Plan, explore, and apply to college using these great tools.
Career Details :: Photographic Processing Machine Operators
Description
Operate photographic processing machines, such as photographic printing machines, film developing machines, and mounting presses.
Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful in these occupations, but usually is not needed. For example, a drywall installer might benefit from experience installing drywall, but an inexperienced person could still learn to be an installer with little difficulty.
Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma and may require some vocational training or job-related course work. In some cases, an associate's or bachelor's degree could be needed.
Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees.
Tasks
- Starts and operates machines to prepare circuit boards and expose, develop, etch, fix, wash, dry, and print film or plates.
- Measures and mixes chemicals according to formula to prepare solutions for processing.
- Cleans and maintains photo-processing equipment, using cleaning and rinsing solutions and ultrasonic equipment.
- Removes completed work from equipment and examines circuit boards, plates, film, and prints for conformance to quality standards.
- Reads work orders and examines negatives and film to determine machine settings and processing requirements.
- Maintains records, such as number and types of processing completed, rate of materials usage, and customer charges.
- Loads circuit boards, racks or rolls of film, negatives, or printing paper into processing or printing machines.
- Sets and adjusts machine controls, according to specifications, type of operation, and material requirements.
- Fills tanks of processing machines with solutions, such as developer, dyes, stop-baths, fixers, bleaches, and washes.
- Places film in labeled containers or numbers film for identification, using numbering machine or by hand.
- Monitors equipment operation to detect malfunctions.
- Discards or cleans and repairs defective film or circuit patterns on photographic plates, using cleaning solutions and hand tools.
Related Careers
- Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Operators and Tenders
- Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers
- Electrolytic Plating and Coating Machine Operators and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Gas Compressor Operators
- Marking and Identification Printing Machine Setters and Set-Up Operators
- Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Typesetting and Composing Machine Operators and Tenders
Important Abilities
General Work Activities
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Monitor Processes, Material, Surroundings
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, Material
- Getting Information Needed to Do the Job
Important Skills
Frequent Work Context
- Degree of Automation
- Using Hands on Objects, Tools, Controls
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Consequence of Error
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
Related Majors
| Major (A) Associate (B) Bachelors (C) Certificate (D) Doctor (M) Master | Add to XapPack |
|---|---|
| Imaging (B) |  [ add ] |
| Imaging Science (B) | [ add ] |
| Imaging Systems Management (B) | [ add ] |
| Imaging Technology (B) | [ add ] |
| Imaging/Photographic Technology (B) | [ add ] |
| Photographic Imaging (A) | [ add ] |
| Photographic Imaging (B) | [ add ] |
| Photographic Preservation and Collections Management (M) | [ add ] |
| Photographic/Electronic Imaging (B) | [ add ] |
| Photoplate Making (B) | [ add ] |
Institutions Offering Related Majors
| College | Key Facts | Add to XapPack |
|---|---|---|
| Art Institute of Atlanta, The - Atlanta |  [ view ] | [ add ] |
| Belmont University | [ view ] | [ add ] |
| Lawrence Technological University | [ view ] | [ add ] |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | [ view ] | [ add ] |
| Ryerson Polytechnic University | [ view ] | [ add ] |
| Sam Houston State University | [ view ] | [ add ] |
| Texas State University - San Marcos | [ view ] | [ add ] |
| University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth | [ view ] | [ add ] |
| Walla Walla College | [ view ] | [ add ] |
| Western Michigan University | [ view ] | [ add ] |