ISCO-08 7321
Pre-press technicians
78.4%
ADI · 117th of 433 · 95% interval 63.4–91.4
An AI agent can at least partly carry out 78.4% of the task time of pre-press technicians, and finish 18.4% alone.
ADI · partial or full78.4%
117th of 433 · interval 63.4–91.4
ADI3 · full delegation18.4%
19th of 433 · interval 6.0–32.3
ADIs · share of time59.6%
59th of 433 · interval 51.3–67.3
Evidence33
task statements rated by two models and weighted by importance and frequency. World employment: 1.8 million.
Task weight by level
How the tasks rate
L0No meaningful role · 10.4%L1Augmentation · 11.2%L2Partial delegation · 59.9%L3Full delegation · 18.4%
Barriers
What stops the agent
Share of task weight flagged by each barrier; a task can carry several.
33 task statements, heaviest first
| Task statement (O*NET occupation) | Sonnet · Haiku | Barriers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Generate prepress proofs in digital or other format to approximate the appearance of the final printed piece.Prepress Technicians and Workers | 4.3% | L2 | L2L2 | 65% | 45 min | Access to systems |
| Proofread and perform quality control of text and images.Prepress Technicians and Workers | 4.2% | L2 | L2L2 | 70% | 45 min | – |
| Enter, position, and alter text size, using computers, to make up and arrange pages so that printed materials can be produced.Prepress Technicians and Workers | 4.1% | L2 | L2L2 | 70% | 1.0 h | – |
| Enter, store, and retrieve information on computer-aided equipment.Prepress Technicians and Workers | 4.1% | L3 | L3L3 | 82% | 20 min | Access to systems |
| Perform "preflight" check of required font, graphic, text and image files to ensure completeness prior to delivery to printer.Prepress Technicians and Workers | 3.9% | L3 | L3L3 | 82% | 38 min | – |
| Operate desktop publishing software and equipment to design, lay out, and produce camera-ready copy.Desktop Publishers | 3.8% | L2 | L2L2 | 68% | 2.5 h | – |
| Select proper types of plates according to press run lengths.Prepress Technicians and Workers · supplemental task | 3.6% | L2 | L2L2 | 65% | 18 min | Access to systems |
| Operate presses to print proofs of plates, monitoring printing quality to ensure that it is adequate.Prepress Technicians and Workers · supplemental task | 3.6% | L1 | L1L1 | 10% | 45 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Position text and art elements from a variety of databases in a visually appealing way to design print or web pages, using knowledge of type styles and size and layout patterns.Desktop Publishers | 3.4% | L2 | L2L2 | 65% | 2.5 h | – |
| View monitors for visual representation of work in progress and for instructions and feedback throughout process, making modifications as necessary.Desktop Publishers | 3.4% | L2 | L2L2 | 55% | 1.5 h | – |
| Enter text into computer keyboard and select the size and style of type, column width, and appropriate spacing for printed materials.Desktop Publishers | 3.4% | L2 | L2L3 | 80% | 1.1 h | – |
| Operate and maintain laser plate-making equipment that converts electronic data to plates without the use of film.Prepress Technicians and Workers | 3.4% | L1 | L1L2 | 28% | 52 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Import text and art elements, such as electronic clip art or electronic files from photographs that have been scanned or produced with a digital camera, using computer software.Desktop Publishers | 3.3% | L2 | L2L3 | 78% | 22 min | – |
| Prepare sample layouts for approval, using computer software.Desktop Publishers | 3.3% | L2 | L2L2 | 68% | 2.0 h | – |
| Examine photographic images for obvious imperfections prior to plate making.Prepress Technicians and Workers · supplemental task | 3.2% | L2 | L2L3 | 72% | 15 min | Access to systems |
Show the other 18 tasks
| Task statement (O*NET occupation) | Sonnet · Haiku | Barriers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examine unexposed photographic plates to detect flaws or foreign particles prior to printing.Prepress Technicians and Workers · supplemental task | 3.1% | L0 | L1L0 | 12% | 15 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Examine finished plates to detect flaws, verify conformity with master plates, and measure dot sizes and centers, using light boxes and microscopes.Prepress Technicians and Workers · supplemental task | 3.0% | L0 | L0L0 | 8% | 28 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Check preliminary and final proofs for errors and make necessary corrections.Desktop Publishers | 3.0% | L2 | L2L2 | 68% | 1.3 h | – |
| Collaborate with graphic artists, editors and writers to produce master copies according to design specifications.Desktop Publishers · supplemental task | 2.9% | L2 | L2L2 | 65% | 2.5 h | Access to systems |
| Study layout or other design instructions to determine work to be done and sequence of operations.Desktop Publishers | 2.8% | L3 | L3L3 | 85% | 28 min | – |
| Scale copy for reductions and enlargements, using proportion wheels.Prepress Technicians and Workers · supplemental task | 2.8% | L3 | L3L3 | 88% | 8 min | – |
| Enter digitized data into electronic prepress system computer memory, using scanner, camera, keyboard, or mouse.Desktop Publishers | 2.7% | L2 | L2L2 | 65% | 30 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Convert various types of files for printing or for the Internet, using computer software.Desktop Publishers | 2.5% | L3 | L3L3 | 82% | 30 min | – |
| Select number of colors and determine color separations.Desktop Publishers | 2.5% | L2 | L2L2 | 62% | 45 min | – |
| Maintain, adjust, and clean equipment, and perform minor repairs.Prepress Technicians and Workers | 2.5% | L0 | L0L1 | 10% | 52 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Enter data, such as coordinates of images and color specifications, into system to retouch and make color corrections.Desktop Publishers | 2.4% | L2 | L2L2 | 70% | 30 min | Access to systems |
| Edit graphics and photos, using pixel or bitmap editing, airbrushing, masking, or image retouching.Desktop Publishers | 2.4% | L2 | L2L2 | 65% | 50 min | – |
| Analyze originals to evaluate color density, gradation highlights, middle tones, and shadows, using densitometers and knowledge of light and color.Prepress Technicians and Workers · supplemental task | 2.3% | L1 | L2L1 | 45% | 25 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Transmit, deliver, or mail publication master to printer for production into film and plates.Desktop Publishers · supplemental task | 2.3% | L3 | L3L3 | 88% | 20 min | Access to systems |
| Store copies of publications on paper, magnetic tape, film, or diskette.Desktop Publishers · supplemental task | 2.1% | L2 | L2L2 | 45% | 25 min | Physical presence |
| Create special effects such as vignettes, mosaics, and image combining, and add elements such as sound and animation to electronic publications.Desktop Publishers · supplemental task | 2.0% | L2 | L2L2 | 62% | 2.0 h | – |
| Set scanners to specific color densities, sizes, screen rulings, and exposure adjustments, using scanner keyboards or computers.Prepress Technicians and Workers · supplemental task | 2.0% | L1 | L1L2 | 38% | 15 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Load floppy disks or tapes containing information into system.Desktop Publishers · supplemental task | 1.8% | L0 | L1L0 | 10% | 10 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
Level: consensus of the two models (the lower level when they disagree). Share: part of the task’s working time an agent could take over. Human time: minutes a competent person needs for one instance, as estimated by the models.
Against other measures
Exposure is not delegation
| Measure | Value | Percentile | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADI (this index) | 78.4% | 73 | |
| Eloundou et al. (2024), GPT exposure β | 0.563 | 87 | |
| Felten et al. (2021), AI occupational exposure | 0.377 | 62 | |
| Webb (2020), AI patent exposure | 60 | 54 | |
| Eisfeldt et al. (2026), generative AI exposure | 0.374 | 75 | |
| Anthropic Economic Index, observed use | 0.283 | 90 |
Earlier indices measure whether AI can touch a task; ADI measures how much of it an agent can carry out from a goal. – : the source does not cover this occupation.
Same sub-major group (73)
Neighbouring occupations
Dashed line: pre-press technicians (78.4%).
Cite this record
Text
Espinal Maya, Cristian, and Santiago Jiménez Londoño. 2026. ADI v2026.1: Agent Delegability Index data, code and MCP server. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23552918. Record: Pre-press technicians (ISCO-08 7321), https://balamlabs.org/adi/occupations/7321
BibTeX
@misc{espinal2026adidata,
title = {{ADI} v2026.1: Agent Delegability Index data, code and {MCP} server},
author = {Espinal Maya, Cristian and Jim{\'e}nez Londo{\~n}o, Santiago},
year = {2026},
publisher = {Zenodo},
version = {v2026.1},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.23552918},
url = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23552918},
note = {Record: Pre-press technicians (ISCO-08 7321)}
}Machine-readable
The same record as static JSON, with its citation: /adi/v2026.1/isco/7321.json.