Desktop publishing (also known as DTP) is the use of a personal computer and page layout software to create publication documents for either large or small scale publishing and distribution.

Page layouts are created with text, graphics, photos and other visual elements using software such as Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress, and any graphics software that combines editable text with images. For small jobs a few copies of a publication might be printed on a local printer. For larger jobs a computer file can be sent to a vendor for high-volume printing.