Duties and Responsibilities
As a rule, Desktop Publisher duties are to present graphic designs and images on
a page attractively and for maximum appeal to the reader or viewer. They might execute
color separation and make presentations for clients’ advertising campaigns. Clients
may provide content for a Desktop Publisher to work with but often the Publisher
is required to produce high quality written work to support graphics with an imaginative
and appropriate theme.
Work Environment
The beauty of earning your living as a desktop Publisher is that often it can be
achieved by working from a home office. Most members of this career spend a lot
of time behind a desk in an office, working on various tasks throughout the day.
The working environment is very comfortable, especially for those who contract to
larger companies by working from home.
Employment Opportunities
The industry is, by nature, vast and covers an enormous range of talents and skills
that might be utilised by companies of all sizes requiring publication of promotional
or recreational material. Due to the versatility of the career, Desktop Publisher
opportunities are usually abundant, and they are more readily available in largely
populated cities where the need for their Desktop Publisher skills can best be put
to use.
How much does a Desktop Publisher make - Desktop Publisher Salary and Wages
The Desktop Publisher salary range is totally based on client account values, so
there is a variety in the amount of money one can earn. Assuming that members of
the same experience level have the same client values, the Desktop Publisher salary
range of someone in the first four years of work may be from $30,000 to $40,000.
In years 5 to 19, that number raises to between $35,000 and $50,000, and members
of the field with 20 years or more of experience can reach up to $65,000 a year.
Annual bonuses in this career are limited, with numbers throughout the timeline
all reaching under $1,000.
How to become a Desktop Publisher
Educational and Training
Anyone with an artistic and literary flair might earn a living as a Desktop Publisher
but somewhat predictably, the better positions are always reserved for those with
a college degree in Commercial and Graphic Art, Graphic Art and Illustration or
Graphic Communications. Thus a Desktop Publisher will increase ones ability to get
hired somewhere. Common Desktop Publisher courses associated with the campus or
online degree will be focused in the arts, such as drawing, graphic design, and
articstic communication. The basic courses of science, math, and English will also
be required to meet Desktop Publisher qualification. Good social skills tend to
be high on the list, as well as the ability to communicate effectively with customers
from all walks of life. People who learn good Desktop Publisher skills move up in
the career much faster than others.
Advancement
Advancement for Desktop Publishers tends to be quite healthy as often they may choose
to enter newspaper or magazine staff based opportunities or be offered work by individual
clients: the nature of the work affords a wide acquaintance with those who might
offer better prospects.