Canon Publishing Suite - Software Review - Evaluation

by Cliff Cunningham

Potential strengths over comparable systems are stymied by numerous and frustrating basic flaws

Desktop publishing is a well established segment of the software market. To draw users from their favourite programs, Canon has released not just another DP program, but an entire suite of well integrated programs.

Foremost among the offerings which might tempt Microsoft Publisher 2000 users is the inclusion of a draw program and image editor, neither of which Publisher 2000 has.

Rounding out the suite is a 3D text editor and screen capture utility.

Getting into the main element of the suite, Canon Publisher, is a snap.

For beginners, the program offers a PagePilot which presents you with a series of questions and then creates the document for you. There are 29 categories of documents (such as compliment slip, letter, greeting card, manual, memo, poster, report and Web).

In each category a whole host of templates are offered (posters has 48, for example).

Changing the text or graphics in each, to match your own requirements, is simple and there are 20,000 pieces of clipart to draw upon for inspiration.

The program features table and mail merge functions, allowing you to insert information into documents. Once finished, your picture can be saved as a template for future work or printed to an .EPS file.

All is not perfect, however. Even with just a few minutes of use the program crashed twice, both times blaming something called "pwkmain."

The operations being performed were different. In one I was just using the zoom tool, in the other one I was placing a frame around a photo.

After resuming and finishing with my frame action, I asked for a printout:

Even though I had successfully done a print just a few minutes earlier, the program claimed it could not print the file because the server was busy.

This was rather curious, considering my computer was not connected to a server.

Even more interesting is the program then insisted that instead of printing the file, it would output it to the Web.

The file was duly displayed in Netscape as the first step in this procedure, which I exited.

Next, I tried importing text and discovered the Achilles heel of the program. It simply doesn't work.

First I attempted importing an HTML file and was told it was an invalid format, even though the help screen indicates Web pages can be imported.

Next, I tried a WordPerfect 8 file, with the same results. According to the online help file, it is capable of importing WordPerfect 6 and 7 files.

While it makes no mention of version 8, the WordPerfect save command indicates versions 6, 7 and 8 are the same.

However, saving the file in question into a WordPerfect 5 file did allow me to import it into Canon.

Even if there is some difference in file formats since WordPerfect 7, why does a new release such as Canon not include the ability to handle WordPerfect 8 and 9 files? Not to mention HTML files.

I mentioned the online help specifically because the 172-page manual consists almost entirely of tutorials, which are also online.

It does not have an index, just a list of contents at the beginning. So if you want to find out anything specific the online help in the only way to do it.

I discovered another host of problems associated with importing photos. Start by setting up a new page, then import two photos.

Next, try importing a third photo. If it lands on the space occupied by the second photo, the second one will disappear!

My next logical step was to look at the drop-down contents menu.

Indeed, the second photo was not listed, and when I clicked on the file name of the first photo, it duplicated that photo in the page, at the same deleting the third photo!

The description of the contents box in online help does not suggest any such action should be expected.

And after going to online help a few times, the help screen itself would not even display without exiting the software and starting over again.

Clicking on a tool to get a pop-up description of its function in the help screen also worked only sporadically.

While Canon Publishing Suite has potential strengths that other comparably priced desktop publishing programs do not have, its basic flaws are so numerous they cripple its effectiveness.

Q. Can I create HTML pages with Canon Publishing Suite?

A. No. While Canon Publishing Suite allows you to display your document on the Internet, it is not designed for creating web sites or pages.

Q. I receive a message saying "some stories have unplaced text".

A. This occurs as the result of a check performed when you try to print your document.

If you have text in your document that cannot be seen and, therefore, cannot be printed, this message lets you know. It also identifies the affected "story."

Usually this happens when you have changed or added text to a story that flows over many frames and pages, so you do not notice the text has been "dropped out" of the final frame.

Sometimes the problem is not actually text that has dropped out, but a blank paragraph.

You can tell if a frame has unplaced text in it by selecting the frame and then looking at the "text link tool". If it looks like "T[right arrow]" then you need to make the frame bigger to fit all the text into it.

Q. When printing to my laser printer I receive poor quality output.

A. Set the "Advanced printer options" to "Raster Graphics" (for printers such as the HP LaserJet 4/5).

Also, make sure the option to "Print TrueType as Graphics" has been enabled from within Control Panel/Fonts.

Also, turn "Error Diffusion" off on the "Graphics Tab" and select "Fine" as this can affect the printout of pictures when the "Make white transparent" option is turned on.

Q. What does the Paper Clip mean?

A. The Paper Clip option indicates that you have a document that you have removed from your page, but have kept attached to the file.

Canon Publishing Suite allows you to remove a picture or story from your page. However, you keep it attached to the document for future use, by using the Paper Clip option so that it is saved in the .DTP file. Any documents created in a previous version will automatically have its contents paper clipped so that you do not accidentally lose them.

Q. I have problems selecting a frame if it contains a lot of text. The program keeps inserting a text cursor instead.

A. If you hold down shift when you click, only the frame will be selected. Or, if you click just outside of the frame, level with the frame handles, that will also select the frame.

Q. Publisher crashes whenever I try to scan a picture.

A. Due to an error in one of the files (oleaut32.dll) used in Microsoft's operating systems, CPS cannot install correctly.

Microsoft has provided a free patch (Vbrun60.exe) to correct this file and it's available for download from their Web site at http://support.microsoft.com/support/downloads/dp3293.asp.

Double clicking on the VBRUN60.EXE file will prompt you to select a download folder.

Once the file is downloaded, double click on the file again to execute and install it. Once finished, reboot your computer.

Q. I have problems starting the program on Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.

A: Due to an error in one of the files used in Microsoft's OS (oleaut32.dll), COPS cannot operate correctly.

Microsoft has provided a free patch (Vbrun60.exe) to correct this file which is available for you to download at http://support.microsoft.com/support/downloads/dp3293.asp.

Double clicking on the VBRUN60.EXE file will prompt you to select a download folder.

Once the file is downloaded, double click on the file again to execute and install. Once finished, reboot your computer. The file (oleaut32.dll) is now upgraded and CPS should now install correctly.

Q. I get an error message when trying to run some of the PagePilots.
A. Due to an error in one of the files used in Microsoft's operating systems (oleaut32.dll), CPS can not operate correctly.

Microsoft has provided a free patch (Vbrun60.exe) to correct this file which is available for you to download at http://support.microsoft.com/support/downloads/dp3293.asp.

Double clicking on the VBRUN60.EXE file will prompt you to select a download folder.

Once the file is downloaded, double click on the file again to execute and install it.

Once finished, reboot your computer. The file (oleaut32.dll) is now upgraded and CPS should now install correctly.

Please note that Microsoft may change the link to, or the location of the above mentioned files at any time. If you have difficulty locating any of these files, please contact Microsoft.

Hits and misses

Canon Publishing Suite

Hits

Good typographical tools and a built-in thesaurus. Can output documents in a Java-based format for output to the Web. Well integrated suite.

Misses

Somewhat unstable on the Win95 platform. Faulty text and photo import functions. Lacks OCR and an image organizer. Needs more clipart.

Verdict

An alternative to other intermediate-level desktop publishing programs, but too buggy to recommend.