Camera, platemaking and other prepress occupations

NOC

94151

operate graphic arts cameras and scanners, assemble film and negatives and prepare printing plates or cylinders for various types of printing presses.

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Full NOC Description

Camera and platemaking workers operate graphic arts cameras and scanners, assemble film and negatives and prepare, engrave and etch printing plates or cylinders for various types of printing presses. They are employed in firms that specialize in colour graphics or platemaking and cylinder preparation, commercial publishing and printing companies, newspapers, magazines, and in various establishments in the public and private sectors that have in-house printing departments.

Main Duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Graphic arts camera operators, scanner operators, film strippers and assemblers

Set up and adjust black and white or colour separation process cameras to convert graphic art and photographs into film for assembly and exposure onto printing plates or cylinders

Operate computerized scanning machines or digital cameras to make colour separations and corrections from colour copy or transparencies for use in preparing film, digital files, printing plates or cylinders

Assemble and position, either using automated equipment or by hand, pieces of film containing all parts of a printing job to produce flats or composite negatives for preparing printing plates or cylinders.

Etchers and engravers

Examine the text, design, or pattern to determine how it will be etched or engraved onto the workpiece

Prepare surface of workpiece for etching or engraving by cleaning, polishing, treating, and applying additional methods

Etch or engrave the text, design or pattern onto the workpiece using hand tools, etching machines, photogravure or laser processes.

Prepress technicians, platemakers, proofmakers, and pre-flight/file-preparation operators

Operate various computer-controlled studio systems to perform colour separation, retouching and editing that allow changes to be made to a colour negative for printing purposes, plan page layouts and electronically alter shape, size and positions of illustrations and text

Prepare and initiate the development of printing plates for the offset process and are responsible for the maintenance of plate flasher type devices (CTP, Computer to plate)

Operate vacuum frames, plate processors and step and repeat machines to produce printing plates for various types of presses

Operate computerized equipment to prepare film, laser or dylux proofs for quality control purposes and for customers' review.

Also Known As

camera operator - graphic arts
cylinder preparer - printing
dot etcher - printing
file preparation operator
film stripper-assembler

platemaker - printing

pre-flight operator - printing

prepress technician

printing plate engraver

proofmaker

screenmaker

studio-image-processing system operator

Requirements

Employment Requirements

Completion of secondary school is required.

Completion of a college program in graphic arts technology or a combination of on-the-job training and specialized college, industry or other courses may be required.

Trade certification for some occupations in this group is available, but voluntary, in Ontario, Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Provincial Regulation

Not Provincially Regulated

Employment by Sex

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Female

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Employment by age

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15-24

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35-44

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45-54

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55-64

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65+

Employment by highest level of education

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No Certificate, Diploma or Degree

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High School, Diploma or Equivalent

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Apprenticeship or Trades Certificate or Diploma

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College or University Below Bachelor Level

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University - Bachelor Level or Above

Employment by Industry

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All Other Industries

Employment by Economic Regions

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Economic Regions

The following map displays New Brunswick’s five economic regions. An economic region (ER) is a grouping of counties, created as a standard unit for analysis of regional economic activity across Canada.

Annual Average Salary by Economic Regions

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Economic Regions

Hourly Median Wages by Economic Regions

The following represents the median hourly wage of all persons employed in this occupation in each of New Brunswick’s five economic regions.

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Salary

The following shows the average salary of everyone who worked full-time and year-round in this occupation across each of the Atlantic Provinces and nationally.

Employment Outlook

The following represents the number of job openings that are expected to occur in this occupation over the next three and ten years respectively, broken down by openings expected to result from growth (“new jobs”) and openings expected to result from attrition (death and retirements).

Occupational Profiles