How to Become a Desktop Publisher

Desktop publishers today use computers to design, create, and lay out camera ready and digital copy and artwork used in printed materials such as magazines, newsletters, and advertising brochures. With a little flair and know-how, you can have an exciting career and make a good living to boot.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Become familiar with the publishing industry. However it is produced, printed copy all has its own "look". Study fonts, graphics, layout, and other components of good design so you'll know what you want to produce.

2. Learn basic word processing software applications such as Microsoft Word, Publisher, and Adobe Pagemaker. The bones of any published product is, after all, text, and you'll need to know different ways of manipulating it.

3. Take a course in computer graphics. You'll need to know what bitmaps, jpegs, and gifs are, and more importantly, what they can do for your publications.

4. Create a diverse portfolio. To break into the field, you'll need to showcase your capabilities with samples of newsletters, brochures, and other copy.

5. Price yourself for your market. Rates for full-time employees as well as independent contractors vary considerably by industry and region. Research the going rate for desktop publishers in your particular area.

Tips & Warnings

• When you're ready to upgrade your computer, consider a Macintosh. While PC's rule the business world, Macs are the preferred "platform" for many graphics applications, including many popular desktop publishing packages.