Design Software

Introduction to design software

Design begins where it always has – in the mind of the designer. But today, design has more destinations than ever before, ranging from a magazine with a print run in the millions to a customized e-mail message with an audience of one. A whole host of design software has emerged to allow designers to communicate their vision, and these applications fall into two broad categories:

• Image Creation Tools
• Layout Tools.

Image Creation Tools

This software class includes tools for manipulating photos, creating digital paintings, or creating smooth vector illustrations such as logos and maps. Image creation tools have become so robust that some designers use them to mock up Web pages or design an entire advertising flier. More commonly though, these applications are used to create components such as photos, animated Web graphics, and illustrative art that are then published through the use of a layout tool.

Although the people who use image creation tools are not always involved in the creation of the final layout for print or Web, they need to be acutely aware of the specifications of final output. A file with the wrong color space or with a resolution that is too low can create problems. Fortunately, modern layout tools are embracing the concept of “non-destructive” image manipulation, which enables a user of page layout software to apply effects and transform artwork without changing the original at all. By choosing the right page layout tool, you can hand off high-resolution, large color gamut files to the users of page layout applications and let them worry about color correction, sharpening, and other changes that are specific to various output media.

Example tools: Adobe® Photoshop® and Illustrator®, CoreDraw® and Corel®Painter™, Serif™ PhotoPlus and DrawPlus, and Xara XTreme

Layout Tools

Originally this class of software was the place where finished text and art were combined and then published, which follows the pre-digital model of physically cutting and pasting content on a page. But over time, the capabilities of layout tools have grown considerably. With a modern page layout tool you can not only place images in a design but you can apply sophisticated effects to the images. Basic illustration work such as simple diagrams or elaborate headlines can easily be created right in the context of the finished design piece.

Layout tools exist both for print and electronic media. Generally speaking, the layout tools for electronic media are more strongly focused on the development and deployment side of publishing with the print publishing tools having an edge in terms of design tools and ease of use.

Different companies take different approaches to bridging the divide between electronic delivery and print delivery. Some offer XML code-based connections between separate Web layout and print layout tools. Others allow simultaneous design for print, Web, and interactive media in the same application with a full set of page layout and design features. Among the many output types available from some of today’s advanced page layout tools are print, PDF, PPML, XHTML, XML, and Flash® (SWF).

Layout tools connect content creation and publishing, but efficient collaboration is a major challenge. Even a solo designer needs to work with printers and photographers. Some design software bundles come with browsing software to help you track your artwork better. A new development in some layout software is the ability to use digital job tickets to allow multiple designers to share their design specifications in real time, and some applications are able to separate out parts of complex layouts for simultaneous design by small workgroups.

Today’s new way of working, sometimes called “digital publishing” or “cross-media publishing,” gives designers access to new kinds of media and new kinds of business. Finding a layout tool that allows you to use your design skills across multiple media channels without specialized technical knowledge allows designers to do what they love while providing their clients with the media outreach they need in order to succeed.

Example tools: QuarkXPress® (and Quark Interactive Designer™); Adobe® InDesign®, Dreamweaver®, and Flash; Serif Page Plus and WebPlus; Microsoft® Publisher, Expressions, and PowerPoint®.

©2007 Quark, Inc. All rights reserved. Quark Products and materials are subject to the copyright and other intellectual property protection of the United States and foreign countries. Unauthorized use or reproduction without Quark’s written consent is prohibited. Quark and QuarkXPress are trademarks of Quark, Inc. and all applicable affiliated companies, Reg. U.S. Pat.& Tm. Off. and in many other countries. The Quark logo and Quark Interactive Designer are trademarks of Quark, Inc. and all applicable affiliated companies. Adobe, Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash and InDesign are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft and PowerPoint are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Corel, CorelDraw and Painter are trademarks of Corel Corporation. Serif is a trademark of Serif, Inc. All other marks are the properties of their respective owners.