Best Desktop Publishing Software: For Home & Business Users (2023)

There’s absolutely no space for confusion, that Word is the simplest and quickest word processor ever developed. I am sure we all have used it once in our lives. Simply type the text – make it italic or bold > hit the Save button, and you are good to go! It’s no brainer!

But what is needed to typeset a dissertation, create attractive posters, brochures, flyers, letterheads, catalogs, newspapers, or entire magazines? Well, you certainly need to replace your word processor with desktop publishing software that helps you produce better and more beautiful documents. The most significant advantage of DTP Programs over normal document creator apps is that it allows proper alignment of photos and text according to the guidelines you set up for the guidance and grids you set up. You have full control over the layout size, spacing, heights, widths, and other orientations that ensure you have professional and high-quality output.

PART 1- Our Recommendation – Top Three Desktop Publishing Programs (2021)

	Adobe InDesign Industry-leading layout & page design software. Design artful print media & digital media. Export files in multiple formats, including EPUB, PDF, HTML.	Best choice
	CorelDRAW Offers professional-level features. Versatile drawing & tracing tools. Fun & easy gratification effects.	Best choice
	Microsoft Publisher Huge collection of readymade templates. Document-sharing capabilities. Professional level effects for texts, shapes & images.	Best choice

PART 2- Worth Trying Paid & Free DTP Software – Level Up Your Creativity Game

Let’s check out what all these best desktop publishing software for beginners and advanced users have to offer.

1. Adobe InDesign

Price: Free/ $256.92

On number one, we have Adobe InDesign, an industry=leading layout and page design program suitable for fulfilling your print and digital media needs. Using this excellent desktop publishing software, you can create beautiful graphic designs, including books, digital magazines, posters, interactive online documents with sound, visuals, animations, and more. Additionally, you can manage your entire designing elements for quick and hassle-free editing. The freeware DTP software even supports a wide array of file formats, making it sharing files effortlessly. Unlike other desktop publishing programs, Adobe InDesign features support for endnotes, paragraph borders, PDF accessibility enhancement tools, and HTML export compatibility.

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2. CorelDRAW

Price: Free/$198/Year

CorelDRAW is an excellent desktop publishing software for beginners and advanced users. The DTP program is capable of producing aesthetic, imaginative concepts. If you have a creative mind, then making email newsletters, digital books, calendars, newspapers, magazines, posters, letterheads, envelopes, etc. is a piece of cake using CorelDRAW. All of the documents designed using this freeware desktop publishing software can be used for electronic circulation or commercial printing for other purposes. The multipurpose DTP tool offers a substantial series of tools that make designing multimedia files effortless. Unlike other professional utilities for desktop publishing, CorelDRAW supports a variety of over 1,000 typefaces.

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3. Microsoft Publisher

Price: For Home Users = $71.07

For Professional Users = $17.70/Month

A product from Microsoft, one of the most renowned companies in the World, so you can undoubtedly expect the best from its desktop publishing software. The DTP tool is designed while keeping beginners & professional needs and requirements. Therefore, you can find all the quintessential features and tools required for making experienced and high-quality digital media assets. You can work from a blank sheet to create something extravagant from scratch or use existing templates with a wide array of designing and editing tools to create commercial-level magazines, letterheads, flyers, brochures, catalogues, and whatnot. The DTP program even supports integration with OneDrive, hence makes your entire task easier to save and edit, anytime, anywhere.

4. Scribus

Price: $240

The dashboard & overall UI may seem outdated, but your initial opinion will eventually fade when it comes to its functionality and benefits. Scribus is an excellent desktop publishing software with a robust set of features and tools perfect for creating commercial-level publications. It consists of print colour management tools, a classic typographic grid, and a plethora of gorgeous templates to design any form of multimedia from scratch. It supports layer designing, vector snaps and helps you put together all types of artwork and elements in one place so that you can align everything in place and create something unique and professional. The DTP program is designed & developed, keeping novice users in mind, that’s why you’ll find the interface a little dated, but overall, the desktop publisher is excellent.

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5. QuarkXPress

Price: $295

Available for popular operating systems like Windows and Mac, QuarkXPress is a perfect desktop publishing application that allows you to produce interactive brochures, flyers, newsletters, annual reports, and other printing and digital publishing stationery. Unlike most popular paid & free DTP tools, QuarkXPress offers an extensive set of tools that make crafting responsive HTML5 web pages, including banner advertisements, landing pages, and much more, just as easy as ABC. There was a time when QuarkXPress was considered the king of desktop publishing. However, due to a lack of enhancements and increased competition in the category, QuarkXPress lost its charm over the years. You can still rely on this DTP tool to enjoy impressive designing tools, layout animation, and ease of use.

6. Xara Page & Layout Designer

Price: $89.99

Xara Page & Layout Designer can be best described as the beginner’s DTP software. It is affordable and comes with an easy to use interface for crafting and publishing professional-looking publications. To be honest, it doesn’t offer a great selection of editing tools, templates, or art assets, but still, you can create commercial-level graphics if you use the right tool for the right purpose. Using the desktop publishing application, you can find a complete package of typography and page layouts and useful illustration and photo editing tools, which makes it a smart choice for professional and home users alike. It’s a straightforward yet attractive interface that makes the entire designing and publishing process hassle-free. The DTP app even offers excellent tutorials that makes learning the tool easy.

PART 3- Samples Created Using The Best Desktop Publishing Software For Beginners

Fun Fact: While writing the reviews about the Best Desktop Publishing Applications, I found using Adobe InDesign & CorelDRAW so fun that I created some sample newspapers, letterheads & visiting cards; Be using the tools. Hope you get basic idea about the output, plus everything else depends on your level of creativity! :p So, good luck! 

Be Creative, Be Innovative!