What You'll Do

  • Enter, store, and retrieve information on computer-aided equipment.
  • Enter, position, and alter text size, using computers, to make up and arrange pages so that printed materials can be produced.
  • Maintain, adjust, and clean equipment, and perform minor repairs.
  • Operate and maintain laser plate-making equipment that converts electronic data to plates without the use of film.
  • Examine photographic images for obvious imperfections prior to plate making.
  • Operate presses to print proofs of plates, monitoring printing quality to ensure that it is adequate.
  • Examine unexposed photographic plates to detect flaws or foreign particles prior to printing.
  • Examine finished plates to detect flaws, verify conformity with master plates, and measure dot sizes and centers, using light boxes and microscopes.
  • Select proper types of plates according to press run lengths.
  • Analyze originals to evaluate color density, gradation highlights, middle tones, and shadows, using densitometers and knowledge of light and color.

Essential Skills

Active Listening 3.12/5
Speaking 3.12/5
Critical Thinking 3.12/5
Monitoring 3.12/5
Time Management 3.12/5
Reading Comprehension 3.0/5
Coordination 3.0/5
Complex Problem Solving 3.0/5
Operations Monitoring 3.0/5
Judgment and Decision Making 3.0/5
Writing 2.88/5
Active Learning 2.88/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to sense whether the day to day rhythm and focus of this path line up with what energizes you.

Top passions

  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Artist: Creating original work and expressing ideas feels natural.

Common styles

Attention to Detail, Dependability, Cooperation, Initiative, Stress Tolerance

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Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Near Vision 3.75/5
Problem Sensitivity 3.25/5
Inductive Reasoning 3.25/5
Visualization 3.25/5
Visual Color Discrimination 3.25/5
Oral Comprehension 3.12/5
Written Comprehension 3.12/5
Oral Expression 3.12/5

Technologies & Tools

Adobe Acrobat Adobe Creative Cloud software Adobe Director Adobe FrameMaker Adobe FreeHand MX Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign Adobe LifeCycle Enterprise Suite Adobe PageMaker Adobe Photoshop Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite Corel Painter Esko ArtPro File transfer protocol FTP software Global Graphics Software Harlequin Hamrick Software VueScan LaserSoft Imaging SilverFast Ai Studio Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook

Work Environment & Style

Common Styles for This Career

  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.85/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.35/5)
  • Cooperation (High importance: 4.12/5)
  • Initiative (High importance: 4.08/5)
  • Stress Tolerance (High importance: 4.07/5)

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How to Become One

This career typically requires vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some specialized training or certification may also be required.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

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 Desktop Operator Digital Prepress Operator Digital Prepress Technician (Digital Prepress Tech) Diploma Maker Dot Etcher Electron-Beam Photo Mask Maker Electron-Beam Photo Mask Technician Electronic Masking System Operator Electronic Operator Electronic Pre-Press Technician Electronic Prepress Operator (EPP Operator) Electronic Prepress Technician (EPP Tech) 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 Lithographic Photographer Lithographic Plate Maker Lithographic Platemaker Lithographic Press Operator Lithographic Stripper Lithographing Machine Operator Lithopress Operator Lithostripper Lock Up Worker Ludlow Machine Operator Machine Compositor Make Up Arranger Make Up Worker Make-Up Arranger Map Mounter Monotype Caster Monotype Keyboard Operator Monotype Operator Monotype Setter Monotyper Monotypist Negative Assembler Negative Stripper Offset Plate Maker Offset Platemaker Opaquer Pantograph Machine Operator Pantograph Operator Pantograph Setter Pantograph Transferrer Pantographer Paste Up Artist Paste Up Copy Camera Operator Paste-Up Artist Paste-Up Worker Photocomposing Machine Operator Photoengraver Photoengraving Etcher Photoengraving Finisher Photoengraving Machine Operator Photoengraving Machine Tender Photoengraving Photographer Photoengraving Printer Photoengraving Proofer Photoengraving Retoucher Photographic Lithographer Photographic Plate Maker Photographic Platemaker Photogravure Press Operator Photolettering Machine Operator Photolith Operator Photolithographer Photolithographic Stripper Phototypesetter Phototypesetter Operator Phototypesetting Equipment Monitor Plate Developer Plate Finisher Plate Grainer Plate Keeper Plate Maker Plate Mounter Plate Straightener Platemaker Pre-Press Production Technician Pre-Press Proofer Prepress Operator Prepress Specialist Prepress Stripper Prepress Technician Press Specialist Press Technician Print and Publication Linotype Operator Print and Publication Stripper Print Room Worker Print Technician (Print Tech) Printer Technician (Printer Tech) Printing and Publishing Hand Etcher Printing and Publishing Plate Finisher Printing Film Stripper Printing Plate Maker Printing Technician Process Artist Process Stripper Process Worker Proof Sheet Corrector Proofreader Proofsheet Corrector Repeat Photocomposing Machine Operator Roller Print Tender Roller Varnisher Router Runner Scanner Scanner Operator Scanning Clerk Scanning Operator Semiconductor Packages Platemaker Set Up Worker Setter Sheet Layer Steel Die Printer Stereotyper Stonehand Stoneman Striping Machine Operator Stripper Teletypesetter Teletypesetter Operator Terminal Makeup Operator Transfer Worker Transferrer Type Setter Type-Proof Reproducer Typecasting Machine Operator Typesetter Typesetters Printer Typesetting Machine Operator Typesetting Machine Tender Typo Machine Operator Typographer Zincographer