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Re: Getting Started on Desktop Publishing

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Posted by Alysia on June 11, 1998 at 21:19:27:

In Reply to: Getting Started on Desktop Publishing posted by Xie Xiau Ling on June 01, 1998 at 09:14:28:

Hi,

You should start by taking a class at your local College or University in Graphic Design. You can have all the tools, and know how to use them, but you need to know how to apply them. You will need to have some knowledge about printing - I've never seen a book or class that teaches you everything you need to know about the printing business. If you have an artistic background including some classes in art, it should help. The best way to learn the printing business is on the job, or find a good mentor whose been in it for a while. Often, for small, simple jobs, a small print shop might be able to help answer some questions about a particular job you might have - I recommend trying to speak with the artists who will be handling your job before you even set up your file - he or she can give you some guidelines. If you can find a place where you can intern with a designer part time, this is the best way to learn. For realistic jobs [jobs that will earn you some money], you will need a fully loaded computer - an IBM with Windows 95 or a Mac - something like a G3 - and you should have as much storage space and RAM as you can afford. You will never feel like you have enough! ... A bare-bones software group would include Adobe Illustrator [for drawing], Adobe Pagemaker for Windows or QuarkXpress for the Mac [for page layout, Adobe Photoshop [for working with Images] and you would probably want word-processing software like Microsoft Word for Windows or whatever is the industry standard for Mac. You will also find yourself wanting to purchase reference guides from your bookstore for the software because the software companies aren't giving out a whole lot of that stuff anymore[in a thorough manner, anyway]. The Pagemaker user guide is pretty good, but for Quark you might want to try The QuarkXPress 4.0 Handbook by Diane burns and Sharyn Venit, and a must-have for Photoshop is Real World Photoshop by Blatner & Fraser.

That's a lot of stuff, but if you find yourself getting started and liking it, you will find all of these things invaluable.

Good luck!

Alysia

: Dear friends,

: I would like to learn about desktop publishing during my free time.
: I need some advice on how to get started if I wish to self-study.
: What are the softwares that I should buy ?
: What are the reference books that I may need ?
: Your help will be most appreciated!!!

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: Hi, : You should start by taking a class at your local College or University in Graphic Design. You can have all the tools, and know how to use them, but you need to know how to apply them. You will need to have some knowledge about printing - I've never seen a book or class that teaches you everything you need to know about the printing business. If you have an artistic background including some classes in art, it should help. The best way to learn the printing business is on the job, or find a good mentor whose been in it for a while. Often, for small, simple jobs, a small print shop might be able to help answer some questions about a particular job you might have - I recommend trying to speak with the artists who will be handling your job before you even set up your file - he or she can give you some guidelines. If you can find a place where you can intern with a designer part time, this is the best way to learn. For realistic jobs [jobs that will earn you some money], you will need a fully loaded computer - an IBM with Windows 95 or a Mac - something like a G3 - and you should have as much storage space and RAM as you can afford. You will never feel like you have enough! ... A bare-bones software group would include Adobe Illustrator [for drawing], Adobe Pagemaker for Windows or QuarkXpress for the Mac [for page layout, Adobe Photoshop [for working with Images] and you would probably want word-processing software like Microsoft Word for Windows or whatever is the industry standard for Mac. You will also find yourself wanting to purchase reference guides from your bookstore for the software because the software companies aren't giving out a whole lot of that stuff anymore[in a thorough manner, anyway]. The Pagemaker user guide is pretty good, but for Quark you might want to try The QuarkXPress 4.0 Handbook by Diane burns and Sharyn Venit, and a must-have for Photoshop is Real World Photoshop by Blatner & Fraser. : That's a lot of stuff, but if you find yourself getting started and liking it, you will find all of these things invaluable. : Good luck! : Alysia : : Dear friends, : : I would like to learn about desktop publishing during my free time. : : I need some advice on how to get started if I wish to self-study. : : What are the softwares that I should buy ? : : What are the reference books that I may need ? : : Your help will be most appreciated!!!

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