Introduction

Those of you who know me (or my work) know that I am best known for the books and articles that I have written about enterprise networking products, such as Exchange Server and Office Communications Server. Even so, I decided to take a break from the norm and write a book on Microsoft Publisher 2010.

The reason why I decided to write this book is because I have always thought that Publisher was, without a doubt, the most underrated of all the products in the Microsoft Office Suite. Publisher has been around since 1991, and yet relatively few people seem to use it. In fact, when I was in college, I was required to take a class on using Microsoft Office, but the instructor didn’t even acknowledge the existence of Publisher. I have always thought that the seeming lack of interest was odd, because you can do some really cool things with Publisher.

I have to confess that Publisher is the only Microsoft Office products that I can really say that I enjoy using. Don’t get me wrong—Word, Excel, Outlook, and the other Office applications are great tools. I couldn’t do my job without them. The thing is that when I am working with Word, Excel, or Outlook, the task at hand feels like work. Let’s face it: Most of the Microsoft Office products are really geared toward producing business documents, and really, how much fun is that?

Publisher, on the other hand, allows for a much higher degree of creativity and expression than the other Microsoft Office products do. I have found creating Publisher documents to be a rather enjoyable process, and the end result is always highly satisfying. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to write a book on Publisher 2010.

Before I get started, I want to take this opportunity to put your fears at rest. I realize that some of you might have panicked when you realized that you bought a book that was written by someone who normally writes hard-core technical material. I’ll let you in on a little secret….

As someone who writes about numerous different subjects, I am constantly having to educate myself on various products and technologies. As such, I read pretty much anything that I can get my hands on. What I have found is that many technology authors like to impress their readers by using a lot of big words, complex acronyms, and convoluted diagrams. This doesn’t really help me, though. My fast-paced production schedule demands that I learn new material quickly. As such, I greatly prefer reading a simple explanation of a technology to one that is overly complex.

Over time, I have discovered that many of my readers are in the same boat I am. They need to learn about something new but don’t have the time or the desire to dissect a complex explanation. Therefore, I have always tried to break down complex material and present it in as simple of a manner as possible, and I will use this same approach in writing about Publisher 2010.

Yes, Publisher does have a bit of a learning curve, but I promise to make it as painless as I possibly can. Please understand that I don’t use this approach because I think that my readers are stupid, or as a way of insulting anyone’s intelligence. It’s just that I know that most people are busy, so I try to keep things simple as a way of respecting my reader’s time. With that said, I hope you enjoy the book.

How This Book Is Organized

This book introduces you to Microsoft Publisher 2010, and shows you how to use it to do everything from creating simple documents to creating highly customized documents that are based on your business data. Additionally, you will learn numerous best practices for working with Publisher 2010, and you will learn about when it is appropriate to use Publisher as opposed to one of the other Microsoft Office applications. Using Microsoft Publisher 2010 offers you the following:

• It discusses the overlap between Publisher and Microsoft Word, and when it is appropriate to use each application.

• It discusses both the benefits and limitations associated with using Publisher 2010.

• It discusses the interaction between Publisher 2010 and other Microsoft products.

• It explains key concepts in detail for novice users, but also covers topics of interest to those who already have experience in using Publisher.

• It offers real-world examples that you can relate to.

Using This Book

This book enables you to customize your own learning experience. The step-by-step instructions in the book give you a solid foundation in using Publisher 2010, while rich and varied online content, including video tutorials and audio sidebars, provide the following:

• Demonstrations of step-by-step tasks covered in the book

• Additional tips or information on a topic

• Practical advice and suggestions

• Direction for more advanced tasks not covered in the book

Special Features

More than just a book, your Using product integrates step-by-step video tutorials and valuable audio sidebars delivered through the Free Web Edition that comes with every Using book. For the price of the book, you get online access anywhere with a web connection—there are no books to carry, content is updated as the technology changes, and you receive the benefit of video and audio learning.

About the Using Web Edition

The Web Edition of every Using book is powered by Safari Books Online, allowing you to access the video tutorials and valuable audio sidebars. Plus, you can search the contents of the book, highlight text and attach a note to that text, print your notes and highlights in a custom summary, and cut and paste directly from Safari Books Online.

To register this product and gain access to the Free Web Edition and the audio and video files, go to quepublishing.com/using.