Design software for newspaper editing

pog it

Hello all. Hope everyone is good.

About a year and a half ago I did a weekend course in Quark Xpress which I enjoyed but two days obviously isn't enough to know the software properly.

I did my degree in English so I haven't had the benefit of a degree course in Journalism/Communications, etc. so I don't know what programs/software are preferred for producing and editing newspapers.

I had heard back then that the provincial newspapers use Quark XPress - is this still the case? Would you find it in the dailies as well.. or are they using a new program? The finish of the various newspapers varies a lot, and I'm sorry I didn't ask more questions when I did that short course.

Would appreciate any help. Thanks a mil

billy the squid

when ever the Limerick Leader has advertised positions they had Quark Xpress as a requirement.

They use Adobe InDesign in the UL Journalism/New media course.

pog it

Cheers Billy. Well all I can find are two day courses in these programs and you really do need a lot longer if you are a beginner- I know I did this, but paying 450+ for a two day course isn't worth the money.

Does anyone know of longer running courses in these software programs? I'm thinking over 3 months- 6 months?

jdivision

Yeah, Quark is used in a lot of places, including nationals. Wouldn't you be better off buying a book and using that to teach yourself? I mean, I find self taught best, it's how I learned back in college. I don't do layout anymore but did a two-day course in it earlier this year and it was easy enough cos I remembered the fundamentals.

pog it

jdivision wrote: »

Yeah, Quark is used in a lot of places, including nationals. Wouldn't you be better off buying a book and using that to teach yourself? I mean, I find self taught best, it's how I learned back in college. I don't do layout anymore but did a two-day course in it earlier this year and it was easy enough cos I remembered the fundamentals.

Self-study works great but I am trying to get fluent in Irish and I'm weighed down with self-study in that at the mo.

The other reason is that I'm not as quick picking up technical things- I could mess around with the program, but I would like some decent teaching/guidance first- if even over a few months. I have extreme basics from my 2 day course, and learned some interesting things about font, etc. but I really want to learn how to design pages myself.

Are there any courses out there that anyone has done?

thusspakeblixa

A lot of newspapers use Adobe InDesign CS3/CS4 now too. It's all we learn in DCU.

not bakunin

The NUJ run short courses in InDesign, except not in Ireland.

http://www.nujtraining.org.uk/page.phtml?id=1229&category=outline_pt&ref=0&finds=0&string=&strand=

They have different rates for members, the public, students and those recently unemployed. I don't know where in Ireland you could get a longer training session in the software, outside of a Media course. I agree that it's better that way, I've been at it since September and it's only recently that a lot of the fancier features of the program are becoming clear!
Maybe ask a sub at your local paper?