Duties

• A prepress technician receives a print-related project and reviews all documents for errors. After checking these documents, the technician transfers the pictures or text into print-ready material.
  
  

Education

• Employers expect prepress technicians to have formal post-secondary graphic communications training, according to a December 2009 Bureau of Labor Statistics report. Candidates may undergo training at a junior college or technical school.
  
  

Skills

• Prepress technicians use a range of technical skills during a prepress job. Basic skills include applying chemical-based solutions to press plates. Advanced skills involve operating digital plate-making equipment and maintaining digital files.
  
  

Work Environment

• Since prepress technicians must perform detailed work, their environment is a well-lit, air-conditioned space. The idea of an eight-hour shift attracts candidates, but deadlines loom throughout the print industry. Accordingly, a prepress technician position often requires irregular hours or weekend work.
  
  

Salary

• Prepress technicians earn an average annual salary of $28,568; specific wages depend on education and geographical region. A 2009 Bureau of Labor Statistics report predicts that prepress technician employment will decline by 13 percent between 2008 and 2018.