Significant Points

• Most prepress technician jobs now require formal postsecondary graphic communications training in the various types of computer software used in digital imaging.
• Employment is projected to decline rapidly as the increased use of computers in typesetting and page layout requires fewer prepress technicians.

Nature of the Work

The printing process has three stages: prepress, press, and binding or finishing. While workers in small print shops are usually responsible for all three stages, in most printing firms, formatting print jobs and correcting layout errors before the job goes to print is the responsibility of a specialized group of workers. Prepress technicians and workers are responsible for this prepress work. They perform a variety of tasks to help transform text and pictures into finished pages and prepare the pages for print.

Some prepress technicians, known as "preflight technicians," take images from graphic designers, customer service staff, team leaders, or directly from customers and check them for completeness. They review job specifications and design either from submitted sketches or clients' electronic files to ensure that everything is correct and all files and photos are included. Once clients and preflight technicians agree that everything is in order, preflight technicians forward the files to prepress technicians to set up printers.

Offset printing plates are thin sheets of metal that carry the final image to be printed. Printing presses use this plate to copy the image to the final printed products. Once a printing plate has been created, prepress technicians collaborate with printing press operators to check for any potential printing problems. Several plates may be needed if a job requires color, but advanced printing technology generally does not require plates.

Prepress workers generally use a photographic process to make offset printing plates. This is a complex process involving ultraviolet light and chemical exposure through which the text and images of a print job harden on a metal plate and become water repellent. These hard, water repellent portions of the metal plate are in the form of the text and images that will be printed. More recently, however, the printing industry has moved to technology known as "direct-to-plate," by which the prepress technicians send the data directly to a plating system, bypassing the need for the photographic technique. The direct-to-plate technique is just one example of digital imaging technology that has largely replaced cold-type print technology.

Using direct-to-plate technology, the technicians produce an electronic image of the printed pages. The electronic image is used to create a "proof" which is printed and delivered or mailed to the customer. Alternatively, the electronic file can be e-mailed to the client for a final check. Once the customer approves the proofs, technicians use laser "imagesetters" to expose digital images of the pages directly onto the thin metal printing plates or directly to a digital press and skip the plate-making process altogether.

Advances in computer software and printing technology continue to change prepress work. Prepress workers often receive files from customers on a computer disk, via e-mail, or through an Internet site that contains typeset material already laid out in pages. This work is usually done by desktop publishers or graphic designers who have knowledge of publishing software. Despite the shortcuts that technological advancements allow, workers still need to understand the basic processes behind prepress, press, and finishing operations. Some workers, known as job printers, perform prepress and print operations. Job printers often are found in small establishments where work combines several job skills.

Work environment. Prepress technicians and workers usually work in clean, air-conditioned areas with little noise. Some workers may develop eyestrain from working in front of a video display terminal or other problems, such as muscle aches or back pain. Workers are often subject to stress and the pressures of deadlines and tight work schedules.

Prepress employees usually work an 8-hour day. Some workers-particularly those employed by newspapers-work night shifts. Weekend and holiday work may be required, particularly when a print job is behind schedule. Part-time job printers and prepress technicians made up about 14 percent of this occupation in 2008.

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement

Employers prefer workers with formal training in printing or publishing. Familiarity with the printing process, including the technology used, and attention to detail are the qualities that employers will seek most in job applicants.

Education and training. Many employers consider the best candidates for prepress jobs to be individuals with a combination of work experience in the printing industry and formal training in new digital technology. The experience of these applicants provides them with an understanding of how printing plants operate and demonstrates their interest in advancing within the industry.

Traditionally, prepress technicians and workers started as helpers and were trained on the job. Some of these jobs required years of experience performing detailed manual work to become skillful enough to perform the most difficult tasks. Today, however, employers expect workers to have some formal postsecondary graphic communications training in the various types of computer software used in digital imaging and will train workers on the job as needed.

For beginners, 2-year associate degree programs offered by community colleges, junior colleges, and technical schools teach the latest prepress skills and allow students to practice applying them. There are also 4-year bachelor's degree programs in graphic design aimed primarily at students who plan to move into management positions in printing or design. For workers who do not wish to enroll in a degree program, prepress-related courses are offered at many community colleges, junior colleges, 4-year colleges and universities, vocational-technical institutes, and private trade and technical schools. Workers with experience in other printing techniques can take a few college-level graphic communications courses to upgrade their skills and qualify for prepress jobs.

Other qualifications. Employers prefer workers with good communication skills, both oral and written. When prepress problems arise, prepress technicians should be able to deal courteously with customers to resolve them. In small shops, they may take customer orders and provide pricing information. Persons interested in working for firms using advanced printing technology need to be comfortable with electronics and computers. At times, prepress personnel may have to perform computations in order to estimate job costs or operate many of the machines used to run modern printing equipment.

Prepress technicians and workers need manual dexterity and accurate eyesight. Good color vision helps workers find mistakes and locate potential problems. It is essential for prepress workers to be able to pay attention to detail and work independently. Artistic ability is often a plus. Employers also seek persons who are comfortable with the pressures of meeting deadlines, using new software, and operating new equipment.

Advancement. Employers may send experienced technicians to industry-sponsored programs to update or develop new skills. Retraining due to technology and equipment changes is a constant as printing firms continually seek ways to improve efficiency and lower production costs. This kind of prepress training is sometimes offered in-house or through equipment makers and unions in the printing industry.

Job Outlook

Employment of prepress technicians and workers is projected to decline rapidly through 2018, because of improvements in printing technology that require fewer of these workers. Despite this, job prospects are good for prepress technicians with good computer and customer service skills.

Employment change. Overall employment of prepress technicians and workers is expected to decline by 13 percent over the 2008-2018 period. Demand for printed material, especially product packaging, should grow, reflecting an increase in consumer demand for manufactured goods and an expanding population. But the growing use of computers and publishing software by even the smallest of printing shops will result in rising productivity of prepress technicians, offsetting the growth of new jobs.

Computer software now allows office workers to specify text typeface and style and to format pages. This development shifts traditional prepress functions away from printing plants into advertising and public relations agencies, graphic design firms, and large corporations. As page layout and graphic design capabilities of computer software become less expensive and more user-friendly, many companies are turning to in-house desktop publishing. Some organizations also find it less costly to prepare their own newsletters and other reports. At some publishing companies, writers and editors do more composition of their stories using publishing software to gauge layout needs, but generally rely on prepress technicians to perform the actual layout. The rapid growth in the use of digital printing and desktop publishing has eliminated many prepress technician jobs associated with older printing technologies. In addition, new technologies are increasing the amount of automation in printing companies, requiring fewer prepress workers to do the same work.

Job prospects. Despite a decline in the number of new prepress positions, opportunities will be favorable for workers with strong computer and customer service skills, such as preflight technicians who electronically check materials prepared by clients and adapt them for printing. Electronic prepress technicians, digital proofers, platemakers, and graphic designers are using new equipment and ever-improving software to design and lay out publications and complete their printing more quickly.

To remain competitive and profitable, commercial printing companies are offering other services in addition to printing to increase the value of their core service and provide customers with a one-stop option. For example, printers are looking for database administrators, Web site developers, and information technology specialists to assist with providing e-mail distribution and graphic design services. Individuals who are technologically savvy can pick up sales or customer service functions; those who have completed postsecondary programs in printing technology or graphic communications will have the best opportunities.