Description
Set up and operate sheetfed or web offset lithographic presses to produce printed materials. Install plates and blankets, perform make-ready, adjust ink and dampening systems, control registration and color, monitor press runs, and complete wash-ups and routine maintenance.
- • Retrieve CIP3/4 or preset data and load press console settings for ink keys, register, and feeder.
- • Review job tickets to determine quantities, stock, inks, coatings, and special instructions.
- • Set up feeder, guides, and delivery; load paper and adjust sheet size, air, and pile height.
- • Mount, pre-register, and secure printing plates; set blanket and impression pressures and tolerances.
- • Adjust ink fountain keys and roller settings to achieve target densities.
- • Prepare and control fountain solution; set dampening system, pH, and conductivity.
- • Obtain, mix, and label inks and coatings per specification.
- • Start press, pull make-ready sheets, and adjust color, registration, and fit.
- • Use a densitometer or spectrophotometer to monitor density, dot gain, and Delta E; make corrections.
- • Monitor press console, register scanners, and fault messages; respond to alarms.
- • Verify that paper, ink, and coatings match job specifications.
- • Monitor humidity and temperature in the pressroom and adjust to maintain paper stability.
- • Clean ink fountains, rollers, blankets, and impression cylinders; perform wash-ups between jobs.
- • Lubricate, replace rollers or seals, and perform minor mechanical repairs using hand tools.
- • Change plates, blankets, or packing as required for job changeovers.
- • Set up and operate inline units such as aqueous or UV coaters, perf or numbering, or IR/UV dryers.
- • Control workflow scheduling and job tracking in MIS or press console software.
- • Direct or assist press crew and coordinate with prepress and bindery staff.
- • Maintain production, quality, and maintenance records.
- • Manage ink, coating, paper, and chemistry inventories; request replenishment.
- • Archive job settings, color data, and samples to support repeat runs.
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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
