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 material
print materials
printing supplies
printing stuffs
printing resources
print material

knowledge

sector-specific

Printing materials is an essential knowledge of the following occupations:

Flexographic press operator: Flexographic press operators use flexographic relief plate to print on almost any material. The relief plate is inked and pressed onto the material to be printed.
Imagesetter: Imagesetters process images and graphic templates by using phototypesetting machines. They optimise the templates for the best possible result by determining the right arrangement of text and image on the print sheet. The product is then set onto photo paper or film.
Print studio supervisor: Print production supervisors organise the activity of one or more teams of machine operators in printing, binding of books and finishing of printed materials. They aim to optimise production processes.
3D printing technician: 3D Printing technicians assist in the designing and programming of products, ranging from prosthetic products to 3D miniatures. They may also provide 3D printing maintenance, check 3D renders for customers and run 3D printing tests. 3D printing technicians can also repair, maintain and clean 3D printers.
Digital printer: Digital printers work with machines that print directly to the medium, without an intervening plate. Digital printers usually use laser or inkjet technology to print individual pages without lengthy or labour intensive technical steps intervening between the finished digital product and the print.
Reprographics technician: Reprographics technicians are responsible for the full or partial process of reproduction of graphical documents through mechanical-driven or digital means, such as photography, scanning or digital printing. These activities are commonly performed for purposes of maintaining archives or other structured catalogues.
Gravure press operator: Gravure press operators work with gravure presses, where the image is engraved directly on a roll. They set up the press and monitor it during the operation, taking care of safety and resolving problems.
Lithographer: Lithographers make and prepare metal plates to be used as the original in various printing processes and media. Plates are usually laser-etched from digital sources with computer-to-plate technology, but can also be made by applying types of emulsions to the printing plate.
Typesetter: Typesetters ensure that printed text is correctly set and visually pleasing. While typesetting was originally done manually and later employed techniques like linotype and phototypesetting, almost all typesetting is now done digitally using design programs or specialised typesetting programs.

Printing materials is optional for these occupations. This means knowing this knowledge may be an asset for career advancement if you are in one of these occupations.

Model maker: Model makers create three-dimensional scale models or various designs or concepts and for various purposes, such as models of human skeletons or organs. They also mount the models on display stands so that they can be used for their final purpose such as inclusion in education activities.
Prepress technician: Prepress technicians prepare printing processes by formatting, setting and composing text and graphics into a suitable form. This includes the capture of text and image and processing it electronically. They also prepare, maintain and troubleshoot printing presses.
Manufacturing manager: Manufacturing managers plan, oversee and direct the manufacturing process in an organisation. They ensure products and services are efficiently produced within the timeframe and budget given.
Prepress operator: Prepress operators create a prepress proof, or sample of what the finished product will look like. In many printing contracts, the client at this stage decides whether the print can go through as planned. Since the printing processes for proofs are different from those used in the final process, proofs are always an approximation.
Offset printer: 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.

References

1. Printing materials – ESCO