Overall Prepress Average: Approx. $57,000 per year.

GraphicEd.org, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing education in the graphic arts, has released a new whitepaper titled “From Pixels to Presses: Career Statistics and Opportunities in Modern Prepress Departments.” The study provides unprecedented insight into the current state of prepress employment across Ontario’s $3.8 billion print and packaging sector.

is focused on bridging academia and industry in the graphic communications.

Key findings Included in the Report, Current salary averages based on role and experience in Prepress Departments. Increasingly common demand for hybrid roles - such as Prepress + Graphic Design or Prepress + Machine Operation – and the associated compensation of those roles. Confirmation of core competencies like preflighting, proofing, and quality assurance remaining vital and sought after by employers, while surprisingly few postings mention specialized prepress-associated skills such as colour management or variable data printing. How workflow automation and “user-friendly design tools” (e.g., Canva) are reshaping job demands in prepress departments, creating new challenges and opportunities for specialists. The full whitepaper is available for free download at https://www.graphiced.org/.