Desktop Publishing with Microsoft Publisher

What is desktop publishing? Desktop publishing is the type of program that magazine and newspaper companies use. It allows the user to have much more control over where text and graphics are placed than when using regular word process. The main thing to remember when using desktop publishing is that each text box and graphic are independant of the others on the page. You can move each element freely anywhere on the page that you want. Desktop publishing programs also allow the user to work on various projects. Some of the things that can be created with desktop publishing programs are banners, greeting cards, programs, labels, envelopes, name tags, etc. While each of these things uses separate templates, the basic elements of creating and moving graphics and text is the same. Opening Microsoft Publisher To open Microsoft Publisher: 1. Click on the Start Menu, then Programs, then Microsoft Publisher. 2. After Publisher has opened you will see the following window: 3. Click on blank, and then on Full Page. 4. Click the Create button. 5. This will give you a blank page.

The Tool Bar The tool bar has all the tools that the user will need to create the different elements that go into a desktop publishing document. The following shows what each button does. The Text Box Tool - This tool is used for creating text boxes. The Pointer Tool - this tool used for moving elements around the page. Word Art - This tool is used for creating text with special effects. ClipArt Tool - This tool is used when you want to include clip art in your publication. Table Frame Tool - This tool is used when you want to create a table. Picture Frame Tool - This tool is used when you want to insert a picture into the document. Custom Shapes Tool - This allows you to draw custom shapes to put in your publication. Drawing Tools - These are your drawing tools. They allow you to draw lines, circles, and squares. To use one of these tools, put your cursor over it and click. Then move your cursor into your publication and click and drag until the shape you want is completed.

Creating Text Boxes Text boxes allow the user to insert text into the publication. Special effects can be added to text boxes, just like word processing does. In addition, users can add borders to text boxes to create a finished look. To create a text box: 1. Click once on the text box tool. 2. Move your cursor over into your publication and draw a box. (To draw the box, start in the upper left corner of where you want your box to be and click and drag on a diagonal to the right until the box is the size that you want it.) 3. Your text box will appear and look like this: 4. To add text, begin typing. Text can be formatted just like in word processing. 5. To resize the text box, click on one of the small black squares around the text box and drag until it is the size that you want. Once you have finished entering text, click somewhere else on the page. The small black squares around your text box will disappear. Editing and Moving Text Boxes To go back and edit text in a text box, you must first click on the text box so that it is selected. You will know it is selected when the small black squares reappear around it. You can then edit the text inside the box. To move the text box to another position on the page, select the text box (remember, that means the little black squares appear,) and click and drag the box to where you want it.

Borders and Border Art You can add a line border or border art to any text box. To add borders: 1. Create a text box. 2. While it is still selected, click on Format, then Line/Border Style, then More Styles. 3. The Border Style Window will appear. Border Elements Line Border - This provides different types of line borders. Border Art - This provides different types of picture borders. This area allows the user to determine how thick the line will be on the border. This allow the user to get a preview of the type of border that is selected. Colors - This will allow you to chose the color of your line border. When you have selected the border that you want, click on the Apply button and the border will be added to your publication.

Adding Clip Art Microsoft Publisher comes with its own clip art gallery. Clip Art are pictures that can be inserted into your publication through the program. Some Microsoft Clip Art Gallery Pictures require you to have the picture gallery on a separate CD-ROM. To insert a picture using Clip Art: 1. Click once on the Clip Art icon. 2. Move your cursor over into your publication and draw a box. (To draw the box, start in the upper left corner of where you want your box to be and click and drag on a diagonal to the right until the box is the size that you want it.) 3. When you let go of the cursor, the clip art gallery will open. Choose the picture you want and click Insert. 4. Your picture will be inserted in your document. Resizing Clip Art You can adjust your picture to make it the size you need to fit into your publication. To resize you picture: 1. Make sure that the picture is selected. (This is the same as the text box, it will have the black squares around it.) Here Here Here Here 2. Click and drag one of the corner black squares on a diagonal until the picture is the size you want it. Note: Dragging from the corners will keep your picture in proportion. If you try to resize the picture using the black squares in the middle of the sides, your picture will become distorted.

Moving Clip Art You can positon your clip art in your publication anywhere you want it. To reposition your picture in a different place: 1. Make sure that your clip art picture is selected. 2. Put your cursor into the center of the picture. It will turn into a picture of a moving van. 3. Click and drag your picture into the position that you want it. Arranging Objects As you add elements to your publication, they are added as layers. Each text box and graphics that you add is another layer inside your publication. It is like putting one transparency on top of another. Sometimes a text box may be over a picture or a picture may be covering part of your text. With a publishing program, change the layers so that boxes are not covered up. To do this: 1. Select the layer that you want to change. 2. Click on the Arrange menu and choose what you want to do. This will make the selected layer the top layer. This will make the selected layer the bottom layer. This will make the selected layer move back one layer from where it currently is. This will make the selected layer move forward one layer from where it currently is.

One Final Note There are many different types of desktop publishing programs. Some of the more popular ones are Print Shop, Microsoft Publisher, Adobe Page Maker, Corel, Quark and Quark Express. Each one has its own style, but once you learn the basics of making text boxes and adding graphics, each one is fairly easy to work with. Most desktop publishing programs afford the user the opportunity to create many different kinds of publications. Several things that you can create are: banners letter head custom envelopes custom mailing labels programs posters brochures post cards gift certificates award certificates The possiblities are limitless. Take some time and play around with the different things that you can do with Microsoft Publisher.