Table 1Transition record

prepress techniciantolithographer

A prepress technician already meets 61% of what the lithographer role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.

From prepress technician

61%

Overlap1

To lithographer

26 Skills carried over

8 Required, not held

46.1 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 46.1

This move: 46.1 of 100 · moderate

1 Share of the lithographer role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the prepress technician 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 lithographer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a prepress technician background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held ink printing plates working with machinery and specialised equipment
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 scan negatives working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held offset printing arts and humanities

All 26 carried skills, including the 13 the lithographer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 17 missing skills fall into 7 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 arts and humanities 3 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held photoengraving required
required, not held print stripping required
required, not held screen printing inks required

optional, not held digital printing optional

02 handling and moving 2 required

required, not held mix ink required
required, not held prepare colour mixtures required

03 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held read job ticket instructions required

optional, not held order supplies optional
optional, not held train employees optional

04 management skills 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held follow production schedule required

optional, not held manage inventory optional

05 working with computers 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held perform image editing required

optional, not held edit negatives optional

06 assisting and caring 2 supplementary

optional, not held oversee quality control optional
optional, not held wear appropriate protective gear optional

1 further area in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a lithographer 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 ink printing plates skill
already held maintain lithographic printing plates skill
already held offset printing 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 materials knowledge
already held printing plate making knowledge
already held printing techniques knowledge
already held quality standards knowledge
already held scale copies skill
already held set scanner controls skill
already held apply opaque skill
already held edit photographs skill
already held lay out digital written content skill
already held maintenance of printing machines knowledge
already held manage offset printing process skill
already held prevent paper jams skill
already held printed goods processes knowledge
already held printing media knowledge
already held produce prepress proof skill
already held proofing methods knowledge
already held scan negatives skill
already held store negatives skill
already held use colour printing programs skill

The 1 learning area not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 working with machinery and specialised equipment 2 supplementary

optional, not held reduce dots optional
optional, not held perform machine maintenance optional

9 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held digital printing optional
optional, not held edit negatives optional
optional, not held manage inventory optional
optional, not held reduce dots optional
optional, not held order supplies optional
optional, not held oversee quality control optional
optional, not held perform machine maintenance optional
optional, not held train employees optional
optional, not held wear appropriate protective gear optional

31 held skills the lithographer role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role Adobe Illustrator knowledge
not needed by the target role Adobe Photoshop knowledge
not needed by the target role GIMP (graphics editor software) knowledge
not needed by the target role Microsoft Visio knowledge
not needed by the target role SketchBook Pro knowledge
not needed by the target role Synfig knowledge
not needed by the target role align content with form skill
not needed by the target role communicate with customers skill
not needed by the target role create digital files skill
not needed by the target role develop digital content skill
not needed by the target role digitise documents skill
not needed by the target role graphic design knowledge
not needed by the target role graphics editor software knowledge
not needed by the target role handle scanning material safely skill
not needed by the target role interpret illustration needs skill
not needed by the target role manage digital documents skill
not needed by the target role meet deadlines skill
not needed by the target role operate printing machinery skill
not needed by the target role output electronic files skill
not needed by the target role prepare offset printing machine skill
not needed by the target role prepress processes knowledge
not needed by the target role printing on large scale machines knowledge
not needed by the target role process printing input skill
not needed by the target role reprography knowledge
not needed by the target role scan photos skill
not needed by the target role set colour profiles skill
not needed by the target role troubleshoot skill
not needed by the target role typography knowledge
not needed by the target role use presentation software skill
not needed by the target role use typesetting software skill
not needed by the target role use word processing software skill

4 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 photoengraving required
required, not held print stripping required
required, not held screen printing inks required
optional, not held digital printing optional

Index

Other moves recorded from prepress technician

Full index of moves from prepress technician

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.