Could You Design a Whole DTP Project in an Image Editor?

There are a few reasons why you might want to design a whole desktop publishing project in an image editor:

* Something happened to your computer and you have to use a borrowed machine for a few days.

* Your client has specifically requested that the deliverables be in a .jpg (or similar) format and you do not want to bother with the conversion process.

* You are setting up samples for your own website and you want to be sure that your samples are hard to copy so nobody steals your creations. No matter what your reason happens to be the question is can you actually do it?

Sure, you can create in an image editor, but can you create something professional that you would actually want to give a client? Well, that depends on the kind of project you are creating.

That is easy enough; you just have to ask yourself a few simple questions:

1. How much text is going into your project?

Projects with a lot of text can be hard to negotiate when you are working with an image editor. Trying to make a newsletter in an image editor is probably not the best idea. After all, you will only have a minimal control over the spacing of the text and no control over columns.

2. Will you get better control with an image editor?

In some projects a greater control over things like image size, placement or color grades and the transparency they will be is an advantage. If you have a project that requires this kind of control over multiple elements, then an image editor may be the best choice. That way you do not have to alter each image individually and import them. Just be willing to work with layers if you choose this path.

Now you can get your projects done efficiently. Of course, those questions are only a guideline. Use your judgment because as a professional it is always your best guide.

If you are in dire straights and you do not have a software word processor, consider getting yourself internet access. There are a few pieces of software that can help you out in a pinch. For example, Zoho Office or Google Docs.