Can Agents Work?

Jobs / Production and manufacturing / 51-5111.00

Prepress Technicians and Workers

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.

US jobs
23,840
Median wage
$48,690 a year
Job family
Production and manufacturing

Can agents do the work of prepress technicians and workers?

We read the evidence for the whole job family, Production and manufacturing: Unmeasured (no change in 12 months)

No direct benchmark gives a success rate.

0% of this occupation's work, by O*NET work activities, is measured by a direct benchmark.

  • 29%Operate industrial processing or production equipmentNot measured
  • 21%Program computer systems or production equipmentNot measured
  • 21%Inspect completed work or finished productsNot measured
  • 6%Maintain tools or equipmentNot measured
  • 5%Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipmentNot measured
  • 5%Process digital or online dataNot measured
  • 4%Inspect characteristics or conditions of materials or productsNot measured
  • 4%Select materials or equipment for operations or projectsNot measured

Benchmarks for the job family

These cover work in production and manufacturing, not always this occupation's tasks.

Also relevant

These benchmarks cover part of this family's work, or have no result yet. They do not set its step.

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

  • 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.
  • Operate presses to print proofs of plates, monitoring printing quality to ensure that it is adequate.
  • Select proper types of plates according to press run lengths.
  • Examine finished plates to detect flaws, verify conformity with master plates, and measure dot sizes and centers, using light boxes and microscopes.
  • Examine unexposed photographic plates to detect flaws or foreign particles prior to printing.
  • Examine photographic images for obvious imperfections prior to plate making.
Other job titles for this occupation (80)

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 · 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 · Clamper · Cold Type Artist · Color Separation Photographer · Color Stripper · Composer · Composing Machine Operator · Composing Machine Tender · Compositor · Computer Typesetter · Copper Etcher · Copper Plate Lithographer · Digital Prepress Operator · Digital Prepress Technician (Digital Prepress Tech) · Digital Press Operator · Digital Print Operator · Diploma Maker · Dot Etcher · Electron-Beam Photo Mask Maker · Electron-Beam Photo Mask Technician · Electronic Masking System Operator · Electronic Operator · Electronic Pre-Press Technician · Electrotyper · Form Setter · Form Worker · Galley Stripper · Graphic Arts Technician · Graphic Technician · Graphics Operator · Graphics Technician (Graphics Tech) · Halftone Operator · Hand Compositor · Hand Etcher · Imposer · Intertype Operator · Job Compositor · Job Forwarder · Job Lithographer · Keyboard Operator · Keyboarder · Laser Beam Color Scanner Operator · Layout Former · Layup Worker · Letterpress Setter · Linotype Operator · Linotype Worker · Linotyper · Linotypist · Lithograph Designer · Lithograph Operator · Lithographer · Lithographers Printer · Lithographic Artist · Lithographic Camera Operator · Lithographic Etcher