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Print operative (level 2)

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Information about Print operative (level 2)

Assist in the production of a printed product or component.

Knowledge, skills and behaviours
View knowledge, skills and behaviours

Knowledge

  • Health and Safety practice and responsibilities: risk assessments, risk control, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), manual handling and ergonomic practice
  • Health and Safety regulations and procedures: Health and Safety at Work Act, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
  • Environment and sustainability: Environmental Protection Act, consequences of waste disposal (landfill), energy efficiency
  • Printing and Graphic Communication Industry and its markets
  • Print industry: how organisations vary regarding their work, culture, values and production processes
  • Print industry practices and processes: printing, quality assurance, materials and colour management
  • The end-to-end production cycle, quality requirements, deadlines and targets, performance rates (efficiency)
  • Works instructions purpose and requirement: the different variables within materials, colours, machine and wastage
  • Problem solving techniques: identifying issues and developing solutions for print machinery, digital tools and online services
  • Data security standards: management of information, data and content in line with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
  • Equality & diversity in the workplace
  • Work area maintenance and efficiency: 5S (sort, set in order (or simplify and straighten), shine, standardise and sustain)
  • Option 1: Pre-Press Operative. Output image carrier techniques for onward production: print ready electronic files, plate, cylinders and screens
  • Option 1: Pre-Press Operative. Techniques for the receipt, checking and processing of digital files: print ready permanent data files (PDFs), database, colour and ink profile files
  • Option 1: Pre-Press Operative. Digital files checks, techniques for solving issues with software and workflow management: colour profiling and data integrity
  • Option 1: Pre-Press Operative. Proofs: techniques for creating proofs from client files
  • Option 1: Pre-Press Operative. Calibration methods for proof production equipment
  • Option 1: Pre-Press Operative. Software packages for pre-press, design or workflow tasks
  • Health and Safety practice and responsibilities: risk assessments, risk control, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), manual handling and ergonomic practice
  • Health and Safety regulations and procedures: Health and Safety at Work Act, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
  • Environment and sustainability: Environmental Protection Act, consequences of waste disposal (landfill), energy efficiency
  • Printing and Graphic Communication Industry and its markets
  • Print industry: how organisations vary regarding their work, culture, values and production processes
  • Print industry practices and processes: printing, quality assurance, materials and colour management
  • The end-to-end production cycle, quality requirements, deadlines and targets, performance rates (efficiency)
  • Works instructions purpose and requirement: the different variables within materials, colours, machine and wastage
  • Problem solving techniques: identifying issues and developing solutions for print machinery, digital tools and online services
  • Data security standards: management of information, data and content in line with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
  • Equality & diversity in the workplace
  • Work area maintenance and efficiency: 5S (sort, set in order (or simplify and straighten), shine, standardise and sustain)
  • Option 2: Press Operative. Print presses: methods for the preparation, set up, and shutting down of machinery
  • Option 2: Press Operative. Properties and structures of materials, inks, toners, blankets, plates, cylinders and the various chemicals required for print operation and maintenance
  • Option 2: Press Operative. Safe handling, storage and packaging procedures for print materials and chemicals
  • Option 2: Press Operative. The maintenance requirements and risks for print machinery
  • Health and Safety practice and responsibilities: risk assessments, risk control, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), manual handling and ergonomic practice
  • Health and Safety regulations and procedures: Health and Safety at Work Act, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
  • Environment and sustainability: Environmental Protection Act, consequences of waste disposal (landfill), energy efficiency
  • Printing and Graphic Communication Industry and its markets
  • Print industry: how organisations vary regarding their work, culture, values and production processes
  • Print industry practices and processes: printing, quality assurance, materials and colour management
  • The end-to-end production cycle, quality requirements, deadlines and targets, performance rates (efficiency)
  • Works instructions purpose and requirement: the different variables within materials, colours, machine and wastage
  • Problem solving techniques: identifying issues and developing solutions for print machinery, digital tools and online services
  • Data security standards: management of information, data and content in line with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
  • Equality & diversity in the workplace
  • Work area maintenance and efficiency: 5S (sort, set in order (or simplify and straighten), shine, standardise and sustain)
  • Option 3: Post-Press Operative. Print finishing terminology: fold types and ways of conversion of sheets into products
  • Option 3: Post-Press Operative. Properties of printing materials, adhesives and chemicals: uses and benefits for paper, adhesive, laminate
  • Option 3: Post-Press Operative. Print finishing equipment, the various types and what it would be used for including any particular safety aspects
  • Option 3: Post-Press Operative. The maintenance requirements and risks for finishing equipment

Skills

  • Read, interpret and follow information, for example, printing instructions and specifications
  • Inspect work against specifications and quality standards, for example, works instructions, colour standard, materials or files received
  • Record information: digital or manual
  • Follow health and safety regulations, legislation and procedures: PPE, manual handling and ergonomic practice
  • Follow environmental and sustainability regulations and procedures
  • Communicate with colleagues: written, verbal or digital. For example, using digital tools such as email, Information technology (IT) telephony, social media, multi-media, video, infographics
  • Implement solutions as developed by management or supervisors
  • Identify and report production issues. For example, missing fonts, incorrect materials supplied, wrong adhesive indicated
  • Option 1: Pre-Press Operative. Select and use software packages for pre-press, design or workflow tasks. For example, MS Office or equivalent, pdf workflow such as ‘Screen True-flow’, ‘Adobe InDesign’, ‘Adobe Illustrator’ and ERP system such as ‘Tharstern’
  • Option 1: Pre-Press Operative. Select, check and use equipment for the production of a printed or digital ‘proof’
  • Option 1: Pre-Press Operative. Calibrate proof production equipment
  • Option 1: Pre-Press Operative. Select, check and use equipment for the production of plates, screens, output files and materials
  • Read, interpret and follow information, for example, printing instructions and specifications
  • Inspect work against specifications and quality standards, for example, works instructions, colour standard, materials or files received
  • Record information: digital or manual
  • Follow health and safety regulations, legislation and procedures: PPE, manual handling and ergonomic practice
  • Follow environmental and sustainability regulations and procedures
  • Communicate with colleagues: written, verbal or digital. For example, using digital tools such as email, Information technology (IT) telephony, social media, multi-media, video, infographics
  • Implement solutions as developed by management or supervisors
  • Identify and report production issues. For example, missing fonts, incorrect materials supplied, wrong adhesive indicated
  • Option 2: Press Operative. Identify and set up printing presses
  • Option 2: Press Operative. Conduct and log first line preventative maintenance. For example, clean and lubricate printing equipment
  • Option 2: Press Operative. Inspect the quality of print output during production run. For example, colour management, print resolution and product consistency
  • Option 2: Press Operative. Follow print press shut down procedures
  • Option 2: Press Operative and Option 3: Post-Press Operative. Prepare print material for the next stage in production. For example, palletising; ensuring all material laid in the same direction, boxing, labelling
  • Option 2: Press Operative and Option 3: Post-Press Operative. Identify and segregate printed materials into those for use in the next stage of production and those for recycling or disposal
  • Read, interpret and follow information, for example, printing instructions and specifications
  • Inspect work against specifications and quality standards, for example, works instructions, colour standard, materials or files received
  • Record information: digital or manual
  • Follow health and safety regulations, legislation and procedures: PPE, manual handling and ergonomic practice
  • Follow environmental and sustainability regulations and procedures
  • Communicate with colleagues: written, verbal or digital. For example, using digital tools such as email, Information technology (IT) telephony, social media, multi-media, video, infographics
  • Implement solutions as developed by management or supervisors
  • Identify and report production issues. For example, missing fonts, incorrect materials supplied, wrong adhesive indicated
  • Option 3: Post-Press Operative. Identify, set up and load finishing equipment with materials. For example, guillotines, stitching-trimming machinery, binding machinery, laminating equipment, die-cutters
  • Option 3: Post-Press Operative. Conduct and log first line preventative maintenance. For example, clean and lubricate Post Press finishing equipment
  • Option 2: Press Operative and Option 3: Post-Press Operative. Prepare print material for the next stage in production. For example, palletising; ensuring all material laid in the same direction, boxing, labelling
  • Option 2: Press Operative and Option 3: Post-Press Operative. Identify and segregate printed materials into those for use in the next stage of production and those for recycling or disposal
  • Option 3: Post-Press Operative. Inspect the quality of the finishing and report any issues arising during the process. For example, misalignment or gathering

Behaviours

  • Prioritise health, safety, environment and sustainability at all times
  • Adapt to changing priorities. For example, working requirements and new technologies
  • Team focus. Takes responsibility for completing tasks, completes actions within limits of authority without direction and asks for help where required.
  • Act professionally, for example wears work attire according to the company requirements, respectful, maintains security of business specific and personal data
  • Self-motivated, manages own time effectively, takes responsibility to complete the task or job
  • Committed to continuous professional development
  • Prioritise health, safety, environment and sustainability at all times
  • Adapt to changing priorities. For example, working requirements and new technologies
  • Team focus. Takes responsibility for completing tasks, completes actions within limits of authority without direction and asks for help where required.
  • Act professionally, for example wears work attire according to the company requirements, respectful, maintains security of business specific and personal data
  • Self-motivated, manages own time effectively, takes responsibility to complete the task or job
  • Committed to continuous professional development
  • Prioritise health, safety, environment and sustainability at all times
  • Adapt to changing priorities. For example, working requirements and new technologies
  • Team focus. Takes responsibility for completing tasks, completes actions within limits of authority without direction and asks for help where required.
  • Act professionally, for example wears work attire according to the company requirements, respectful, maintains security of business specific and personal data
  • Self-motivated, manages own time effectively, takes responsibility to complete the task or job
  • Committed to continuous professional development
Apprenticeship category (sector)
Engineering and manufacturing
Qualification level
2
Equal to GCSE
Course duration
24 months
Funding
£8,000
Maximum government funding for
apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
Job titles include
  • Print operative
  • Production worker
  • Print assistant
  • Pre-press operative
  • Pre-press operator
  • Artworker
  • Pre-press assistant
  • Studio assistant
  • Press operative
  • Digital print operator or operative
  • Flexo operator or operative
  • Gravure operator/operative
  • No 2 printer
  • Press assistant
  • Printer
  • Post-press operative
  • Finishing operator or operative
  • Finishing assistant
  • Finisher

View more information about Print operative (level 2) from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.