Explore by Career/Production
Printing Press Operators
Set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses.
- Median pay
- $45,160
- per year
- 10-year outlook
- -8.1%
- Declining
- Typical entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
Key skills
- Quality Control Analysis
- Operations Monitoring
- Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
What they do
- Start presses and pull proofs to check for ink coverage and density, alignment, and registration.
- Examine job orders to determine quantities to be printed, stock specifications, colors, or special printing instructions.
- Adjust ink fountain flow rates.
- Verify that paper and ink meet the specifications for a given job.
- Collect and inspect random samples during print runs to identify any necessary adjustments.
- Feed paper through press cylinders and adjust feed and tension controls.
- Monitor automated press operation systems and respond to fault, error, or alert messages.
- Load presses with paper and make necessary adjustments, according to paper size.
- Secure printing plates to printing units and adjust tolerances.
- Clean ink fountains, plates, or printing unit cylinders when press runs are completed.
Majors that lead here
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections) and O*NET, used under CC BY 4.0.