An Overview on Multi-lingual DTP Service with WYSIWYG Page Layout Software

Over the past few years, Desktop Publishing has emerged as one of the most popular tools available to help with effective creations of publication documents. Desktop Publishing, commonly known as DTP, primarily involves the combination of a personal computer and “What You See Is What You Get” (WYSIWYG) page layout software. When combined, DTP and WYSIWYG create publication documents either for large scale publishing or small scale local multifunction peripheral distribution. However, it is also important to note that the term "desktop publishing" is not limited to paper and/or book publishing, it also has many other important uses. In fact today, the same DTP/WYSIWYG skills and software are often used to create page layout, graphics for point of sale displays, trade show exhibits, promotional items, outdoor signs, and much more.
Generally, DTP relies on the two important primary hardware components:
• Computer - supplemented by various input devices, including scanners and cameras
• Printer - which can produce high quality typographical and pictorial output

Effective on-screen DTP page composition is made possible only by utilizing WYSIWYG page layout software. The WYSIWYG programming helps to bridge the gap between the page layout software and the printers, effectively creating pages which match what the user sees on the computer screen.

Multilingual DTP allows an individual to meet multiple publishing needs. There are many multilingual DTP service providers and many DTP specialists and native graphic artists that work together. To provide top quality work and meet the highest standards, multilingual DTP also requires WYSIWYG layout applications, fonts and collaboration with expert Desktop Publishers that can support different languages. WYSIWYG page layout software is the key element that supports the functionality of desktop publishing.

Multilingual DTP service providers work with a different variety of operating systems. They also employ state-of-the-art multilingual graphics and software like QuarkXpress, Apple Pages, Microsoft Publisher, and others, to effectively design page layouts with pictures and text. However, using this additional software has its own set of implications for the service provider. Working with international fonts during creation or publication of documents is complex. The best multilingual DTP service providers will compare a test file to a file using one of the "safe" standard Windows fonts to determine the best specialized font for the project. This simple step simplifies the effort required in the translation and layout process, producing a better final product.

To effectively use DTP in tandem with multilingual translation, proper knowledge of the various types of software is paramount. For example, if an Illustrator file is initially designed on a Windows computer, then it can be very handy when used with Windows Illustrator to work with the translated file. If the original file is in Mac Illustrator and opened in Windows Illustrator, the accents and accented letters will change to a different character. Conversely, a file opened in Mac Illustrator that was originally created in Windows Illustrator will have the same result.

The greatest strength of WYSIWYG page layout software is its ability to use a layout or rendering engine which is embedded in the software to encode or change layout information such as breaks and paragraphs into HTML code. This automatic decoding makes the design and production process much faster and more efficient.

In today’s world driven by mass media, DTP, along with WYSIWYG page layout software technology has dramatically improved communication. Consider entire books can be produced using this DTP technique. In the world of DTP, the technology and idea of WYSIWYG will be prevalent as technology becomes even more sophisticated. With further development, the meshing of DTP and WYSISYG, both the process and product will continue to improve. The role of this technology has, and will continue to devalue the authority of the designer in the market, and further erode the need for a compositor in the production process. Importantly, as this role of the real person diminishes in the DTP world, it becomes increasingly critical in the realm of multilingual translation.

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