94151 – Camera, platemaking and other prepress occupations

Lead statement

Graphic arts camera operators, scanner operators, film strippers and assemblers operate graphic arts cameras and scanners, assemble film and negatives and prepare printing plates or cylinders for various types of printing presses.

Main duties

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Employment requirements

• Completion of secondary school is required.
• Completion of a college program in graphic arts technology ora 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.

Example job titles

film stripper-assembler - printing · film stripper-assembler · scanner operator - printing · process camera operator · graphic arts camera operator · film stripper · negative spotter - printing · computer-assisted letterer-engraver · automated letterer-engraver · printing plate engraver · template engraver · platemaking etcher · engraver-transferrer · prepress technician · photoengraving platemaker · platemaker - printing · platemaker · proofmaker · proofmaker - printing

Wages (per hour)

Source: Job Bank wages, 2025 release (ESDC). Low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles.