Description
Set up and operate manual and automatic screen printing presses to produce single- and multi-color prints on garments and other substrates. Includes screen preparation, registration, curing, and quality control.
- • Clean, lubricate, and make minor repairs to presses and dryers using hand tools.
- • Adjust artwork files and color separations for screen printing.
- • Set or adjust squeegee pressure, angle, stroke speed, flood speed, and off-contact.
- • Change and tension screens, meshes, squeegees, flood bars, or pallets as required.
- • Clean screens, squeegees, flood bars, and press parts after runs; reclaim and degrease screens.
- • Pull test prints and inspect registration, coverage, pinholes, and color accuracy.
- • Output film positives or send jobs to computer-to-screen systems using prepress software.
- • Review job tickets for quantities, substrates, ink types, cure specs, and special instructions.
- • Load garments or other substrates onto pallets and adjust clamps and indexing.
- • Enter press settings for head assignments, stroke count, dwell, and flash times.
- • Mount and register screens on press heads; install squeegees and flood bars.
- • Monitor automatic press cycles, flash units, and dryer operation; respond to alarms or faults.
- • Mix inks to match Pantone or custom colors and add reducers or additives as needed.
- • Align and micro-register screens to maintain tight tolerances across colors.
- • Start presses and print strike-offs to verify alignment, opacity, and registration.
- • Verify substrate compatibility and pre-treat or pre-press garments when required.
- • Schedule jobs and track workflow using production or shop management software.
- • Lead or coordinate press crew members, such as loaders and catchers.
- • Archive films, CTS files, job notes, and press settings for reorderability.
- • Record production counts, scrap, setup times, and downtime.
- • Monitor temperature and humidity; adjust exposure, ink viscosity, and dryer settings.
- • Track inventory of inks, emulsions, screens, mesh, and consumables; request supplies.
- • Operate auxiliary equipment such as exposure units, washout booths, flash units, conveyor dryers, and heat presses.
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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
