Prepress is the term used in the printing and publishing industries for the processes and procedures that occur between the creation of a print layout and the final printing. The prepress procedure includes the manufacture of a printing plate, image carrier or form, ready for mounting on a printing press, as well as the adjustment of images and texts or the creation of a high-quality print file.

A DTP artist is a desktop publishing worker, a job description used in advertising agencies, publishing, color separation, printing and other related industries. A DTP operator is usually skilled in multiple computer design applications, such as Adobe CS and others. DTP operators were formerly known as FA artists (FA: Finished artwork), the name changed due to the digital processes. In English speaking countries, DTP operators are also referred to as Artworkers. Their role is to translate art directors and graphic designers work into digital files ready to go to print or be placed online.

A Graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography, or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures(sometimes) and advertising. They are also sometimes responsible for typesetting, illustration, user interfaces, web design, or take a teaching position. A core responsibility of the designer's job is to present information in a way that is both accessible and memorable.

The printing process involves workers who transform print jobs from start to finish. A prepress technician is involved with the preliminary phase of the printing process. Prepress technicians work in the printing or newspaper industries.

Prepress Technician: Job Description & Requirements
Prepress Technicians, armed with a postsecondary certificate, diploma or associate degree, play an essential role in setting up textual and graphical material to be printed so that next steps of the printing process, printing and binding, go smoothly. Careers related to Prepress Technician include graphic designer, printing machine operator and electronic prepress operator.

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.

Career Definition: Prepress Technician
Prepress Technicians set the foundation for successful printing production. They ensure that the proper format, appearance and layout of text and images is set before the full print run for newspapers, magazines, brochures, catalogs, packaging materials or labels is completed. Prepress Technicians take print or electronic files and scan or import them into specialized software, making color, text and digital image corrections as needed. They set up printing presses to produce film, plate or electronic proofs. Prepress Technicians also maintain, repair and troubleshoot cameras and presses as needed. Shift work is common for Prepress Technicians, as is overtime in order to meet deadlines. Prepress Technicians may be members of the Graphic Communications Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters,www.teamster.org.

How to Become a Prepress Technician?

Required Education for a Career in Prepress Technology
Prepress Technicians typically hold a certificate or diploma in Electronic Prepress Operations or Printing Prepress Technology. An alternative is an associate's degree in Graphic Arts and Imaging Technology or Printing and Prepress Technology. Prepress Technicians learn the use of computer programs like Quark, Photoshop, Illustrator and In Design. They also study graphic communications, computers, commercial printing processes, math, lithography and safety procedures.

Skills Required for a Career as a Prepress Technician
Prepress Technicians require effective communication skills for taking orders from customers, troubleshooting prepress problems or addressing management or customer concerns. Prepress Technicians need good eyesight and attention to detail for color and text proofing.

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.

Career and Economic Outlook for Prepress Technology

Although prepress technicians and graphic artists work in the same field and with the same programs, their jobs are different. Graphic artists are responsible for creating designs according to a client's needs, while prepress technicians are responsible for taking graphic artists' designs from digital format to printed material.

What a Prepress Technician Does
The main job of a prepress technician is to check materials as they come into the print shop and prepare them for the printing process. Most printing today is done electronically. A client will, for example, email a file for printing to a print shop. The prepress technician opens the file in a program like Adobe Illustrator or InDesign and checks that the print settings, such as color and paper size, are correct on the file. If needed, the prepress technician makes adjustments. Prepress technicians are also responsible for the care and maintenance of their equipment, which can include printers, scanners, cameras, copy machines and computer servers.

What a Graphic Artist Does
The main job of a graphic artist is to create designs for clients. These designs can include images, photos, logos, layouts and other content and are used for print, web or video productions. Most graphic artists do their design work using a computer and illustration packages, although some may still create graphics using paper and pencil or pen and ink. A graphic artist can work as an in-house employee or contractor designing newsletters, print mailers, email campaigns, brochures and the like, or he can work as a freelancer, independent artist or employee of a design agency working for a number of different companies. Some graphic artists specialize in one area of design, such as logos or web banners, while other designers do a little bit of everything.

Prepress Technician and Graphic Artist Similarities
Prepress technicians and graphic artists work with some of the same design and layout programs and both of these jobs require familiarity with the printing process. In the printing world, there are two main color models named after the colors used during printing: red/green/blue (RGB) and cyan/magenta/yellow/black (CMYK). Most materials designed for printing, such as mailers and newsletters, are done using the CMYK model, while photo editing programs, such as Adobe Photoshop, use RGB. Although the prepress technician can correct mistakes in the color model before printing, the graphic artist can save time and effort by converting finished files to RBG.

Prepress Technician and Graphic Artist Differences
Prepress technicans are more concerned with the nuts and bolts of the printing process. After ensuring the files are set up in the proper format, they are responsible for running the equipment and making sure the job prints correctly. Graphic artists, on the other hand, create designs from scratch using only their imaginations. Graphic artists are also more likely to work with clients and others involved in the creative process. Another major difference between these two careers is salary. In 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the median pay for a printing technician was $33,150, while, for that same period, a graphic artist median pay was $43,500.

Job Considerations
Someone who has an imaginative mind and a flair for the creative may be best suited to become a graphic artist. Technical-minded people, however, who enjoy working with printers and servers may find the role of prepress technician more fulfilling.