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Desktop Publishers
Format typescript and graphic elements using computer software to produce publication-ready material.
Other titles employers use
Advertising Associate · Compositor · Computer Typesetter · Design Editor · Desktop Operator · Desktop Publishing Specialist · Electronic Console Display Operator · Electronic Imager
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
- 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.
- Prepare sample layouts for approval, using computer software.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to organizing, creative and practical work.
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
- Creative
- Making, designing, writing, or performing without one set answer
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Writing
Subjects to know
- Computers and Electronics
- Communications and Media
- English Language
Useful strengths
- Near Vision
- Information Ordering
- Originality
- Visualization
- Written Comprehension
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.0 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 1.6 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.7 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 3.8 | Some of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for an associate degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 44%
- A four-year degree 39%
- A two-year degree 11%
- A certificate or some college 6%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Web platform development software
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Object or component oriented development software
- Operating system software
- Document management software
- Desktop publishing software
- Development environment software
- Office suite software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 1,280
- Job openings each year
- 130
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- −1.5%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 1,280 | 130 | −1.5% |
| Georgia | 540 | 50 | −12.9% |
| Minnesota | 340 | 30 | −10.5% |
| Florida | 310 | 30 | −11.4% |
| Ohio | 260 | 30 | −16.1% |
| Maryland | 250 | 30 | −3.8% |
| Virginia | 190 | 20 | −13.6% |
| Washington | 160 | 20 | — |
| Indiana | 140 | 10 | −6.7% |
| Oklahoma | 140 | 10 | −17.6% |
| Oregon | 140 | 20 | — |
| Colorado | 130 | 10 | −13.3% |
| Arizona | 110 | 10 | −8.3% |
| Iowa | 110 | 10 | −21.4% |
| Massachusetts | 100 | 10 | −9.1% |
| Nebraska | 100 | 10 | −16.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 100 | 10 | −16.7% |
| South Carolina | 100 | 10 | — |
| Tennessee | 100 | 10 | −9.1% |
| New Jersey | 90 | 10 | −18.2% |
| Wisconsin | 90 | 10 | −25.0% |
| Maine | 70 | 10 | −12.5% |
| Alabama | 60 | 10 | −14.3% |
| North Carolina | 60 | 10 | — |
| Alaska | 40 | 0 | 33.3% |
| Idaho | 40 | 0 | — |
| Illinois | 40 | 10 | −20.0% |
| Utah | 40 | 10 | −20.0% |
| Louisiana | 30 | 0 | −25.0% |
| New Hampshire | 30 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Savannah College of Art and Design
- Degrees each year
- 524
- Admit rate
- 84%
- Annual cost after aid
- $49,000
Columbia College Chicago
- Degrees each year
- 212
- Admit rate
- 91%
- Annual cost after aid
- $26,000
Ringling College of Art and Design
- Degrees each year
- 124
- Admit rate
- 67%
- Annual cost after aid
- $55,000
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
- Degrees each year
- 92
- Admit rate
- 90%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
George Mason University
- Degrees each year
- 80
- Admit rate
- 89%
- Annual cost after aid
- $15,000
Art Center College of Design
- Degrees each year
- 79
- Admit rate
- 75%
- Annual cost after aid
- —
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
- Degrees each year
- 75
- Admit rate
- 30%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
University of Maryland Global Campus
- Degrees each year
- 64
- Admit rate
- Not reported
- Annual cost after aid
- —