Top 5 Software Programs for Self-Publishing: Desktop Publishing Software

Self-Publishing is the art of publishing books and other printed material on your own whether through a professional printing service, usually an on Demand printer or at home. Additionally, publishing e-books and other web publishing is also becoming quite popular as well. Either process requires the use of different software programs to guarantee a successful outcome including word processing software, graphics software, page layout software and electronic layout software, otherwise known as web layout software, although many programs now have the ability to complete all four parts of the process in one program called desktop publishing software.

What are the best desktop publishing software programs for self-publishing? Let us look at five professional desktop publishing programs that combine all parts of the process into a single program. All five programs are perfect for sending off digital copies of an author's finished works to an on demand printing press or for web publishing as well, allowing for the best results possible.

Serif Page Plus X3 Publisher Professional

This self-publisher is a bitter, but much less expensive rival to Adobe's InDesign software. Page Plus X3 Publisher Professional can be used to publish in print and web format, using interactive tools. Including thousands of templates in addition to graphic and text handling tools, some of the most useful features make editing easy. Logo and Image Cutout Studios create graphics and logos in addition to applying special effects to text projects and support for EPS and HD photos, duplex printing, drawing tools, native file sharing and more make this the all around perfect publishing tool.

Page Plus X3 is easy to use and the user interface is impressive; it works much like Adobe's InDesign does and includes an entirely customizable workspace and integration with other Serif programs. Additionally, the change from print publishing mode to web publishing mode makes extra features available to the user, such as multiple browser support, HTML formatting for email and more. The only downfalls are that for those who like printed manuals to read, they have to pay extra for one and the program is only available for Windows operating systems. Otherwise, it costs about $99.95, although most times it can be purchased at a 50 percent discount. Page Plus X3 has no free trial period, but the Page Plus Starter Edition does. Additionally, the manufacturer does offer a seven-day guarantee so that if the user does not like the program for any reason, they can get a full refund.

Adobe's In Design Creative Suite

Adobe is well known for great software programs with many features and functionality. Essentially, Adobe's InDesign is the professional gold standard and it rolls all of the main functions of other programs, such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash and Fireworks, among others, into one simple to use publishing tool. InDesign is available for Windows and Mac operating systems as part of the Creative Suite 4 (CS4) and Creative Suite 5 (CS5) bundles or as a stand-alone program in addition to a 30-day free trial. This is by far the most expensive of the bunch, but worth the price, especially if self-publishing of any kind is something ta user does on a daily basis.

Adobe InDesign uses templates for web and print layouts or the user can create his own, all of which integrates with other Adobe programs seamlessly. Main self-publishing tools include varying page styles and sizes, table creation, smart guides, text effects, drawing tools, 3D artwork controls, transformation tools and others. In using the InDesign user interface, it very much looks just the same as other Adobe programs do. Most of the controls are the same as well as is the functionality. If a user knows Photoshop or Illustrator, two of the most downloaded Adobe programs, they can use InDesign. This program is simple to learn and use with the help of online tutorials and Adobe's CS Live online services, both of which can help reduce the time in between the creation and publishing of works.

Scribus 1.3.7

Scribus is an open source product and it has all the features of any pricey professional self-publisher, but is free of charge. While the design of the software itself is somewhat lacking and the user interface could use some improvements, it still does the intended job just as well as other commercial programs. Scribus is available for all operating systems and offers online resources and documentation including user manuals, interactive tutorials and more. Some of the impressive productivity features and tools include graphic and logo editing tools, text effects, table creation tools, creating PDFs is a native function and a must have for all self-publishers. Additionally, a wiki, bug reporting and technical support is available. The only downfall, aside from the somewhat outdated user interface, is that importing some images creates scaling difficulties; otherwise, this is a perfect replacement for most commercial self-publishing tools for jobs of all types and sizes.

Quark X Press 8

While Quark X Press 8 is another pricey program, it is worth the money considering all it can do. X Press 8 is a desktop web publishing software program, however it uses features of both Quark CopyDesk and Quark Print Collection and a shared content feature to produce finished works ready for on-demand print and web publishing. With Flash features built in, pen tools, styles and effects for graphics and text in addition to integration with style sheets and language support, this is a fully functional software program every bit as good as Adobe InDesign for half the price of the entire Adobe collection. Available for both Windows and Mac operating systems for $799 or as a free trial, Quark X Press 8 is worth a look for avid self-publishers.

Broderbund Publishing Software

This company is the publisher of many programs for web printing and self-publishers who are in need of getting a job ready for their on-demand printer quickly and easily. Print Shop Professional and Print Master Platinum are equality easy to use and produce excellent finished works ready to send to the printing press; however, there are some differences between them. PSD 23 features hundreds more font and template styles and effects, while the PMP 18 offers a longer one-year subscription to the online Million Image Club. PSD also offer better tools such as party set creators, text wrapping, Master Pages and export to both PDF and TIFF formats. The PMP offers drag-and-drop image additions, color matching and editing tools for designers.

Both programs can create and edit images, graphics and text for both the web and print, though the PMP offers many more tools and has many more professionally suited abilities that are perfect for the self-publisher with a smaller print job. Both PMP and PSD are available for Windows and Mac operating systems as a free trial or from $19.99 to $39.99 and $69.99 to $99.99, respectively.

References & Resources
Adobe CS5: What is InDesign?
"Serif PagePlus X3 Publisher Professional Review," Consumer Research
Editorial Staff, "Scribus 1.3.3.14 Review," CNet
Caspian-Kidd, "Quark Xpress 8 Review," TechRadar
"Desktop Publishing software," Top-10 Reviews