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Career Details :: Printing Press Machine Operators and Tenders
Description
Operate or tend various types of printing machines, such as offset lithographic presses, letter or letterset presses, or flexographic or gravure presses, to produce print on paper or other materials such as plastic, cloth, or rubber.
Experience
No previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, a person can become a general office clerk even if he/she has never worked in an office before.
Education
These occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate. Some may require a formal training course to obtain a license.
Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. Usually, an experienced worker could show you how to do the job.
Tasks
- Loads, positions, and adjusts unprinted materials on holding fixture or in loading and feeding mechanisms of press.
- Cleans and lubricates printing machine and components (e.g., rollers, screens, typesetting, reservoirs) using oil, solvents, brushes, rags, and hoses.
- Inspects and examines printed products for print clarity, color accuracy, conformance to specifications, and external defects.
- Removes printed materials from press, using hand truck, electric lift, or hoist, and transports them to drying, storage, or finishing areas.
- Pours or spreads paint, ink, color compounds, and other materials into reservoirs, troughs, hoppers, or color holders of printing unit.
- Keeps daily time and materials usage reports and records identifying information printed on manufactured products and parts.
- Pushes buttons, turns handles, or moves controls and levers to start printing machine or manually controls equipment operation.
- Monitors and controls operation of auxiliary equipment, such as cutters, folders, drying ovens, and sanders, to assemble and finish product.
- Accepts orders, calculates and quotes prices, and receives payments from customers.
- Selects and installs printing plates, rollers, screens, stencils, type, die, and cylinders in machine according to specifications, using hand tools.
- Discards or corrects misprinted materials, using ink eradicators or solvents.
- Blends and tests paint, inks, stains, and solvents according to type of material being printed and work order specifications.
- Directs and monitors activities of workers feeding, inspecting, and tending printing machines and materials.
- Reviews work order to determine ink, stock, and equipment needed for production.
- Monitors feeding, printing, and racking processes of press to maintain specified operating levels and detect malfunctions.
- Dismantles and reassembles printing unit or parts, using hand and power tools, to repair, maintain or adjust machine.
- Turns, pushes, or moves controls to set and adjust speed, temperature, ink flow, and position and pressure tolerances of press.
- Packs and labels cartons, boxes, or bins of finished products.
Related Careers
- Letterpress Setters and Set-Up Operators
- Nonelectrolytic Plating and Coating Machine Setters and Set-Up Operators, Metal and Plastic
- Offset Lithographic Press Setters and Set-Up Operators
- Precision Lens Grinders and Polishers
- Precision Printing Workers
- Production Inspectors, Testers, Graders, Sorters, Samplers, Weighers
- Screen Printing Machine Setters and Set-Up Operators
- Typesetting and Composing Machine Operators and Tenders
Important Abilities
General Work Activities
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Repairing & Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
- Monitor Processes, Material, Surroundings
- Performing General Physical Activities
Important Skills
- Operation and Control
- Operation Monitoring
- Product Inspection
- Equipment Selection
- Equipment Maintenance
Frequent Work Context
- Indoors
- Degree of Automation
- Importance of Being Sure All Is Done
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
Related Majors
| Major | Add to XapPack |
|---|---|
| Electronic Publishing/Imaging |  [ add ] |
| Graphic Arts Technology | [ add ] |
| Graphic Communications Management | [ add ] |
| Graphic Communications Technology | [ add ] |
| Graphics Technology | [ add ] |
| Printing | [ add ] |
| Printing Management | [ add ] |
| Printing Production | [ add ] |
| Printing Technology | [ add ] |
| Printing/Applied Computer Science | [ add ] |
Institutions Offering Related Majors
No institutions found.