jobfacts

Pre-press technicians

SOC 2020 5421

Pre-press technicians prepare, format and compose text and graphics in a form suitable for use in a variety of print processes.

Also calledEtcherStereotyperMoulderYardage handProof pullerMonotype casterand 116 more titles
Typical full-time pay£27,5002025 Provisional
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month124↓ 1.2%on last year · 380th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time pre-press technicians earn, 2025
£27,500 typicaln/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less thanNot published
25%Not published
Median£27,500
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £27,500
North EastNot published by ONS–
North WestNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
Show as table
UK median, £27,500
North EastNot published by ONS
North WestNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £26,500
  • 2024 £26,200
  • 2025 Provisional£27,500
↑ 3.9% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 124 jobs for pre-press technicians are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (3 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026134
Jul 2026104
Jun 2026116
May 2026117
Apr 2026120
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026102
Jan 2026143
Dec 202564
Nov 2025146
Oct 2025164
Sept 2025148
Aug 202599
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 2025177
Apr 2025121
Mar 2025128
Feb 2025133
Jan 2025159
Dec 202481
Nov 2024117
Oct 2024143
Sept 2024122
Aug 2024145
Jul 2024154
Jun 2024176
May 2024166
Apr 2024170
Mar 2024159
Feb 2024162
Jan 2024192
Dec 2023128
Nov 2023132
Oct 2023128
Sept 2023122
Aug 2023156
Jul 2023183
Jun 2023217
May 2023223
Apr 2023182
Mar 2023189
Feb 2023225
Jan 2023249
Dec 2022230
Nov 2022213
Oct 2022233
Sept 2022229
Aug 2022214
Jul 2022250
Jun 2022269
May 2022287
Apr 2022208
Mar 2022243
Feb 2022227
Jan 2022279
Dec 2021191
Nov 2021218
Oct 2021227
Sept 2021216
Aug 2021170
Jul 2021210
Jun 2021196
May 2021185
Apr 2021145
Mar 2021201
Feb 2021124
Jan 2021120
Dec 2020120
Nov 2020119
Oct 2020126
Sept 2020119
Aug 202099
Jul 202080
Jun 202074
May 202057
Apr 202080
Mar 2020148
Feb 2020199
Jan 2020167
Dec 2019108
Nov 2019144
Oct 2019193
Sept 2019182
Aug 2019179
Jul 2019211
Jun 2019228
May 2019217
Apr 2019155
Mar 2019178
Feb 2019188
Jan 2019264
Dec 2018138
Nov 2018256
Oct 2018279
Sept 2018256
Aug 2018191
Jul 2018177
Jun 2018210
May 2018170
Apr 2018186
Mar 2018197
Feb 2018220
Jan 2018236
Dec 2017163
Nov 2017193
Oct 2017197
Sept 2017215
Aug 2017202
Jul 2017198
Jun 2017308
May 2017245
Apr 2017222
Mar 2017245
Feb 2017207
Jan 2017248
Is there a shortage of pre-press technicians?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedUsual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Note: uncertainty in change in hourly wage.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
50%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for textiles, printing and other skilled trades, which includes pre-press technicians. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London70
Shropshire22
West Northamptonshire12
Cherwell8
North Yorkshire7
Wigan7
Birmingham6
Bristol, City of6
Dorset6
Glasgow City6
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where pre-press technicians are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of pre-press technicians
n/p
n/p
n/p
n/p
n/p
n/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
25–34Not published
35–44Not published
45–54Not published
55–64Not published
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent–
Not published
Higher education below degree–
Not published
A levels or equivalent–
Not published
GCSEs or equivalent!271%
No qualifications–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalentNot published
Higher education below degreeNot published
A levels or equivalentNot published
GCSEs or equivalent271% (small sample)
No qualificationsNot published

Main employers: pre-press and pre-media services (123%).

How to get in

Most common qualification
GCSEs or equivalent
held by 271%
Apprenticeships
1
from level 3
Apprenticeships take
3 years
typically

Apprenticeships

1 for this job

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • determines from specification the kind and size of type to be used
  • uses computer applications to generate images and text
  • scans and retouches digital images to create sample proofs, plans and lays out artwork to match planned design
  • examines proof copies, checks for quality and accuracy and makes any necessary alterations
  • processes filmsetting or desktop publishing output to produce image on film and transfers to printing plates and digital output
  • arranges and pastes printing material onto paper ready for photographing

Skills

  • align content with form
  • follow safety precautions in printing
  • lay out digital written content
  • operate laser plate maker machine
  • operate printing machinery
  • output electronic files
  • prepare films for printing plates
  • prepare printing form
  • produce prepress proof
  • scale copies
  • scan negatives
  • set colour profiles
  • set scanner controls
  • troubleshoot

Knowledge

  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • GIMP (graphics editor software)
  • graphics editor software
  • maintenance of printing machines
  • Microsoft Visio
  • prepress processes
  • printing on large scale machines

Suits people who like

  • Organising and following procedures
  • Practical, hands-on work

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for textiles, printing and other skilled trades, a group of 17 jobs that includes pre-press technicians.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035→ 0%about 0 more jobs
Workers needed by 2035276,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.