PageMaker

PageMaker is a desktop publishing software originally developed by the Aldus Corporation. Introduced in 1985 for the Apple Macintosh, it was among the first programs to provide WYSIWYG page layout combined with text and graphics editing, enabling users to produce newsletters, magazines, brochures, and other printed materials with relatively little production work. It popularized desktop publishing and transformed graphic design workflows by allowing precise control of typography, layout, and image placement on screen.

Aldus expanded PageMaker to Microsoft Windows in the late 1980s to early 1990s, making the software accessible to a broader audience. The program featured integration with fonts and image import, master pages, and color management.

In 1994, Adobe Systems acquired Aldus and continued development of PageMaker for several more years. During this period, the software faced increasing competition from QuarkXPress, which gained market share in professional publishing. In the early 2000s, Adobe shifted focus to InDesign as the successor to PageMaker; PageMaker saw its final releases around the early 2000s, and Adobe discontinued the product in the mid-2000s.

Legacy: PageMaker helped establish desktop publishing as a mainstream capability and influenced subsequent tools in the field. Its history reflects the transition from single-application drafting on limited hardware to integrated page-layout workflows in modern publishing environments.