I've also used and liked Publisher.  I was creating a newsletter for 600+ 
members associated with a specific event.  If you have to have it in a .pdf 
to send to an outside printer, I've found that CUTEPDF writer does the trick 
and does it well.  It's available as freeware online.  Just download it, and 
when you want to convert your Publisher file to a .pdf, just hit print, 
choose CUTEPDF and it will do all the work for you.  It's really nice if you 
want to create your newsletter in one program and then convert it to send as 
an e-mail attachment that everyone can open.

I also like MyNewsletterBuilder.com for online newsletters and 
announcements.  I'm trying to remember what we paid--I think it was 
something like $125/year and we were able to send 2,500 e-mails/month to 
members (we never reached that quota).  It's a nice, easy-templated service, 
and if you have news you want out to members, or the press, or to sponsors 
fast, it's a great, inexpensive, and professional way of doing it.

Take Care!
Amy

(Just lurking these days--out of the museum game at the moment to take care 
of kids and work on a start-up business)
 :-)
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Heather McClenahan" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2008 4:15 AM
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] In House Produced Newsletters


> Despite Brian's pox, we use MS Publisher. It's quite versatile and can 
> look as professional as you want it to -- you don't have to use the 
> templates. (We also have a very nice printer -- we print 600 a quarter --  
> who is willing to work through the program's idiosyncrasies. All of those 
> come from transferring it from one computer to another.) We tried In 
> Design for about a year and just about pulled out our hair. We did not 
> find it the least bit user friendly. If you are printing in house rather 
> than sending it to a printer, Publisher is a snap.
>
> Heather McClenahan, museum assistant/web master
> Los Alamos Historical Society
> http://www.losalamoshistory.org
> [log in to unmask]
> P.O. Box 43
> 1921 Juniper St.
> Los Alamos, NM 87544
> 505-662-6272 (office)
> 505-470-2912 (cell)
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Janet Anderson" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2008 11:29 AM
> Subject: [MUSEUM-L] In House Produced Newsletters
>
>
> I volunteer at a small, start up museum and we want to do a newsletter to 
> our
> members (about 350).   Going to an outside printer will be expensive, so I 
> am
> trying to convince our President to do it in house.
>
> What is a good, easy software desktop publishing system to use?
>
> How long does it typically take to put together a 2 page newsletter?
>
> Any hints/helpful information about producing newsletters would be greatly
> appreciated.
>
> Janet Anderson
> American Museum of Veterinary Medicine
> Birdsboro, PA
>
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> 

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).