This series was conceived in 1990, when the challenge of desktop publishing had just begun and information on new technology was scarce. Produced by a major vendor of digital prepress equipment, visual guides were created in seven languages for designers, print buyers, desktop publishers, and others involved in color prepress. Topics are explained graphically with brief explanatory text on single pages or double-page spreads so that readers can access information randomly, as well as sequentially. Although writers and illustrators often chafed at the strict one- or two-page architecture, its clear structure and effectiveness outweighed the creative frustration.