Table 1Transition record

lithographertoprepress technician

A lithographer already meets 44% of what the prepress technician role asks for. The move turns on 17 required skills not yet in the profile.

From lithographer

44%

Overlap1

To prepress technician

26 Skills carried over

17 Required, not held

65.8 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 65.8

This move: 65.8 of 100 · substantial

1 Share of the prepress technician role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the lithographer profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 26 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A prepress technician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a lithographer background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held operate laser plate maker machine working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held scale copies working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held apply opaque communication, collaboration and creativity
already held ink printing plates working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held scan negatives working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held prepare films for printing plates working with machinery and specialised equipment

All 26 carried skills, including the 12 the prepress technician role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 31 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 information and communication technologies (icts) 7 required

required, not held Adobe Illustrator required
required, not held Adobe Photoshop required
required, not held GIMP (graphics editor software) required
required, not held Microsoft Visio required
required, not held SketchBook Pro required
required, not held Synfig required
required, not held graphics editor software required

02 arts and humanities 4 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held printing on large scale machines required
required, not held prepress processes required
required, not held reprography required
required, not held typography required

optional, not held graphic design optional

03 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held align content with form required
required, not held troubleshoot required

optional, not held interpret illustration needs optional
optional, not held communicate with customers optional

04 working with machinery and specialised equipment 2 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held operate printing machinery required
required, not held set colour profiles required

optional, not held prepare offset printing machine optional

05 working with computers 1 required, 7 supplementary

required, not held develop digital content required

optional, not held create digital files optional
optional, not held scan photos optional
optional, not held use typesetting software optional
optional, not held digitise documents optional
optional, not held manage digital documents optional
optional, not held use presentation software optional
optional, not held use word processing software optional

06 information skills 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held output electronic files required

optional, not held process printing input optional

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a prepress technician role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 26 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held follow safety precautions in printing skill
already held lay out digital written content skill
already held maintenance of printing machines knowledge
already held operate laser plate maker machine skill
already held prepare films for printing plates skill
already held prepare printing form skill
already held printing plate making knowledge
already held produce prepress proof skill
already held proofing methods knowledge
already held scale copies skill
already held scan negatives skill
already held set scanner controls skill
already held apply opaque skill
already held edit photographs skill
already held ink printing plates skill
already held maintain lithographic printing plates skill
already held manage offset printing process skill
already held offset printing knowledge
already held prevent paper jams skill
already held printed goods processes knowledge
already held printing materials knowledge
already held printing media knowledge
already held printing techniques knowledge
already held quality standards knowledge
already held store negatives skill
already held use colour printing programs skill

The 2 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 assisting and caring 1 supplementary

optional, not held handle scanning material safely optional

08 management skills 1 supplementary

optional, not held meet deadlines optional

14 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held create digital files optional
optional, not held handle scanning material safely optional
optional, not held interpret illustration needs optional
optional, not held process printing input optional
optional, not held scan photos optional
optional, not held use typesetting software optional
optional, not held communicate with customers optional
optional, not held digitise documents optional
optional, not held graphic design optional
optional, not held manage digital documents optional
optional, not held meet deadlines optional
optional, not held prepare offset printing machine optional
optional, not held use presentation software optional
optional, not held use word processing software optional

17 held skills the prepress technician role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role digital printing knowledge
not needed by the target role edit negatives skill
not needed by the target role follow production schedule skill
not needed by the target role manage inventory skill
not needed by the target role mix ink skill
not needed by the target role order supplies skill
not needed by the target role oversee quality control skill
not needed by the target role perform image editing skill
not needed by the target role perform machine maintenance skill
not needed by the target role photoengraving knowledge
not needed by the target role prepare colour mixtures skill
not needed by the target role print stripping knowledge
not needed by the target role read job ticket instructions skill
not needed by the target role reduce dots skill
not needed by the target role screen printing inks knowledge
not needed by the target role train employees skill
not needed by the target role wear appropriate protective gear skill

12 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held Adobe Illustrator required
required, not held Adobe Photoshop required
required, not held GIMP (graphics editor software) required
required, not held Microsoft Visio required
required, not held SketchBook Pro required
required, not held Synfig required
required, not held graphics editor software required
required, not held printing on large scale machines required
required, not held prepress processes required
required, not held reprography required
required, not held typography required
optional, not held graphic design optional

Index

Other moves recorded from lithographer

Full index of moves from lithographer

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.