desktop pubishing tools and comparisons

[Steven Avery]

Hi,

Windows 10
For a new house-flip business (and maybe for publishing on some Bible issues) we are back to desktop publishing. In the flip business I want to do stuff like add one page for each house that we buy, or make a bid. Showing stuff from Zillow, my own pic, and some added text.

Serif PagePlus is end of life.  Microsoft Publisher has the name Microsoft. Scribus might be too arcane for my use.  Maybe Broderbund from antiquity is still in the mix for simple stuff?

What do you use and like? Microsoft Publisher? Adobe InDesign? I'll register a good one.
Which ones were just too frustrating?


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Six review sites helped with the options

G2
https://www.g2.com/c...s/desktop-publishing

technical ustad
https://technicalust...design-alternatives/

TechRadar
https://www.techrada...st/best-dtp-software

TrustRadius
https://www.trustrad...m/desktop-publishing

Pagination 
https://pagination.c...publishing-software/

creative bloq
https://www.creative...ndesign-alternatives

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I've tried to add helpful information below.

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             LAYING OUT THE OPTIONS

Adobe InDesign CS6 c. 2012  (desktop)- free trial -
Online starts $20/mo - Adobe abandoned the idea of standalone app
How To Purchase Adobe Photoshop CS6 (no Creative Cloud subscription)
https://www.patcheso...e-cloud-subscription
" you can still contact the Adobe Support Staff, usually via Live Chat, and they can process a payment for you for a full one-time purchase for CS6"
This all looks difficult and unlikely today, or $$$

CorelDraw - 15 day trial - designed as graphics design - Essentials 129 - Standard is 269
https://www.coreldra...al-offers/?topNav=en

  freeware - open source
Scribus - "open source desktop publishing"
https://www.scribus.net/

LibreOffice Draw and Writer - Writer designed as Word Processor (desktop publishing is add-on features)
https://www.libreoff...org/discover/writer/

  low-end - desktop under $100-150 for full-feature permanent license

Affinity Publisher - Serif - $49 - 30 day trial
https://affinity.ser...com/en-us/publisher/
savvy Mac users generally praise Affinity Designer (sister program), pan Microsoft Publisher
https://forums.macru...-ridiculous.2103034/

Microsoft Publisher 2019- "only gets security and bug fix updates"
Yes, there is Publisher 2019. Here's how to find it
https://office-watch...eres-how-to-find-it/
Microsoft - $139
https://www.microsof...ab=pivot:overviewtab
Publisher 2016 is possible - maybe about $60 - have to check the various spots, here is one
https://www.software...16-professional.html

Viva Designer -$139  "desktop and web" "typesetting and layout"
http://www.viva.us/e...top-version/download

Xara Page & Layout Designer 11, $90 - also has online, also has Designer Pro X
https://www.magix.co...age-layout-designer/

Pagestream $100 - Pro $150 - no updates since at best 2014
https://pagestream.org/

Bruderbund Print Shop - Deluxe $49 - Pro $100
http://www.printshop...s-right-for-you.aspx

Spring Publisher - Pro is $23
http://www.springpublisher.com/

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Lucidpress - online web-based only
Mac - Swift Publisher

QuarkXpress $400 - yearly? "graphic design and page layout software "

Pagination - cloud based - $550/year

Canva - browser online free is limited $10/mo - more a graphics design program

LaTex
skipping infographic software

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Thanks!
 

 

[wraith808]

I don't think that Microsoft is enough reason to throw out publisher depending on what you are using it for.  If you're doing simple stuff, it's the easiest to get into.  However, I wouldn't use it for any sort of complicated layout past a flyer.  For that, I use Affinity Publisher, mostly because it was the best of the reasonably priced options, and will import indesign.

[Steven Avery]

I do like the buzz around Affinity Publisher, and I downloaded the trial.  It tries to be like InDesign but some stuff like Footnotes have no automatic mechanism. If I had a background with InDesign it would definitely be my choice.

On the other hand, Scribus might be better for my relatively simple applicationss. The tutorial looked pretty clean for the newbie.  I know there are a few harumphs commnenly given, I would not mind finding them and seeing if they are very minor or severe negatives for my potential usage. 

And I want to make my learning curve not too long, and long-term worthwhile. 

And I was joking about the Microsoft name, but it seems like there are good reasons to put it behind the two I mentioned above. Open Live Writer is a similar situation, for writing blog posts.  A good product that ends up in a twilight zone.

[Dormouse]

I used to like Xara.
But that was a long time ago.

[KodeZwerg]

Could be CHILI of interest? (pure web-based solution)

[Edvard]

Back in the day, Pagemaker was my jam, and is in fact the very software that kicked off the Desktop Publishing revolution of the '90s.  I thought that since you were still considering Broderbund that it might do exactly what you need, but the latest that I could find is that it won't install on any Windows past XP.  It might be a nice exercise for your inner hacker to see if it can be done.  I don't know if Adobe will still sell you a license though...

Scribus is actually very nice once you get used to its workflow of separating content from layout, which is how it used to be done in the old pasteup-and-rubylith days.  My only gripe about it is it can't do Publisher-style automatic repeating layouts like for business cards.  It can be done, it's just more manual then I'd like for that functionality.

That said, and I hate to admit it being a Linux user, but for ease of use doing simple layouts, Publisher is a very nice and straightforward solution if you're willing to put up the money.  OpenOffice doesn't really have an equivalent, and Scribus is the closest I've found in the free options.

[Tuxman]

+1 for Scribus, actually.