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I remember an old (90's) program, run in DOS, that allowed its user to create posters, invitations, cards, etc. It had mouse support and its own GUI with windows, bars, fields, etc.

The work started with choosing a template (for example "a poster") and then the user could place graphics and text with the mouse. Each element put in workspace could be edited, moved, deleted, resized. Just like in today's Inkscape or CorelDraw.

In the end, the user could print their work on a printer connected to the PC. And that was the awesomest part of this program: it guided the user how to put the paper into the printer in order to get a ready to use publication. For example:

  • If the user wanted to create a folded invitation, the program printed pages 1 and 4 on one side of A4-paper, then asked the user to put the same paper upside down and printed pages 2 and 3 (in 90's it was great for me!)
  • If you wanted a long banner with a text stretching on 3 A4-pages, you just chose something like "long banner", chose desired size, put text and let the wizard guide you.

I remember myself creating cards for my mother and grandmother, banners and posters for school, but I don't remember the program's name. I believe it was something like just plain "Artist", but I'm not sure.

I tried to find this app many times -- always failed: "Artist" is too common name, I think so.

Does anyone know the application I'm thinking about?

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    I remember seeing people printing banners on the computer lab back in college, using either Banneramania, PrintMaster or PrintShop. Banners usually started sharp black on one end gradually turning into a barely visible grayish on the tail end. Many a ribbon met an ignominious fate this way. Which was fine, as long as the person printing the banner was the one providing the ribbon. To the dismay of the next user of the printer - usually a poor fellow trying to print a paper - that wasn't always the case.
    – Euro Micelli
    Jun 21, 2018 at 4:07

5 Answers 5

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I believe you are thinking of The Print Shop

I'm pretty sure I had a copy early on for one of my early PC's. Never did find much use for it, but it was available practically everywhere.

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  • Jup, Print Shop was about the most well known one - at least in pre windows times - would have been my guess as well.
    – Raffzahn
    Jun 20, 2018 at 20:53
  • That was my first thought as well; the the print engine guiding the user through printing something complex like a banner or duplexed document was fantastic.
    – Dan Price
    Jun 21, 2018 at 13:42
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    Later versions were known as The New Print Shop or Print Shop Deluxe.
    – hobbs
    Jun 23, 2018 at 0:47
  • I remember having a copy on Atari 800!
    – Thomas
    Jun 13, 2020 at 11:21
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Could be any of several. PrintMaster fits the bill. I think later versions of PrintShop had mouse support. PFS First Publisher had templates that may have included those style.

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    Print Shop and later Print Master are the two I remember.
    – snips-n-snails
    Jun 21, 2018 at 4:26
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There was also a program called NewsMaster that did these things:

NewsMaster screen

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  • Sounds more like desktop publishing (before Aldus PageMaker took over).
    – fadden
    Aug 2, 2018 at 17:33
  • I loved newsmaster I used it for almost everything even when everyone else used word perfect or wordstart I used either newsmaster or chi writer
    – arana
    Nov 6, 2019 at 15:32
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The program I used the most was called Fontasy but I do not remember any of the features other than it did very nice cards, banners and posters.

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its called Banner Mania, run under dos :D https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banner_Mania

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    Mind to turn this into a full answer? So far it's a link only answer, thus not really suitable.
    – Raffzahn
    Oct 15, 2020 at 10:36
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    Specifically, the requirements are: (1) The answer stands alone, even if all the links break; (2) The answer contains enough information to answer the question; (3) The answer contains enough information that it's clear that it answers the question, and why. Elaboration would help with (1) and (3); this is technically an answer, but at the moment it's a pretty weak one. (It could be made a lot more useful.)
    – wizzwizz4 ♦
    Oct 15, 2020 at 17:54

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