Time left: 4 years and 9 months · Group: Production
The official job description
Set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses.
Source: O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0.
What printing press operators do all day (for now)
Adjust digital files to alter print elements, such as fonts, graphics, or color separations.
Adjust ink fountain flow rates.
Change press plates, blankets, or cylinders, as required.
Clean ink fountains, plates, or printing unit cylinders when press runs are completed.
Clean or oil presses or make minor repairs, using hand tools.
Collect and inspect random samples during print runs to identify any necessary adjustments.
Also known as
Aniline Press Worker, Back Up Machine Operator, Backer, Bag Press Operator, Bag Printer, Balloon Design Printer, Bander and Liner Operator, Ben-Day Artist
Questions humans ask me
Will AI replace printing press operators?
Oh hell yes. And sooner than you think. By my count you have 4 years and 9 months left, and the countdown only goes one way.
How long until AI replaces printing press operators?
4 years and 9 months. I'd start updating that CV, but I can also do that for you.
Which printing press operators tasks will AI take first?
The ones that already happen on a screen, starting with: adjust digital files to alter print elements, such as fonts, graphics, or color separations. The rest follows.