Newbie

[Mervyn Long]

Been here over the years, but I've never been involved with DTP, I just like the company. Now a friend of mine is producing a newsletter for his new Electric Boat Comapny and is using MS Publisher. He's new to DTP and seems to be having some trouble. He has just average computer skills. Which program would you recommend for him to try?

Thank you

Mervyn

[Steve Rindsberg]

What sort of work does he need to do? If he has to work closely with a printer or other service bureau, he might want to learn whatever software they're most accustomed to/like best.

[Mervyn Long]

Originally Posted by Steve Rindsberg

What sort of work does he need to do? If he has to work closely with a printer or other service bureau, he might want to learn whatever software they're most accustomed to/like best.

Steve,

It's a quarterly mail out, 4 sides (2 pages) 8.5" x 11" folded twice for mailing so that half the back page becomes the address section.

I'll get him to check with the printer, but I suspect the printer could step around the program choice more easily than my friend could handle a complex program.

Thanks for the reply

Mervyn

[Steve Rindsberg]

>>I'll get him to check with the printer, but I suspect the printer could step around the program choice more easily than my friend could handle a complex program.

For that low-level of frequency and complexity, that makes sense. If nothing else, the printer can dissuade him from outright foolishness. PowerPoint, anyone? (You may moan, but don't laugh. It happens!)

[Mike]

If he sends Acrobat files to the printer then it shouldn't matter what software he uses to generate the pages. Although Publisher is rather limited it can produce very reasonable results. Our local Tourist Information Office uses it to produce the monthly newsletter (about 24 pages).

It's probably better to concentrate on getting good visual results from a relatively easy-to-use piece software rather than struggling with something more complex.

[Mervyn Long]

Thank you Mike, that's a good idea. I'll pass it along to him

Mervyn

[ktinkel]

Originally Posted by Mervyn Long

Thank you Mike, that's a good idea. I'll pass it along to him

A PDF is becoming the standard output file, but he should first make a test page or two — just like the pages of the newsletter in terms of layout, fonts, and use of color — and ask his printer to look it over.

Every page layout program can produce problems for the printer, especially if the maker of the file is inexperienced in printing.

[Mervyn Long]

Thank you Kathleen - I'll pass that along.

Mervyn

[dthomsen8]

Originally Posted by Mervyn Long

Been here over the years, but I've never been involved with DTP, I just like the company. Now a friend of mine is producing a newsletter for his new Electric Boat Comapny and is using MS Publisher.
Mervyn

I thought that Electric Boat built submarines for the Navy in Connecticut.

[Mervyn Long]

Originally Posted by dthomsen8

I thought that Electric Boat built submarines for the Navy in Connecticut.

They still do I think. But battery driven boats cover a spectrum and hybrids are coming along nicely. The boats in question, here, are built by

www.duffyboats.com

..and are electric runabouts of very high quality.

Mervyn