Desktop publishing options?

AdrianBruce · Post by **AdrianBruce** » 31 Dec 2010 21:51

I know - why isn't he using a web-site? Partly because not all my relatives are that IT literate. Partly because (for me) nothing beats plain simple paper to read. And file away on a society's shelves. Besides which - my ideal is this:
- I write the chapters manually (in MS Word, say);
- I paste the chapters into the pages of a Wordpress site;
- I assemble the chapters in some sort of software that for the sake of argument I'll call desk top publishing, and print that (somehow);

So, this way I get the best of both worlds. I hope.

Can anyone advise on some 'dtp' software that might be used in this manner?

I've tried using Word directly - but seem to run into issues with images not always appearing (I'm on 93 pages so far).

I tried Word with sub-documents - and ended up with a sub-document's text in a header. Sub-documents have 'previous' for me, so I've lost enthusiasm for them...

I downloaded open-source dtp Scribus - then when I started looking through the FAQs, I read that the maximum document advised was roughly about 30 pages. Huh????

Anyone got any advice?

ID:4915

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 01 Jan 2011 10:38

A few quick thoughts, with Wordpress you probably will lose some of the formatting and the images when you paste into it from Word.

Word is capable of storing your book chapters, and images, but you could look at building your book as a plain text file and then perform the formatting (including adding images) at the final stage before printing, by adding picture holders, which you can search for in the final process, I presume you will be using someone like Lulu or Blurb to print your book, so it's best to review what they require.

jeemo · Post by **jeemo** » 02 Jan 2011 21:27

Adrian

Serif have a free DTP package which is very good. It can be found at http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/software/pageplus and will certainly do what you want.

I use it to create my Family History Group's Newsletter. Many functions are the same as MS Publisher.

HTH

AdrianBruce · Post by **AdrianBruce** » 03 Jan 2011 13:04

Jane - thanks for the thought about checking what Lulu or Blurb might want. I'd actually not thought that far ahead but it makes sense to check out the options.

John - somewhere I've got an old (paid) copy of Serif Page Plus - and MS Publisher as well - so it would probably be worth looking those out in the absence of an open-source DTP app. Depends on what the printers will accept.

(Moan mode [mad] on/ I took against Serif because of their insistence on phone registration only - naturally, this was just an excuse to sell you things - very badly.

I also confess to being baffled at the thought of someone considering that an app with an advised limit of about 30 pages might be considered to be desk top publishing.

Moan [smile] off/)

mezentia · Post by **mezentia** » 08 Jan 2011 16:12

I use Corel Ventura 10. However, I'm not sure if it's still available commercially, and it was expensive when it was. Nevertheless, it is probably the best program for organising such complex material as genealogy data. I think Burkes Peerage (at some point, anyway) was prepared for print using Ventura. It has extremely good indexing and cross-referencing facilities. Like any comprehensive package, though, it takes a good while to learn, and I don't think the user group is still active [frown]

davepacey · Post by **davepacey** » 09 Jan 2011 09:46

Hi Adrian,

Have you thought about trying Open Office, it is totally free, compatible with MS Office. Not sure it is any better than Word, but nothing to lose by trying it

Read about it and download it from here

http://why.openoffice.org/

AdrianBruce · Post by **AdrianBruce** » 09 Jan 2011 22:55

Dave - I've used OpenOffice in the past, on my netbook. If I'd never used MS Office, it would have been great... [rolleyes]

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