Explain Desktop Elements And Principles

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

explain desktop elements and principles in a variety of advanced desktop programs

Introduction

Desktop publishing programs are programs that are used to finalise designs so that they can be printed and to develop books and other media. The desktop publishing programs that are used for creating books make it easier to add graphics to the books and to set up the size and shape of the pages before printing.

(FT)

Did you know that graphic designers who work for design firms, companies with dedicated design departments or as freelancers tend to use mostly Adobe, Quark or Corel products? (END FT)

Examples of desktop publishing software are:

Adobe:

AdobeFrameMaker: FrameMaker is used for desktop publishing where documents must be available in print as well as in various formats such as PDF, HTML, or XML. It is well suited for the layout and management of long, highly structured documents.

Adobe InDesign: InDesign is the successor to PageMaker and the Adobe product mostly used by graphic designers.

Adobe PageMaker: PageMaker is marketed as a small business publishing solution.

Corel

Corel Ventura: It was once the top choice for page layout, but is currently not one of the front runners in the Corel product line.

Microsoft

Microsoft Publisher: It is mostly used by individuals and small businesses.

Quark

QuarkXPress: It is one of the stronger desktop publishing programs used by Mac and Window users.

Serif

Serif PagePlus: Serif PagePlus is a powerful and affordable page layout and PDF application for desktop publishing and creating graphics for print and Web.

Unit 1 Explain desktop elements and principles in a variety of advanced desktop programs

Desktop publishing is about taking some text and some images and combining them in an appealing manner so that they can be published. This module will be about the process that should be followed when preparing documents and images for publishing. You will also be introduced to the elements and principles that are used in desktop publishing. The process can be broken down into different phases.

1.1 Rules or principles of desktop publishing

The principles in desktop publishing are more like guidelines to follow. They are not strict rules but are principles that people have found work in most situations and that can provide you with a structure to use when planning desktop publishing.

1.1.1 Use only one space after punctuation

From the days of typewriters, where every character took up the same amount of space, writers used a double space after periods (full stops). This was done to make it easier to read the writing. Now this no longer matters because the fonts that we use today are use different spacing for each character so that each character occupies only as much space as it needs to. This means that the extra space has already been built into the period and it is no longer necessary to use a double space after a period. It also means that a double space is no longer needed behind any punctuation.

1.1.2 Do not use double returns at the end of a paragraph

In word processors and page layout programs you can set the space after a paragraph and before a paragraph. This means that you can control the gaps between paragraphs. You should not use a double return to create a gap.

By setting the spacing before and after the paragraph in the styles, you can control the gaps between the paragraphs so that they are present but are smaller. This allows enough room to separate the paragraphs for the reader and allows you to use as much of the available space as possible.

1.1.3 Use fewer fonts

It is only necessary to use a maximum of three or four fonts in a document. If you use more it might make the document appear messy and unorganised. This is how you should use fonts:

One font should be used for the headings

Another font should be used for the body text

A third font may be used for the pull-quotes or side notes

You may use another font for the page numbers

Two or three fonts are the preferred standard, but you may use a fourth if you choose. If you would like to distinguish between different heading levels more clearly you may make use of italics, bolds, underlines and font sizes.

1.1.4 Use text alignment correctly

There is no correct or wrong text alignment to use and ultimately the choice depends on the design itself. However, there are guidelines and reasons to use one form of alignment above another. Below is a list explaining when each text alignment style is best.

1.1.4.1 Justified text

Justified text is often considered as a more formal approach to text alignment

It usually results in more text per line than any other alignment style

It requires more work to make sure that the text does not become to spread out causing too much white space between the text

It is neater than most other forms of text alignment because it causes a straight line on the left and right side of the page

Justified text is a popular form of aligning text because it is neat. It is found in newspapers and many books. It can save money because you can fit more information on a line, this results in less pages which results in lower costs. If there are large blocks of text, justified alignment might be overpowering and intimidating so you should try to break it up with larger spacing between paragraphs or by placing the images in such a way that it breaks the size of the text blocks.

1.1.4.2 Left aligned

Left aligned text is considered less informal than justified text

The ragged right edge adds extra white space which can create character

It is generally easier to work with and requires less tweaking by the designer

Left aligned text is less formal but does have its uses. It works well where there is limited page width or in bulleted lists where the length of the bullet is usually less than the page width. You may need to make use of hyphenation to control the raggedness of the right edge.

1.1.4.3 Centred text

Adds a formal appearance to documents like menus, invitations and certificates

Harder to read when there are long lines

May need more space between lines to make it easier to read

If centred text is used for headings you should make sure that it is combined with justified text. Centred text should not be used for long paragraphs or bulleted lists because the reader has to search a little longer for the start of each line.

1.1.5 Balance font size with line length

When you are creating a document for publishing you need to balance the length of the lines with the size of the font. If the lines are too long for the font size then it takes longer to read the sentences. It also takes longer to read the sentences if the font size is too large for the line length.

Figure 6.1: The effect of line length and font size on reading

1.1.6 Use all caps cautiously

Using ALL CAPS as a font for your design is normally unattractive and difficult to read. It is fine to use it for some headings but you should be careful with the font that you choose because decorative fonts can be very difficult to read in all caps. If you do use all caps in your headings you must pay special attention to the gaps between the letters because they are normally too large.

1.1.7 Use proper punctuation marks

Punctuation marks like ellipsis, commas and quotation marks must be used correctly for published documents. You should use the correct shape for a comma and quotation marks. This means that they should have a curly tail. The hyphen and dashes should be the correct type for the use.

A hyphen(-) is used to join two words or to break a word over two lines

An en dash is used to indicate and or to. It is used for South Africa–England or like in 1969–71

The em dash is used for parenthesis – for extra information – in sentences

1.1.8 Use frames sparingly

Frames are to be used only when something needs to be separated from the main text or needs to be highlighted. Placing too many frames in your text can make it confusing and can distract the reader. Frames should be used for items like tips or examples in text books or for terms and conditions in advertising.

1.1.9 Use images sparingly

Like with boxes and frames, images can also distract the reader. The more images there are on a page the less likely a person is to read the words. Unless you are designing a product catalogue you should try to keep the number of pictures to three or less per page. It is better to use one big picture than to use several small pictures.

1.1.10 Use white space effectively

White space is very important in design. The more white space there is the easier it is to find things on a page. By using white space effectively you allow breathing room around the document. If there is too little white space the document will be crowded making it look overwhelming. By packing a design full of information you can make it look cheap and unprofessional. The more space you add the more freedom you will give to your viewer’s eyes and the easier it is for them to read. You can create too much white space, but this is seldom done because most of the time you would like to fit us much information on the page as possible.

1.2 Phases of desktop publishing

1.2.1 Design phase

The design phase starts before you make the document. It is the process that is used to determine the layout, format and style of the document. Prior to the actual creation of the document is the design phase. This is an on-going process but initially it involves determining the basic form of the document. The design phase of desktop publishing can involve:

1.2.1.1 Document format decisions

When you are deciding on the format of the work that you will be creating, you need to consider:

For what will the product be used?

Who is the target audience?

How much of this product must be produced?

What is the budget for the product?

Knowing the answer for these questions will help you to determine the format for the product because the format of the product depends on its function. This follows the concept of "Form follows function", a common phrase in all the design industries.

1.2.1.2 Conceptualisation

Now that you have an idea of what the product must do you can begin to develop concepts for the layout of the product. You do this by brainstorming and generating mock ups for the design that you can propose to the client.

1.2.1.3 Colour selection

In graphic design level 3 you learnt a lot about the colour selection and using complimentary colours. You must use what you learnt there to develop a colour scheme for the product that will create the desired effect that you wish to convey or promote with the product. Colour choice will also depend on the budget. For cheaper productions the customer might only want grey scale products.

1.2.1.4 Font selection

The document that you create must contain fonts for the style of the letters. The type of font depends on the print size and line spacing as you learnt in Topic 1. You should try to use as few fonts as possible because using many fonts can be distracting. You may choose a different font style for the headings and the body text.

1.2.1.5 Image selection

The types of images in the document are determined by the available resources, the budget and the use of the product. There may be digital drawings, stock photos, photos from an in house photographer or there may be other images that will be included. You should know the type of images that will be used because this might affect the layout of the product.

1.2.2 Document setup phase

This is where you prepare the template that you will use. You establish how big you want the margins to be and if you would like decorations in the margin. You setup the layout styles that will be used throughout the document and prepare the document for population. Throughout the creation of the document you will need to keep the rules of desktop in mind.

Document setup tasks could include:

1.2.2.1 Template selection

Templates are useful because they allow things to be standardised. When you are designing a book to be published you need each page to look the same. This is where having a template can save you a lot of time. The template usually keeps the general format of the document the same but it allows different size and different placement for pictures. Templates can also be made for invoices and web designs so that you only have to populate the template and thus save time.

1.2.2.2 Page size and margins setup

In level 3 you learnt about margins and bleeds. This is the point in the desktop publishing process where you decide on the size of the margins, bleeds and print marks.

1.2.2.3 Columns or grid setup

If your product will be a magazine or newspaper you might have multiple columns in the document and you need to incorporate this into your template layout.

1.2.2.4 Master pages setup

In some documents, such as with educational material you will have a document that uses master pages at certain points. This is usually something like a title page for chapters, topics and modules. The design on these pages is usually very similar but the writing on them may change.

1.2.2.5 Colour palette customization

You must choose a colour scheme for the document. This colour scheme will usually be used at title and chapter pages, the cover and in some cases borders and font colour.

1.2.2.6 Paragraph styles setup

For your document to flow you should create a set of styles for your different paragraph levels. This is useful for educational material where you have examples and heading levels that are used for various applications.

1.2.3 Text phase

The text for the document is normally provided to the designer in a word processor form. In some cases the text will be placed written in the actual publication. There are two types of text-related tasks in desktop publishing:

Text acquisition – is where you obtain text from another source, like a word processor, and place it into the publishing software.

Text composition – Text composition is the act of adjusting the imported text in such a way that it fits together neatly in the document. Here you play around with the spacing to determine the best layout and to determine how to use space the in the best way.

1.2.4 Image phase

After you have finished placing the text into the document you can place the images into the document. Working with images in desktop publishing can involve:

1.2.4.1 Image acquisition

When you start preparing to place the images into the document you need gather them first. Sometimes these images will be in a word document and sometimes the word document will provide links to the files that you will have to insert into the final document. You might also need to buy the images from a stock photo website.

Whatever method that you use to get the images you should arrange the images into one folder for the document so that it is easy to link the images with the document. This makes it easier to control the document while you are working with it.

1.2.4.2 Image creation

You may have to create the images required for the final document yourself by making drawings on digital software or by taking photos for the images. These files should be placed in the folder along with the rest of the images for the document.

1.2.4.3 Image placement

Once you have gathered all the images that need to be placed into the document you will need to insert them into the document. At this point you will be linking the images with the files that you have saved in the folder. You will also adjust the size of the images in the document so that they fit into the document in an attractive manner.

1.2.5 File preparation phase

After the document looks the way that you want it to look, you need to check that it is correct. This means that you need to determine that everything is laid out correctly and that you have followed all the principles of design. File preparation may include some or all of these tasks:

1.2.5.1 Proofing

Now that you have done the layout, you need to check your work to make sure that it fits together nicely that your space is well used and that there are no mistakes. The best way to determine this is to print the document so that you can check how the work looks once printed.

By printing the work you can see how it will look once it is printed. Some errors are more easily seen in printed copies of your work than they are seen in the digital versions. Most of the people that proofread books do the proofreading on a hard copy so that they can see where something does not look right.

1.2.5.2 Colour verification

The other thing that needs to be checked is the colour. This is done in the digital version by using a calibrated screen. The picture may still not look correct once printed. The fact that the screen is lit makes the images appear different on the screen to what they look like once printed. Often images on computers print darker than they appear on the screen.

Another problem that may develop in printing is the lining up of multiple layers of colour. Most ink printers for publishing apply the colours at different stations. This means that the printer needs some form of marks on the pages so that it can line up the document before applying the next coat of ink. If this is not done correctly the images will overlap incorrectly and then there will be blurry edges. This can often be seen in newspapers.

1.2.5.3 Check the page numbering for the print sequence

The page numbering is important when you are printing two pages per side per sheet. This is what happens when you use an A4 page to create an A5 booklet. The first page is on the same piece of paper as the last page. Some programs have a feature that automatically determines the correct sequence for pages.

Once you print a hard copy you can check the page numbers to make sure that you have ordered the document correctly.

1.2.6 Printing and finishing phase

After you have proofread the document you can begin the final part of the design. You should make the final adjustments to the document and then prepare to send it to the printers. At this point you should specify the finishing touches that you would like done to the product. Sometimes you will want the covers varnished and sometimes you would like them laminated. This is the point in the design where you decide these finer finishing details.

Activity 6.1 – Individual activity

1. Explain the reasons for using justified text.

Justified text is often considered as a more formal approach to text alignment

It usually results in more text per line than any other alignment style

It requires more work to make sure that the text does not become to spread out causing too much white space between the text.

It is neater than most other forms of text alignment because it causes a straight line on the left and right side of the page

2. Explain the reasons for using left aligned text.

Left aligned text is considered less informal than justified text

The ragged right edge adds extra white space which can create character

It is generally easier to work with and requires less tweaking by the designer

3. Explain the correct use of centred text

Adds a formal appearance to documents like menus, invitations and certificates

Harder to read when there are long lines

May need more space between lines to make it easier to read

(END ACT)

Module summary

In this module you have learned:

To only use one space after punctuation marks.

Use style settings to set the gap between paragraphs and not additional returns.

Use less than four fonts where possible

Choose your style of text alignment carefully

Balance the size of the font with the length of the line

Try to avoid using all caps

Use the correct punctuation marks

Use images and frames sparingly

Use white space effectively

What happens in each phase in desktop publisihing

Summative assessment

Answer the following questions in your own words.

1. List and describe the 10 principles for desktop publishing. (30)

Answer (order is irrelevant):

1 Use only one space after punctuation

You no longer need to use an extra space after a punctuation mark because that extra space has already been built into the punctuation mark.

2 Do not use double returns at the end of a paragraph

In word processors and page layout programs you can set the space after a paragraph and before a paragraph. By setting the spacing before and after the paragraph in the styles, you can control the gaps between the paragraphs so that they are present but are smaller.

3 Use fewer fonts

It is only necessary to use a maximum of three or four fonts in a document. If you use more it might make the document appear messy and unorganised.

4 Use text alignment correctly

Justified text is best for body text and large quantities of text

Left aligned text is considered less informal and is mostly used for bullets and headings.

Centred text should not be used for long paragraphs or bulleted lists because the reader has to search a little longer for the start of each line.

5 Balance font size with line length

If the lines are too long for the font size then it takes longer to read the sentences. It also takes longer to read the sentences if the font size is too large for the line length.

6 Use all caps cautiously

Using ALL CAPS as a font for your design is normally unattractive and difficult to read.

7 Use proper punctuation marks

You should make sure that your comma’s and quotation marks are curly. Use the correct dash or hyphen as is needed

8 Use frames sparingly

Frames are to be used only when something needs to be separated from the main text or needs to be highlighted.

9 Use images sparingly

The more images there are on a page the less likely a person is to read the words. It is better to use one big picture than to use several small pictures.

10 Use white space effectively

The more white space there is the easier it is to find things on a page. By using white space effectively you allow breathing room around the document. If there is too little white space the document will be crowded making it look overwhelming.

Total: 30 marks

Resources

Books

Electronic data

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