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Microsoft Publisher—Using the Right Software for the Job

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With all of the templates and features available in Microsoft Word, I have a tendency to never leave its familiar comforts. I’ll spend an hour using the excellent table tools in Word to patch together a complex table before it dawns on me: I don’t really want a table. All I really want is a Microsoft Excel worksheet. Then I copy over my data, use the vast array of features in Excel, and finish in minutes.

I had this same kind of realization yesterday when I was designing a newsletter from a Word template. I had tweaked and fussed with the design for two hours when a light bulb suddenly illuminated: I have an entire program made for this.

I quickly navigated to the Microsoft Office programs folder. Ah, yes, there it was. I blew off its virtual layer of dust and opened Microsoft Publisher. In 20 minutes I had a better design and was able to fix the issues the Design Checker and Commercial Print Settings features brought to my attention. All because I used the right software for the job.

When it comes to publishing professional-quality documents, Publisher is a lifesaver. It offers all the tools I never knew I needed (Advertisement gallery! Master pages!) that speed up my design time and leave me a design with just the panache I was looking for.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 03, 2013
    Hi David, yes you are absolutely correct; right software for the job. Similar to publisher, people still feel at ease with excel when they want to have an Org Chart or process flow instead of MS Visio. I donot know why, may be because they sre still to see a demo of the appropriate software for their need. MS Publisher is a very user friendly tool for exact book/ magazine like look and feel. Once users are aquianted with this they would never use Word or Excel to have their publishing doc. Cheers. Best of luck.  ashok

  • Anonymous
    February 05, 2013
    Thanks to share this for <a href='http://www.quickcareers.in"><b> It software jobs </b></a>

  • Anonymous
    May 14, 2013
    A wonderful post and great advice for all those using publisher. I have recently enrolled my employees in a   <a href="www.ilearn.co.za/"> Microsoft publisher 2010 training course </a> and it has proven to be extremely useful.