Full-Time | Onsite
Schedule: Monday–Friday, 7:30 AM–3:30 PM
Occasional overtime may be required.
About The Position
Tension Corporation is looking for an Electronic Prepress Operator to join our Kansas City Prepress team.
This is a technical, production-focused graphics position - not primarily a creative graphic design role. You’ll prepare accurate, production-ready artwork, proofs, color separations, barcodes, and digital plate files used in our manufacturing operations.
You’ll work closely with Customer Service, Planning, Production, and other departments to turn customer artwork and job specifications into files that are ready for manufacturing.
Flexographic printing experience is preferred, but we’re willing to train a strong graphic-production candidate with the right technical skills and aptitude.
This position offers a stable weekday schedule, varied technical work, exposure to modern prepress and color-control technology, cross-training opportunities, and the opportunity to develop additional skills in flexographic printing and platemaking.
What You’ll Do
- Review job tickets, customer artwork, production specifications, samples, and supporting files before beginning work.
- Preflight customer-supplied artwork for fonts, images, resolution, colors, separations, and other production requirements.
- Modify, rebuild, clean up, and prepare electronic artwork for proofing and production.
- Identify missing, conflicting, incomplete, or questionable job information and obtain clarification before proceeding.
- Prepare spot-color separations and perform trapping, overprinting, and other electronic prepress functions.
- Create customer proofs and carefully review work for copy, graphics, positioning, color, barcodes, and production specifications.
- Create cut-and-fold samples using CAD cutting equipment.
- Generate production-ready digital plate files for flexographic printing.
- Create, position, and verify barcodes using barcode-verification systems.
- Assist with color matching and color-control activities using spectrophotometers and related software.
- Maintain accurate electronic job records and organized production files.
- Communicate with Customer Service, Sales, Planning, Production, and other departments.
- Support other Tension facilities and cross-train in related Prepress responsibilities as needed.
What You’ll Bring
- Strong attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy.
- Strong graphic-production and electronic file-preparation skills.
- Proficiency with Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, and Acrobat Pro.
- Knowledge of PDF inspection, fonts, linked graphics, image resolution, spot colors, trapping, and overprinting.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet production deadlines.
- Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
- Clear verbal and written communication.
- Willingness to ask questions when job information is unclear rather than making assumptions.
- Ability to work independently while contributing effectively to a team.
- Comfort working in a detailed, deadline-driven production environment.
Education & Experience
- High school diploma or GED required.
- Associate degree, technical-school education, certificate, or equivalent relevant experience in graphic communications, printing, prepress, graphic production, or a related field.
- Previous prepress, graphic-production, printing, or related experience preferred.
Nice to Have
Experience with any of the following is beneficial but not required:
- Flexographic printing or flexographic prepress
- Esko ArtPro+, Automation Engine, or Shuttle
- Esko CDI systems
- Professional Macintosh-based graphic-production environments
- Barcode-verification software
- Spectrophotometers, SpotOn, or other color-control systems
Additional Information
- This is a union position. New associates are subject to a probationary period and, upon successful completion, are required to become members of the applicable union in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement.
- Candidates must successfully complete a Prepress aptitude and skills assessment as part of the selection process.
