Career Overlap Transition record Edition 1 · ESCO v1.2.1
Table 1Transition record

prepress operatortotypesetter

A prepress operator already meets 57% of what the typesetter role asks for. The move turns on 10 required skills not yet in the profile.

From prepress operator
57%
Overlap1
To typesetter
25 Skills carried over
10 Required, not held
51.3 Difficulty2
Career overlap Partial match

57%

Learning distance Real move, short list to learn

51.3/ 100

1 Share of the typesetter role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the prepress operator profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Why

Why this move works

A typesetter role treats 16 of its required skills as things a prepress operator already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • GIMP (graphics editor software)
  • Microsoft Visio
  • SketchBook Pro
  • Synfig

What stands in the way is 10 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 25 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A typesetter role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a prepress operator background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held prepress processes arts and humanities
  • already held interpret illustration needs communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held manage offset printing process working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held lay out digital written content information skills
  • already held produce prepress proof handling and moving
  • already held inspect printing output information skills

All 25 carried skills, including the 16 the typesetter role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 23 missing skills fall into 9 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier
01 communication, collaboration and creativity 4 required, 1 supplementary
  • required, not held align content with form required
  • required, not held apply grammar and spelling rules required
  • required, not held consult with editor required
  • required, not held track changes in text editing required
  • optional, not held draw design sketches optional
02 working with computers 2 required, 3 supplementary
  • required, not held use typesetting software required
  • required, not held apply desktop publishing techniques required
  • optional, not held develop digital content optional
  • optional, not held digitise documents optional
  • optional, not held use word processing software optional
03 arts and humanities 2 required, 2 supplementary
  • required, not held graphic design required
  • required, not held typography required
  • optional, not held digital printing optional
  • optional, not held printing plate making optional
04 information skills 1 required, 1 supplementary
  • required, not held transcribe texts required
  • optional, not held manage data optional
05 working with machinery and specialised equipment 1 required, 1 supplementary
  • required, not held prepare imposition required
  • optional, not held prepare films for printing plates optional
06 business, administration and law 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held printed goods processes optional
  • optional, not held publishing industry optional

3 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a typesetter role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 25 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held Adobe Illustrator knowledge
  • already held Adobe Photoshop knowledge
  • already held GIMP (graphics editor software) knowledge
  • already held Microsoft Visio knowledge
  • already held SketchBook Pro knowledge
  • already held Synfig knowledge
  • already held graphics editor software knowledge
  • already held interpret illustration needs skill
  • already held lay out digital written content skill
  • already held operate printing machinery skill
  • already held prepress processes knowledge
  • already held printing materials knowledge
  • already held produce prepress proof skill
  • already held quality standards knowledge
  • already held use markup languages skill
  • already held use microsoft office skill
  • already held communicate with customers skill
  • already held follow a brief skill
  • already held inspect printing output skill
  • already held maintenance of printing machines knowledge
  • already held manage offset printing process skill
  • already held perform image editing skill
  • already held printing techniques knowledge
  • already held proofread text skill
  • already held troubleshoot skill
The 3 learning areas not shown above
Skill to acquire Tier
07 assisting and caring 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held respect data protection principles optional
08 engineering, manufacturing and construction 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held typesetting machines optional
09 management skills 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held follow work schedule optional
13 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to acquire Tier
  • optional, not held digital printing optional
  • optional, not held manage data optional
  • optional, not held prepare films for printing plates optional
  • optional, not held printing plate making optional
  • optional, not held respect data protection principles optional
  • optional, not held typesetting machines optional
  • optional, not held develop digital content optional
  • optional, not held digitise documents optional
  • optional, not held draw design sketches optional
  • optional, not held follow work schedule optional
  • optional, not held printed goods processes optional
  • optional, not held publishing industry optional
  • optional, not held use word processing software optional
17 held skills the typesetter role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role arrange printer sheets skill
  • not needed by the target role calibrate electronic instruments skill
  • not needed by the target role cut page edges skill
  • not needed by the target role digitization knowledge
  • not needed by the target role follow safety precautions in printing skill
  • not needed by the target role maintain lithographic printing plates skill
  • not needed by the target role manage process of flexographic print skill
  • not needed by the target role mix ink skill
  • not needed by the target role output electronic files skill
  • not needed by the target role perform machine maintenance skill
  • not needed by the target role proofing methods knowledge
  • not needed by the target role provide customised products skill
  • not needed by the target role reprography knowledge
  • not needed by the target role screen printing process knowledge
  • not needed by the target role types of paper knowledge
  • not needed by the target role use colour printing programs skill
  • not needed by the target role wear appropriate protective gear skill
7 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier
  • required, not held graphic design required
  • required, not held typography required
  • optional, not held digital printing optional
  • optional, not held printing plate making optional
  • optional, not held typesetting machines optional
  • optional, not held printed goods processes optional
  • optional, not held publishing industry optional
Index
Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.