The 1980s also proved to be a major pathway in the building of our bridge of Graphic Design and Communication. 

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Companies like Apple, Adobe, Aldus, and Hewlett-Packard, were the start of a revolution of Graphic Design as we know it today.  1984 was a big year.  Apple created and released the first Macintosh computer that featured bitmap graphics.  This early computer allowed for ‘non-computer literate designers to simulate their normal working environment with its desktop as a metaphor approach.” Hewlett-Packard’s LaserJet desktop laser printer was also created.  (“The History of Desktop Publishing and Digital Design”) 

A year later in 1985, the term ‘desktop publishing’ was coined by Aldus and Paul Brained in the invention of PageMaker software.  PageMaker allowed for designers to be able to layout pages in ‘WYSIWYG mode’ or ‘’What You See Is What You Get’ rather than having to hand type typesetting codes.  Quickly, Aldus became insignificant to a company called Quark who had then developed a program called QuarkXpress.  One thing that caused the take-off of QuarkXpress was a simple plugin that allowed the obtaining of add-ins to enhance workflow called Xtensions.