Graphic design Prepress Technician

Allegra Marketing Print Mail is hiring an onsite Prepress and production workflow teammate in Urbandale, IA. In this role, you’ll help keep customer print and mail jobs moving smoothly by preparing files for presses, managing proofs, and supporting variable data and automation using the tools our team relies on.

You’ll also get room to apply practical design skills when needed, including occasional light layout and graphic work in Adobe applications. If you enjoy turning customer assets into press-ready output, strengthening handoffs, and reducing manual steps and errors, this position is built for that.

Responsibilities

• Check, correct, and prepare customer files for print
• Send jobs to digital presses through EFI Command WorkStation (Fiery)
• Use Xerox FreeFlow Core, AI tools, and existing software to automate the handoff from customer order to press
• Manage the Pressero customer web portal, including building variable data templates for customer-created customized documents
• Set up mail merge and variable data jobs in InDesign
• Process customer mailing lists and prepare data with postal barcodes using mailing software
• Own the proofing workflow: send proofs through Plan Profit (Salesforce), follow up with customers until approval, and ensure jobs do not stall waiting on artwork
• Coordinate with outside vendors to find and order products not produced in-house
• Run pre-production quality review by approving files through the pre-press quality check
• Cross-train on printing equipment to run jobs when needed
• Complete occasional light design and layout work in InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop

Requirements

• Strong working knowledge of Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat for file preparation
• Experience with print production or prepress, including file prep, bleeds, color, and imposition
• Comfort working with data such as spreadsheets, mailing lists, and merges
• Ability to take customer files from Canva and AI image tools and make them press-ready (resolution, bleed, color, fonts)
• Accountability for follow-up: if a customer has not approved a proof, you check in and continue until the job moves forward
• Detail-oriented approach, with an understanding that mistakes in print and mail are expensive
• Willingness to learn new software and cross-train on printing equipment

Benefits

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Vision insurance

Nice to Have (We’ll Train)

• InDesign data merge or other variable data experience
• Xerox FreeFlow Core, EFI Command WorkStation, or Pressero
• Mailing software and USPS postal requirements
• Experience using AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude) or building automated workflows
• Experience in a print shop or in-plant

Tools you may work with: EFI Command WorkStation (Fiery), Xerox FreeFlow Core, Pressero, Plan Profit (Salesforce), Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Acrobat, Canva, Claude, ChatGPT, AI image tools.