Overview
We are seeking an experienced Prepress Technician specializing in sheetfed offset printing to join our production team in the Holyoke, MA area. In this role, you will take digital files and transform them into press-ready layouts. Must have a good working knowledge of the Adobe creative cloud suite Including Indesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. You will be responsible for preflighting customer artwork, managing complex impositions, and outputting plates using the Kodak Prinergy workflow. The ideal candidate has strong technical problem-solving skills and a deep understanding of commercial sheetfed printing standards.
Core Responsibilities
- File Preflighting & Troubleshooting: Review customer-supplied files for missing fonts, low-resolution images, bleeds, and incorrect color profiles (e.g., RGB vs. CMYK).
- Imposition & Layout: Arrange pages on the press sheet to maximize material efficiency, ensuring correct pagination and gripper margins.
- Color Management: Perform color correction and adjust trapping to prevent misregistration and ensure color accuracy across different printing substrates.
- Proofing & Plating: Generate digital or physical proofs for client approval and operate laser plate-making equipment to output production-ready plates.
- Quality Control: Meticulously check layouts and specifications to guarantee the final output matches the job ticket requirements.
Key Skills & Qualifications
- Software Proficiency: Strong working knowledge of prepress software and design applications, particularly the Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat).
- Technical Knowledge: Understanding of RIP (Raster Image Processor) software, workflow management systems, and print manufacturing limitations.
- Detail-Oriented: Ability to catch minute errors in typography, margins, and color mapping before they reach the printing press.
- Education & Experience: Typically requires a High School Diploma or GED, combined with 1 to 5+ years of experience in the commercial printing industry or an associated degree in graphic arts.
Pay: $25.00 - $30.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Profit sharing
Work Location: In person
