Pre-Press Graphic Artist

Tank Stream Design Ltd; Gold Coast City; On-site; AUD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Tank Stream Design Ltd, based at the Gold Coast production facility in Burleigh Heads, seeks a skilled Pre-Press Graphic Artist to own print quality from DTG to UV and screen print as production needs grow.

You will oversee artwork preparation, colour management, and file integrity, ensuring flawless outputs. Strong RIP software and Photoshop/Illustrator skills are essential; experience across UV printing and batch standards is highly valued.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in pre-press.
• Exposure to UV flatbed, UV roll-to-roll, or screen print pre-press is a strong plus.
• Strong working knowledge of RIP software (Ergosoft, Kothari, Caldera, or similar).
• Solid understanding of ICC colour profiles, colour separation, and underbase/white setup for DTG.
• Advanced Photoshop and Illustrator skills, especially vectorising and colour correction.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and optimise artwork files for DTG printing, Laser engraving, UV print, and digital cutting.
• Perform colour separation and set up underbase/highlight channels for accurate colour reproduction.
• Manage ICC colour profiles and RIP software settings to match brand standards.
• Create and check pre-print proofs and mockups production runs.
• Maintain a structured library of print-ready templates and artwork standards.
• Create elastic files and coordinate offshore portal and namedrop management.

Skills

Pre-press experience

RIP software

ICC colour profiles

Photoshop / Illustrator

Colour accuracy

File setup knowledge

Deadline discipline

Tools

Ergosoft

Kothari

Caldera

Job description

Tank Stream Design | Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast QLD | Full-Time

About Us

Born and bred on the Gold Coast of Australia, our company designs and develops unique lifestyle apparel and accessories for quality retailers around the world. Our market leading lifestyle brands are designed and developed to the highest standards by our talented in-house team with an eye for quality, attention to detail and a passion for the outdoor lifestyle.

From humble beginnings, we have experienced continuous growth over the last 22 years. We are now stocked in retailers all over Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean, Canada and the USA. We have established an excellent reputation for innovative and quality products that our retailers and consumers love equally.

Why this role exists

Every print we put out the door carries our name across Earth Nymph and Pacific Creations. We are seeking a strong Graphic Artist with pre-press experience who is ready to own our print quality and develop further in the Direct-to-Garment (DTG) space.

This isn't a back-office file-prep job. You are the last line of defence between artwork and garment. You are the person who ensures colour is right, files are clean, and what leaves our production floor is flawless every time.

As our Pre-Press Graphic Artist, you will oversee artwork preparation, print sampling, and production-ready file management. Acting as the critical link between our creative, graphics, and production teams, you will keep output accurate, efficient, and on time. You will own print quality end-to-end, starting from a DTG base and extending across UV flatbed, UV roll-to-roll, and screen print as our production needs grow. When something doesn't look right on any machine, you are the go-to person the production floor turns to.

What you'll do

Prepare and optimise artwork files for DTG printing, Laser engraving, UV print, and digital cutting (managing resolution, sizing, colour mode, and file formats).

Perform colour separation and set up underbase/highlight channels for accurate colour reproduction on both light and dark garments.

Manage ICC colour profiles and RIP software settings to match strict brand and Pantone standards.

Create and check pre-print proofs and mockups production runs.

Maintain a structured library of print-ready templates and artwork standards for repeat styles.

Create elastic files and coordinate offshore portal and namedrop management.

Quality Control & Troubleshooting

Set and enforce quality benchmarks for colour vibrancy, sharpness, ink coverage, and finish across every print method we run.

Diagnose and fix print quality issues traced to file or pre-press faults, including banding, dot gain, colour shift, poor ink coverage, and registration.

Test and refine print settings adaptively as garments, substrates, and inks change.

Keep clear records of colour profiles, settings, and fixes to ensure quality holds up across shifts and operators.

Cross-Platform Expansion

Work closely with the design and graphics team to catch artwork issues before they hit the print floor.

Extend pre-press and colour management across UV flatbed and UV roll-to-roll printing as needed, considering substrate-specific file setup, ink curing, adhesion, and colour density calibration.

Support screen print pre-press work, including screen references and underprint colour setups alongside DTG.

What you’re bring

Proven experience in pre-press; exposure to UV flatbed, UV roll-to-roll, or screen print pre-press is a strong plus.

Strong working knowledge of RIP software (Ergosoft, Kothari, Caldera, or similar).

Solid understanding of ICC colour profiles, colour separation, and underbase/white setup for DTG, with the ability to quickly learn equivalent setups for UV and screen print.

Advanced Photoshop and Illustrator skills, specifically in vectorising, colour correction, and file cleanup.

A sharp eye for colour accuracy and intricate print detail.

A deep understanding of how file setup affects print outcomes (ink limits, resolution, garment type).

Resilience and focus, with the ability to hold quality standards under production deadlines.

Nice to have

Background in apparel, fashion, or textile production.

Experience across multiple garment types and substrates (cotton, poly-blends, performance fabrics).

Familiarity with white under-base troubleshooting for dark garments.

Background working in a wholesale or multi-brand production environment.

Experience supervising, mentoring, or coordinating offshore or on-site team members.

What you’ll get

A genuine ownership role — build and shape the pre-press function as our print volume grows

Direct input into product quality across in-house brands

Based at our Gold Coast production facility in Burleigh Heads

A team that backs your judgement on quality, not just your output