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Desktop Publishing ...If you want a really good, well rounded desktop publishing program, Microsoft Publisher could be just what the Doctor ordered. It has been around for a few years now and the newer versions keep getting better and better. If you purchased a new computer within the last year or so it may have come with Publisher already installed. It is part of Microsoft’s Small Business Suite of programs. If you don’t have it, you can purchase the latest version for less than $100. It is easy enough to use and understand. New users can be quite productive in a short time and there are enough robust advanced features and goodies to satisfy more experienced graphic designers. Of course most of them would never admit to using it. The key to learning to use Publisher is in appreciating its simplicity. There are two main types of boxes (or frames) to create and work with. You will create either a text frame (plain text or WordArt) or a picture frame (regular graphic image file or ClipArt Gallery). You can place them anywhere on the page, move and resize them at will. Once you are comfortable with that, the rest is just bells and whistles. And there are a lot of bells and whistles! Publisher can be used for everything from simple greeting cards.
When you open Publisher, there are several tabs to choose how you want to start. The Publications for Print tab is great for beginners. There are templates to help with just about any project you can imagine. Just click one in the left windowpane and let the wizards walk you through the rest. The Websites and email tab displays different design sets, or collections that share a consistent design or look. Each will have a matching design. Experimenting with these is a great way to begin to learn Publisher. Most of the design work is done for you. Just make your choice and fill in the blanks. The Blank Publications tab is where you can start from scratch, with blank pages and Wizard help only if you want it. Choose the type of page you want and strike out on your own. Use the Publication by Wizard tab while you are learning, then graduate to the Blank Publications area when you are comfortable.
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Once you make a choice by clicking on it, this is where the fun and learning begins. Anything you click will become highlighted so you can change it. If you have chosen a greeting card, spend a few minutes exploring. Move your mouse around and click (once with the left mouse button) on different areas of the publication. You should see handles, little black squares, appear when you click different things. This means you have selected an Object. It could be a picture box or a text box. 
Each has different ways it can be treated or changed. A picture frame can be moved anywhere on the page by moving the mouse anywhere inside the handles until you see your mouse pointer become a truck. To see the truck on a graphic, position the pointer anywhere inside the handles (aim for the middle and you can’t miss). Text boxes are a little different because you can type in them. If you click inside a text box, you will see a blinking cursor. It’s sort of like a mini word processor. You can type in a text box, as well as 
highlight and change text. To move a text box, position the tip of the pointer on any edge, between the handles. You will see the truck then. Any time you see the truck, the object can be moved by holding down the left mouse button and dragging the object to a different area. Once you have it where you want it, let go of the left mouse button. Click anywhere else on the page to make the handles disappear.
When you are in a text box, you will see special tools at the top of your window. These will allow you to change the font, size, alignment, color and make lots of other text-related changes.
Resize any object by placing the mouse pointer on any handle until it becomes a resize indicator. You can’t miss it. Once you see the double-ended arrows and the word resize, hold the left mouse button down and drag in or out, up or down, to resize the object. If you go too far, don’t let go of the mouse, just drag it back in the other direction. When you are satisfied, let go of the mouse. If you find you have made a terrific boo boo, don’t give it a second thought. Just hold down the CTRL key and press Z once. CTRL+Z is the standard keyboard command for Undo.