A prepress technician is in charge of a variety of tasks related to the processing of large print jobs. These responsibilities include formatting and correcting layout errors before text and graphics are approved for printing. The prepress technician’s primary responsibility is to compare job specifications to images provided by graphic designers, customers, or other employees. Essentially, these technicians ensure that a customer’s needs are met while the technical and spatial constraints of the printed materials are respected.
A prepress technician used to work with thin metal printing plates that were used on a printing press in the past. The image that would be copied to the final product was stored on these plates. This was accomplished through a manual process in which the prepress technician used ultraviolet light and chemicals to permanently embed the image in the metal. While some printers continue to use this traditional photographic technique, the majority are transitioning to more advanced digital printing technology. The direct-to-plate method is one of the most popular alternatives.
The prepress technician can create an electronic version of the pages to be printed using the direct-to-plate technique. After that, it’s sent straight to a digital printing press. Lasers can also be used to set the image onto a metal printing plate. In either case, compared to traditional metal plate methods, the process is faster and requires less hands-on manipulation of the printing layout. This method also allows the prepress technician to send customers proofs via email, which can be quickly and easily corrected if any errors are discovered. Correcting an electronic file is obviously much easier than making new metal plates.
As computers and technology eliminate many of the steps involved in the prepress printing process, finding a job as a prepress technician will likely become more difficult. Because advanced software allows even those with no prior printing experience to manage typesetting and page layout on a computer, a prepress technician is no longer required to oversee every step of the prepress process. Many customers may even submit printing projects that have already been put together using standard desktop publishing software. Those interested in working as a prepress technician should seek experience and knowledge of the entire printing process, as well as familiarity with advanced technology and software, because work at large printing companies will require both.