Click here for the previous installment in this series, which explained some of the problems of page numbering.

The last installment in this series explained the problems that are faced when desktop publishers work with large groups of pages, called signatures.

Desktop publishing programs must take deal with this problem of pagination. The program has to number the pages in the order that they will appear after the pages are folded. It also has to allow for certain pages to be inverted.

This complex calculation contrasts with the simple manner in which a word processor prepares a document, with a series of consecutive pages. It is rare for word processors to deal with the layout of signatures in a book. However, as the distinction between word processors and desktop publishing programs continues to fade, we can expect an improvement in this situation in the future.

Now you know why some of these programs are called page-layout programs.

You may ask why we don't just print out pages with a word processor, lay them out on a big sheet of oak tag, and then print them up.

That is certainly a possibility. However, those pages are unlikely to be laid out perfectly straight if you do it by hand. In addition, this boring work is not suitable for a professional such as you. Furthermore, did you ever try to glue paper? Most kinds of glue create waves on the paper. Thus, after suffering the boredom of gluing pages to that oaktag, you'll still be faced with a series of crooked, wavy pages.

The next article in this series will explain still more problems with the traditional method of page layout and numbering.