layouts on screen and then print pages at crisp 300 ppi resolution was revolutionary for both the typesetting industry as well as the personal computer industry. The term "desktop publishing" is attributed to Aldus Corporation founder Paul Brainerd, who sought a marketing catch-phrase to describe the small size and relative affordability of this suite of products in contrast to the expensive commercial phototypesetting equipment of the day.

Early systems

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By today's standards, early desktop publishing was a primitive affair. Users of the PageMaker-LaserWriter-Macintosh 512K system endured frequent software crashes, the Mac's tiny 512 x 342 1-bit black and white screen, the inability to control letter spacing, kerning and other typographic features, and discrepancies between the screen display and printed output. However, for that moment in time, it was received like a magic trick: difficult to believe, but everyone wants to know how to do the trick. Behind-the-scenes technologies developed by Adobe Systems set the foundation for professional desktop publishing applications. The LaserWriter and LaserWriter Plus printers included high quality, scalable Adobe fonts built into their ROM memory. The LaserWriter's additional PostScript capability allowed publication designers to proof files on a local printer then print the same file at DTP service bureaus using optical resolution 600+ ppi PostScript-printers such as those from Linotronic. Later, the Macintosh II was released which was much more suitable for desktop publishing because of its larger, color screen.

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NYT > Home & Garden

In Ancient Alleys, Modern Comforts
Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:48:37 -0000
Some of Beijing’s traditional courtyard homes are being refurbished with a mix of modern sensibility and respect for original detail.
What’s Lurking in Your Countertop?
Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:39:16 -0000
As the popularity of granite countertops has increased, so have reports that some are emitting radiation and radon at surprisingly high levels.
On Location: A Spare Stage for the Spectacle of Life
Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:21:32 -0000
Carlos Brillembourg, an architect, and Karin Waisman, an artist, built a modern house in the Hamptons that is spacious, spare and stylish.
Shopping for New York Necessities With Alisa Grifo
Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:23:07 -0000
Alisa Grifo’s store, Kiosk, presents a collection of useful, often unusual, products from around the world. She searched New York for unexpected, quirky selections.
In the Garden: Raindrops Keep Falling in My Tank
Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:56:33 -0000
You won’t save a lot of money harvesting rainwater but you’ll save water.
The Fix: Time to Worry About Heat Bills
Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:38:16 -0000
It may seem like an odd time to be thinking about heating your house, but this is a good moment to do so.

L.A. Times - Home & Garden

Robert Irwin still marvels at Getty gardens 10 years later
Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700
The artist, creator of the controversial gardens, may no longer have design oversight but his vision has established deep roots. ARTIST Robert Irwin, designer of the Central Garden at the Getty Center, sits on a small curved bench in the dappled shade of London plane trees he chose. In the 10 years since the garden opened, the trees haven't quite created the canopy Irwin envisioned, but they will -- just without him around.
A rare Luis Barragán fountain at an L.A. home? Maybe
Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700
A storied party house's design centerpiece comes with a tale of its own. UNUSUAL homes often inspire wonder, but for residents of L.A.'s Beverly Crest neighborhood, the 1927 house has long seemed particularly curious, hidden behind a two-story, reddish wall that runs the length of the lot. "Every time someone from the neighborhood finds out that I own the property," Eugene Leoni said, "they're always dying to know: What's behind that wall?"
Pearl Fryar, topiary hero
Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700
The documentary film 'A Man Named Pearl' explores the Southerner's passion for tree sculpting, which has become his life's work. IN AN era when superheroes dominate the box office, a documentary about a lanky, 68-year-old topiary artist in the rural South hardly sounds like an attention-grabber. Yet “A Man Named Pearl,” which opens in limited release this week in Southern California, delivers a compelling tale of an ordinary man with extraordinary abilities.
Don't ask why -- just enjoy deals
Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700
BLAME THE sluggish economy, or thank the pending arrival of fall home furnishings collections. Either way, you'll see the same word in store windows: sale.
Chris Erskine: The family attempts a budget
Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700
It's basics first: Teach the kids what a lawn mower is. SO, POSH canceled last week's attempt at a ceiling fan installation when she realized it was just a giant, spinning aphrodisiac, and our summer of love ended in the third week of July. Just ahead: a long and lonely winter.
International Antiques Fair heads to Redondo Beach
Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700
The Redondo Beach International Antiques Fair returns to the city's Performing Arts Center this weekend. The lineup will include furniture, textiles, art glass, silver, sculpture, paintings, prints and rare books. The show runs 1 to 7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $10. A preview will be held at 10 a.m. Friday; the $30 fee ($25 in advance) includes admission for the weekend. The Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center is at Aviation and Manhattan Beach boulevards. Information: (310) 287-1896, www.theosatco.com .

Denver Post: Lifestyle

How'dYouKnow?
editor@denverpost.com (The Denver Post) Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:31:36 -0600
The winner: Edward Hocker, Colorado Springs
Parade of Homes begins Saturday
ejeerson@denverpost.com (By Elana Ashanti Jefferson / The Denver Post) Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:17:19 -0600
Touring luxury show homes when the housing market is on the rocks seems a little like sitting through stand-up comedy during a bout of the blues.
Save me . . .
editor@denverpost.com (The Denver Post) Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:53:06 -0600
After reading last week's Room cover story about the many Denver hotels undergoing renovations, William Barnes with National Hotel Liquidators sent out an alert for penny pinchers.

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