PagePlus
PagePlus is a desktop publishing (page layout) program developed by Serif. The first version was released in 1991 as the first commercial sub-£100 DTP package for Microsoft Windows. The latest release is PagePlus X7,[1] which runs on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8.
Overview
While PagePlus is generally targeted at the "entry level" DTP user, some of the functionality present in the market leading applications (Quark's XPress and Adobe's InDesign[2]) is present in PagePlus, such as working in the CMYK colour space, OpenType Feature support, and Optical margin alignment (Optical Justification). PagePlus also has the ability to view, create, edit and publish PDF files,[3] and publish E-books in *.epub or *mobi formats.[4] Owing to the increasing price of alternative software such as Microsoft's Publisher, Serif PagePlus remains popular among voluntary and low-income organisations.[citation needed] However Serif has failed to achieve much acceptance within professional circles, partly due to the notable absence of Macintosh versions of its products.[citation needed]
There is a free version of the software, called PagePlus Starter Edition 4.0. It is based on the current version of the software (PPX7). In order to use this software, the user must download and install a download manager (which installs start.mysearchdial.com toolbar hijacker etc., if you're not very careful), then get an activation code through their email in order to unlock the software. The user has access to free designs and templates to download at the site.
PagePlus is primarily written in C++ using Visual Studio 2008, with a heavy dependence on the MFC framework. The Windows GDI library was discarded early in development in favour of an in-house composition engine supporting advanced bitmap and typeface operations. The text engine supports Unicode text entry.
See also
- Office Open XML software
- Scribus, open-source DTP software
References
Bibliography
- PagePlus official user guide
External links
- Serif PagePlus home page
- Serif PagePlus Starter Edition 4.0 website and free download
- Serif Forums official forums
Reviews
- Affordable Desktop Publishing From Serif – PC Mag
- Review of PagePlus X5 – PC PRO
- Comparative Review of Recent Versions
- #1 DTP product on TopTenReviews.com
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