Desktop Publishing vs. Graphic Design

Graphic design and desktop publishing share many similarities, and people use the terms interchangeably. It is helpful to know and understand how they differ and how some people use and confuse the terms. We took a look at both topics and figured out the subtle but important differences between them.

Overall Findings

Over the years, the skills of the two groups have grown closer together. The one distinction that exists is that the graphic designer is the creative half of the equation.

Every step of the design and print process is influenced by computers and the skill of the operators. Not everyone who does desktop publishing also does graphic design. However, most graphic designers are involved in desktop publishing—the production side of design.

Software: A Common Denominator

Graphic designers use desktop publishing software and techniques to create the print materials they envision. The computer and desktop publishing software aid in the creative process by allowing the designer to try out various page layouts, fonts, colors, and other elements.

Non-designers use desktop publishing software and techniques to create print projects for business or personal use. The amount of creative design that goes into these projects varies greatly. The computer and desktop publishing software, along with professionally designed templates, allow consumers to construct and print the same types of projects as graphic designers. Although, the overall product may not be as well thought out, carefully crafted, or polished as the work of a professional designer.

Both designers and publishers can use the same software to do their work. Both free and commercial versions of these programs are available. Some examples include Adobe Photoshop and InDesign, Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, and GIMP. Professionals use the more powerful (and expensive) versions of the software. However, most of the same tools are available to amateurs and hobbyists at less (or no) cost.

Uses: Different Stages of a Similar Process

Desktop publishers and graphic designers may work on the same projects at the same time, but they have different goals in mind.

A graphic designer may focus on a single image, table, or the layout of a project. A single e-book, pamphlet, or magazine may have several graphic designers working on it. Desktop publishing picks up where their work ends to finalize the document and get it ready to become a real thing.

The same person could do design and publishing on a single project, but each job has different purposes.

Goals: Both Areas Have Similar Aims

Graphic design ends with the final physical or digital blueprint of a project that is ready for publishing. It then becomes the job of desktop publishing to turn that plan into a final product. Designers may not know about the whole book if they're only designing the cover, for example. It's publishing's job to take all the elements and put them together.

Final Verdict

In the 1980s and 1990s, desktop publishing put affordable and powerful digital tools in the hands of everyone for the first time. At first, it was exclusively used to produce files for print—either at home or a commercial printing company. Now desktop publishing is used for e-books, blogs, and websites. It has spread from a single focus—that of print on paper—to multiple platforms, including smartphones and tablets.

Graphic design skills predated desktop publishing, but graphic designers quickly caught up with the digital design capabilities that the new software introduced. In general, designers have a solid background in layout, color, and typography. They also have a skilled eye for how best to attract viewers and readers.

While desktop publishing requires a certain amount of creativity, it is more production-oriented than design-oriented.