Printing Press Operator

Print

Work Tasks

• Control and maintain printing presses in pressrooms
• Put printing plates in place, mix solutions, adjust pressure, put ink on the presses, load paper, set press to the paper size, and feed paper
• Adjust uneven ink, speed, temperatures, and other things that need to be corrected
• Oil and clean presses and fix small problems to keep the presses running well
• Work for commercial and business printing shops, publishing companies, newspaper plants, and firms that do their own printing such as banks, insurance companies, and government agencies
• Work with computerized print presses, type forms, press plates, paper, ink, hand tools, and offset lithography, gravure, flexography, screen printing, and letterpress printing presses

Salary, Size & Growth

• $38,000 average per year ($18.25 per hour)
• A large occupation (191,100 workers in 2010)
• Expected to decline (0.6% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: On-the-job training
• Employers Prefer: A 2-year degree in printing or an apprenticeship
• Skills/Courses: Courses in computers, math, shop, chemistry, electronics, color theory, and physics.