WHAT TO BUY A desktop publishing program lets you combine words and graphics to create newspapers, newsletters, posters, and other visually-oriented ads and publications. Pagemaker The first fancy desktop publishing program was Pagemaker. It lets you create headlines, columns of text, and graphics on the screen easily, and move them by using a mouse. Pagemaker was originally on the Mac but is now available for Windows also. Version 5 of Pagemaker is quite new and quite expensive: discount dealers sell it for $579. Pagemaker's competitors Quark XPress and Ventura Publisher handle multi-page documents and fancy typesetting better than Pagemaker, but they're harder to learn how to use and they're not as convenient for handling graphics. They often require you to type numbers of inches instead of using a mouse. Typing numbers is more precise than using a mouse (especially if your hands are jittery), but using a mouse is more fun! Pagemaker is better for beginners and for laying out one-page advertisements. Quark XPress and Ventura Publisher are better for professionals and for laying out long manuscripts. Quark XPress was originally on the Mac but is now available for Windows also. Discount dealers sell the Mac version for $549, the Windows version for $596. Ventura Publisher is available in MS-DOS and Windows versions. Discount dealers sell each for $469. Desktop publish or word process? The dividing line between ``word processing'' and ``desktop publishing'' is blurry. Fancy word processors, such as Word Perfect and Microsoft Word, let you create multiple columns, but can't handle headlines or graphics well. Fancy desktop publishers, such as Aldus Pagemaker and Ventura Publisher, let you create text and edit it, but they lack advanced editing features, and they run too slowly to keep up with a fast typist. To create a newsletter quickly, create the text by using a full-featured word processor, create the graphics by using a full-featured graphics program, and then rearrange the text and graphics into headlined columns by using a desktop-publishing program. Desktop publishing programs are harder to understand than word processors. Too often, beginners wind up with messed-up documents from those programs, which are nicknamed ``Pagewrecker'', ``Quirk Distress'', and ``Vulgar Publisher''. Compromise Recently, some compromise products have been invented, such as Ami Pro. It runs on the IBM PC and is halfway between being a word processor and a desktop-publishing program. Cheap publishing To pay less for desktop publishing, get First Publisher or Publish It. Which of those two is better? First Publisher comes with more fonts; Publish It understands more commands, especially for graphics. First Publisher runs on MS-DOS and costs $99 from discount dealers. Publish It is available from discount dealers for the Apple 2 ($74), MS-DOS ($105), and Mac ($223); the Mac version is the fanciest. Kiddie pub Kids use a simplified form of desktop publishing, called kiddie pub. The most popular kiddie pub programs are The Print Shop (which prints posters and greeting cards), Certificate Maker (which prints awards), Kidwriter (which creates electronic story books with captioned pictures), and The Newsroom (which creates a 2-column page with a headline on top and graphics). They run on most computers and typically cost under $50. Let's take a closer look at The Print Shop and Certificate Maker. . . . PRINT SHOP To create big signs and greeting cards easily, get The Print Shop, invented by David Balsam & Martin Kahn. It's published by Broderbund, which has sold over 500,000 copies. It's the most popular graphics program ever created for the Apple 2e & 2c. Now it's available for all the other popular computers also, such as the Mac, MS-DOS, Windows, the Commodore 64, and the Atari 800. MS-DOS versions Several MS-DOS versions have been invented. The first was called simply The Print Shop. Then came a modest improvement called The New Print Shop. Those versions run on practically any computer. Later came a dramatically fancier version called The Print Shop Deluxe. Unfortunately, it requires a VGA monitor and a 386 or 486 CPU. Discount dealers sell it for $50. Here's how to use the first MS-DOS version. (The later versions are fancier.) Boot up To start using the first MS-DOS version, turn on the computer and get an A prompt on the screen. Then put The Print Shop disk into drive A, and type PS. Main menu The computer will show you the main menu: MAIN MENU GREETING CARD SIGN LETTERHEAD BANNER SCREEN MAGIC GRAPHIC EDITOR SETUP EXIT PRINT SHOP To choose an item from the menu, point at the item (by using the up-arrow and down-arrow keys), and then press ENTER. SETUP The first time you use The Print Shop, choose SETUP from the menu. The computer will ask which printer, screen, and disk drives you bought, then return you to the main menu. SIGN To create a sign, choose SIGN from the main menu. The computer will let you create a sign having words and a picture in the middle, and a fancy border around the edge. The computer begins by asking which kind of border you want. You have 17 choices: a thin line, thick line, double line, stars, beads, hearts, flowers, lace, lattice, wicker, woven, spirals, seashells, musical notes, candy canes, umbrellas, or none. Then the computer asks which picture you want in the middle of the sign, and gives you 140 choices. . . . Festivities: Halloween pumpkin, Thanksgiving turkey, Christmas tree, Christmas wreath, Hanukkah menorah, birthday cake, stork carrying baby, gift box, gift wrapping Pleasures: heart, cupid, rose, dancing, top hat, musical notes, bells, piano, trumpet, drum Refreshments: ice cream, ice-cold drink, coffee, tea, champagne, bartender Animals: grinning dog, poodle, crouching cat, erect cat, bunny, turtle, teddy bear, parrot, dove, bird house, penguin in tuxedo, cuddly penguin, butterfly, lion, tiger, rhino, unicorn, shark, pig Pointers: left arrow, right arrow, finger pointing left, finger pointing right, thumbs up, thumbs down Money: piggy bank, money bag, safe, cash register, hands passing money, demanding money, Master Card, Visa Transportation: antique car, taxi, chauffeur, reserved for handicapped, train, sailboat, rocket, baggage, woman walking Communication: phone, mailman, express mail, reader, eyes, eye chart, pen & paper, pen & ink, artist, typesetter, confidential file Thought: teacher, student, graduation, certificate, scales of justice, gavel, ballot box, solar energy, desk piled with work Other: boss, meeting, alarm clock, house, yard sale, family, mother & child, lifting weights, skiing, warm-up exercise, tired feet, skull, candlestick, light bulb, sunshine, outer space, yin-yang, life buoy, flower, good-luck horseshoe, shoes, iron, running faucet, robot, computer, floppy disk, Charlie Chaplin, white flag, lock, closed, question mark, string wrapped around finger, block saying "A", 20 patterns After you choose one of those clip-art pictures, the computer asks how large to make it. If you choose a small size, the computer asks whether you want the picture repeated, to create a wallpaper or tile pattern. Next, you choose one of 12 type styles. Then start typing the words you want to put on the sign. To make extra-large characters, press the F7 key; to make extra-fancy characters, press the F9 key. The computer will automatically center your message vertically and horizontally, unless you say otherwise. Finally, the computer asks where you'd like the sign to appear. You have four choices: your paper, your screen, your disk, or your T-shirt. If you choose T-shirt, the printer will print the entire sign backwards onto paper, so that when you iron it onto your T-shirt the writing will appear correct. The computer also gives you a chance to request multiple copies. After the computer prints, the computer gives you the opportunity to create more copies or return to the main menu. BANNER From the main menu, if you choose BANNER (instead of SIGN), the computer will let you produce a banner as long as you wish. You can even make it long enough to cover the entire length of your hallway! Each letter on the banner will be huge ___ about six inches high ___ so that you can read the banner from far away. Your printer will print the entire banner sideways, on tractor-feed paper: when you take the banner out of the printer, turn the banner 90ø counterclockwise, so you can read it. Other menu choices LETTERHEAD makes the computer print your name & address & graphics at the top or bottom of your stationery. GREETING CARD makes the computer produce a greeting card with your own front cover, inside message, and credit line on the back (instead of saying ``by Hallmark''). SCREEN MAGIC makes the computer create a sign based on a kaleidoscope instead of clip art. GRAPHIC EDITOR lets you create your own clip art, by using a joystick or the arrow keys. EXIT PRINT SHOP returns you to DOS. Add-ons After you buy The Print Shop, you'll also want to buy the Graphics Library (which includes extra clip art) and The Print Shop Companion (which includes extra borders, type styles, and graphics-editor commands). CERTIFICATE MAKER To print certificates, get Certificate Maker, published by Springboard Software. The version for the Apple 2e & 2c lists for $49.95; the version for the IBM PC lists for $59.95. 220 choices Certificate Maker creates 220 kinds of certificates: Love: certificate of love, sweetheart award, best kisser award Drinking: wine taster's certificates, wine connoisseur's certificate, beer connoisseur's license Pleasures: photographer's award, best vacation pictures award, globetrotter's certificate, party animal Personal strengths: cheerfulness award, citizenship award, community service award, award for quitting smoking, nicest smile, outstanding attitude, coolness under pressure Personal weaknesses: sweet tooth certificate, award for painting yourself into a corner, out on a limb, PIGSTY award (others for bad haircut, big mouth, foot in mouth, back seat driver, Mr. Know-It-All, Ms. Know-It-All, couch potato, "sticking to your guns", and worst joke) Good work: certificate of promotion, efficiency award, hardest worker award, troubleshooter's certificate, job well done, outstanding in your field, master certificate maker, best boss award (2 versions), best secretary award (2 versions), employee of the WEEK (others for month and year) Non-work: procrastinator's award, clock watching award, most coffee breaks award, company clown, infecting co-workers Flops: Murphy's law degree, quack license, horrible mention, wanted, LEMON award (others for dead carp, can of worms, rude awakening, and thanks for nothing) Family: certificate of wedded bliss, happy birthday certificate, adoption certificate, award for eating all of your yucky vegetables, greatest backyard chef, in the doghouse, best friends certificate (6 versions), DOG owner's license (others for cat and bird), ANNIVERSARY award (others for best mom, best dad, good girl, good boy, bad girl, bad boy, clean teeth, clean room, gourmet chef, and newborn baby) School: certified idiot, class clown, diploma (3 versions), MATHEMATICS award (others for reading, writing, and computer whiz-kid), computer operator's license, certificate of SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENT (others for geography skills, mathematics skills, and graduation), certificate of READING proficiency (others for writing, spelling, art, music, science, history, social studies, and physical education) Sports: teamwork award, poor sportsmanship award, world's greatest athlete, world's worst athlete, most valuable player, least valuable player, most valuable member, marksmanship award, fishing award, skiing award, gymnastics award (4 versions), GOLFING award (others for bowling, swimming, baseball, basketball, football, soccer, hockey, tennis, racquetball, and track & field, 3 versions of each) General: driver's license, the widest thinnest tallest smallest award, honorable mention, congratulations, best suggestion, thank you, what will I be when I grow up?, most likely to . . . , award for FIRST PLACE (others for second place, third place, and best idea), certificate of MERIT (others for achievement, excellence, appreciation, recognition, attendance, membership, participation, completion, improvement, proficiency, and performance), license (3 general versions), certificate of . . . (3 general versions), award for . . . (2 general versions), award (3 general versions), also 16 general religious awards, 11 general awards for children, and 4 totally general awards Most of those certificates include funny drawings. For example, the certificate that says ``Outstanding in Your Field'' includes a picture of the person in a field of grass, all alone. Customizing the certificates Below the certificate's title and drawing, you can write your own detailed text (using 5 type styles), followed by the date and your signature. The program even comes with some gold seals to stick on. You have 24 choices for the certificate's border. To make the border look impressive (like money), try getting a ribbon that has green ink, or put green toner into your photocopying machine. The program includes a database feature, so you can type a list of all your friends and send them all personalized certificates.