Entry Level Qualification 

10

Career Fields 

Mechanic & Technician

For Specially Abled 

Career Entrance Exam 

No Entrance Exam

About Career 

As a Printing Technician, you will work under Printing Technologists in medium to large-scale industrial printing facilities or work independently at micro or small scale printing presses. You will be using different printing techniques and technologies such as screen printing, laser printing, offset printing, flexography, gravure, intaglio, pad printing,and relief printing to print on various materials such as paper, plastic, cloth, apparel, flex (a plastic-coated material), metal, etc.

You will be involved in the entire printing process which includes type and image setting, preparing the plate or image from which printing will be done, operating printing machines, troubleshooting printing processes, repair and maintain printing machines, cutting of printed pages or other materials, binding of pages as well as various other finishing processes.

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

As a Printing Technician, you will be engaged with one or more of the following roles and responsibilities: -

1. Examining job orders for determining quantities to be printed, colours, or special printing instructions.

2. Downloading or scanning soft copies of documents to be printed, through printing production software.

3. Verifying that both paper (or other printing materials such as plastic, flex, cloth, apparel, etc.) and ink quantities and quality meet their requirements for a given job.

4. Mixing proper amounts of ink and colors required for a given work order.

5. Adjusting digital files to change fonts, graphics, colour separations etc.

6. Preparing the plate (for offset printing, pad printing, intaglio, flexography, and similar printing processes), stencil (for screen printing) or the image (for laser or digital printing process) for printing.

7. Starting and adjusting the printing presses and feeding the papers through the sheet cylinders or other methods.

8. Collecting and inspecting random samples of printed pages during print runs for identifying any necessary adjustments to be made.

9. Cleaning or oiling, presses, and associated parts when press runs are complete and download completed jobs for further review, alterations etc.

10. Performing routine maintenance checks of printing presses, such as inspecting ink alignment, printing rollers, sheet/paper cylinders, cables, and lines.

11. Diagnosing mechanical problems, making minor repairs or determining how to fix them. 

Career Entry Pathway 

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies – training at ITI or other vocational institutes for ‘Litho Offset Machine Minder’ or similar courses

After Class 10, you can go for training at Industrial Training Institute (ITI), National Skill Training Institute (NSTI), Regional Vocational Training Institute (RVTI), National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI), Industrial Training Center (ITC)or other vocational institutes for ‘Litho Offset Machine Minder’ or similar courses.

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies – NSQF Level 4 Training and Certificate for ‘Plate Maker (Lithographic)’ or similar courses

After Class 10, you can go for National Skill Qualifications Framework (NSQF) Level 4 Training and Certificate for ‘Plate Maker (Lithographic)’ or similar courses. The total number of training hours is 2080.

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies – NSQF Level 5 Training and Certificate for ‘Offset Machine Minder’ or similar courses

After Class 10, you can go for National Skill Qualifications Framework (NSQF) Level 5 Training and Certificate for ‘Offset Machine Minder’ or similar courses. The total number of training hours is 3120.

Required Qualification & Competencies 

After Class 10, you can do a training program in Litho – Offset Machine Minder (Non-Engg), Litho – Offset Machine Minder, Plate Maker (Lithographic), Plate Maker Cum Impositer (Non – Engg), Screen Printing, Offset Machine Minder or similar courses.

Competencies Required

1. You should have interests for Realistic Occupations. Realistic occupations involve more practical and hands-on activities than paperwork or office work. Realistic occupations often involve physical activities for getting things done using various tools and equipment. 

2. You should have interests for Conventional Occupations. Conventional occupations involve repetitive and routine tasks as well as fixed processes or procedures for getting things done. These occupations involve working more with data, systems, and procedures and less with ideas or creativity.  

3. You should have Quality Control Analysis Skills- conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

4. You should have Process and Operation Controlling Skills - controlling processes and operations of various machines, equipment, devices and systems using different types of electrical and electronic control instruments and systems.

5. You should have good Hand-Eye coordination.

6. You should have control Precision Ability - to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

7. You should have Visual Color Discrimination Ability - to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.

8. You are always or mostly careful about your actions and behavior.

9. You are practical always or in most situations.

10. You are always or mostly disciplined in your action and behavior.

11. You are always or mostly organized in your day-to-day life and activities.

Career - Job Opportunities & Profiles 

After obtaining the requisite qualifications, you may get opportunities in printing, publishing and packaging industry, with various roles such as:

1. Machine Operator Offset Printing

2. Junior Technician (Printing)

3. Digital Printing Machine Operator

4. Gravure Printing Machine Operator

5. Operator – Screen Printing

6. Book Binder and Printing Executive

7. Plate Mounter

Career Growth

With experience, you may expect to grow into higher levels of jobs. From a Printing Technician, you may become a Supervisor / PrintingIn-Charge / Senior Technical Support Executive or similar. With 8-10 years of experience, you may become Operations Manager or Printing Workshop Manager.

You may also set up your own firm for printing, packaging or related services. A lot of companies collaborate with such firms for achieving business targets.

Salary Offered  

1. In the entry-level, you may earn about Rs. 6,000-Rs. 8,000 or more per month as salary.

2. With 1-3 Years of experience, you may earn about Rs. 7,000-Rs. 12,000 or more per month.

3. With 4-10 Years of experience, you may earn about Rs. 10,000-Rs. 30,000 or more per month.

4. Senior professionals may earn anywhere between Rs. 20,000 – 40,000 per month or even more per month.

Monthly Earnings In Indian Rupee 

1. Entry level: 0 - 2 years of work experience 

2. Junior Level: From 1 to 12 years of work experience 

3. Mid-Level: From 5 to 20+ years of work experience 

4. Senior Level: From 10 to 25+ years of work experience (there could be exceptions in some high-end technical, financial, engineering, creative, management, sports, and other careers; also in the near future, people will reach these levels much faster in many careers and in some careers, these levels will have no meaning as those careers will be completely tech skill driven such as even now, there is almost no level in a Cyber Security Expert’s job)

Famous Personalities 

Not Available.

Work Activities 

1. Operating machines, equipment, devices, systems and processes - Using various methods and techniques to operate machines, equipment, devices, systems,and processes in industrial and other settings.

2. Monitoring processes, systems, and performance - Observing and recording information on various criteria to monitor mechanical, electronic, electrical and other processes and systems; monitoring the progress of projects and tasks.

3. Getting Information and learning - Observing, hearing, reading, using computers, or otherwise obtaining information and learning from it.

4. Handling and moving objects and materials - Using hands or otherwise use physical strength to handle and move objects and materials; maneuver, install, lift, place, manipulate, etc.

5. Assessing and evaluating quality - Assessing and evaluating the quality of materials, systems, processes, products, services, etc.

6. Decision making and problem-solving - Analysis of data and information; evaluation of alternative decisions and results of decisions; taking the right decisions and solving problems.

7. Estimating quantity, cost, time and resources - Estimating sizes, volumes, distance, and quantity; estimating and determining the time, costs, and resources; estimating materials required to perform a task.

8. Identifying objects, actions, and events - Identifying various characteristics of objects; observing and understanding actions and events; understanding changes in actions and events.