Table 1Transition record

prepress operatortoprepress technician

A prepress operator already meets 51% of what the prepress technician role asks for. The move turns on 12 required skills not yet in the profile.

From prepress operator

51%

Overlap1

To prepress technician

25 Skills carried over

12 Required, not held

59.8 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 59.8

This move: 59.8 of 100 · substantial

1 Share of the prepress technician role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the prepress operator 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 25 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 prepress operator background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held output electronic files information skills
already held proofing methods business, administration and law
already held prepress processes arts and humanities
already held maintain lithographic printing plates working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held reprography arts and humanities
already held interpret illustration needs communication, collaboration and creativity

All 25 carried skills, including the 17 the prepress technician role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 32 missing skills fall into 9 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 working with machinery and specialised equipment 6 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held operate laser plate maker machine required
required, not held prepare films for printing plates required
required, not held prepare printing form required
required, not held scale copies required
required, not held scan negatives required
required, not held set colour profiles required

optional, not held ink printing plates optional
optional, not held prepare offset printing machine optional

02 arts and humanities 3 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held printing on large scale machines required
required, not held printing plate making required
required, not held typography required

optional, not held offset printing optional
optional, not held graphic design optional
optional, not held printing media optional

03 working with computers 2 required, 8 supplementary

required, not held set scanner controls required
required, not held develop digital content required

optional, not held create digital files optional
optional, not held edit photographs 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

04 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held align content with form required

optional, not held apply opaque optional

05 management skills 2 supplementary

optional, not held prevent paper jams optional
optional, not held meet deadlines optional

06 assisting and caring 1 supplementary

optional, not held handle scanning material safely optional

3 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 25 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held Adobe Illustrator knowledge
already held Adobe Photoshop knowledge
already held GIMP (graphics editor software) knowledge
already held Microsoft Visio knowledge
already held SketchBook Pro knowledge
already held Synfig knowledge
already held follow safety precautions in printing skill
already held graphics editor software knowledge
already held lay out digital written content skill
already held maintenance of printing machines knowledge
already held operate printing machinery skill
already held output electronic files skill
already held prepress processes knowledge
already held produce prepress proof skill
already held proofing methods knowledge
already held reprography knowledge
already held troubleshoot skill
already held communicate with customers skill
already held interpret illustration needs skill
already held maintain lithographic printing plates skill
already held manage offset printing process skill
already held printing materials knowledge
already held printing techniques knowledge
already held quality standards knowledge
already held use colour printing programs skill

The 3 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 business, administration and law 1 supplementary

optional, not held printed goods processes optional

08 handling and moving 1 supplementary

optional, not held store negatives optional

09 information skills 1 supplementary

optional, not held process printing input optional

20 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held apply opaque optional
optional, not held create digital files optional
optional, not held edit photographs optional
optional, not held handle scanning material safely optional
optional, not held ink printing plates optional
optional, not held offset printing optional
optional, not held prevent paper jams optional
optional, not held process printing input optional
optional, not held scan photos optional
optional, not held store negatives optional
optional, not held use typesetting software 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 printed goods processes optional
optional, not held printing media 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 arrange printer sheets skill
not needed by the target role calibrate electronic instruments skill
not needed by the target role cut page edges skill
not needed by the target role digitization knowledge
not needed by the target role follow a brief skill
not needed by the target role inspect printing output skill
not needed by the target role manage process of flexographic print skill
not needed by the target role mix ink 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 proofread text skill
not needed by the target role provide customised products skill
not needed by the target role screen printing process knowledge
not needed by the target role types of paper knowledge
not needed by the target role use markup languages skill
not needed by the target role use microsoft office skill
not needed by the target role wear appropriate protective gear skill

7 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 printing on large scale machines required
required, not held printing plate making required
required, not held typography required
optional, not held offset printing optional
optional, not held graphic design optional
optional, not held printed goods processes optional
optional, not held printing media optional

Index

Other moves recorded from prepress operator

Full index of moves from prepress operator

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.