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Desktop Publishing Software Reviews
Updated October 2006
Though somewhat dated, Smart Computing magazine's four-title roundup of desktop publishing software is still the most thorough we found. CNet.com has some reviews in this category, but editors tend to look at just one or two programs and therefore don't rank as highly in our All Reviews chart. Consumer Reports has not covered desktop publishing software to date. In fact, there isn't a lot of recent coverage of desktop publishing software anywhere right now, mainly because two of the biggest players -- Microsoft and Adobe -- will be releasing new versions in 2007. MS Publisher 2007 is slated for a February launch, and Adobe's InDesign CS3, which will include optimization for Intel-based Mac computers, is scheduled for a second-quarter 2007 release. Desktop publishing software, unlike word processing software (such as Microsoft Word), focuses on page layout and design -- useful for creating newsletters, fliers, calendars, greeting cards, pamphlets, stationary and more. A lot of what is possible depends on the sophistication of the software, but even the most basic desktop-publishing software is a step above a word processor. With publishing software, it's easier to create columns, insert pictures and graphics, and make folding projects like menus and cards. Desktop publishing software offers templates, clip art and wizards to help you design, print and publish a family newsletter, brochures or even a Web site. While businesses may use expensive professional programs such as Adobe InDesign CS2 (*est. $700) and Quark Xpress (*est. $700), scaled-down software designed for personal use costs a fraction of that and doesn't require the steep learning curve of professional software. Professional software offers the greatest control over sophisticated graphic and typography. Another attribute of professional software is that it focuses on getting documents ready for professional publication or commercial printing, as in a magazine or other professional project. Mid-range and consumer-level software, such as MS Publisher and Print Shop Deluxe, aren't meant for designing large projects, magazines or commercial Web sites -- rather, they're intended for small businesses and families who want to execute simpler, smaller-scale projects. There are pros and cons to most software applications, as well as
varying degrees of sophistication and difficulty. According to reviews, the
product to beat is still Microsoft Publisher. Reviews say that Publisher has
almost no learning curve, and since it has similarities to Microsoft's other
Office applications, many users find themselves instantly familiar with Publisher's
interface. PC Magazine is especially impressed with Publisher's newsletter
templates and set up, finding it to be particularly speedy and easy, plus
you can save files to PDF format for off-site professional digital printing.
Publisher is geared mainly to small businesses, however, and many reviews
say that Print Shop Deluxe and Print Explosion have more family friendly features
and templates, despite some technical difficulties. The new version of Publisher is included in Microsoft Office 2007.
It is also available on its own as Microsoft Publisher 2007 (*est. $160 or
$100 to upgrade from MS Publisher 2003). The latest version of Publisher has
an updated look, plus enhancements aimed mainly at small business users. Improved
mail merge and e-mail merge helps businesses organize mailings of catalogs
and newsletters. Users can now create multiple corporate logo and text themes
-- and include them automatically across all of Publisher's templates. A new
Content Library gives you a place to store frequently used text blocks, so
you can insert them into new templates. More templates and better support
for PDF publishing are also included. If your needs run more toward school projects, greeting cards and
other home projects, Publisher is likely overkill. Print Explosion or Print
Shop are more suited to family projects.
... Continued
Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
The top two picks of the experts are in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers: Microsoft Publisher and Print Shop Deluxe. Scribus is free software. Adobe InDesign CS2 is a $700 professional product. For Mac users, Print Explosion Deluxe gets good reviews in Macworld and MacAddict. Advertisement
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Desktop Publishing Software Reviews |
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, a part of The New York Times Company. All Rights Reserved.
ConsumerSearch and ConsumerSearch.com are registered trademarks of ConsumerSearch, Inc. Other trademarks or service marks on this site are the property of their respective owners. ConsumerSearch is not sponsored by any source reviewed, and we accept no consideration or payment for including, excluding, or ranking any reviews, products or services in our reports.
* Pricing information is approximate as of the time this report was written and is based on observed market selling prices and/or list prices. Actual selling prices may differ.
