Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a Prepress Technician
What prepress technicians actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for a prepress technician?
Check incoming files. From there, the day usually includes preflight files, fix file problems, and manage color. Full time, sometimes evenings for deadlines.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a prepress technician working full time.
- Check incoming files.
- Preflight a brochure.
- Fix missing fonts.
- Impose a booklet.
- Output a proof.
- Make plates.
- Email a customer about bleed.
Where prepress technicians work
Technicians work in print shops and in-plant print departments.
Hours and schedule
Full time, sometimes evenings for deadlines.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Preflight files
- Fix file problems
- Manage color
- Impose pages
- Make proofs
- Output plates
- Communicate with customers
Tools you’ll use every day
- Adobe Acrobat
- InDesign
- Illustrator
- Prepress workflow software
- Platesetters
- Proofing printers
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- Mix of design and tech
- Detail work
- Indoor work
- Creative industry
What’s hard
- Steep decline
- Deadline pressure
- Fixing others’ errors
- Shrinking industry
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I like design software
- I’m detail-oriented
- I like printing
- I can fix problems
- I like working on computers
- I like creative industries
Not sure? Take the free Prepress Technician fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Handle plate chemicals carefully
- Use ergonomic setups
- Protect customer files
- Take screen breaks