Profession prepress technician

Prepress technicians prepare printing processes by formatting, setting and composing text and graphics into a suitable form. This includes the capture of text and image and processing it electronically. They also prepare, maintain and troubleshoot printing presses.

Personality Type

• Artistic / Investigative
• Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

• Printing plate making

  The different techniques used to produce the plates that will be mounted on rolls for the flexographic or offset printing process such as laser engraving or the technique consisting in placing a film negative over a plate exposed to ultra-violet light.

• Adobe Illustrator

  The computer program Adobe Illustrator CC is a graphical ICT tool which enables digital editing and composition of graphics to generate both 2D raster or 2D vector graphics. It is developed by the software company Adobe.

• Synfig

  The computer program Synfig is a graphical ICT tool which enables digital editing and composition of graphics to generate both 2D raster or 2D vector graphics. It is developed by Robert Quattlebaum.

• Typography

  The procedure of arranging written texts for printing processes.

• Prepress processes

  The processes that occur between the creation of a print layout and the final printing, such as copyediting, proofing, proofreading and others.

• Graphics editor software

  The field of graphical ICT tools which enable digital editing and composition of graphics, such as GIMP, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator, to develop both 2D raster or 2D vector graphics.

• Adobe Photoshop

  The computer program Adobe Photoshop is a graphical ICT tool which enables digital editing and composition of graphics to generate both 2D raster or 2D vector graphics. It is developed by the software company Adobe.

• Microsoft Visio

  The computer program Microsoft Visio is a graphical ICT tool which enables digital editing and composition of graphics to generate both 2D raster or 2D vector graphics. It is developed by the software company Microsoft.

• Reprography

  The process of reproducing, reprinting, or copying graphic material especially by mechanical or electronic means such as photography or xerography.

• Maintenance of printing machines

  Upkeep procedures and technical working of machines that produce printed graphical material.

• Proofing methods

  Various proofing methods are needed for certain kinds of products. They range from soft proofing, which presents the result on a monitor, to hard proofing, where an actual printed sample of the product is obtained.

• GIMP (graphics editor software)

  The computer program GIMP is a graphical ICT tool which enables digital editing and composition of graphics to generate both 2D raster or 2D vector graphics. It is developed by The GIMP Development Team.

• Printing on large scale machines

  Methods, processes, and restrictions related to printing on machines that produce large quantities and sizes of graphic print materials.

• SketchBook Pro

  The computer program SketchBook Pro is a graphical ICT tool which enables digital editing and composition of graphics to generate both 2D raster or 2D vector graphics. It is developed by the software company Autodesk.

Skills

• Lay out digital written content

  Lay out pages by selecting sizes, styles and entering text and graphics into computer systems.

• Operate printing machinery

  Operate machinery for various types of printed documents, adjusting the font, paper size, and weight. This allows ascenders and descenders to be correctly placed.

• Prepare printing form

  Prepare and inspect plates that are used in printing process to transfer ink on the desired surface and place them in the machines, for example fixing them around printing rollers.

• Output electronic files

  Load customer supplied electronic files onto the prepress file server, whilst checking them for completeness and potential problems. Communicate eventual problems with customers and production personnel.

• Set colour profiles

  Maintain consistent colour output in digital colour and inkjet printers by running calibration routines and making sure that the colour profiles for the printers are still accurate.

• Produce prepress proof

  Make single or multi-coloured test prints to ensure that the product meets the arranged standards. Compare the sample with the template or discuss the result with the customer in order to make the last adjustments before mass production.

• Prepare films for printing plates

  Place the photographic materials coated with a light-sensitive substance on the printing plate in such a way that will limit waste and facilitate printing processes. Place the plates in the machine for the different exposure and curing processes.

• Operate laser plate maker machine

  Maintain and handle laser plate making equipment, which converts electronic data to plates without the use of photographic film. Use erasers and needles to perform minor deletions, additions or corrections to complete these materials.

• Scan negatives

  Scan processed negatives so they can be digitally stored, edited, and printed.

• Troubleshoot

  Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.

• Set scanner controls

  Use a mouse, keyboard or other controls to set up the scanner precisely.

• Align content with form

  Align form and content to make sure they fit together.

• Follow safety precautions in printing

  Apply safety and health principles, policies and institutional regulations of working in printing production. Protect oneself and others against such hazards as chemicals used in printing, invasive allergens, heat, and disease causing agents.

• Scale copies

  Use proportion wheels to scale the layout and resolution of images up or down.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB