Desktop Publishing Technician

Rancho Santiago Community College District•Santa Ana, CA

12d

About The Position

The ideal candidate will demonstrate cultural competency in serving diverse community college populations, including faculty, management, and students from varied ethnic, racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. This includes those with differing abilities, AB 540 students, DACA recipients, Foreign Residents, VACA participants, and Continuing Education students. They will support RSCCD’s mission to promote self-awareness, knowledge, and communication skills, enabling all members of the college community to participate creatively and confidently in an ever-changing world. Candidates will contribute to an inclusive and collaborative workplace culture that supports the diverse needs of faculty, management, staff, and students. They will effectively provide services and support to individuals with differing academic preparation levels and unique learning or workplace needs, ensuring equitable access and opportunities for success. Candidates should demonstrate cultural competency, sensitivity, equity-mindedness, and a commitment to anti-racism in all interactions and contributions. Through their role, they will empower students to achieve their educational and career goals while promoting a positive and inclusive environment where faculty and management can thrive, fostering creativity, confidence, and lifelong learning throughout the college community. Class Summary Plans, composes, organizes, and produces text-and-graphics media for internal and external promotional and informational use. Acquires text and graphics and, using computer and fundamental principles of graphic composition, creates layouts for printed and multimedia publication. Organizes and maintains digital source files for district's major support publications and coordinates periodic revision. Works under general supervision with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

Requirements

Any combination of training/experience equivalent to at least two years of specialized training in desktop publishing practices and procedures with increasing levels of high responsibility in a print and electronic production environment.
Highly proficient with personal computer platforms as well as Microsoft Office software.
Thorough Knowledge of: offset and reprographic print production and file formatting practices.
English, spelling, punctuation, hyphenation, grammar, proofreading and basic composition skills.
Familiarity with and ability to: implement fundamental principles of graphic design for a variety of text-with-graphics layouts; classifications, characteristics and appropriate use of type fonts and font families; Postscript printing environment; ability to develop and work with text coding schemes that enable automatic conversion of text databases; and to perform multiple tasks in high volume, service-based environment.
Candidate must demonstrate clear evidence of sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, ability, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, staff, and the community.

Responsibilities

Composes and produces, using desktop publishing and other software, digital and hardcopy finished layouts for publications that range from simple to complex. Materials include but not limited to, class schedules, catalogs, bookmarks, postcards, stationery, forms, applications, directories, maps, handbooks, student and media guides, media guides, signage, banners and other publications.
Participates in production planning for informational and promotional text-only and text-with-graphics layouts. Consults directly with administrators, faculty, and support staff to plan, authorize, acquire, revise, verify and deliver both electronic and hard copy publication material.
Consults directly with district media, publications, and computer/network personnel, as well as outside vendors, to facilitate distribution and production of publication materials. Adheres to established graphic standards and inter-department timeline requirements and ensures workability of layout specifications for traditional presswork, electronic copying, and electronic publishing.
Reviews and approves hard and soft copy proofs for general and major district publications.
Acquires and prepares text and graphic elements, prior to layout composition, using a variety of methods: direct typing; disk-copy and e-mail transfer of files; scanning of documents/illustrations/photographs; optical character recognition (OCR); search and download from internet; word processing and spreadsheet software to import/export and modify text; illustration and photo software to import/export, create and modify graphics.
Works with committee-planned timelines and guidelines, taking part in periodic large-scale revision processes for class schedules and seasonal publications such as student and media guides ensuring adherence to district graphics standards and deadlines.
Design, establishes, tests, and troubleshoots coding schemes to enable translation of large text database files into automatically formatted electronic page layout files.
Troubleshoots system hardware and software problems.
Maintains publications layout system components such as computers, laser printers, scanner, file storage and transfer devices.
Uses type management software to install and manage a large collection of typefaces, and file management software to organize and maintain a large collection of graphics files.
Analyzes publications layout practices, and hardware and software, in light of changing district needs and technology advances; modifies procedures, adopts new techniques and recommends system upgrades to accommodate changes and improve productivity.
Performs document and file conversion processes for publications department customers to facilitate production.
Performs file conversions for online distribution of documents.