Rating: 
Summary: The best crash course in desktop publishing available.
Review: As a freelance writer who dabbles in desktop publishing, I've been searching for months for a concise, well-written, easy-to-grasp "how-to" book on DTP. I've consulted with graphic artists, posted messages online, and asked everyone I know for just such a book. I can't believe no one ever suggested "Looking Good in Print!" I stumbled across this book here on Amazon.com and decided to give it a whirl, and I couldn't be happier. This guide provides practical, step-by-step advice on conceptualizing your design, mastering the tools and techniques, and putting it all together to create great looking publications. With sections on illustrations and photos, printing techniques, and dealing with service bureaus, this book covers all the bases. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: The best crash course in desktop publishing available.
Review: As a freelance writer who dabbles in desktop publishing, I've been searching for months for a concise, well-written, easy-to-grasp "how-to" book on DTP. I've consulted with graphic artists, posted messages online, and asked everyone I know for just such a book. I can't believe no one ever suggested "Looking Good in Print!" I stumbled across this book here on Amazon.com and decided to give it a whirl, and I couldn't be happier. This guide provides practical, step-by-step advice on conceptualizing your design, mastering the tools and techniques, and putting it all together to create great looking publications. With sections on illustrations and photos, printing techniques, and dealing with service bureaus, this book covers all the bases. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Great Ideas
Review: I consider myself a specialist in wordprocessing, presentations, and spreadsheets; but this book has given me a lot of wonderful pointers. In time, anyone can run out of ideas. I have gained 3 new ideas since purchasing this book; needless-to-say, my ideas were well received. Book has been worth every penny spent.
Rating:
Summary: Great Ideas
Review: I consider myself a specialist in wordprocessing, presentations, and spreadsheets; but this book has given me a lot of wonderful pointers. In time, anyone can run out of ideas. I have gained 3 new ideas since purchasing this book; needless-to-say, my ideas were well received. Book has been worth every penny spent.
Rating: 
Summary: An apt title for a very serious book.
Review: If you find yourself smack-dab in the middle of a job requiring that you produce professional-looking documents, especially with a real professional printer (not just a laserjet), and you have no education or experience, this book is for you. It explains clearly--and at length--the process of creating and producing printed materials. It gives you the vocabulary for different kinds of graphic elements and typography, helps explain the mechanics of printing presses and inks, and gives lots of good suggestions for attractive layouts. I found the section on working with photographs particularly helpful.There's a lot of overlap with Robin Williams's "non-designer" series (because they're both about solid graphic design), but this one goes a bit further in some respects, even it it's a bit heavier and not as much fun as hers. I liked the Non-Designer books better, but this one's great, too. All in all, a very fine addition to your library if you're trying to teach yourself graphic design quickly, and you don't have people standing around just waiting to answer your questions.
Rating: 
Summary: If You Only Have One
Review: On the cover of this fine book is a blurb from the NY Times saying "If you have only enough money for one DTP book, buy this one," paraphrased, of course. The emphasis should be if you only have ONE. If you have any of Robin Williams' books or a Classroom in a Book, Parker's book will only be a re-hash of that. So, if you don't have a good DTP book, this is the book for you. If you have anyother reasonably good DTP book, this will just be the same stuff.
Rating:
Summary: If You Only Have One
Review: On the cover of this fine book is a blurb from the NY Times saying "If you have only enough money for one DTP book, buy this one," paraphrased, of course. The emphasis should be if you only have ONE. If you have any of Robin Williams' books or a Classroom in a Book, Parker's book will only be a re-hash of that. So, if you don't have a good DTP book, this is the book for you. If you have anyother reasonably good DTP book, this will just be the same stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Beginner's Material
Review: There is little depth to this text. However, It might be a fine introductory selection for someone who knows little to nothing about the subject. For those better versed, skip it. One annoying thing about the book is: The design in the book itself is lame. It also deals with sample design solution that are, you guessed it, lame. This book is the ideal choice of a local newsletter layout-master.
Rating:
Summary: Good content supported by extensive examples.
Review: This is the most "readable" book on graphic design for desktop publishing that I own. This book assumes you are already familiar with your software. Examples are outstanding; often the same text & graphic elements are presented in a variety of ways. Content is concise and simple, and directed at the intermediate to advanced user. The first half of the book deals with elements of design; the second half incorporates that info with special pointers for newsletters, ads, brochures, catalogs, letterheads, reports, resumes, forms, business cards, etc. My favorite chapter was "Common Design Pitfalls", followed by a chapter of redesigns.
Rating:
Summary: Good content supported by extensive examples.
Review: This is the most "readable" book on graphic design for desktop publishing that I own. This book assumes you are already familiar with your software. Examples are outstanding; often the same text & graphic elements are presented in a variety of ways. Content is concise and simple, and directed at the intermediate to advanced user. The first half of the book deals with elements of design; the second half incorporates that info with special pointers for newsletters, ads, brochures, catalogs, letterheads, reports, resumes, forms, business cards, etc. My favorite chapter was "Common Design Pitfalls", followed by a chapter of redesigns.
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