Identifying key digital prepress competence requirements for printing technology workforce

An increasing automation of all the steps in the process of a printing industry generates an enormous potential for innovation not only in the field of machinery and equipment but also in processing in near future. In the area of prepress, where technological developments have been gradually transformed from an intensive low-tech labor to a high technology industry with a better quality and efficiency. This transition is one of the main concerns when developing a digital prepress course in Malaysia. In this research, the primary objective was to determine the requirements of digital prepress abilities in offset lithography printing industry so it can provide reference for the talents training and relevant curriculum in printing industry. Survey is the suitable methodology adopted in this research and questionnaires were distributed to obtain the data. The research started with a comprehensive literature review regarding the competencies based on the Malaysian Occupational Skills Standard (NOSS). The surveyed participants of this research were the managers and supervisors of the digital prepress operator in small/medium industry and large industry. To analyze the result of the surveys, descriptive statistic was conducted. Through the survey and analysis, this research identifies five most highly required digital prepress competencies for the printing technology workforce.