PTC Arbortext Layout Developer is a product that was originally named Advent 3B2, and which originated as a high-end typesetting tool. It differed from DTP applications with its large number of automation features and its SGML-based syntax for applying style. This made it ideal for the emerging markets in technical documentation and STM journals. These two markets needed the rapid production times and flexible layout control provided by 3B2. Another area of growth for 3B2 was the financial typesetting market where 3B2’s tables, job ‘subbing’ and alternate outputs proved valuable.

PTC Arbortext Layout Developer grew from an interactive product. Its WYSIWYG component allows users to immediately see the result of their formatting rules and style changes. Automation and interactivity in PTC Arbortext Layout Developer allow it to be used for manual touchup and for building pages manually. It also means that PTC Arbortext Layout Developer has a great number of tools which allow users to create visually appealing output. When combined with the automation tools these provide a very powerful print engine.

Arbortext acquired Advent in 2004, then PTC acquired Arbortext in 2005. 3B2 was renamed PTC Arbortext Layout Developer and its functionality was integrated with Arbortext Publishing Engine and Arbortext Styler.

The first iteration of the integrated PTC ALD came in the 5.4 release. Initially PTC ALD was provided as a technology preview, an alternate print publishing engine for Arbortext Styler stylesheets alongside FOSI and XSL-FO. Production readiness was provided in the 5.4 M060 release and by the 6.0 release of PTC Arbortext, PTC ALD was provided as the default print publishing engine.