PagePlus 4 review

Unlike Microsoft's Publisher, Serif's PagePlus has always been ostensibly aimed at the DTP user who wants professional results with minimal fuss and cost.

Publisher 97 (reviewed p188) has increased ease of use and some extra Web publishing elements. PagePlus seems to be moving in the right direction too, with more support for professional users, including spot and process colour separation, as well as Pantone colours. But unlike Publisher's Web Site Wizard, PagePlus can't generate HTML code, although it outputs Adobe Acrobat PDF files for others to read on the Web.

Feature-wise, PagePlus is a more of a publishing suite than just a DTP package. Also included is an integrated word processor called WritePlus, a simple art package called LogoPlus and Serif's ArtGallery CD. Between this and LogoPlus, there are 17,000 clip-art images, 550 photos and 400 TrueType fonts in the package.

PagePlus' main screen is extremely well laid out, making extensive use of toolbars and buttons, most of which are context-sensitive. For example, while the toolbars for File, Edit and Publication functions are present, you'll get text tools like style, font, size and effect if you select a text object.

Down the left-hand side of the screen are basic layout tools, including frame, text, picture and simple drawing tools. You can also call WritePlus or LogoPlus from this point, or import a picture from another source.

The drawing tools consist of lines, circles or squares, but these are only intended for creating simple elements on the main page. Loading LogoPlus gives you access to a much wider range of options. The bottom of the PagePlus screen has a range of buttons controlling view options and roll-ups, and there's a colour and shade picker on the right. Size, position and angle information for the selected object is displayed on the status line, and a Status roll-up offers fine control over these values by direct input or nudge buttons.

PagePlus is a frame-based package in that most objects are positioned by placing a frame on the page, and putting your object - text, picture or logo - inside the frame. Simple text, like headlines or captions, can be placed directly on the page without using a frame. Importing text will automatically create frames, and pages if necessary, to fit. A story can be placed into multiple frames, and the link order of the frames can be defined if they aren't intended to be sequential. PagePlus also supports multiple stories within a single publication.

Text will automatically flow around other objects, like frames, but there is manual control over word wrap in case you need it. Text can also be flowed to fit the inside of an object, such as a circle. However, Serif points out that this can cause some unbalanced effects if not used cautiously, and you might need to 'tune' the text in order to get word breaks and hyphenations in the right places.

Layout tools include the usual collection of rulers, grid lines and columns with support for master pages and named styles. Pages can be layered, and repeating elements can be placed in headers and footers. Guides can be added by clicking on the ruler, or moved by clicking and dragging.

Background patterns and watermarks can be applied, and like Publisher, PagePlus directly supports the Paper Direct range of products, with Wizards that show the paper patterns on screen for positional purposes but don't print. You can also set the transparency of page elements to allow other elements to show through.