Explore the Career Kingdom:
Prepress Technicians and Workers
Set up and prepare material for printing presses.
Other names for Prepress Technicians and Workers:
Ad Compositor, Ad Setter, Advertisement Compositor, Advertising Layout Worker, Bankman, Blueprint Blocker, Blueprint Cutter, Blueprint Developer, Blueprint Duplicator, Blueprint Machine Operator, Blueprint Maker, Blueprint Processor, Blueprint Reproducer, Blueprinter, Blueprinting Machine Operator, Camera Operator, Clamper, Cold Type Artist, Color Etcher, Color Separation Photographer, Color Stripper, Composer, Composing Machine Operator/Tender, Composing Room Manager, Compositor, Compositor Apprentice, Computer to Plate Operator (CTP Operator), Computer Typesetter, Copper Etcher, Copper Plate Lithographer, Desktop Operator, Digital Prepress Operator, Diploma Maker, Dot Etcher, Dot Etcher Apprentice, Dumpman, Electron-Beam Photo Mask Maker, Electron-Beam Photo Mask Technician, Electronic Masking System Operator, Electronic Prepress Operator (EPP Operator), Electronic Prepress Technician (EPP Tech), Electrotyper, Electrotyper Apprentice, Etcher, Form Setter, Form Worker, Galley Stripper, Graphic Artist, Graphic Arts Technician, Graphic Designer, Graphic Technician, Gravure Press Operator, Halftone Operator, Hand Compositor, Hand Etcher, Head Setter, Imposer, Intertype Operator, Job Compositor, Job Forwarder, Job Lithographer, Keyboard Operator, Laser Beam Color Scanner Operator, Layout Former, Layup Worker, Letterpress Setter, Line Camera Operator, Linotype Operator, Linotype Worker, Linotyper, Linotypist, Lithograph Designer, Lithograph Operator, Lithographer, Lithographer Apprentice, Lithographers Printer, Lithographic Artist, Lithographic Camera Operator, Lithographic Etcher, Lithographic Photographer, Lithographic Photographer Apprentice, Lithographic Plate Maker, Lithographic Plate-Maker Apprentice, Lithographic Platemaker, Lithographic Press Operator, Lithographic Stripper, Lithographing Machine Operator, Lithopress Operator, Lithostripper, Lock Up Worker, Ludlow Machine Operator, Machine Compositor, Make Up Arranger, Make Up Worker, Make-Up Arranger, Manufacturing Assistant, Manufacturing Associate, Manufacturing Operator, Map Mounter, Monotype Caster, Monotype Keyboard Operator, Monotype Operator, Monotype Setter, Monotyper, Monotypist, Music Engraver, Negative Assembler, Negative Stripper, Offset Camera Operator, Offset Plate Maker, Offset Platemaker, Opaquer, Pantograph Machine Operator, Pantograph Operator, Pantograph Setter, Pantograph Transferrer, Pantographer, Paste Up Artist, Paste Up Copy Camera Operator, Paste-Up Artist, Paste-Up Artist Apprentice, Paste-Up Worker, Photocomposing Machine Operator, Photoengraver, Photoengraver Apprentice, Photoengraving Apprentice, Photoengraving Etcher, Photoengraving Etcher Apprentice, Photoengraving Finisher, Photoengraving Machine Operator/Tender, Photoengraving Photographer, Photoengraving Printer, Photoengraving Proofer, Photoengraving Proofer Apprentice, Photoengraving Retoucher, Photographic Lithographer, Photographic Plate Maker, Photographic Platemaker, Photogravure Press Operator, Photolettering Machine Operator, Photolith Operator, Photolithographer, Photolithographic Stripper, Phototypesetter, Phototypesetter Operator, Phototypesetting Equipment Monitor, Plate Developer, Plate Finisher, Plate Grainer, Plate Grainer Apprentice, Plate Keeper, Plate Maker, Plate Mounter, Plate Straightener, Platemaker, Pre-Press Proofer, Pre-Press Technician, Prepress Digital Technician, Prepress Manager, Prepress Operator, Prepress Specialist, Prepress Stripper, Prepress Supervisor, Prepress Technician, Print Room Worker, Printing Film Stripper, Printing Plate Maker, Printing Technician, Process Artist, Process Stripper, Process Worker, Production Coordinator, Proofsheet Corrector, Repeat Chief, Repeat Photocomposing Machine Operator, Roller Print Tender, Roller Varnisher, Router, Runner, Runner Out, Scanner, Scanner Operator, Scanning Clerk, Semiconductor Packages Platemaker, Set Up Worker, Sheet Layer, Steel Die Printer, Step and Repeat Camera Operator, Step and Repeat Reduction Camera Operator, Stereotyper, Stereotyper Apprentice, Stonehand, Stoneman, Striping Machine Operator, Stripper, Stripper Apprentice, Teletypesetter, Teletypesetter Operator, Terminal Makeup Operator, Transfer Worker, Transferrer, Type Setter, Type-Proof Reproducer, Typecasting Machine Operator, Typesetter, Typesetter Apprentice, Typesetters Printer, Typesetting Machine Operator/Tender, Typo Machine Operator, Typographer, Zinc Etcher, Zincographer,
What do Prepress Technicians and Workers do?
Perform tests to determine lengths of exposures, by exposing plates, scanning line copy, and comparing exposures to tone range scales.
Mix solutions such as developing solutions and colored coating solutions.
Activate scanners to produce positive or negative films for the black-and-white, cyan, yellow, and magenta separations from each original copy.
Select proper types of plates according to press run lengths.
Reposition lamps and adjust aperture controls in order to provide high quality images.
Analyze originals to evaluate color density, gradation highlights, middle tones, and shadows, using densitometers and knowledge of light and color.
Set scanners to specific color densities, sizes, screen rulings, and exposure adjustments, using scanner keyboards or computers.
Perform minor deletions, additions, or corrections to completed plates, on or off printing presses, using tusche, printing ink, erasers, and needles.
Correct minor film mask defects with litho tape or opaquing fluid.
Position color transparencies, negatives, or reflection copies on scanning drums, and mount drums and heads on scanners.
Arrange and mount typeset material and illustrations into paste-ups for printing reproduction, based on artists' or editors' layouts.
Scale copy for reductions and enlargements, using proportion wheels.
Enter, store, and retrieve information on computer-aided equipment.
Enter, position, and alter text size, using computers, to make up and arrange pages so that printed materials can be produced.
Maintain, adjust, and clean equipment, and perform minor repairs.
Operate and maintain laser plate-making equipment that converts electronic data to plates without the use of film.
Examine photographic images for obvious imperfections prior to plate making.
Operate presses to print proofs of plates, monitoring printing quality to ensure that it is adequate.
Monitor contact between cover glass and masks inside vacuum frames, in order to prevent flaws resulting from overexposure or light reflection.
Transfer images from master plates to unexposed plates, and immerse plates in developing solutions to develop images.
Examine unexposed photographic plates to detect flaws or foreign particles prior to printing.
Lower vacuum frames onto plate-film assemblies, activate vacuums to establish contact between film and plates, and set timers to activate ultraviolet lights that expose plates.
Examine finished plates to detect flaws, verify conformity with master plates, and measure dot sizes and centers, using light-boxes and microscopes.
Perform close alignment or registration of double and single flats to sensitized plates prior to exposure, in order to produce composite images.
Remove plate-film assemblies from vacuum frames, and place exposed plates in automatic processors to develop images and dry plates.
Position and angle screens for proper exposure.
Inspect developed film for specified results and quality, using magnifying glasses and scopes; forward acceptable negatives or positives to other workers or to customers.
Punch holes in light-sensitive plates and insert pins in holes to prepare plates for contact with positive or negative film.
Unload exposed film from scanners, and place film in automatic processors to develop images.
Place masking paper on areas of plates not covered by positives or negatives, in order to prevent exposure.
Mount negatives and plates in cameras, set exposure controls, and expose plates to light through negatives in order to transfer images onto plates.
Operate and maintain a variety of cameras and equipment, such as process, line, halftone, and color separation cameras, enlargers, electronic scanners, and contact equipment.
