Employment Percentage
-59.15148823
SOC ID
51-5112
SOC Title
Printing Press Operators
ONET ID
51-5112.00
ONET Concat ID
51511200
Median Salary
37174.45
Ed Level High School
74.389999
Ed Level Certificate
19.459999
Ed Level Some College
6.15
Ed Level Associates
0
Ed Level Bachelors
0
Ed Level Masters
0
Ed Level Doctors
0
Typical Ed Level
a high school diploma or less
Career Description
Set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses.
Core Tasks
- 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.
- Collect and inspect random samples during print runs to identify any necessary adjustments.
- Verify that paper and ink meet the specifications for a given job.
- Feed paper through press cylinders and adjust feed and tension controls.
- Load presses with paper and make necessary adjustments, according to paper size.
- Monitor automated press operation systems and respond to fault, error, or alert messages.
- Secure printing plates to printing units and adjust tolerances.
- Change press plates, blankets, or cylinders, as required.
- Clean ink fountains, plates, or printing unit cylinders when press runs are completed.
- Obtain or mix inks and fill ink fountains.
- Input production job settings into workstation terminals that control automated printing systems.
- Clean or oil presses or make minor repairs, using hand tools.
- Maintain time or production records.
- Monitor environmental factors, such as humidity and temperature, that may impact equipment performance and make necessary adjustments.
- Monitor inventory levels on a regular basis, ordering or requesting additional supplies, as necessary.
Start Annual Earnings
25991.87
Top Annual Earnings
64254.04
EMSI Career Title Slug
printing-press-operator