Profession digital printer

Digital printers work with machines that print directly to the medium, without an intervening plate. Digital printers usually use laser or inkjet technology to print individual pages without lengthy or labour intensive technical steps intervening between the finished digital product and the print.

Personality Type

• Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

• Types of paper

  The different criteria used to determine differences in paper types such as coarseness and thickness, and the different fabrication methods and wood types from which the types of paper stem.

• Printing on large scale machines

  Methods, processes, and restrictions related to printing on machines that produce large quantities and sizes of graphic print materials.

• Digital printing

  The technique that allows printing a digital-based image directly onto a variety of materials, mostly using inkjet or laser printer.

• Quality standards

  The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.

• Printing materials

  The materials, such as paper, film, metal foils, and glass, on which texts or designs can be transferred by applying ink through direct pressure or with intermediate rollers.

• Maintenance of printing machines

  Upkeep procedures and technical working of machines that produce printed graphical material.

Skills

• Use colour printing programs

  Use colour printing programs, such as the CMYK colour (ink) model for various pressing machines.

• Set colour profiles

  Maintain consistent colour output in digital colour and inkjet printers by running calibration routines and making sure that the colour profiles for the printers are still accurate.

• Feed press cylinders

  Power press cylinders with paper and adjust its feed and tension controls according to the required paper size.

• Monitor automated machines

  Continuously check up on the automated machine's set-up and execution or make regular control rounds. If necessary, record and interpret data on the operating conditions of installations and equipment in order to identify abnormalities.

• Follow production schedule

  Follow production schedule taking into account all requirements, times and needs. This schedule outlines what individual commodities must be produced in each time period and encapsulates various concerns like production, staffing, inventory, etc. It is usually linked to manufacturing where the plan indicates when and how much of each product will be demanded. Utilise all the information in the actual implementation of the plan.

• Follow safety precautions in printing

  Apply safety and health principles, policies and institutional regulations of working in printing production. Protect oneself and others against such hazards as chemicals used in printing, invasive allergens, heat, and disease causing agents.

• Supply machine

  Ensure the machine is fed the necessary and adequate materials and control the placement or automatic feed and retrieval of work pieces in the machines or machine tools on the production line.

• Troubleshoot

  Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.

• Perform test run

  Perform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, and adjust settings accordingly.

• Operate digital printers

  Handle inkjet and laser printers, allowing the operator to print documents in a single 'pass'. Download or print the digital files to the digital printing machine using the correct machine and print download settings so that the correct fonts and substrates are used and the output meets the specifications and required quality standards.

• Produce prepress proof

  Make single or multi-coloured test prints to ensure that the product meets the arranged standards. Compare the sample with the template or discuss the result with the customer in order to make the last adjustments before mass production.

• Set up the controller of a machine

  Set up and give commands to a machine by dispatching the appropriate data and input into the (computer) controller corresponding with the desired processed product.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB