Looking good in print: A guide to basic design for desktop publishing

A guide to producing attractive, effective newsletters, advertisements, brochures, manuals, and other quality printed pieces offers a host of useful ideas. Original.

YA-Not only a must for beginning desktop publishers, this succinct compilation of design basics will also prove useful for more experienced teenaged hackers, clearly setting down instructions for what may have been achieved previously through trial and error or intuition. Focusing on elements such as relevance, consistency, and contrast, Parker steers clear of trendiness and emphasizes functionality in his description of and formulae for "looking good." On nearly every page, visual or textual examples demonstrate how a few clicks of the mouse or command key can make a document difficult to read-and how to fix those problems. Chapters cover the "Tools of Organization" (grids, subheads, etc.), the "Architectures of Type" (typefaces and kerning), and "Working with Color." Later chapters apply these basics, outlining prototypes for designing newspapers, advertisements, books, and business communications. Because the book is not specific to a particular computer system, it won't become dated quickly.
Jennifer A. Phillips, Carnegie Millon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.