Prepress Technicians and Workers

Pre-press technicians and workers are the final stop to ensure text and images are perfect on their way to the printed page. Depending on the size of the employer, you might handle just a few tasks, or for smaller employers, you might perform all of the pre-press duties yourself. In all cases, pre-press technicians and workers use software for several key functions, especially desktop publishing, document management, working with graphics, and photo imaging. Pre-press staff manipulate text and pictures to prepare pages and work with great precision with laser plate-making equipment for printing. With a strong eye for detail, they check text and images for accuracy and correct color to ensure plates are faultless before printing. For this work, you need good eyesight and a strong sense of color. Artistic ability is a definite plus. The work is very detail-oriented, and deadline pressures can make it stressful. Employers look for vocational school training or associate's degrees in desktop publishing, graphic arts, or printing production, and changing technology means these workers must constantly update their skills. More and more of the work transforming text and images into finished pages is done with the click of a mouse. Technology is still reshaping pre-press operations, and a key to success in this field is adaptability.