Publisher is NOT a Commercial Printing program

[Product]

Please, Please, Please, PLEASE can you put a note on your packaging that
warns potential buyers that this software is not intended for use with
commercial printers. I have been working in the pre-press industry for about
5 years and I am sick to death of pulling my hair out trying to get Publisher
files to work. I'm sure you have had similar requests and yet, I still keep
receiving clients publisher files that takes me hours even days to work even
the most basic of commands. I don't even know people can use this software to
begin with as it the most un-user friendly DTP software I have come across.

A simple message would suffice:

WARNING!! PUBLISHER IS NOT A COMMERCIAL PRINTING PROGRAM.

Thank you for making my life an absolute misery.

----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...d93285&dg=microsoft.public.publisher.prepress

 

[JoAnn Paules [MSFT MVP]]

Sure it is. My print house (Nefra Communications, http://www.nefra.com)
accepts Publisher files and they have no problem with them. The only issue
I've ever had with them is the occasional weird font that I've used and they
don't have. I've learned to check for those fonts and take them along with
the other files.

 

[Mary Sauer]

Microsoft has a program for printers, you even can get the software...
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011090031033.aspx

 

[Mac Townsend]

If one doesn't want to learn to work with Quark files, then Quark is not
suitable for prepress work.

Knowledge is King. Lack of knowledge is complaining.

5 years in the prepress business is not very long. Even 10 years is only
middlin' <G>

 

[Brian Kvalheim [MSFT MVP]]

5 years = wet behind the ears.

--
Brian Kvalheim
Microsoft Publisher MVP
http://www.publishermvps.com

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
confers no rights.

 

[Katydid]

How about 27 years?

No, Publisher is not the most user friendly commercial printing application.
Yes, it is improving and affordable to most business users. But...

Would like to see Microsoft devout a team to really get this application up
to speed for professional print output (many pesty problems that aborb a lot
of time). If they do that, then I would highly recommend this program to many
of my "Office" clientele as would many of my colleagues in the printing
business.

BTW - Commercial printing application of choice these days is Adobe
InDesign. Pricey, but definitely worth the investment to anyone producing
commercial print documents on a regular basis.

Going to Print '05 in Chicago, and am very disappointed that Microsoft is
not represented. One of my goals at this convention is to find others having
to deal with Publisher files and what we can do to streamline the tedious
process of getting customer files to print to our RIPs.