Printing Press Operators

Also Called:

Press Operator,

Pressman,

Printer,

Printing Press Operator

What they do: Set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses.

Advanced Manufacturing, Arts, Entertainment, & Design icon

Advanced Manufacturing, Arts, Entertainment, & Design

Career Cluster

What do they typically do on the job?

  • 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.

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines.

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Cautiousness

Interests

Career interests describe the perspectives and interests of people who enjoy the type of work involved in this career.

Discover what your interests are by taking the Interest Profiler Quiz

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Conventional

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Realistic

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Enterprising

Abilities

Whether you have received formal training or not, these types of abilities are helpful in this career.

Hand and Finger Use

  • Hold or move items with your hands

  • Keep your arm or hand steady

Verbal

  • Communicate by speaking

  • Listen and understand what people say

Controlled Movement

  • Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat

  • Use your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down

Skills

People who want to pursue this career have skills in these areas.

Basic Skills

  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements

  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions

Problem Solving

  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Does this sound like something you'd like to do?

1. Do some research

  • Identify how your interests, values, and strengths match this occupation
  • Talk to someone who works in this field or spend a day job shadowing
  • Use the colleges and training directory to explore programs related to this career

2. Plan your next move

  • Talk to your college and career counselor or school admissions staff
  • Visit Idaho Launch
  • Search for available Printing Press Operators jobs on Idaho Works

Data for NSI career cards comes from the following: Idaho Department of Labor, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET, MyNextMove, and Career OneStop