Book publishing has accelerated as an industry in the last few decades with the steady growth of computer technology and new publishing techniques like digital information systems and the Internet. According to figures released by the Association of American Publishers (AAP), net sales for the entire United States publishing industry are estimated to have increased by 1.3 percent from 2003 to 2004 to a grand total of $23.72 billion. This clearly indicates the publishers or the book publishing companies are reaping the benefits of the trade.

Most of the publishers or the book publishing companies usually control the advertising and marketing tasks and sub-contract the editorial and production process to small businesses, as book publishers rarely own printing presses and binderies. This trend, known as “book packaging,” is gaining momentum as retail book chains and supermarkets have centralized their buying.

Desktop publishing training may lead to an optional professional certificate (certification programs usually take up to a year to complete), or to the attainment of an Associate Degree in Applied Sciences or Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Arts, Graphic Communications or Graphic Design. Desktop publishing training regularly encompasses concentrated instruction in an assortment of desktop publishing-related software, terminology and press training, as well as arts and design training.

Desktop publishing schools teach students to proficiently use desktop publishing software to format and combine text and numerical data, charts, photographs, and visual graphics for publication. A quality trade school that offers desktop publishing training will provide a comprehensive curriculum in text writing and editing. They will teach students how to create graphics to go along with text, as well as art, film, video and photograph conversions, web design and multimedia training, digital imaging techniques, HTML coding, and other electronic publishing technologies. Students will also learn page layout design and commercial marketing and business aspects relevant to desktop publishing.