Graphic design: 8 DTP programs to turn your documents into elegant graphic creations
If your core business is graphic and/or editorial creation, it's essential to equip yourself with DTP software. Desktop publishing software assists you in all your graphic and editorial creations, simplifying your creative processes.
As you can see, DTP software is essential if you want to create communication elements. Whether within your organization, or outside it, good DTP software helps you create impactful communication that resonates with both your employees and your prospects.
Criteria to consider when choosing the right DTP software
The ideal DTP software needs to have a number of essential features to make it usable, and your experience with it as complete, simple and intuitive as possible. That's why we've selected DTP software that shares the following features:
- simple drag & drop functionality,
- a wide range of templates,
- creation of vector shapes,
- easy layout of text, images and graphics,
- help for managing the design of your documents,
- a wide selection of typefaces.
DTP software comparison chart
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 Adobe Illustrator |  Affinity Publisher |  DesignCap |  LibreOffice Draw |  Microsoft Publisher |  Pagination.com |  QuarkXpress |  Scribus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies |
| See software | See software | See software | See software | See software | See software | See software | See software |
| Learn more about Adobe Illustrator | Learn more about Affinity Publisher | Learn more about DesignCap | Learn more about LibreOffice Draw | Learn more about Microsoft Publisher | Learn more about Pagination.com | Learn more about QuarkXpress | Learn more about Scribus |
Adobe Illustrator
Introducing Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator is undoubtedly one of the best-known and most widely used DTP programs. Part of the Adobe suite, Illustrator is widely used by graphic designers and creative professionals.
Although the software is comprehensive, it takes a little getting used to in order to be perfectly mastered.
Advantages and strengths
- 3D creations;
- draw vector shapes without loss of quality or pixelation;
- very complete and widely used to create illustrations, logos and typography.
What we love about Adobe Illustrator
If you're a tablet aficionado, Adobe Illustrator can be used on both tablet and PC. For Apple owners, Adobe has optimized Illustrator, notably with the Open Pencil, which lets you create 100% editable Bézier curves and change tools with a simple press of the pen.
Adobe Illustrator
Affinity Publisher
Introducing Affinity Publisher
Affinity Publisher is a graphic design software developed by Serif. The DTP solution helps you create all types of marketing support, from e-books to publications for social networks.
All with intuitive layout and dynamic mock-ups. Affinity Publisher DTP software is the perfect tool for combining images, graphics and text into effective communication materials.
Benefits and strengths
- wide range of tools for creating typography;
- merges your documents to create fully integrated media (typography, table of contents, index, etc.)
- offers page layouts to make visuals more attractive with each new element added.
What we like about Affinity Publisher
The Package feature is one of Affinity Publisher's strong points. This function brings together all the elements, images and fonts used in your design. This "package" is then easily transferable to any collaborator, who, in addition to having access to your creation, will have access to the elements independently of it. In addition to graphic creation, Affinity Publisher improves teamwork.
Affinity Publisher
DesignCap
Introducing DesignCap
DesignCap is a solution that facilitates the creation of your graphic elements. The software provides you with a wide range of reusable and modifiable templates , so you can create a communication element that matches your desires.
In addition to offering millions of visual elements for your creations, Design Cap helps you create visual elements for any channel that revolves around your business:
- computer graphics ;
- flyer ;
- invitation ;
- Youtube channel banner;
- Facebook, Instagram, etc.
Benefits and strengths
- multiple templates for your presentations and infographics;
- creations adaptable to the communication channel you use, whether social networking or e-mail;
- design customization via creative tools and a comprehensive photo editor.
What we like about DesignCap
Thanks to a wide selection of customizable templates, DesignCap is one of the quickest-to-learn graphic design programs in our selection. Thousands of templates are available, and any changes you wish to make can be made in just a few minutes, watch in hand.
DesignCap
LibreOffice Draw
Introducing LibreOffice Draw
LibreOffice Draw is a free software package that makes it easy to create graphics for commercial use and corporate communication.
The solution has been designed to be simple to use. The learning process is smooth and straightforward, even if it takes a little time to get to grips with the software.
Benefits and highlights
- functionalities created by users for users,
- text zone correction system,
- easy to decompress files, which can then be read by a wide selection of text editors.
What we like about LibreOffice Draw
LibreOffice Draw has the advantage of being free software. Once you've got the software, you'll be able to take advantage of all the new features that come with free updates.
LibreOffice Draw
Microsoft Publisher
Introducing Microsoft Publisher
Microsoft Publisher is a software package that lets you create professional-quality presentations. With this solution, you can design anything from simple business cards to professional catalogs and newsletters.
The DTP software published by Microsoft assists you in page layout by giving style to your texts, images, borders, etc.
Advantages and strengths
- easy to use, so you can get to grips with it quickly and intuitively ;
- provides advice on publishing aspects to be taken into account (customization for your market, which images to use, etc.);
- the Design Checker reviews your entire project, highlighting areas for optimization and improvement.
What we like about Microsoft Publisher
Microsoft Publisher helps you see the performance of your e-mailing campaigns by integrating the Outlook application. You can then optimize the management of these campaigns in Publisher, and any changes you make are automatically taken into account by Outlook.
Microsoft Publisher
Pagination.com
Introducing Pagination.com
Pagination.com is a DTP solution that lets you use data from any source (Excel, Prestashop, SQL, etc.) to convert them into original visual creations.
Benefits and highlights
- updates your documents via a cloud-based system;
- creations ready for use and publication via any communication channel once completed;
- quick and easy integration of data into your creations.
What we like about Pagination
Pagination integrates data directly from your workflows, fully automated from your personal data. Once your data is ready for layout, you can access design proposals directly via predefined, editable templates.
Layout and presentation of your data is then quick and easy.
Pagination.com
QuarkXpress
Introducing QuarkXpress
QuarkXpress is a DTP software widely used by layout artists, press, advertising and publishing professionals. The software is mainly used to design graphic creations for print.
More than just DTP, the solution offers PDF management by customizing them and making them more intuitive. In particular, you can facilitate navigation of oversized PDFs by adding bookmarks to pages, sections or specific texts, accessible at the click of a button.
Benefits and highlights
- 1-time payment without subscription;
- streamlines collaboration between designers and editors;
- helps monetize content by adapting your creation to the channel you want to distribute it on.
What we love about QuarkXpress
QuarkXpress's interface includes access to Unsplash and Pexel image banks. This gives you access to thousands of photos that you can use directly in the software to illustrate your creations.
QuarkXpress
Scribus
Introducing Scribus
Scribus is an open-source DTP solution available as a free download. The software enables you to produce all kinds of visual creations, and is mainly used for both simple designs (brochures, flyers, business cards, etc.) and more complex creations (catalogs, newspapers, books, e-books, etc.).
Benefits and strengths
- supports four-color printing of files;
- provides numerous options to make PDF creations more intuitive (interactive form fields, annotations, bookmarks, etc.);
- imports files in other DTP formats (RTF, XTG, IDLM, IDXML, PUB, etc.).
What we like about Scribus
As Scribus is free software, it is regularly updated by an active community of volunteer users. This community has enabled Scribus to integrate different alphabets so that you can design for the international market.
Scribus
Using DTP software in your business: time-saving design tools
Using DTP software to design visuals for your communications is first and foremost a time-saving way of achieving a satisfactory result without any prior graphic design skills.
The 8 programs listed in the selection above will enable you to create your own media. This way, you can avoid using freelance platforms, which not only become expensive, but also force you to hire a service provider, often for a single assignment.
By using DTP software, you're guaranteed a satisfactory result at a lower cost.
Article translated from French