Serif Products - Serif PagePlus

Serif PagePlus

Serif PagePlus is a desktop publishing (page layout) program developed by Serif. The first version was released in 1991 as the first commercial sub-£100 DTP package for Microsoft Windows. Serif's latest releases all support Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8.

PagePlus is primarily written in C++ using Visual Studio 2008, with a heavy dependence on the Microsoft MFC framework. The Windows GDI library was discarded early in development in favour of an in-house composition engine - supporting advanced bitmap and typeface operations. Said engine currently performs well in comparison to other GDI based products.

PagePlus is generally targeted at the "entry level" DTP user, much of the functionality present in market leading applications from companies such as Adobe Systems is present in PagePlus, such as working in the CMYK colour space. PagePlus also has the ability to view, create, edit and publish PDF files. However Serif has failed to achieve much acceptance within professional circles, partly due to the notable absence of Macintosh versions of its products.

There is a free version of the software, called PagePlus Starter Edition. It is based on an older version of the software. In order to use this software, the user must download and install the program, then get an activation code through their email in order to unlock the software. The user has access to free designs and templates to download at the site.