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.

printing plate production
printing plate fabrication
printing plate manufacturing
plate making for printing

knowledge

sector-specific

Printing plate making is an essential knowledge of the following occupations:

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.
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.

Printing plate making 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.

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.
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.
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.
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 plate making – ESCO