Apprenticeship, once the dominant method of preparing for this occupation, is becoming less prevalent as formal programs of retraining and skills updating for experienced operators take on greater importance. The apprenticeship period in commercial shops is 4 years for press operators. Courses in printing provide a good background. Because of technical developments in the printing industry, courses in chemistry, electronics, color theory, and physics are helpful. Postsecondary education is increasingly important because of the theoretical knowledge needed to operate advanced equipment.
Mechanical aptitude is important in making press adjustments and repairs.
An ability to visualize color is essential for work on color presses. Technological changes have had a tremendous effect on the skills needed by press operators. Web-offset presses, with their faster operating speeds, require faster decisions, monitoring of more variables, and greater physical effort. Press operators may advance in pay and responsibility by taking a job working on a more complex printing press. Job Outlook Employment of press operators is expected to grow about as fast as average for all occupations through the year 2000 because of anticipated growth in the demand for printed materials.