CAREER

Desktop Publishers

Overview

Salary Median (2020)

$47,560

Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)

-19% (decline)

Most Common Level of Education

Associate's degree

Career

What Desktop Publishers Do

Format typescript and graphic elements using computer software to produce publication-ready material.

Other Job Titles Desktop Publishers May Have

Advertising Associate, Compositor, Computer Typesetter, Design Editor, Desktop Operator, Desktop Publishing Specialist, Electronic Console Display Operator, Electronic Imager, Electronic Publishing Specialist, Publisher

How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work

Publisher / editor / designer ,

UPPERCASE Publishing Inc

Reviewing potential content for the magazine, corresponding with contributors and press, managing employees and business systems, exploring new ideas for projects, designing and implementing ideas into books and magazines.

Letters Editor ,

Oregonian Media Group

I'm constantly balancing interests - those of the editorial board and the newsroom, plus our readers and those who take the time to write and tell us how they feel about our coverage of the news. I want the pages I design to be entertaining, enlightening and packed with information.


Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

  • Operate desktop publishing software and equipment to design, lay out, and produce camera-ready copy.
  • Check preliminary and final proofs for errors and make necessary corrections.
  • 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.
  • View monitors for visual representation of work in progress and for instructions and feedback throughout process, making modifications as necessary.
  • Enter text into computer keyboard and select the size and style of type, column width, and appropriate spacing for printed materials.

This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.