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Also called advertising layout worker, form worker, layup worker and linotype worker.
$48,690
Median pay a year
23,840
People do this work
6
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Pay and headcount are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lines are written from what the US Department of Labor records about this work.
An example
A Prepress Technician and Worker resume, filled in
Every line below comes from the same public record as the rest of this page. The greyed parts are the ones only you can answer.
Prepress Technician and Worker
Summary
Prepress technician formatting and proofing text and images for print production, generating digital proofs, performing preflight checks, and operating laser plate-making equipment
Experience
Prepress Technician and Worker
Where you worked
Month Year to Month Year
Generated prepress proofs in digital format to approximate the appearance of the final printed piece
Entered, positioned, and altered text size using computers to arrange pages for production
Performed 'preflight' checks of required font, graphic, text, and image files before delivery to printer
Operated and maintained laser plate-making equipment that converted electronic data to plates
Examined finished plates to detect flaws and verify conformity with master plates using light boxes
Analyzed originals to evaluate color density and gradation highlights using densitometers
Skills
Core Skills
Operating photographic developing equipment, Inspecting printed materials, Entering specifications into equipment, Maintaining production equipment, Monitoring equipment operation, Examining property condition, Measuring product dimensions, Programming equipment, Selecting production equipment, Cleaning production equipment
Tools and software
Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software
Open to
On site, Remote
Education
Certificate Your training program, Year
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Generated prepress proofs in digital formatProofread and performed quality control of textEntered and positioned text for page arrangementPerformed preflight checks of required filesOperated and maintained laser plate-making equipmentExamined finished plates for flaws and conformity
becomes
On your resume
Generated digital prepress proofs to accurately represent final printed materials
Entered and positioned text for effective page arrangement, ensuring clarity and visual appeal
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Add how often you generated proofs for projects
The line
Generated digital prepress proofs several times each week to accurately represent final printed materials
Add how often you generated proofs for projects
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Several times each weekA few for each projectMost projects required proofs
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Show what improved in the final printed materials
The line
Entered and positioned text for effective page arrangement, ensuring clarity and visual appeal
Show what improved in the final printed materials
Pick one that fits
Enhanced overall design qualityImproved text alignment and flow
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What it is made of
Skills for a Prepress Technician and Worker resume
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What are you good at?
Operating photographic developing equipment
Inspecting printed materials
Entering specifications into equipment
Maintaining production equipment
Monitoring equipment operation
Examining property condition
Measuring product dimensions
Selecting production equipment
Cleaning production equipment
Programming equipment
Operating digital imaging equipment
Repairing production equipment
The work itself
What a Prepress Technician and Worker does
The public record of what this job is, in one paragraph.
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.
What it pays
How much does a Prepress Technician and Worker make?
Annual pay across the United States. The middle figure is the median: half earn less than that, and half earn more.
25th percentile
$40,930
Median
$48,690
75th percentile
$58,580
About 23,840 people do this work in the United States.
What it pays in each state
State
25th percentile
Median
75th percentile
AL
$29,240
$35,020
$39,320
AR
$38,580
$52,800
$59,540
AZ
$36,350
$38,830
$60,090
CA
$46,650
$53,860
$61,780
CO
$48,890
$51,730
$57,300
CT
$44,200
$48,780
$66,950
DC
$100,980
$100,980
$100,980
FL
$39,260
$45,660
$51,310
GA
$46,150
$50,280
$60,320
IA
$40,030
$47,770
$55,560
ID
$38,810
$47,220
$55,230
IL
$44,130
$49,450
$65,240
IN
$42,300
$49,050
$57,550
KS
$36,670
$45,290
$59,750
KY
$40,950
$45,830
$53,150
LA
$32,740
$38,060
$46,490
MA
$47,670
$57,250
$64,020
MD
$45,000
$60,770
$69,090
ME
$45,910
$47,350
$51,940
MI
$44,250
$46,960
$57,230
MN
$46,840
$49,130
$62,390
MO
$35,530
$45,860
$52,160
MT
$48,110
$51,910
$53,470
NC
$45,050
$49,760
$59,230
NE
$40,930
$40,930
$47,700
NH
$42,950
$48,580
$54,120
NJ
$49,390
$56,840
$70,390
NM
$36,400
$39,830
$42,180
NV
$46,730
$55,680
$61,120
NY
$42,470
$52,420
$58,450
OH
$40,110
$47,810
$56,070
OK
$30,660
$45,730
$50,330
OR
$46,450
$54,360
$59,220
PA
$43,140
$49,100
$57,550
PR
$28,880
$33,030
$38,060
RI
$43,500
$45,930
$81,950
SC
$37,400
$45,900
$50,130
SD
$37,910
$46,370
$47,770
TN
$38,340
$47,790
$50,840
TX
$35,810
$38,410
$48,070
UT
$37,880
$44,230
$52,900
VA
$43,990
$49,100
$51,370
VT
$50,220
$55,880
$58,580
WA
$46,630
$53,770
$60,780
WI
$44,970
$48,410
$59,730
WV
$28,930
$35,320
$42,990
Other names
Other names for this job
advertising layout worker, form worker, layup worker, linotype worker, lock up worker, make up worker, paste up worker, print room worker, process worker, set up worker, transfer worker, ad compositor.
More names for this work
ad setter, advertisement compositor, 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 tech, digital prepress technician, 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, electronic prepress operator, electronic prepress technician, electrotyper, epp operator, epp tech, form setter, galley stripper, graphic arts technician, graphic technician, graphics operator, graphics tech.
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This page is about the occupation Prepress Technicians and Workers. What this job involves and what it is made of come from O*NET 30.3, the US Department of Labor's occupation database, refreshed July 2026; Rung writes those records into the plain sentences you see. Pay comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS release for 2025. Rung is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by either agency. How Rung handles accuracy is on the accuracy page, and the full data credits are on the credits page.