Pre-press operator | Average UK Salary & Outlook

Pre-press operators work in the printing industry, getting artwork from a client and supplying the printing plates used on a press.

Typical task
Working hours
Attractive values

Immerse workpieces in coating solutions or liquid metal or plastic for specified times.
Adjust dials to regulate flow of current and voltage supplied to terminals to control plating processes.
Inspect coated or plated areas for defects, such as air bubbles or uneven coverage.
Set up, operate, or tend plating or coating machines to coat metal or plastic

Immerse workpieces in coating solutions or liquid metal or plastic for specified times.
Adjust dials to regulate flow of current and voltage supplied to terminals to control plating processes.
Inspect coated or plated areas for defects, such as air bubbles or uneven coverage.
Set up, operate, or tend plating or coating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces.
Observe gauges to ensure that machines are operating properly, making adjustments or stopping machines when problems occur.
Remove objects from solutions at periodic intervals and observe objects to verify conformance to specifications.
Maintain production records.
Remove excess materials or impurities from objects, using air hoses or grinding machines.
Examine completed objects to determine thicknesses of metal deposits, or measure thicknesses by using instruments such as micrometers.
Rinse coated objects in cleansing liquids and dry them with cloths, centrifugal driers, or by tumbling in sawdust-filled barrels.
Determine sizes and compositions of objects to be plated, and amounts of electrical current and time required.
Test machinery to ensure that it is operating properly.
Measure or weigh materials, using rulers, calculators, and scales.
Measure, mark, and mask areas to be excluded from plating.
Immerse objects to be coated or plated into cleaning solutions, or spray objects with conductive solutions to prepare them for plating.
Read production schedules to determine setups of equipment and machines.
Suspend objects, such as parts or molds from cathode rods, or negative terminals, and immerse objects in plating solutions.
Suspend sticks or pieces of plating metal from anodes, or positive terminals, and immerse metal in plating solutions.
Adjust controls to set temperatures of coating substances and speeds of machines and equipment.
Monitor and measure thicknesses of electroplating on component parts to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers.
Operate hoists to place workpieces onto machine feed carriages or spindles.
Position and feed materials into processing machines, by hand or by using automated equipment.
Position objects to be plated in frames, or suspend them from positive or negative terminals of power supplies.
Operate sandblasting equipment to roughen and clean surfaces of workpieces.
Spray coating in specified patterns according to instructions.
Clean and maintain equipment, using water hoses and scrapers.
Plate small objects, such as nuts or bolts, using motor-driven barrels.
Clean workpieces, using wire brushes.
Mix and test solutions, and turn valves to fill tanks with solutions.
Replace worn parts and adjust equipment components, using hand tools.
Place plated or coated materials on racks and transfer them to ovens to dry for specified periods of time.
Measure and set stops, rolls, brushes, and guides on automatic feeders and conveying equipment or coating machines, using micrometers, rules, and hand tools.
Position containers to receive parts, and load or unload materials in containers, using dollies or handtrucks.
Attach nozzles, position guns, connect hoses, and thread wire to set up metal-spraying machines.
Perform equipment maintenance, such as cleaning tanks and lubricating moving parts of conveyors.
Install gears and holding devices on conveyor equipment.

Average salary
29,993 GBP *
per year

Average salary for Pre-press operator

Big gender gap

37,595 GBP
21,239 GBP

Average salary for full-time Pre-press operator

Showing:

29,993 GBP
21,239 GBP
37,595 GBP

Salary over time for Pre-press operator

Salary for this role has increased over time

25,649 GBP
26,529 GBP
27,470 GBP
26,262 GBP
25,464 GBP
29,006 GBP
29,993 GBP
26,959 GBP
25,012 GBP

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Future outlook for Pre-press operators

Balanced outlook

0% yearly wage growth (on average)

Balanced outlook

52% chance of automation in the future

Which qualifications do I need?

Find out what you need to know in order to become a Pre-press operator and the highest average level of education for people in this role.

In terms of people already doing this job:

49% of people in this role have do not have GCSEs or equivalent qualifications
47% of people in this role have GCSEs or equivalent
3% of people in this role have a Bachelor's degree

You could do a college course, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need in this job. Relevant courses include:

Level 2 Award or Level 3 Certificate in Printing and Graphic Communications
Level 2 or 3 Certificate in Understanding the Print Environment

Get the right qualification to begin your journey to becoming a Pre-press operator

Screen Printing

What soft skills do I need?

Rise above the competition by brushing up on the 5 most important soft skills you need to become a Pre-press operator.

Operation Monitoring Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly

Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times

Monitoring Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action

Operation and Control Controlling operations of equipment or systems

Reading Comprehension Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents

What technical skills do I need?

Technical skills are programmes, softwares and things you need to know in order to be a successful Pre-press operator. Check that you know:

Compliance software Hazardous materials management HMS software

Electronic mail software Microsoft Outlook

Procurement software Oracle Advanced Procurement

Spreadsheet software Microsoft Excel

Word processing software Microsoft Word

Improve your skills today

Screen Printing

Attention to Detail Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. Dependability Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. Cooperation Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. Achievement/Effort Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks. Integrity Job requires being honest and ethical.

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This job has a fair outlook, which could mean that wage growth is not as rapid in this role.

Pre-press operator | Average UK Salary & Outlook

Salary statistics

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