Easy Does It Create marketing materials with easy-to-learn Macintosh desktop publishing software.

At some time or another, almost every small-business owner needs to create printed materials for his or her business. It might be a simple flier announcing a big sale, a postcard telling customers of an address change, or perhaps something more complex, like a monthly newsletter for staying in touch with clients.

Though some of these projects might sound like something your word processing software could handle, you'll get better results from a proper desktop publishing program. Computers have made graphic artists out of almost all of us. That's not to say professional graphic artists are no longer needed; it's just that they're only needed for bigger jobs--like four-color ads in national publications and show-stopping brochures.

In this issue, we examine two Macintosh desktop publishing programs that are touted as easy-to-use and affordable: Adobe Home Publisher and Manhattan Graphics Ready, Set, Go. (Windows users should turn to Microsoft Publisher or CompuWorks Publisher for similar functionality.)