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.
Sample of reported job titles:
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
Occupation-Specific Information
Tasks
- Enter, store, and retrieve information on computer-aided equipment.
- Enter, position, and alter text size, using computers, to make up and arrange pages so that printed materials can be produced.
- Maintain, adjust, and clean equipment, and perform minor repairs.
- Operate and maintain laser plate-making equipment that converts electronic data to plates without the use of film.
- Examine photographic images for obvious imperfections prior to plate making.
Technology Skills
- Desktop publishing software:Adobe Systems Adobe FrameMaker,Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign,Adobe Systems Adobe PageMaker,Esko ArtPro,QuarkXPress
- Document management software:Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat,Adobe Systems Adobe LifeCycle Enterprise Suite,Global Graphics Software Harlequin
- Graphics or photo imaging software:Adobe Systems Adobe FreeHand MX,Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator,Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop,Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite,Corel Painter,LaserSoft Imaging SilverFast Ai Studio
- Internet browser software:Web browser software
- Internet protocol IP multimedia subsystem software:File transfer protocol FTP software,ProjectSend
Occupational Requirements
Work Activities
- Working with Computers:Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
- Getting Information:Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems:Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge:Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates:Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Detailed Work Activities
- Clean production equipment.
- Drill holes in parts, equipment, or materials.
- Edit documents.
- Enter commands, instructions, or specifications into equipment.
- Examine condition of property or products.
Work Context
- Time Pressure:96% responded"Every day"
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled:90% responded"Every day"
- Electronic Mail:84% responded"Every day"
- Face-to-Face Discussions:82% responded"Every day"
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate:64% responded"Extremely important"
Worker Requirements
Skills
- Active Listening:Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Critical Thinking:Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Monitoring:Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Speaking:Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Time Management:Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Knowledge
- Computers and Electronics:Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- English Language:Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Design:Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- Mathematics:Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Production and Processing:Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Education
How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:
- 39%High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
- 23%Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
- 21%Some College Courses
- 9%Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
Worker Characteristics
Abilities
- Near Vision:The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Inductive Reasoning:The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Problem Sensitivity:The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Visual Color Discrimination:The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
- Visualization:The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Interests
- Realistic:Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
- Conventional:Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Work Values
- Support:Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
- Independence:Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
- Relationships:Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Work Styles
- Attention to Detail:Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Dependability:Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Cooperation:Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
- Initiative:Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
- Stress Tolerance:Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
More Information
Get yourself a new skill
In this Path
Track1
Analytical Skills
Track2
Microsoft Office Set
Microsoft Excel
This course is designed to take you from Zero to Hero on Excel, and make your accounting job and req...
Read moreFiltered AI
Microsoft Word
Word is not just for writing plain text; and this is why this course is here to guide you through ev...
Read moreIntellezy Learning