Offset printer

An offset printer

Description

Offset printers handle an offset press in order to print an image. The offset press transfers an inked image from the plate to a rubber blanket before to print it onto the printing surface.

An offset printer typically does the following:

  • Sets ups, adjusts, and operates offset printing presses to print various printed materials.
  • Makes adjustments, cleans, lubricates press to achieve successful printing operation. Performs all regular daily, weekly, or monthly maintenance for presses and other pressroom equipment in compliance with either manufacturer’s suggestions or Printing Department’s determined schedule.
  • Develops and maintains the correct pressure and registration between the plates and ink in order to obtain a clean, clear impression of the material being printed.
  • Informs Supervisor of the need of materials, inks, and other supplies for the pressroom.
  • Inspects work in progress and finished materials to ensure the quality standards and accuracy of printing is being maintained.
  • Resolves technical problems with presses, inks , and other solutions as necessary. Also responsible for calling attention of any problems with equipment to supervisor.
  • Performs other related jobs within the department as required.

Other titles

The following job titles also refer to offset printer:

newspaper printer
newspaper press specialist
offset pressman
offset printer operator
offset press specialist
lithographic printing technician
newspaper press operator
offset lithography printer
lithographic printing specialist
offset printer specialist
offset press operator
lithographic printing operator
newspaper press technician
offset press assistant
pad printing machine operator
offset printer technician
offset press technician

Minimum qualifications

A high school diploma is generally required to work as an offset printer.

Experience can be acquired through apprenticeship or on the job.

ISCO skill level

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

  • the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
  • the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
  • the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Offset printer is a Skill level 2 occupation.

Offset printer career path

Similar occupations

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to offset printer.

flexographic press operator
gravure press operator
hot foil operator
screen printer
digital printer

Long term prospects

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of offset printer. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of offset printer with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

pulp control operator
automated assembly line operator
machine operator supervisor
paper mill supervisor
industrial robot controller

Essential knowledge and skills

Essential knowledge

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of offset printer.

  • Polygraphy: Production branch that handles reproduction of text and images by printing.
  • Printing on large scale machines: Methods, processes, and restrictions related to printing on machines that produce large quantities and sizes of graphic print materials.
  • Printing techniques: The techniques and processes to reproduce text and images using a master form or template such as letterpress printing, gravure, and laser printing.
  • Types of paper: The different criteria used to determine differences in paper types such as coarseness and thickness, and the different fabrication methods and wood types from which the types of paper stem.
  • Quality standards: The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.
  • Offset printing: Technological printing process where the ink is spread onto a plate with etched images, then to a rubber blanket, and finally onto the target medium, usually paper. This method is used for mass printing on large scales.

Essential skills and competences

These skills are necessary for the role of offset printer.

  • Produce prepress proof: Make single or multi-coloured test prints to ensure that the product meets the arranged standards. Compare the sample with the template or discuss the result with the customer in order to make the last adjustments before mass production.
  • Troubleshoot: Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.
  • Perform test run: Perform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, and adjust settings accordingly.
  • Operate offset printing machine: Operate controlling and exposure units of the offset printing machine, set the laser exposure unit; and tend the development line.
  • Monitor automated machines: Continuously check up on the automated machine’s set-up and execution or make regular control rounds. If necessary, record and interpret data on the operating conditions of installations and equipment in order to identify abnormalities.
  • Clean ink rollers: Clean ink roller and type using ink solvent and rags.
  • Follow safety precautions in printing: Apply safety and health principles, policies and institutional regulations of working in printing production. Protect oneself and others against such hazards as chemicals used in printing, invasive allergens, heat, and disease causing agents.
  • Supply machine: Ensure the machine is fed the necessary and adequate materials and control the placement or automatic feed and retrieval of work pieces in the machines or machine tools on the production line.
  • Prepare offset printing machine: Adjust, set, and prepare machines for offset printing by calibrating each part of the machine.
  • Prepare printing form: Prepare and inspect plates that are used in printing process to transfer ink on the desired surface and place them in the machines, for example fixing them around printing rollers.
  • Follow production schedule: Follow production schedule taking into account all requirements, times and needs. This schedule outlines what individual commodities must be produced in each time period and encapsulates various concerns like production, staffing, inventory, etc. It is usually linked to manufacturing where the plan indicates when and how much of each product will be demanded. Utilise all the information in the actual implementation of the plan.
  • Set up the controller of a machine: Set up and give commands to a machine by dispatching the appropriate data and input into the (computer) controller corresponding with the desired processed product.

Optional knowledge and skills

Optional knowledge

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of offset printer. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

  • Screen printing inks: Various types of screen ink, such as solvent, water, water plastisol, and UV curable ink solutions.
  • Printing materials: The materials, such as paper, film, metal foils, and glass, on which texts or designs can be transferred by applying ink through direct pressure or with intermediate rollers.
  • Printing plate making: The different techniques used to produce the plates that will be mounted on rolls for the flexographic or offset printing process such as laser engraving or the technique consisting in placing a film negative over a plate exposed to ultra-violet light.
  • Print stripping: Printing technique in which the printed pages are arranged into specific patterns in order to create efficient printing plates. This has to be planned correctly so that the printed material can be folded to produce the requested brochures or books with the correct pagination and to be cut down after printing.
  • Printing media: Specific techniques related to various printing surfaces such plastics, metal, glass, textiles, wood, and paper.
  • Maintenance of printing machines: Upkeep procedures and technical working of machines that produce printed graphical material.

Optional skills and competences

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of offset printer. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

  • Record production data for quality control: Keep records of the machine’s faults, interventions and irregularities for quality control.
  • Manage offset printing process: Select and oversee implementation of relevant printing processes, necessary tools, and colours.
  • Handle chemical cleaning agents: Ensure proper handling, storage and disposal of cleaning chemicals in accordance with regulations.
  • Wear appropriate protective gear: Wear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.
  • Pack goods: Pack different kinds of goods such as finished manufactured products or goods in use. Pack goods by hand in boxes, bags and other types of containers.
  • Perform machine maintenance: Perform regular maintenance, possibly including corrections and alterations, on a machine or machine tool to ensure it remains in a proper productive state.
  • Prepare colour mixtures: Prepare colour mixtures in accordance with the recipes and/or the characteristics of the article to be achieved.
  • Inspect printing output: Verify that the printing output is satisfactory using various methods such as visual verification, use of spectrophotometers or densitometers. The problems that might occur include misregisters or colour variation.
  • Process printing input: Accept and pre-process input documents and orders to be used for print production.
  • Consult technical resources: Read and interpret such technical resources such as digital or paper drawings and adjustment data in order to properly set up a machine or working tool, or to assemble mechanical equipment.
  • Report defective manufacturing materials: Maintain required company records and forms in order to report any defective materials or questionable conditions of manufacturing machinery and equipment.
  • Cut page edges: Fit the cutting template, set the guillotine, load pages and trim the edges to obtain the desired shape while keeping production quality and quantity.
  • Operate letterpress: Operate machine which produces printed materials by applying ink on specific raised sections of a surface, which is then pressed against desired print output media.
  • Maintain lithographic printing plates: Produce and store plates used in lithographic offset printing by running a previously imposed and ripped file to plate or exposing and developing the plate using hand tools or machines.
  • Keep records of work progress: Maintain records of the progress of the work including time, defects, malfunctions, etc.
  • Perforate printed media: Use tools to create small holes or series of holes in printed material in order to allow easy separation from designated sections of the printed output.

ISCO group and title

7322 – Printers


References
  1. Offset printer – ESCO
  2. Offset Press Operator Job Description – the Job Explorer
  3. Featured image: By David Peters – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
Last updated on September 10, 2022

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