A prepress technician formats and corrects layout errors before approving text and graphics for print. They compare job specifications with images and ensure customer needs are met. The traditional photographic technique is being replaced by digital printing technology, making the job more difficult to find.
A prepress technician is responsible for the various tasks involved in processing large print jobs. These tasks involve formatting and correcting layout errors before approving text and graphics for the print phase of the process. The prepress technician’s primary role is to compare job specifications with images transmitted by graphic designers, clients, or other team members. Basically, these technicians ensure that a customer’s needs are met while maintaining the technical and spatial constraints of the printed materials.
In the past, a prepress technician would usually work with thin metal printing plates used with a printing press. These boards contained the image that would be copied onto the final product. This involved a manual process in which the prepress technician manipulated ultraviolet light and used chemicals that allowed the image to become a permanent part of the metal. While some printers may still use this traditional photographic technique, most are moving to more advanced digital printing technology. One of the more popular alternatives is called the direct-to-plate technique.
The direct-to-plate technique allows the prepress technician to create an electronic version of the pages to be printed. This is sent directly to a digital printer. Alternatively, the image can be set up with lasers on a metallic printing plate. Either way, the process is faster and requires less hands-on manipulation of the print layout than traditional sheet metal methods. This technique also allows the prepress technician to email proofs to customers, which can be changed quickly and easily if there are any errors. Of course, correcting an electronic file is much simpler than creating new sheet metal.
Finding a position as a prepress technician is likely to become more difficult as computers and technology eliminate many of the steps involved in the prepress printing process. Advanced software allows even those with no printing experience to manage typography and page layout on a computer, so there is less need for a prepress technician to manage every step of the prepress process. In fact, many customers can submit print projects that are already assembled with common desktop publishing software. However, those who are interested in obtaining a prepress technician position should still look for experience and knowledge of the entire printing process, as well as becoming familiar with advanced technology and software, as working in large printing companies will require both.
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