Broderbund Software

Broderbund desktop publishing software has been around for almost a quarter of a century in one form or another. PrintMaster, The Print Shop, as well as Calendar Creator are the most well-known consumer desktop publishing software and specialty programs. Encore Software is the publisher of these Broderbund titles.

Other names associated with these Broderbund desktop publishing software titles as former publishers and former or current distributors are Kyocera, MicroLogic Systems, Mindscape, Inc., The Learning Company, Mattel, Riverdeep, Houghton Mifflin Riverdeep Group, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Encore Software and Navarre Corporation. You may see the software (even current versions) listed under one of these names from time to time.

The comparison, below, is between the two versions of these programs that came before the complete overhaul to the new 2.0 editions with their new technology.

Broderbund produces two different popular desktop publishing titles: The Print Shop and PrintMaster. There is a dizzying array of The Print Shop and PrintMaster titles. For simplicity, here's a quicky comparison of two comparable titles: The Print Shop 23 Deluxe and PrintMaster Platinum 18. They are both easy to learn and use, come with helpful wizards and templates to jumpstart the design process, and include photo editing, drawing, and text tools that make them good all-in-one packages for simple desktop publishing and print creativity. Pictures, Pictures, Pictures (and Templates and Fonts)
In terms of amount of templates, images, and fonts that come bundled with the programs -- they run about even. The Print Shop has about 150 more fonts and 60,000 or so more images. Each includes a subscription to Million Image Club but it's only 6 months for The Print Shop Deluxe and a full year for PrintMaster Deluxe. You will need Internet access. Text Tools & Projects
The Print Shop Deluxe offers an edge over PrintMaster in its Layout and Text Flow tools -- a plus if you do a lot of text-intensive or multipage documents like brochures and newsletters. Some of its pro-like features include Master Pages, Text-Wrapping, Widow & Orphan Control, Kerning & Leading, PDF and TIFF export options.

PrintMaster does offer alignment tools and mail merge and does PDF export but its overall features seem geared a bit more toward crafty creative projects with the inclusion of the PrintMaster Scrapbook Creator, Arcsoft Photo FunHouse, and a Party Set Creator Wizard.

Between these two Broderbund products, if your interests lean more toward fun photo projects, scrapbooks, cards, and such then PrintMaster Platinum 18 may be more to your liking (and it costs a little bit less). If, in addition to greeting cards and other fun photo projects, you envision yourself doing newsletters and possibly more small business type documents then The Print Shop Deluxe 23 with its better text and layout tools may be a better all-around choice.

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