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:
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.
Check preliminary and final proofs for errors and make necessary corrections.
Engineering and Technology
computers and electronics
Communications
multimedia
Arts and Humanities
English language
Basic Skills
reading work related information
thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem
Problem Solving
noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
People and Technology Systems
thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
Ideas and Logic
order or arrange things
create new and original ideas
Verbal
read and understand what is written
communicate by writing
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
Dependability
Cooperation
Adaptability/Flexibility
Integrity
Stress Tolerance
You might use software like this on the job:
Graphics or photo imaging software
Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Cloud software
Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
Presentation software
Microsoft PowerPoint
Desktop publishing software
Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign
Microsoft Publisher
high school diploma/GED or bachelor's degree usually needed
Get started on your career:
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.
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