Prepress Technicians and Workers
Machines can already do 38% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 73%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Prepress Technicians and Workers in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 38% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 10% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2031, and 73% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 23,840 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $48,690 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 66% for contact with people.
- Also called: Desktop Operator, Electronic Prepress Operator (EPP Operator), Electronic Prepress Technician (EPP Tech), Plate Maker.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proofread and perform quality control of text and images | 16% | 25% to 65% | |
| Enter, position, and alter text size, using computers, to make up and arrange pages so that printed materials can be produced | 16% | 80% to 97% | |
| Perform "preflight" check of required font, graphic, text and image files to ensure completeness prior to delivery to printer | 16% | 40% to 80% | |
| Generate prepress proofs in digital or other format to approximate the appearance of the final printed piece | 13% | 30% to 75% | |
| Operate and maintain laser plate-making equipment that converts electronic data to plates without the use of film | 13% | 20% to 60% | |
| Enter, store, and retrieve information on computer-aided equipment | 8% | 65% to 92% | |
| Maintain, adjust, and clean equipment, and perform minor repairs | 5% | 3% to 30% | |
| Examine finished plates to detect flaws, verify conformity with master plates, and measure dot sizes and centers, using light boxes and microscopes | 4% | 20% to 60% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills prepress technicians and workers use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Surveying and Mapping Technicians68% of tasks by 2035 · US median $54,240
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators70% of tasks by 2035 · US median $40,610
- Mechanical Drafters70% of tasks by 2035 · US median $71,550
- Motion Picture Projectionists70% of tasks by 2035 · US median $38,270
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Prepress Technicians and Workers?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2031. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of prepress technicians and workers?
Machines can do 38% of the tasks of prepress technicians and workers today and 73% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 51-5111.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Prepress Technicians and Workers: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/prepress-technicians-and-workers/