Occupation: Prepress Technicians and Workers

Prepress Technicians and Workers

Format and proof text and images submitted by designers and clients into finished pages that can be printed. Includes digital and photo typesetting. May produce printing plates.

51-5111.00 | 15 tasks | 10 job titles
Reported Job Titles (10)
  • Desktop Operator
  • Electronic Prepress Operator (EPP Operator)
  • Electronic Prepress Technician (EPP Tech)
  • Plate Maker
  • Plate Mounter
  • Pre-Press Proofer
  • Prepress Operator
  • Prepress Specialist
  • Prepress Stripper
  • Prepress Technician
Core Tasks (7)
  • Generate prepress proofs in digital or other format to approximate the appearance of the final printed piece.
  • Proofread and perform quality control of text and images.
  • Enter, position, and alter text size, using computers, to make up and arrange pages so that printed materials can be produced.
  • Perform "preflight" check of required font, graphic, text and image files to ensure completeness prior to delivery to printer.
  • Operate and maintain laser plate-making equipment that converts electronic data to plates without the use of film.
  • Enter, store, and retrieve information on computer-aided equipment.
  • Maintain, adjust, and clean equipment, and perform minor repairs.
Supplemental Tasks (8)
  • Operate presses to print proofs of plates, monitoring printing quality to ensure that it is adequate.
  • Select proper types of plates according to press run lengths.
  • Examine finished plates to detect flaws, verify conformity with master plates, and measure dot sizes and centers, using light boxes and microscopes.
  • Examine unexposed photographic plates to detect flaws or foreign particles prior to printing.
  • Examine photographic images for obvious imperfections prior to plate making.
  • Scale copy for reductions and enlargements, using proportion wheels.
  • Analyze originals to evaluate color density, gradation highlights, middle tones, and shadows, using densitometers and knowledge of light and color.
  • Set scanners to specific color densities, sizes, screen rulings, and exposure adjustments, using scanner keyboards or computers.