Description
Set up, operate, and maintain lithographic (offset) presses. Prepare and process plates, mount and register them, control ink and dampening systems, and monitor color and print quality to produce accurate, high-quality printed materials.
- • Prepare and process computer-to-plate lithographic plates per job specifications.
- • Mount plates on press cylinders and set register, plate pressure, and blanket settings.
- • Set up ink keys, fountain solution, and dampening systems to achieve proper ink-water balance.
- • Load paper or substrates, set feeder and delivery, and verify grain direction and sheet size.
- • Perform press makeready and pull press proofs to match color targets and customer proofs.
- • Use densitometers and color bars to monitor density, dot gain, gray balance, and trapping.
- • Adjust registration, impression, and ink zones during runs to maintain quality and consistency.
- • Inspect plates and blankets for defects, hickeys, scumming, and toning; correct issues promptly.
- • Mix and adjust inks, coatings, and additives as required by the job and substrate.
- • Clean, maintain, and replace rollers, blankets, and filters; perform minor press repairs.
- • Review job tickets and impositions; enter, store, and retrieve run settings in press controls.
- • Select and verify plates, blankets, and chemicals appropriate for run length and press type.
- • Follow safety, housekeeping, and waste-handling procedures for solvents and chemicals.
- • Coordinate with prepress and finishing teams to resolve file, trapping, or finishing issues.
- • Calibrate CTP devices and presses to color standards such as GRACoL or ISO.
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
