" Print press operating is a lot of work. There is a lot of responsibility for the machinery, and it requires a keen eye for detail. Since starting this trade, I always made sure that I went into each project with a fresh lens. I'm a stickler for precisely following job orders and closely monitoring the quality of each press run. The job can even be a little bit like a gaming app. I can run multiple machines at one time, race to box one order while monitoring two other orders coming off the press, and then try to time the set-up of the next job before another job ends on a different machine. Sometimes, we get projects as large as 50,000 copies and some as small as a few hundred, but I enjoy keeping up with the machines and operating the press. The hustle and bustle of it is worth it because I want the quality and visuals to match up with our client's expectations."

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Job Description

SOC Code: 51-5112

Printing Press Operators set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses.*

*Source: This information is based on O*NET™ data. O*NET is a trademark registered to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.

Top Job Skills:

• Bookkeeping
• Inventory control
• Performance appraisals
• Stand for long periods of time
• Able to work in a team environment

General Work Activities:

• Information Input
  • Inspected printed materials or other images to verify quality
  • Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements
  • Review blueprints or other instructions in order to determine operational methods or sequences
  • Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning
• Work Output
  • Adjust equipment controls to regulate flow of production materials or products
  • Collect samples of materials or products for testing
  • Feed materials or products into or through equipment
  • Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment
  • Clean production equipment
  • Install mechanical components in production equipment
  • Mix ingredients to create specific finishes

Source: SC Works Online Services (SCWOS)

*All data is factual, but names, Images, and quotations have been adapted to protect the Identity of employees and businesses.

Job Statistics

 

Examples of Workforce Areas with Job Openings

 

• Midlands
• Greenville
• Worklink
• Upstate
• Upper Savannah
• Pee Dee

 

Source: SC Works Online Services. Ask an SC Works representative for more information about postings in your area.

Examples of Employers with Job Openings

• Bob Jones University
• First Quality Enterprises, Inc.
• Sealed Air
• Richland County School District One

Source: SC Works Online Services. Ask an SC Works representative for more information about postings in your area

Related Occupations

• Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders
• Prepress Technicians and Workers
• Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

NOTE: All data based on state averages. Information may vary depending on region, experience, and specific employment situation. Last Updated: 2025

Learn More with SCWOS

SC Works Online Services (SCWOS) is the state’s largest job database and provides all of South Carolina's job postings from all major sites, including Monster and Career Builder, in one resource. SCWOS has thousands of positions listed by employers all over the state. To access SCWOS, visit jobs.scworks.org.

Find in-depth breakdowns of occupational statistics such as necessary job certifications, job skills and abilities, current job openings, overview of general work activities, and more by visiting O*NET.org.