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Desktop Publishing -- Produce Your Own Material
One of the pay-offs of the
speed at which technology is improving these days is the increased
independence it has given small business owners.
As computers become cheaper and more user-friendly, many business
functions left to the ‘experts’ can now be done in-house. Desktop
publishing is one of them. Anything from posters to brochures can be
produced with a minimum of fuss.
Small business advisor, Sasha Nolan, says that companies can save
thousands by maximizing the potential of their existing computers and
software in such a way.
“Many small business owners aren't aware of what their IT infrastructure
is capable of. They just don't realize how much money they can save by
pushing their existing assets to the limit,” Nolan said.
Choosing the right publishing software will be essential to achieving
the publishing results that a small business requires.
Most materials however can be easily produced using basic programs that
they might already have, such as those in the Microsoft Office XP suite.
The latest version of Microsoft Word has come a long way since the
original text-only version, and now allows the user to add pictures,
boxes, frames, columns and many other impressive effects.
For those looking for a more versatile application, Microsoft Publisher
2002 is based on highly-automated design functions which allow text and
graphics to be accurately placed anywhere and easily moved or reshaped.
The less artistically-inclined will be pleased to know that the design
process is made even easier by the inclusion of various templates in
most desktop publishing software.
These templates are typically grouped into categories such as letters to
customers, marketing ideas, legal issues, accounting and finance
documents, business forms and stationary, labels and cards.
“Documents like invoices, fax cover sheets and newsletters can be
designed in a matter of minutes, leaving the user to concentrate on the
content rather than the graphics and layout,” Nolan commented.
As well as every possible array of template being available, both
Microsoft products also include a series of wizards: instructions which
take the user through the basic functions of desktop publishing in a
simple, interactive way.
While Word and Publisher will cover most of a company's publishing
requirements, the needs of some small businesses will inevitably call
for software that is unique to their industry.
Product developer, Lisa Kristiansen, works for a fashion company and
uses a Windows-based application called Colour Matters to produce buyer
presentations and artwork for offshore factories.
“The various tools on Colour Matters allow us to be more flexible and
offer a wider variety of applications than the Microsoft software,”
Kristiansen said.
Although desktop publishing is a simple, user-friendly way to reduce
costs and maintain control over the quality of your printed materials,
some amount of training is recommended.
Before using Colour Matters, Kristiansen underwent an initial eight
hours of training and attends half-yearly meetings to learn about
updates to the program.
“The training was pretty valuable because it has allowed me to use
Colour Matters to its full potential. I have also been able to build a
rapport with the support staff and feel comfortable calling them
whenever I have a problem,” she said.
Nolan added: “The money invested in teaching employees how to use these
applications will be more than recovered by their acquired ability to
get the most out of the software. They will also be surprised by how
easy most publishing software is to use.”
In terms of initial setup costs, the emergence of laser printers into
the small business market has greatly increased the quality of what
desktop publishers can achieve.
On the other hand, Nolan says that a mid-range ink or bubble-jet version
will be sufficient for a high proportion of a company's needs.
“Most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a
laser-printed document and one printed by a cheaper machine,” he
commented.
While an almost endless variety of standard pictures and graphics are
bundled with common publishing software, the use of scanners and digital
cameras allows for a more personal touch to be added to small business
documents.
For example, a company logo can easily be added to letterheads,
envelopes and even business cards after being scanned into a computer.
Despite the obvious advantages of desktop publishing, there will always
be certain printing jobs that should be left to the professionals due to
factors such as unusual size requirements, large print runs or the need
to print onto textiles or plastics.
Kristiansen says that she uses a commercial printer for bigger projects
because of the time and hassle involved.
“Our laser printer takes about a minute for each page, so the time saved
by outsourcing larger jobs can be used doing something more productive.
It also saves our printer from the wear and tear of churning out page
after page,” she said.
Just how much of the document publishing role that a small business
decides to take on for itself should be measured by the size and
importance of each task.
So while desktop publishing is a reliable and cheap way of ensuring that
your company is represented in a consistent and recognizable fashion,
small businesses should know their limits and remain prepared to turn to
the experts when the need arises.
Useful Web resources include:
About.com - Top 5 Books for Non-Designer SOHO
Businesses
About.com - Basic Desktop Publishing Topics
Entrepreneur.com - Tools Of The Trade: Desktop
Publishing
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