Prepress Careers In The Printing Industry

Prepress is the beginning of the printing production cycle. Print Production workers prepare materials for the press according to customer specifications. Specifically, employees work with customers to engineer jobs, produce artwork, assemble pages, perform output activities such as making plates, and provide support for other technical services. People working in this area have creative technical and artistic skills.

Proofer

Summary

Operates proof press/proofing station to make proofs of pages. Jobs can be found generally in prepress facilities and most printing plants.

Duties and Responsibilities

• If proof is from file, he/she takes film and exposes it on proofing materials.
• If using digital proofer, he/she takes pages from digital file and sends to output device.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Good written and oral communication skills
• Pays careful attention to detail
• Can work independently
• Follows instruction
• Keeps a clean workspace
• Willingness to learn
• Technical college training recomended

Platemaker

Summary

Use a photographic process to make printing plates for press to print. Jobs can be found generally in prepress facilities, prepress departments at printing plants and in-plant corporate printers.

Duties and Responsibilities

• If plate is from film - he/she takes film and exposes it on plate.
• If using digital output device, he/she takes page(s) from digital file and sends to output device.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Good written and oral communication skills
• Pays careful attention to detail
• Can work independently
• Follows instruction
• Keeps a clean workspace
• Willingness to learn
• Technical college training recomended

Desktop Publishing Specialist

Summary

Uses a computer to download client files for processing to an output device. Jobs can be found generally in a prepress facility, printing plant or publishing company.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Receives client files in digital form, loads onto server; preflights and verifies file accuracy as well as inclusion of all necessary components; makes changes or corrections as instructed; adds necessary print parameters; sends for output.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• One or more years experience with common graphic art software such as Quark, Pagemaker, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.
• Good written and oral communication skills
• Must be a quick learner
• Excellent problem solving skills
• Pays careful attention to detail
• Follows instruction
• Keeps abreast of major developments in discipline area and demonstrates competency within areas of functional responsibility
• Knowledge of different printing processes (offset, screen printing, etc.) is a plus.
• Two-year degree in printing recommended

Julie Kirkendoll is a Desktop Publishing Specialist with IBJ Corp. Here is what she says about her job:

"Most of my training came from on-the-job. I worked at companies that had a desire to produce publications digitally, so they would decide which software was necessary and then I would learn it by reading the manuals and completing tutorials. I also sought-out those who had a solid working knowledge of the software and learned from them. She advises new workers to seek out the best training. "Do a few internships to get a feel for how things work in the "real world" of day-to-day production.

"What I enjoy most is the wide variety of publications that I am able to produce. It has surprised me that after 22 years I still enjoy getting my hands on a new project and figuring out the best way to produce it."

Scanner Operator

Summary

Use computerized equipment to create film negatives or positives of photographs or art. Jobs can be found generally in prepress facilities, prepress departments at commercial printing plants.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Takes photographs or transparencies and loads them on flatbed or drum scanner.
• Analyzes the photographs or transparencies on screen
• Uses color analysis software to determine scanning parameter
• Makes necessary color adjustments

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Has good written and oral communication skills
• Proficient in math
• Must have good eyesight and color vision
• Pays careful attention to detail
• Follows instruction
• Knowledge of Color Theory
• Keeps abreast of major developments in discipline area and demonstrates competency within areas of functional responsibility
• Two-year degree in printing recommended