There are a lot of applications for the job of page layout and DTP, but which one should I choose?
This question has been a one since I stepped into the world of typesetting, and still today, I become puzzled. Firstly, let us be clear that we are not going to use any of the paid (or at least highly paid) applications for our work. So the search begins with which applications I need, then goes to what the industry standard is, and lastly to what the best free alternative is.
First things first, no matter if you are an author, editor, or DTP operator, you must install a few applications that will work over or alongside all the other applications that you use, as per your requirements. Some of these applications come pre-installed, and some need to be installed manually. These applications are:
- Grammarly: Typing the right thing should be the first priority, and to do so, Grammarly really helps a lot.
- Avro Keyboard: If you are in Kolkata, you have to keep Bengali typing as an option in your list. The Avro keyboard is the tool that will let you type in Bengali in the applications that support Unicode texts.
- Microsoft Word / LibreOffice Writer: MS Office mostly comes pre-installed in the system. If no
Download links for the above applications and their websites:
| Application | Link / Website | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Grammarly | https://app.grammarly.com/ | Use in all the applications that need typing. |
| Avro Keyboard | https://www.omicronlab.com/avro-keyboard-download.html | Download some Unicode Bangla fonts and type in Bangla. |
| LibreOffice Writer | https://www.libreoffice.org/download/ | Can be used if Microsoft Word is not available. |
So far, you have learned the basic applications that you need. Next, we shall see how to select the best application according to the needs of the client.