When a company hears its website is hard to read… or needs a brochure for a new product… they call on the skills of a desktop publisher to make their content appear easy to read, attractive, and engaging. Desktop publishers use design software to create page layouts for print or electronic publications, including newspapers, books, and reports or studies. They combine text and images to create a coherent design that conveys the intended message and grabs the reader’s attention. Desktop publishers may also edit text… correcting spelling, punctuation, and grammar. They tend to work on teams with other creative workers —such as writers, editors, and graphic designers— collaborating to prepare a cohesive design, often under strict deadlines. Desktop publishers work in a variety of industries, including many related to publishing and printing. Many work full time and may need to work additional hours when publication deadlines require it. For most positions, desktop publishers need an associate’s degree in graphic design or graphic communications, including courses on desktop publishing software that feature electronic page layouts and text and graphics formatting. A brief period of on-the-job training to learn the employer’s desktop publishing software is typical.
What they do:
Format typescript and graphic elements using computer software to produce publication-ready material.
On the job, you would:
Check preliminary and final proofs for errors and make necessary corrections.
Operate desktop publishing software and equipment to design, lay out, and produce camera-ready copy.
Position text and art elements from a variety of databases in a visually appealing way to design print or web pages, using knowledge of type styles and size and layout patterns.
Engineering and Technology
computers and electronics
design
Arts and Humanities
English language
Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
manufacture and distribution of products
Communications
multimedia
Basic Skills
thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem
reading work related information
Problem Solving
noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
Ideas and Logic
order or arrange things
come up with lots of ideas
Verbal
read and understand what is written
listen and understand what people say
Visual Understanding
quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things
see hidden patterns
People interested in this work like activities that include creating, designing, and making your own rules.
They do well at jobs that need:
Attention to Detail
Cooperation
Dependability
Innovation
Adaptability/Flexibility
Initiative
You might use software like this on the job:
Graphics or photo imaging software
Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
Presentation software
Microsoft PowerPoint
Desktop publishing software
Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign
Microsoft Publisher
associate's degree or bachelor's degree usually needed
Get started on your career:
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.
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