Printing textile technician

Printing textile technicians perform operations related to setting up the printing processes.

The following job titles also refer to printing textile technician:

textile printing technician
printing textile machine operator
textile screen printer technician
clothing printing press machine operator
printing textile supervisor
textile printing press operator
cutting and printing machine set-up operator
screen printing technician

No formal educational credential is generally required to work as a printing textile technician. However, some employers may prefer candidates with at least a high school diploma.

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.

Printing textile technician is a Skill level 2 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to printing textile technician.

textile printer
textile dyeing technician
finishing textile technician
textile dyer
textile finishing machine operator

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

textile chemical quality technician
textile quality technician
textile operations manager
textile sourcing merchandiser
textile process controller

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of printing textile technician.

• Dyeing technology: Processes involved in textile dyeing using different dyeing technologies. Also, addition of colours to textile materials using dye stuffs.
• Textile chemistry: Chemical processing of textiles such as the reactions of textiles to chemicals.
• Textile printing technology: Addition of colour partially, according to the designed pattern, onto textile based materials. Processes for adding coloured patterns onto textile materials using printing machines and techniques (rotary of flat bed screen printing or others, heat transfer, inkjet, etc.).

These skills are necessary for the role of printing textile technician.

• Control textile process: Plan and monitor textile production to achieve control on behalf of quality, productivity and delivery time.
• Maintain work standards: Maintaining standards of work in order to improve and acquire new skills and work methods.
• Decorate textile articles: Decorate wearing apparels and made up textile articles by hand or using machines. Decorate textile articles with ornaments, braided cords, golden yarns, soutaches, jewellery, and cristals.
• Design yarns: Developing structural and colour effects in yarns and threads by using yarn and thread manufacturing techniques.
• Conduct textile testing operations: Prepare for textile testing and evaluation, gathering the test samples, conducting and recording tests, validating data and presenting results.
• Evaluate textile characteristics: Evaluate textiles and their properties in order to manufacture products in conformity with specifications.

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

• Textile technologies: Textile technologies to design, manufacture and evaluate the properties of textiles.
• Textile finishing technology: Processes used for changing the properties of textile materials. This includes operating, monitoring and maintaining textile finishing machines.

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

• Prepare equipment for textile printing: Manufacture screens and prepare printing paste. Use tools and equipment associated with screen printing. Select screen types and mesh for appropriate substrates. Develop, dry and finish screen image. Prepare screens, test screens and printed quality.
• Draw sketches to develop textile articles: Draw sketches to develop textiles or wearing apparel by hand. They create visualisations of the motives, patterns or products in order to be manufactured.
• Develop textile colouring recipes: Develop recipes for dyeing and printing processes of textiles.
• Design woven fabrics: Designing and developing structural and colour effects in woven fabrics by using the weaving technique.
• Tend textile printing machines: Operate textile printing machines keeping efficiency and productivity at high levels.

7322 – Printers

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References

1. Printing textile technician – ESCO