Find & Apply For Pre-Press Technician Jobs in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Prepress & Plate Production Technician Commercial Printing |

Full-Time Hours:

Monday-Friday | 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Paid vacation and holidays, Simple IRA with match, Health insurance or stipend To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume through Indeed. Join Our Team Do you enjoy taking customer artwork and making it press-ready? Do you take pride in catching the small details that others may miss before they become production issues or customer concerns? We're looking for a detail-oriented Prepress & Plate Production Technician to join our commercial printing team. This position is primarily focused on prepress, file preparation, print imposition, and offset plate production, with additional responsibilities involving sign production coordination and larger graphic design projects as needed. Your primary responsibility will be reviewing customer-supplied artwork, identifying and correcting production issues, preparing accurate files, and ensuring jobs move smoothly into production. If you enjoy the technical side of commercial printing, solving artwork challenges, coordinating production details, and seeing jobs progress from digital files to finished printed pieces, you'll fit right in. While prepress, imposition, and plate production are the foundation of this position, you'll also have opportunities to work on larger graphic design projects that require additional creativity, problem-solving, and production knowledge. This allows you to continue using your design skills without the position becoming a full-time graphic design role. If you have commercial printing experience and a solid understanding of Adobe Creative Cloud, we're willing to train the right person on our specific equipment, software, and workflows. What You'll Be Doing Preflight & File Preparation This is the primary focus of the position. Every day you'll review customer-supplied artwork to ensure files are accurate, printable, and ready for production. You'll be responsible for identifying potential issues before they reach production and preparing files that allow jobs to run efficiently through the shop. While the majority of this work supports commercial print production, you'll also prepare and modify artwork for screen printing, embroidery, signage, and other specialty production processes as needed.

Responsibilities include:

Prepare and preflight customer artwork for commercial offset and digital printing using Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat Pro, and Enfocus PitStop. Identify and correct artwork issues, create press-ready PDFs, and manage electronic file workflows. Create variable data files using Microsoft Excel and Adobe InDesign. Work closely with production to prevent costly errors, delays, and reprints. Printing Imposition & Offset Plate Production This is a core production responsibility performed daily. You'll be responsible for creating accurate print impositions and producing offset printing plates that keep jobs moving efficiently through production. This includes following established imposition layouts, job ticket specifications, and bindery requirements to ensure jobs are press-ready.

Responsibilities include:

Create print impositions using Dynagram DynaStrip following job ticket specifications and previous layouts. Impose books, booklets, and multi-page documents with proper pagination and bindery requirements. Produce and process offset printing plates for multiple press formats. Verify impositions, pagination, registration, bleeds, and trim marks prior to plate output. Maintain and organize imposition templates for efficient reuse and consistency across recurring jobs. Troubleshoot imposition and plate-making issues to prevent production delays. Technical Support & Quality Review As you become familiar with our workflow, you'll become a valuable resource for coworkers with questions related to artwork preparation, print production, and file quality. While this is not a supervisory position, you'll provide an experienced set of eyes on projects before they move into production.

Responsibilities include:

Review artwork for layout, spacing, formatting, and production requirements before customer proofs are finalized. Identify potential print or production issues and recommend practical solutions. Provide technical support to customer service representatives, designers, sales staff, and production personnel on artwork and file-related questions. Assist coworkers in troubleshooting file preparation and production challenges. Help ensure projects are accurate, professional, and production-ready before entering production. Graphic Design Graphic design is a valuable secondary responsibility that provides variety throughout the year. While prepress and production work will make up the majority of your day, you will also take full ownership of larger or more complex design projects as needed. These projects typically require dedicated creative time and may include brochures, catalogs, booklets, signage, marketing materials, forms, and customer artwork revisions.

Responsibilities include:

Design, revise, and prepare artwork for commercial print and sign projects as needed. Prepare production-ready artwork using Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop. Collaborate with customer service, sales, and production to ensure artwork meets customer expectations and production requirements. Secondary Responsibilities Sign Production Coordination Responsibilities include: Prepare, impose, and review artwork and production files for outsourced sign projects. Coordinate sign orders with approved vendors, including specifications, proofs, and production details. Monitor projects through production to ensure accuracy, quality, and on-time delivery. Workflow & Department Support Responsibilities include: Assist with improving prepress workflows and production efficiency. Maintain artwork libraries, templates, fonts, and archived files. Provide occasional backup support for customer service email coverage during scheduled absences when other coverage is unavailable. Assist with basic IT support and coordinate technical issues with the company's outside IT provider as needed. Qualifications Commercial printing or prepress experience with a strong understanding of print production workflows. Strong working knowledge of Adobe Acrobat Pro, Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop. Strong understanding of print-ready artwork requirements, file preparation, and production standards. Exceptional attention to detail with the ability to identify production-related issues, visual inconsistencies, and potential problems before projects move forward. Ability to review artwork and provide recommendations that improve quality, accuracy, and manufacturability. Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills. Strong multitasking skills with the ability to prioritize, manage multiple projects, and consistently meet deadlines in a fast-paced production environment. Professional communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with customers, sales, customer service, designers, and production teams. Positive attitude and willingness to learn. Preferred Experience Enfocus PitStop Plate making or CTP systems Microsoft Excel Offset printing Digital printing Variable data printing Manual imposition Don't Meet Every Qualification? If you have experience in commercial printing or prepress and enjoy learning new skills, we'd still encourage you to apply. We recognize every print shop operates a little differently and are willing to train the right candidate on our equipment, software, and workflows. Why You'll Enjoy This Position No two days are exactly alike. Most of your day will be spent solving real-world print production challenges—reviewing customer artwork, preparing files for production, creating print impositions, and producing the offset printing plates that keep our presses moving efficiently. You'll work closely with experienced teammates who value quality, craftsmanship, and attention to detail. When larger or more challenging projects arise, you'll also have the opportunity to put your graphic design skills to work. It's a role built around prepress first, with enough design work to keep things interesting. About Cooper Printing Cooper Printing is a small business based in Lancaster County, specializing in offset and digital printing, mailing, custom decorated apparel, promotional products, and signage. We serve individuals and businesses of all sizes throughout the Lancaster area and beyond.

Founded in 1988 by David Cooper, the company has grown steadily over the years. In 2014, longtime employees Ryan and Heather Shaubach purchased the business and have continued to lead with a commitment to excellent service, strong value, and a supportive team environment.

In 2017, we expanded our services to include promotional products, apparel, and signage—areas that have since become key parts of our business. In 2022, we acquired a local screen printing and embroidery company, allowing us to bring those capabilities in-house and further strengthen our offerings. Today, we are a team of about 15 employees who enjoy the benefits and camaraderie of working in a small company.

Pay:

$22.00 - $27.00 per hour Expected hours: 40.0 per week

Benefits:

401(k) Health insurance Paid time off

Work Location:

In person