Creating a publishable design layout, whether for a paper magazine or a digital poster, is no easy task if you don't have finely honed Photoshop skills. So Lucidpress, a new publishing tool, wants to make it dead simple to create beautiful designs and collaborate on them with others. This should make it even easier to design and publish your own digital magazine.

Made by Lucid Software, the team behind LucidChart, the new Web app claims to be the "ideal alternative for those tired of the complexity of pricey design applications and the limitations of desktop software suites. With Lucidpress, users get the best of both worlds: freedom of a cloud-based app combined with the robust performance of a desktop application."

Adobe used to offer a similar publishing software called Rome, with both online and desktop clients, but that has now been retired.

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The app features many of the same tools as desktop publishing apps, including a toolbar and layout options, according to TechCrunch. In fact, you can select from one of the 75 templates for creating paper or digital newsletters, brochures, annual reports and more, PC World reports. Once you have that ready, it's a simple drag-and-drop interface to get the layout you want.

Lucidpress is also deeply integrated with Google Drive, allowing users to share files and collaborate with teammates. You can chat in a sidebar and see updates in real-time, much like in Google Docs. Those interested can also hook up their Facebook, Dropbox, YouTube and Flickr accounts.

And as you would want with a cloud app, it backs up documents on an hourly basis to multiple data centers, ensuring your files are always safe and a few clicks away.

Lucidpress is currently in beta and available for free to try out, complete with a demo that doesn't require you to sign up. However, the company will eventually shift to a freemium model like the one it has adopted for LucidChart. While this is a new app, you can still apply the basic lessons from our guide to self-publishing.

Source: Lucidpress via PC World and TechCrunch