Can anyone review MS Publisher for me?

Question

Ease of use? Options? How does it compare to similar software?

Answer 1

Review of Publisher........

Ok, you asked for it.

I work for a printing company in pre-press (we prepare files for printing on press). So my opinion is based on print production.

First, the negatives.

Publisher is Microsofts version of a page layout software, and is trying to compete with Quark Express, and Adobe InDesign.
Years ago when it came out, alot of companies wouldnt even take jobs that were made in Publisher. It was just useless! We even had a service bureau tell us they wouldnt take it without a $500 deposit.
If you have any experience with Quark or InDesign, you will be lost trying to use Publisher, alot of the things it does doesnt make since.
Its tools are diffulcult and vague to work with.
Its color tables are vague (Publisher is standard RGB, printing presses dont print in RGB).
Alot of printing companies dont support it.
Designers "real designers" dont use it.

Now the positives.
If you are ONLY going to use it to print garage sale flyers for your own use, use it.
Its cheap (you get what you pay for).
Its Microsoft (which means Suzy secretary, and Mary home-maker use it, and call themselves "designers").
We charge extra for Publisher jobs as opposed to Quark or InDesign.

If you plan on doing any production work with it, flyers, brochures, catalogs, etc. that you then take to a commercial printer to print on a press, youll be in for alot of headaches.

All in all, its good for home use, bad for production work.