Prepress Technicians and Workers

Also Called:

Electronic Prepress Operator (EPP Operator),

Plate Maker,

Prepress Operator,

Prepress Technician

What they do: Format and proof text and images submitted by designers and clients into finished pages that can be printed. Includes digital and photo typesetting. May produce printing plates.

What do they typically do on the job?

  • 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.

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines.

Interests

Career interests describe the perspectives and interests of people who enjoy the type of work involved in this career.

Discover what your interests are by taking the Interest Profiler Quiz

Knowledge

People who want to pursue this career have knowledge in these areas.

Engineering and Technology
  • Computers and electronics

  • Design

Arts and Humanities
  • English language

Math and Science
  • Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics

Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
  • Manufacture and distribution of products

Abilities

Whether you have received formal training or not, these types of abilities are helpful in this career.

Verbal
  • Communicate by speaking

  • Listen and understand what people say

Ideas and Logic
  • Make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information

  • Notice when problems happen

Skills

People who want to pursue this career have skills in these areas.

Basic Skills
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements

  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions

Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Work Values

Work values describe how your core beliefs align with those commonly needed for this career.

Support

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Independence

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Relationships

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

Does this sound like something you'd like to do?

1. Do some research
  • Identify how your interests, values, and strengths match this occupation
  • Talk to someone who works in this field or spend a day job shadowing
  • Use the colleges and training directory to explore programs related to this career
2. Plan your next move
  • Talk to your college and career counselor or school admissions staff
  • Visit Idaho Launch
  • Search for available Prepress Technicians and Workers jobs on Idaho Works

Data for NSI career cards comes from the following: Idaho Department of Labor, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET, MyNextMove, and Career OneStop