Glad to see that someone agrees that powerpoint and other “office related programs” are not suitable for layout.
It also really bugs me that as a formally trained graphic artist & designer, that had to pay for an education and pay my dues through endless hours of studio work – that some people who have none of the accreditation claim to be “graphic artists”. I like to make birdhouses out of scrap wood, but I don’t consider (or call) myself a carpenter…
DTP has come to mean amateurish — at least within the graphic design/advertising industry. It suggests church newsletters in Microsoft Word with 27 fonts and bad clipart.
For page layout, we use page layout software. For retouching, we use image manipulation software. For illustration, we use vector based illustration software. I suppose it all falls under the rubric of DTP.
None of the “DTP” software endows the user with talent, knowledge, or experience. Like #2 said.
Although it is true that you need artistic talent to do graphic design it is not the whole truth – you need to understand how your design is going to be used (printed or on the web).
DTP requires skill plus an understanding of graphic design as well as having a firm grip on the printing process.
I’ve always called the page layout work I do part of DTP. Desktop Publishing is just a catchall phrase. I always explain to my customers that they do themselves a disservice trying to do page layout themselves. It works for churches and elementary schools but in the business work, it looks amateurish, which makes your business look less than professional.
Also, a lot of commercial printers will not accept Word and PowerPoint documents for printing. They require InDesign, Quark XPress, PDF, or even Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator files.
I like to have my clients first send me the content for their print job. I then discuss with them the various directions it could take based on demographics, target market, deadlines, focus, and most important the purpose of the print job. A professional will take all of these into consideration when working with a page layout client.
Make sure your page layout professional asks for this information.
Every community college in America has it’s “Graphic Design” program, certificate programs, and continuing education courses, churning out tens of thousands annually who think they’re ready for advancing their career. Guess what– it’ll work for a few years because enough businesses don’t care about quality and are trying to save a nickel, so they hire the inexperienced who can also get by on less. Colleges with Bachelor programs in design aren’t much better: they’re creating a talented and skilled group of people who have no market to compete in. Enjoy that 2nd job you’ll have to work! Signed: On fire in the 1990’s, burned in the 2000’s.
Indeed, I think the DTP term is so deprecated and meaningless from time and overuse that to validate it in any way is not useful, and is misleading to those who do ‘internal’ document publishing (who may think all design tasks are equal and easily accomplished by anyone).
It sounds like a naive remnant from an age when computers were brand new and being able to ‘publish digitally’ was exciting and full of possibilities. Not to say it isn’t, but DTP is a term that seems to cheapen the perceived quality of digital design in general.
I love making flyers, biz cards, brochures, etc. Being called a Graphic Designer is an upgrade from being called a Desktop Publisher. But in order to become a Graphic Designer, do I have to go to Art School? I’m not trying to be a Picaso.
Everything is about the way to relate your skills with what you do have available. I started to design with Word, but when I discovered my natural talent for this I decided to improve and attended to school again! No way. I don’t regret it and when I moved to another country this is what I definitely live from. Who would say so when I started up??? It’s 10% of talent and 90% of work, but the way your brain relates and works is the very key. Origami art is just scoring paper and give it a shape, nothing else, so you may create with the most elemental resources.
A lot of angst and anger over a tool. It reads l like a turf war as fought by mediocre artsy types and grad school rejects with chips on their shoulders.
The tools and acronyms are irrelevant. What matters is skill. All you need to do is look at the evidence. Take a good look at the traditionally educated graphic designer produced visual landscape and judge for yourself.
Ew!
Any human being with talent is capable of producing high quality graphic design with dtp software. Yes I called it graphic design! Oooo Ahhh.
Wake up. Buying a diploma is no substitution for having talent. Get over yourselves.
Comment by The Architect (who also does GD) — July 19, 2007 @ 10:20 pm
All you make me to believe now is that Desktop publishing is simply an amateur tools.
But to me any DTP person that cannot employ every soft wears used by a graphic artist is not a DTP person.
In my office I work in the DTP department and our job is mainly (Annual report, Corporate profile, books and magazine for different corporate organization) professionally made for press ready.
I use (PageMaker, Corel draw, and Photoshop and then generate a PDF for online used or for production).
To get a professionally made layout, you need the combination of all soft wears . Editing your images for better result, create a balance art work along whit your stories is not a joke
May be it should have a grade.
Required information
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Regarding myths one and three: I’m in a graphic design program and we’re learning the fundamentals of DTP. However, the term itself is never used.
Comment by JJ — July 11, 2006 @ 4:37 pm
Glad to see that someone agrees that powerpoint and other “office related programs” are not suitable for layout.
It also really bugs me that as a formally trained graphic artist & designer, that had to pay for an education and pay my dues through endless hours of studio work – that some people who have none of the accreditation claim to be “graphic artists”. I like to make birdhouses out of scrap wood, but I don’t consider (or call) myself a carpenter…
Comment by hw — July 17, 2006 @ 4:00 pm
DTP has come to mean amateurish — at least within the graphic design/advertising industry. It suggests church newsletters in Microsoft Word with 27 fonts and bad clipart.
For page layout, we use page layout software. For retouching, we use image manipulation software. For illustration, we use vector based illustration software. I suppose it all falls under the rubric of DTP.
None of the “DTP” software endows the user with talent, knowledge, or experience. Like #2 said.
Comment by cheeflo — August 16, 2006 @ 6:11 pm
Good Graphic Design is DESIGN and requires ARTISTIC TALENT.
Desktop Publishing can be done by anyone and requires NO TALENT.
Comment by Howard — August 29, 2006 @ 1:06 pm
Hi
Comment by bob — September 7, 2006 @ 4:56 pm
Although it is true that you need artistic talent to do graphic design it is not the whole truth – you need to understand how your design is going to be used (printed or on the web).
DTP requires skill plus an understanding of graphic design as well as having a firm grip on the printing process.
Comment by Bo — October 2, 2006 @ 3:59 pm
I’ve always called the page layout work I do part of DTP. Desktop Publishing is just a catchall phrase. I always explain to my customers that they do themselves a disservice trying to do page layout themselves. It works for churches and elementary schools but in the business work, it looks amateurish, which makes your business look less than professional.
Also, a lot of commercial printers will not accept Word and PowerPoint documents for printing. They require InDesign, Quark XPress, PDF, or even Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator files.
I like to have my clients first send me the content for their print job. I then discuss with them the various directions it could take based on demographics, target market, deadlines, focus, and most important the purpose of the print job. A professional will take all of these into consideration when working with a page layout client.
Make sure your page layout professional asks for this information.
Comment by Paul Rodriguez — October 18, 2006 @ 11:34 am
Every community college in America has it’s “Graphic Design” program, certificate programs, and continuing education courses, churning out tens of thousands annually who think they’re ready for advancing their career. Guess what– it’ll work for a few years because enough businesses don’t care about quality and are trying to save a nickel, so they hire the inexperienced who can also get by on less. Colleges with Bachelor programs in design aren’t much better: they’re creating a talented and skilled group of people who have no market to compete in. Enjoy that 2nd job you’ll have to work! Signed: On fire in the 1990’s, burned in the 2000’s.
Comment by Brett — December 21, 2006 @ 9:17 am
Indeed, I think the DTP term is so deprecated and meaningless from time and overuse that to validate it in any way is not useful, and is misleading to those who do ‘internal’ document publishing (who may think all design tasks are equal and easily accomplished by anyone).
It sounds like a naive remnant from an age when computers were brand new and being able to ‘publish digitally’ was exciting and full of possibilities. Not to say it isn’t, but DTP is a term that seems to cheapen the perceived quality of digital design in general.
Comment by Michelle — January 8, 2007 @ 7:00 pm
I love making flyers, biz cards, brochures, etc. Being called a Graphic Designer is an upgrade from being called a Desktop Publisher. But in order to become a Graphic Designer, do I have to go to Art School? I’m not trying to be a Picaso.
Comment by Betty — January 21, 2007 @ 6:08 pm
Everything is about the way to relate your skills with what you do have available. I started to design with Word, but when I discovered my natural talent for this I decided to improve and attended to school again! No way. I don’t regret it and when I moved to another country this is what I definitely live from. Who would say so when I started up??? It’s 10% of talent and 90% of work, but the way your brain relates and works is the very key. Origami art is just scoring paper and give it a shape, nothing else, so you may create with the most elemental resources.
Comment by Alicia — April 22, 2007 @ 1:52 pm
A lot of angst and anger over a tool. It reads l like a turf war as fought by mediocre artsy types and grad school rejects with chips on their shoulders.
The tools and acronyms are irrelevant. What matters is skill. All you need to do is look at the evidence. Take a good look at the traditionally educated graphic designer produced visual landscape and judge for yourself.
Ew!
Any human being with talent is capable of producing high quality graphic design with dtp software. Yes I called it graphic design! Oooo Ahhh.
Wake up. Buying a diploma is no substitution for having talent. Get over yourselves.
Comment by The Architect (who also does GD) — July 19, 2007 @ 10:20 pm
All you make me to believe now is that Desktop publishing is simply an amateur tools.
But to me any DTP person that cannot employ every soft wears used by a graphic artist is not a DTP person.
In my office I work in the DTP department and our job is mainly (Annual report, Corporate profile, books and magazine for different corporate organization) professionally made for press ready.
I use (PageMaker, Corel draw, and Photoshop and then generate a PDF for online used or for production).
To get a professionally made layout, you need the combination of all soft wears . Editing your images for better result, create a balance art work along whit your stories is not a joke
May be it should have a grade.
Comment by yinka bamiro — July 3, 2008 @ 12:10 pm