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Daily Dose of DTP: 40. It"s Not My Default
This is Rule #12 and the last desktop publishing rule in this class. Starting tomorrow we begin with the design, document setup, images, text, prepress, and printing tutorials.
Class Notes: This is not simply a word-a-day course. The lessons follow a specific order in roughly the following groupings: General concepts > Things you need > Font specifics > Image specifics > Prepress & Printing > Rules & Tutorials (bold indicates the stage in which this lesson falls)
Rule #12 of Desktop Publishing
While the default settings for documents are designed to help you get started faster, relying on them for the final look of your document is usually not a good idea. If you stuck with all the defaults for fonts, margins, indents, etc. you might get a decent (although probably boring) document. But once you change your fonts chances are the remaining defaults will no longer work as well. If you change the margins, you need to change other elements to keep everything working well together. Many of the default settings are interdependent.
Today's Trivia
Following the Rules.
"Right and wrong do not exist in graphic design. There is only effective and non-effective communication." You've probably seen that quote, oh, about a dozen times now. It appears on all 12 of the Rules of Desktop Publishing. Why? It's a reminder that while we call them "rules" they are really simply guidelines, suggestions, and best practices. There is no absolutely right or wrong way to do desktop publishing. There are simply methods that work better, are more effective than others.
You've probably heard or read "rules are made to be broken" dozens of times. It applies easily to design and publishing. Rules can be broken. But first we need to learn the rules, understand why those rules were established in the first place. Then we'll know when breaking or bending the rules will work for a specific project. And if the rule works, go with it.
Preview of the Final Week
The Desktop Document. The next seven daily lessons pack in dozens of tutorials into just one week. Keep in mind that this is an introductory class. I don't expect you to read and absorb every single tutorial in each section. The primary goal of these seven lessons is to return to the six broad areas of desktop publishing introduced at the beginning of this class and show how those areas fit into the design and publishing of any one desktop publishing project.
After the next 7 classes will be the test - a 6-part final exam covering much of what we've introduced in this class. I hope you've been paying attention and actually reading each definition and lesson!
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