Desktop Publishing


Desktop Publishing I:  1 year - 3 credits

First-year students will learn basic and intermediate desktop publishing skills using the industry standard software: Adobe Indesign, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.  Basic commercial photography will be taught so that students can include original product shots in the advertisements they build. This class meets the computer literacy requirement for graduation.

Desktop Publishing II:  1 year - 3 credits

Prerequisite:  Certificate of Completion from Desktop Publishing I and instructor's recommendation

Second-year students will learn advanced desktop publishing skills and master the industry standard software:  Adobe Indesign, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator.  Basic  commercial photography will be taught so that students can include original product shots in the professional quality portfolio they are encouraged to build.  This class meets the computer literacy requirement for graduation.

Specialized Equipment:

  • Macintosh desktop publishing system
    • PageMaker
    • Quark XPress
    • FreeHand
    • Illustrator
    • Photoshop
    • PowerPoint
    • SuperPaint
  • 600-1200 dpi laser printers
  • ColorWriter laser printer
  • QuickTake digital camera
  • Color scanner

Occupational Options:

  • Desktop publishing specialist
  • Publication technician
  • Computer graphics technician
  • Advertising technician
  • Prepress technician
  • Electronic prepress system operator
  • Layout technician

Jobs that will require Desktop Publishing skills:

  • Editor/Writer
  • Word Processor
  • Marketing Manager
  • Graphic Designer

Skills Taught:

  • Design principles
  • Mark-up principles
  • Graphic arts measurement
  • Terminology
  • Text editing
  • Text manipulation
  • Graphics creation
  • Scanning
  • Page layout and assembly
  • Copyfitting
  • Proofreading
  • Forms composition
  • File management


"Many technical workers earn far more than under-employed college graduates."
Source: VTES/MDE

See Class Syllabus

Articulation Agreements

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