Tools used by Technical Writers

Broadly speaking, tools used by technical writers can be divided into these four categories:

1. Writing Related Tools

2. Help Authoring Tools (HATs)

3. Graphic Related Tools

4. Presentation Related Tools

Writing Related Tools:

 

• Adobe PageMaker
  http://www.adobe.com/products/pagemaker/main.html
• Adobe Frame Maker
  http://www.adobe.com/products/framemaker/main.html
• Adobe InDesign
  http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign/main.html
• Adobe InCopy
  http://www.adobe.com/products/incopy/main.html
• Microsoft Word
  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx
• Microsoft Publisher
  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX010857941033.aspx
• OpenOffice Writer
  http://www.openoffice.org/product/writer.html
• Quark Xpress
  http://www.quark.com

Help Authoring Tools:

 

• Macromedia Robohelp
  http://www.macromedia.com/software/robohelp
• Quadralay WebWorks ePublisher Pro:
  • For Word:
    http://www.webworks.com/products/wwep_w/default.aspx
  • For Framemaker:
    http://www.webworks.com/products/wwep_f/default.aspx
• Component One Doc-To-Help
  http://www.componentone.com/products.aspx?TabTypeID=1&ItemType=1&PanelIndex=10&I\temID=54601&SubCategoryTypeID=0&TabMapID=102&TabID=122
• Microsoft Help Workshop (For generating Win 95 and 98 help)
  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=34D35502\-4DE9-4676-952C-34CC7F64F098
• Microsoft HTML Help
  http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/htmlhelp/html/h\wMicrosoftHTMLHelpDownloads.asp

Graphics Related Tools:

• Adobe Photoshop
  http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/main.html
• Adobe Illustrator
  http://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator/main.html
• OpenOffice Draw
  http://www.openoffice.org/product/draw.html
• GNU Image Manipulation Program {GIMP}
  http://www.gimp.org
• Microsoft Visio
  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX010857981033.aspx
• SnagIt
  http://www.techsmith.com/products/snagit/default.asp
• Macromedia Freehand
  http://www.macromedia.com/software/freehand
  

Presentation Related Tools:

 

• Microsoft PowerPoint
  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX010857971033.aspx
• Macromedia Flash
  http://www.macromedia.com/software/flash
• TechSmith Camtasia Studio
  http://www.techsmith.com/products/studio/default.asp?lid=CamtasiaStudioHome
• OpenOffice Impress
  http://www.openoffice.org/product/impress.html
• Qarbon ViewletBuilder
  http://www.qarbon.com/presentation-software/viewletbuilder

However, for beginners, Macromedia Robohelp and Adobe Framemaker are quite essential to learn. Do not assume that by learning few tools one can become a technical writer. It is just a myth! Tools and Processes are two different things. You have to learn both, and I would say that tools are not as important as processes are.

Take a simple case study. One has to write a user manual for a simple application such as Notepad. What S/He requires to know first, the process of writing a user manual or working with Word/Framemaker/Latex/InDesign or any other writing software?

Tools can be easily learned and most technical writers have cracked these tools in less than a week’s time. Processes, however, takes a lot of time and are much important than the tools.

Remember, this is not programming where tools have high importance!

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