CFChooseField
Production

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.

Visual summary of pay, outlook, skills, interests, and preparation for Prepress Technicians and Workers
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Median pay

$47,300
Median annual pay for Prepress Technicians and Workers.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024
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10-year growth

-14.6%
Projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Annual openings

2,800
Projected annual openings, including growth and replacement demand.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Employment

26,200
Estimated U.S. employment for Prepress Technicians and Workers in 2024.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024
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Jobs added or lost

-3,800
Projected numeric employment change from 2024 to 2034.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Entry preparation

Postsecondary nondegree award
Typical education needed to enter Prepress Technicians and Workers.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024 profile
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O*NET occupation profile

What the work involves

Strongest O*NET signals first.

Essential skills

  1. 1Active Listening
  2. 2Critical Thinking
  3. 3Monitoring
  4. 4Speaking
  5. 5Reading Comprehension
  6. 6Active Learning

Knowledge areas

  1. 1Computers and Electronics
  2. 2English Language
  3. 3Design
  4. 4Mathematics
  5. 5Production and Processing
  6. 6Customer and Personal Service

Abilities

  1. 1Near Vision
  2. 2Inductive Reasoning
  3. 3Problem Sensitivity
  4. 4Visual Color Discrimination
  5. 5Visualization
  6. 6Category Flexibility

Career interests

  1. 1Conventional
  2. 2Realistic
  3. 3Artistic
  4. 4Investigative
  5. 5Social
  6. 6Enterprising

Work styles

  1. 1Attention to Detail
  2. 2Dependability
  3. 3Cautiousness
  4. 4Perseverance
  5. 5Adaptability
  6. 6Cooperation

Work activities

  1. 1Working with Computers
  2. 2Getting Information
  3. 3Making Decisions and Solving Problems
  4. 4Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
  5. 5Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  6. 6Thinking Creatively

Work context

  1. 1Time Pressure
  2. 2Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
  3. 3Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
  4. 4Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
  5. 5E-Mail
  6. 6Telephone Conversations

Representative tasks

  • 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.
  • Operate presses to print proofs of plates, monitoring printing quality to ensure that it is adequate.

Software and tools

Adobe Creative Cloud software · in demandAdobe Illustrator · in demandAdobe InDesign · in demandAdobe Photoshop · in demandMicrosoft Office software · in demandMicrosoft Excel · in demandAdobe Acrobat · hot technologyMicrosoft Word · hot technologyMicrosoft PowerPoint · hot technologyMicrosoft Outlook · hot technologyProjectSendMulti-line optical character reader OCR software

Sources

BLS provides national pay, employment, and projections. O*NET provides skills, interests, preparation, tasks, work context, and tools.

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