Graphic Designer - Career Advice - Information, Media and Telecommunications

Graphic Pre-press Trades Worker

Graphic designers produce art and layouts of wording for reproduction in print and electronic media such as magazines, newspapers, books and websites, and for corporate identity programs, exhibitions and advertising. Future Growth Strong

Graphic designers specialise in any of a number of artistic and professional disciplines which focus on visual communication and presentation. They work in a range of visual media, including drawing, painting, photography, digital media or a combination of all these to create and combine symbols, images and text. These are used as visual representations of ideas and messages, often for magazines, advertisements, product packaging, websites or public display. They also prepare comprehensive layouts of designs, liaise with clients about a desired design, prepare designs for print and supervise the printing.

ANZSCO ID & Description: 232411: Plans, designs, develops and prepares information for publication and reproduction using text, symbols, pictures, colours and layout to achieve commercial and communication needs with particular emphasis on tailoring the message for the intended audience.

Alternative names: Graphic Artist

Specialisations: Exhibition Designer, Film and Video Graphics Designer, Publication Designer

Graphic designers may specialise in a number of fields including television, film and computer graphics; set and exhibition design; corporate design; book and magazine design; and advertising and illustration. They may progress to positions as design directors, art directors or creative directors.

Knowledge, skills and attributes

Graphic designers need:

a strong visual focus and creative flair
the ability to think laterally and come up with creative solutions
competency in a range of design programs
knowledge of art history, various design styles and their rules
the ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines
to be able to work to tight deadlines.

creative and imaginative

understanding of colour and form

good communication skills

good marketing abilities

able to work as part of a team.

Duties and Tasks

Graphic designers may perform the following tasks: Graphic Designer working

talk to clients to get a clear understanding of their visual communication requirements and develop design 'roughs' (sketches)
prepare comprehensive layouts of the design using techniques such as photography, illustration and computer-generated imagery
give designs to clients for approval
prepare designs for print
design and set up exhibitions for advertising or educational purposes
supervise all design production stages including arranging and supervising printing.

Working Conditions

Graphic designers may work as members of a design team in design studios or advertising agencies, or alone undertaking consultancy or freelance work.

Graphic designers work in an office or studio space, depending on their employer or, if they are self-employed, can work from home. They usually work with computers and need to be proficient with a range of specialist design software. Their work environment should have excellent lighting.

Graphic designers may be required to work long hours if they are on a strict deadline and may be required to produce designs within a quick turnaround period. Graphic designers may either work as part of a larger design team, specialising in one particular aspect of design, or they may work alone, covering all aspects of a design project. As is the case in many creative industries, demand for these designers can vary according to client need.

Tools and technologies

Graphic designers require a strong visual sense, and depending on their specific role or the type of design in which they specialise, they will usually need to know how to use drawing and possibly drafting tools. These tools may include drawing boards, rulers, protractors, compasses, metric templates and other drawing tools, and possibly computer-aided design (CAD).

In addition, graphic designers will also require a working knowledge of design software such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Corel Draw, Painter, FireWorks, Flash or 3D Studio Max. Increasingly, graphic designers are also required to be familiar with code used to develop web pages such as HTML and CSS.

Education and training/entrance requirements

To become a graphic designer, you usually need to complete a formal qualification in graphic design. The Certificate IV in Design (Graphic Design), the Diploma of Graphic Design and the Advanced Diploma of Graphic Design are offered at TAFE Colleges and other registered training organisations throughout Australia.

You can complete a degree majoring in graphic design or creative advertising and graphic design.

Did You Know?

The top 10 fonts are:

and their creators are:

1. Helvetica [1957 - Max Miedinger]

2. Garamond [1530 - Claude Garamond]

3. Frutiger [1977 - Adrian Frutiger]

4. Bodoni [1790 - Giambattista Bodoni]

5. Futura [1927 - Paul Renner]

6. Times [1931 - Stanley Morison]

7. Akzidenz Grotesk [1966 - G nter Gerhard Lange]

8. Officina [1990 - Erik Spiekermann]

9. Gill Sans [1930 - Eric Gill]

10. Univers [1954 - Adrian Frutiger]

Graphic pre-press trades workers design layouts, assembling and formatting text and graphic elements, in preparation for printing. They consult with clients to develop a design brief that meets Decline the client's requirements, and is able to be printed without losing quality or exceeding budget constraints. These workers use a range of computer hardware and software to manipulate images and text, selecting the appropriate colours, fonts, sizes and positions to meet the design brief. When the layout has been finalised and proofs have been approved by the client, they will transfer the design to thin metal printing plates. Alternatively, they will send an electronic copy straight to the printer, depending on the technology being used.

ANZSCO ID & Description: 3922: Manipulates, sets and composes text and graphics into a format suitable for printing and other visual media.

Alternative names: Graphic Pre-press Operator, Graphic Pre-press Technician, Graphic Pre-press Tradesperson

Specialisations: Desktop Publishing Operator

Knowledge, skills and attributes

A graphic pre-press trades worker needs: Graphic Designer Working

good eyesight and normal colour vision
good hand-eye coordination
to enjoy technical work
an interest in typography, art and design
the ability to perform detailed work
good communication and interpersonal skills.

Duties & Tasks

operating graphic cameras and other photographic equipment to reproduce camera-ready copy onto films, plates and digital output devices
using computer applications to generate images, text, layouts and impositions for print and other visual media displays
operating plate making equipment to reproduce images from film to printing plates, digital output devices and presses
operating computer screen-based equipment for scanning, colour separation, colour correction, masking, creative design, combining, imposing, retouching, and other processes used to transfer copy to film and produce film for plate, digital output and cylinder productions
carrying out digital and chemical proofing from digital systems, and negative and positive films
evaluating printed proofs, checking and correcting them for quality
preparing and exposing carbon tissue for laying on cylinders by transfer method, and developing images.

Working conditions

These workers usually work in offices or studios at print shops, design companies, newspapers, magazines or publishing companies. They have a high level of contact with people, working with clients, printers and graphic designers. Some may come into contact with toxic chemicals used to create printing plates, however, this is becoming less common with the increasing use of digital technologies replacing these processes. Working hours can vary, depending on the organisation, though working in the evening and on weekends is common. Overtime is also regularly required to meet tight deadlines.

Tools and technologies

Graphic pre-press operators use computers and a range of specialist design software to develop templates. They may also use digital cameras, scanners and computer drawing tablets. When the template is finished they will often use small office printers to print a copy, or proof, which the client must approve before the material is sent to printers to create the final batch. In some cases, graphic pre-press operators create metal printing plates, either through a complex process using ultraviolet light and chemical exposure, or increasingly, through simpler electronic techniques, without the need for chemicals.

Education and training/entrance requirements

To become a graphic pre-press operator you usually need to complete an apprenticeship. The pre-press technician (operator) apprenticeship usually takes 42 months to complete.

As an apprentice or trainee, you enter into a formal training contract with an employer. You spend most of your time working and learning practical skills on the job and you spend some time undertaking structured training with a registered training provider of your choice. They will assess your skills and when you are competent in all areas, you will be awarded a nationally recognised qualification.

If you are still at school you can access an apprenticeship through your school. You generally start your school based apprenticeship by attending school three days a week, spending one day at a registered training organisation and one day at work. Talk to your school's VET Co-ordinator to start your training now through VET in Schools. If you get a full-time apprenticeship you can apply to leave school before reaching the school leaving age.