Occupation information for Prepress Technicians and Workers District Of Columbia

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Typical education needed for entry: Postsecondary certificate

Typical work experience needed for a job in this occupation: No work experience

Typical on-the-job training once you have a job in this occupation: No on-the-job training

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• Generate prepress proofs in digital or other format to approximate the appearance of the final printed piece.
• Proofread and perform quality control of text and images.
• Enter, position, and alter text size, using computers, to make up and arrange pages so that printed materials can be produced.
• Perform "preflight" check of required font, graphic, text and image files to ensure completeness prior to delivery to printer.
• Operate and maintain laser plate-making equipment that converts electronic data to plates without the use of film.
• Enter, store, and retrieve information on computer-aided equipment.
• Operate presses to print proofs of plates, monitoring printing quality to ensure that it is adequate.
• Select proper types of plates according to press run lengths.
• Examine finished plates to detect flaws, verify conformity with master plates, and measure dot sizes and centers, using light boxes and microscopes.
• Punch holes in light-sensitive plates and insert pins in holes to prepare plates for contact with positive or negative film.

Tools:

• Automated film processor
• Densitometers
• Electronic media or data duplicating equipment
• Scanners
• Thermal transfer printer for commercial printing applications

Technology:

• Desktop publishing software
• Document management software
• Graphics or photo imaging software
• Internet protocol IP multimedia subsystem software
• Optical character reader OCR or scanning software

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