Typesetter to imagesetter
A typesetter already meets 71% of what the imagesetter role asks for. The move turns on 7 required skills not yet in the profile.
40.3/ 100
1 How much of what an imagesetter is expected to do is already part of a typesetter’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the imagesetter role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An imagesetter role treats 21 of its required skills as things a typesetter already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Photoshop
- GIMP (graphics editor software)
- Microsoft Visio
- SketchBook Pro
- Synfig
What stands in the way is 7 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 35 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An imagesetter role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a typesetter background worth leading with.
- already held prepare imposition working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held typesetting machines engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held use typesetting software working with computers
- already held prepare films for printing plates working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held track changes in text editing communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held align content with form communication, collaboration and creativity
All 35 carried skills, including the 21 the imagesetter role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 17 missing skills fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn operate imagesetter required
- still to learn arrange printer sheets required
- optional, not held maintain lithographic printing plates optional
- optional, not held operate scanner optional
- optional, not held reduce dots optional
- optional, not held reproduce documents optional
- optional, not held set colour profiles optional
- optional, not held use a telecine optional
- optional, not held use colour printing programs optional
- still to learn print stripping required
- still to learn reprography required
- optional, not held printing media optional
- still to learn follow safety precautions in printing required
- still to learn output electronic files required
- still to learn operate digital printers required
- optional, not held create digital images optional
- optional, not held develop film optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an imagesetter role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 operate imagesetter practise this
- 02 arrange printer sheets practise this
- 03 follow safety precautions in printing practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 35 skills that carry over
- 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 align content with form skill
- already held apply desktop publishing techniques skill
- already held graphic design 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 prepare imposition skill
- already held printing materials knowledge
- already held printing techniques knowledge
- already held produce prepress proof skill
- already held quality standards knowledge
- already held typesetting machines knowledge
- already held typography knowledge
- already held use typesetting software skill
- already held communicate with customers skill
- already held digitise documents skill
- already held follow work schedule skill
- already held inspect printing output skill
- already held maintenance of printing machines knowledge
- already held perform image editing skill
- already held prepare films for printing plates skill
- already held prepress processes knowledge
- already held printed goods processes knowledge
- already held printing plate making knowledge
- already held proofread text skill
- already held publishing industry knowledge
- already held track changes in text editing skill
- already held use word processing software skill
10 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held maintain lithographic printing plates optional
- optional, not held operate scanner optional
- optional, not held reduce dots optional
- optional, not held reproduce documents optional
- optional, not held set colour profiles optional
- optional, not held use a telecine optional
- optional, not held use colour printing programs optional
- optional, not held create digital images optional
- optional, not held develop film optional
- optional, not held printing media optional
13 held skills the imagesetter role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role apply grammar and spelling rules skill
- not needed by the target role consult with editor skill
- not needed by the target role develop digital content skill
- not needed by the target role digital printing knowledge
- not needed by the target role draw design sketches skill
- not needed by the target role follow a brief skill
- not needed by the target role manage data skill
- not needed by the target role manage offset printing process skill
- not needed by the target role respect data protection principles skill
- not needed by the target role transcribe texts skill
- not needed by the target role troubleshoot skill
- not needed by the target role use markup languages skill
- not needed by the target role use microsoft office skill
3 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn print stripping required
- still to learn reprography required
- optional, not held printing media optional
Common questions about this move
Can a typesetter become an imagesetter?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A typesetter already covers 71% of what an imagesetter is expected to do: 35 skills carry over, 21 of which the imagesetter role treats as required.
What skills does a typesetter need to become an imagesetter?
7 required skills are missing, plus 10 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by working with machinery and specialised equipment. The single most important is operate imagesetter.
How hard is the move from typesetter to imagesetter?
Its learning distance is 40.3 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
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.