Printing Workers

How to become a Prepress Technician or Worker

Official title: Prepress Technicians and Workers

Also called: Desktop Operator, Electronic Prepress Operator (EPP Operator), Electronic Prepress Technician (EPP Tech), Plate Maker, Plate Mounter, Pre-Press Proofer, Prepress Operator, Prepress Specialist, Prepress Stripper, Prepress Technician

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.

Main tasks

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.
Maintain, adjust, and clean equipment, and perform minor repairs.

How to become one

Typical education to start: Postsecondary nondegree award

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Compositor (Alternate Title: Keyboarder/Proofreader Gov).
Apprenticeship: Lithographic Platemaker.
Apprenticeship: Stripper, Lithographic Ii.
Certificate or associate's degree: Postsecondary nondegree award. Programs such as Graphic Communications, General; Printing Management; Prepress/Desktop Publishing and Digital Imaging Design

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $48,690 a year The middle half earn $40,930 to $58,580.
About 24,700 people work in this job now, and about 20,900 are projected by 2035. (-15.3%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Prepress Technician or Worker?

Ways in include: Postsecondary nondegree award; Compositor (Alternate Title: Keyboarder/Proofreader Gov).

How much does a Prepress Technician or Worker earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $48,690 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $40,930 to $58,580.

Is a Prepress Technician or Worker a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 15% by 2035, from about 24,700 to about 20,900 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Prepress Technician or Worker?

Not always. 26% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Postsecondary nondegree award; Compositor (Alternate Title: Keyboarder/Proofreader Gov).

Will AI change the work of a Prepress Technician or Worker?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.