What does a printing machine operator do?
Printing machine operator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real printing machine operator resumes:
- Take the UV expose board to the paint cleansing department.
- Set up, run, and ensure the quality of print jobs.
- Print pricing labels for food chains, run label machine, sort and deliver tags to mailroom.
- Adjust image position for variable data files to accommodate perforations on paper or for viewing through envelope windows.
- Operate various applications including duplex and MICR checks to print job within schedule and meet deadlines for production.
- Monitor attendance and payroll time-sheets.
- Recognize for work done in a sterile environment and utilizing correct safety PPE for surrounding work areas/machinery.
- Operate creo softwares as well as making proofs.
- Participate in technical support and assist validation and QA department during equipment validation.
Printing machine operator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 19% of Printing Machine Operators are proficient in Quality Standards, Basic Math, and Routine Maintenance. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Coordination, and Mechanical skills.
We break down the percentage of Printing Machine Operators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Quality Standards, 19%
Assured quality product by conducting in-process inspection and evaluating finished product to quality standards.
- Basic Math, 11%
Followed production instructions and utilized a computer and calculator to aid in basic math calculations.
- Routine Maintenance, 7%
Performed routine maintenance and small repairs on all machine.
- Production Process, 6%
Improved the efficiency reducing the set up time and pattern change time of the machines during the production process.
- Preventive Maintenance, 5%
Ensured continuous operation of machinery by performing preventive maintenance of equipment and providing troubleshooting and repair of machinery as needed.
- UV, 5%
Have knowledge of several different types of flexo presses running UV and Water based inks.
"quality standards," "basic math," and "routine maintenance" are among the most common skills that printing machine operators use at work. You can find even more printing machine operator responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a printing machine operator to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what printing machine operators do because "material moving machine operators signal and direct workers to load and unload material." Additionally, a printing machine operator resume shows how printing machine operators use communication skills: "machine operator communication skills work orders produce work routine maintenance on machines strategic thinker"
Coordination. Another essential skill to perform printing machine operator duties is coordination. Printing machine operators responsibilities require that "material moving machine operators must have steady hands and feet to guide and control heavy machinery precisely." Printing machine operators also use coordination in their role according to a real resume snippet: "assisted with color coordination, loaded paper stock, inspected color and cut requirements. "
Mechanical skills. This is an important skill for printing machine operators to perform their duties. For an example of how printing machine operator responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "material moving machine operators make minor adjustments to their machines and perform basic maintenance on them." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a printing machine operator: "accomplished press operation and mechanical maintenance of halm two color printing presses. ".
Visual ability. A big part of what printing machine operators do relies on "visual ability." You can see how essential it is to printing machine operator responsibilities because "material moving machine operators must be able to see clearly where they are driving or what they are moving." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical printing machine operator tasks: "operated plastic molding machines manufactured plastic containers for restaurants quality control visual inspection created production reports pre -packing"
The three companies that hire the most printing machine operators are:
- Hanesbrands2 printing machine operators jobs
- Kelly Services2 printing machine operators jobs
- U.S. Bank2 printing machine operators jobs
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Compare different printing machine operators
Printing machine operator vs. 2nd pressman
A pressman is responsible for maintaining the printing press operations, maintaining the efficiency of the equipment and machinery to produce high-quality outputs. Pressmen ensure the readability and completeness of the content before distribution. They must be knowledgeable of the mechanical industry, spotting inconsistencies with the equipment, and performing immediate repairs or component replacement to avoid delays in operation. A pressman works closely with other printing operators to ensure that the outputs meet the clients' specifications and business' printing guidelines.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, printing machine operator responsibilities require skills like "quality standards," "basic math," "production process," and "preventive maintenance." Meanwhile a typical 2nd pressman has skills in areas such as "lean manufacturing," "ink fountains," "preventative maintenance," and "kba." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
On average, 2nd pressmen reach similar levels of education than printing machine operators. 2nd pressmen are 2.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Printing machine operator vs. Roll tender
Compositors are the creators of a frame, shot, or sequence final image. They usually combine various digital elements to produce a believable picture. Following the direction of the style chosen for the set is part of these compositors' responsibilities. These workers create their visual effects and high-quality composites using special effects (SFX) like 2D and 3D animation and CGIs. They use these digital elements to create convincing shadows, enhance a picture's lighting, and static background plates.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that printing machine operator responsibilities requires skills like "quality standards," "production process," "preventive maintenance," and "uv." But a roll tender might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "load rolls," "clean press," "hand tools," and "math."
Roll tenders earn a higher average salary than printing machine operators. But roll tenders earn the highest pay in the media industry, with an average salary of $36,580. Additionally, printing machine operators earn the highest salaries in the manufacturing with average pay of $32,413 annually.In general, roll tenders achieve similar levels of education than printing machine operators. They're 1.9% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Printing machine operator vs. Pressman
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from printing machine operator resumes include skills like "basic math," "production process," "preventive maintenance," and "quality checks," whereas a pressman is more likely to list skills in "safety regulations," "preventative maintenance," "web press," and "multi. "
When it comes to education, pressmen tend to earn similar degree levels compared to printing machine operators. In fact, they're 2.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Printing machine operator vs. Compositor
Types of printing machine operator
Updated January 8, 2025
