Desktop and Virtual Publishing

Desktop and virtual publishing are synonymous terms used to describe the technical assembly of digital files to create visual displays of ideas and information. These digital interaction systems consist of hardware and software that allows the user to control all phases of a publication. The term desktop publishing (DTP) includes the process of using type, illustrations, and colors to produce ready-made documents. Virtual publishing’s core business is the acquisition and redistribution of real-time data through electronic publications. Desktop and virtual publishing definitions are relevant to this edition because both are major topics of interest in the field of educational communications and technology. In addition, they connect learners, resources, and instructors to design procedures in publishing. Both take place in an interactive learning environment created through technology. This entry first defines desktop and virtual publishing and discusses their uses. It then explains their implications for learning and gives a timeline of important dates in the development of desktop and virtual publishing.

In 1995, virtual publishing was defined as a pristine, paperless operation. A manuscript could be bound into a book in less than four weeks. These electronic publications reached concentrated audiences. They offered individuals the data they needed for distribution to the public. Virtual publishing has changed the world of book publishing. Using technology, it gives the imprecise publishing industry the manufacturing ability associated with computer-assisted manufacturing.

Paul Brainerd, the founder of Aldus Corporation, first introduced the term desktop publishing in 1985. This was the same year PageMaker was introduced. It enabled individuals who wanted to publish a work to do so. This was done independently from a publisher and without a typesetter or printing press. Besides the process of using the computer with specific types of software, DTP and virtual publishing combine text features and graphics to produce documents that are aligned with Web design.

In 2004, DTP was defined as the practice of producing high quality printed output. It included graphics, page layout software, and printers designed to create quality pages. The emergence of DTP was a major event in the history of publishing technology. It allowed most universities to easily and inexpensively produce hard-copy printed pages suitable for use as printing masters.