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Unit 2: Designing and Desktop Publishing Tools

2.1.3 Printing Notes

Computer printers revolutionized publishing as a whole around the world. Users could print
black and white as well as color photographs and artwork on their own computer at home. All
one had to do to turn their computer into a small scale publishing house was to own a home
computer, the DTP software and a printer. A printer prints a DTP document at a very high speed
at which, for example, hundreds of leaflets can be printed in less than an hour.

2.1.4 Design

Other than for text, photographs and art, the DTP is also used for design purposes. Experienced
users can utilize this area of DTP. Some easy designs can be created with shapes and fills, but
more difficult effects take a higher degree of skill to use. With the combination of text, images
and design, an impressive document can be created for notices and professional correspondence
by a modest DTP program.

Self Assessment

State whether the following statements are true or false:
1. Desktop publishing (DTP) is the making of documents using printing techniques on a
personal computer.
2. Desktop publishing methods provide more power over design, layout, and typography
than word processing does.
3. One major advantage of DTP is being able to import images into a document.
4. Computer monitors revolutionized publishing as a whole around the world.
5. Other than for text, photographs and art, the DTP is also used for design purposes.

2.2 Tools for Designing

Now you will learn about different tools of designing.

2.2.1 Basics of Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is one of the most powerful software applications for image editing, touch up,
color correction, and painting and drawing. You can use it to work with images that have been
digitized on flatbed or film/slide scanners, or to create original artwork. The image files you
create in Photoshop can be printed to paper or optimized for use in multimedia presentations,
web pages, or animation/video projects.

Work Area in Photoshop

The work area can be intimidating to work with because of all the complex functionality but
with a quick breakdown of the available features and their uses, you will be ready to comfortably
navigate the work area with ease. The work area in Photoshop has the following basic functionality
and features:

z Menu Bar – this is where you can access most of the commands and features in Photoshop
z Drawing Palette – where the image being worked on will appear

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