About This Career

Sets up and operates digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses.

This career is part of the Arts, Audio-Video Technology and Communications cluster Printing Technology pathway.

A person in this career:

• Starts presses and pulls proofs to check for ink coverage and density, alignment, and registration.
• Examines job orders to determine quantities to be printed, stock specifications, colors, or special printing instructions.
• Adjusts ink fountain flow rates.
• Verifies that paper and ink meet the specifications for a given job.
• Collects and inspects random samples during print runs to identify any necessary adjustments.
• Feeds paper through press cylinders and adjusts feed and tension controls.
• Monitors automated press operation systems and responds to fault, error, or alert messages.
• Secures printing plates to printing units and adjusts tolerances.
• Loads presses with paper and makes necessary adjustments, according to paper size.
• Cleans ink fountains, plates, or printing unit cylinders when press runs are completed.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves walking or running more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
• Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying objects

Work Hours and Travel

• Rotating shift work