Printing Press Operators
Set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses.
211 alternate job titles:
Salary Information
Printing Press Operators: $45,160 (median) per year.
Starting salary (10th percentile).
Required expreience: Varies by Company
Data source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Daily Tasks & Responsibilities
| Task Description | Category |
|---|---|
| Program equipment to perform production tasks. | General |
| Adjust equipment controls to regulate flow of production materials or products. | General |
| Install mechanical components in production equipment. | General |
| Clean production equipment. | General |
| Lubricate production equipment. | General |
| Inspected printed materials or other images to verify quality. | General |
| Collect samples of materials or products for testing. | General |
| Download data. | General |
| Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements. | General |
| Feed materials or products into or through equipment. | General |
| Enter commands, instructions, or specifications into equipment. | General |
| Load materials into production equipment. | General |
| Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment. | General |
| Direct operational or production activities. | General |
| Record operational or production data. | General |
| Order materials, supplies, or equipment. | General |
| Operate cutting equipment. | General |
| Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences. | Maintenance |
| Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning. | Maintenance |
| Maintain inventories of materials, equipment, or products. | Maintenance |
| Mix ingredients to create specific finishes. | Development |
| Operate photographic developing or print production equipment. | Development |
| Monitor environmental impacts of production or development activities. | Development |
| Evaluate quality of materials or products. | Analysis |
Technology Requirements
| Technology | Description |
|---|---|
| Adobe Acrobat | Document management software |
| Adobe Illustrator | Graphics or photo imaging software |
| Adobe InDesign | Desktop publishing software |
| Adobe Photoshop | Graphics or photo imaging software |
| Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet software |
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software |
| Microsoft Outlook | Electronic mail software |
| Microsoft Word | Word processing software |
| SAP software | Enterprise resource planning ERP software |
| AABACH Graphic Systems DIGRA | Industrial control software |
| Adobe LifeCycle Production Print ES3 | Document management software |
| Adobe PageMaker | Desktop publishing software |
| Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite | Graphics or photo imaging software |
| Electronics for Imaging EFI Monarch | Enterprise resource planning ERP software |
| Electronics for Imaging EFI Pace | Enterprise resource planning ERP software |
| Email software | Electronic mail software |
| Enfocus PitStop Pro | Desktop publishing software |
| Graphics software | Graphics or photo imaging software |
| Image editing software | Graphics or photo imaging software |
| Inventory tracking software | Inventory management software |
| Job scheduling software | Calendar and scheduling software |
| Job tracking software | Project management software |
| QuarkXPress | Desktop publishing software |
| Word processing software | Word processing software |
| Xerox FreeFlow Print Server | Document management software |
| Xerox ProfitQuick | Financial analysis software |
| Printers Software Inc. Presidio | Data base user interface and query software |
| Printing management system software | Data base user interface and query software |
| Squeegee | Cloud-based data access and sharing software |
Relevant Certifications
Industry certifications that may be valuable for this career role:
| Certification | Issuing Organization | Practice Test |
|---|---|---|
| Certified Graphics Communications Manager | In-Plant Printing and Mailing Association | Not Available |
| Implementation Specialist Certification | Flexographic Technical Association | Not Available |
| PrePress Operator Certification | Flexographic Technical Association | Not Available |
| Press Operator Certification | Flexographic Technical Association | Not Available |