What are DTP services?

DTP service or Desktop Publishing comprises a wide range of activities concerned with the creation of particular kinds of documents, mostly accomplished via page layout software. It was used mainly for printed publications in the past, but such capacities have transcended the creation of various kinds of online content, as well.

DTP software offers the designer the capacity to create layouts and generate images and text of high quality that are comparable in precision and quality to traditional typography and printing.

The tools used in DTP enable far greater control over layout, design, and typography than that offered by any type of word-processing software. Some of the usual services offered by DTP include multi-lingual support, layout, formatting, image or graphical editing, file conversion, publishing content in different formats, and brushing -up after translation.

Examples of such formats include Microsoft Word, Illustrator, PowerPoint, FrameMaker, InDesign, etc. DTP services are typically offered by third-party vendors, who specialize in helping users, permitting them to get their content formatted in different ways.

Questions to Ask DTP Providers

1. Do you provide multilingual support?
   One of the first things to seek in any respectable DTP service is the support of multi-lingual capacities. Though you intend to mainly publish content in English, there may arise a need to translate content into other languages. This holds true for any professional application because published content will have a much wider audience when the matter is translated into multiple languages.
2. Do you offer accurate services?
   Any DTP project demands a high degree of accuracy, especially for proofreading and editing services. You cannot allow mistakes to emerge in your content. Or else, your credibility will be damaged which may cause readers to abandon your published material.
3. Do you have enough experience?
   Any DTP service with years of experience in the market is most likely to be trustworthy and reliable and may be aware of the detailed and hidden nuances of DTP.
4. Do you provide good customer support?
   Customer support is yet another great quality that you will expect from any digital service since if any problems emerge with your published content; you would desire that they be resolved on time.
   Whenever a customer encounters a problem with your content, you must ensure that they have instant access to customer support which solves issues in a professional and expedient manner.
5. Do your services match my budget?
   You must ask the DTP company whether they can offer services that match your budget. There are some companies out there that charge exorbitant rates but do not deliver value. It will do you good to shop around and compare quotes from various companies before choosing the best one.
6. Can you offer an opportunity to test your nature of communication?
   The last thing you desire is to encounter a communication problem, down some way into your project. It is good to test the waters before hiring professionals. For instance, note the time they take to respond to your queries in the initial stages itself. If they are not forthcoming, it is a huge red flag.
7. Can you provide authentic reviews and references?
   Reviews and feedback on the website of the company are great but don’t be shy of asking them for references to whom you can speak. DTP companies must be ready to arrange for references, especially for big projects.

In sum, these are some leading questions to pose before DTP services providers.