The military produces many printed publications each year, including newspapers, booklets, training manuals, maps, and charts. Printing specialists operate printing presses and binding machines to make finished copies of printed material.
What They Do
Printing specialists in the military perform some or all of the following duties:
- Reproduce printed matter using offset lithographic printing processes
- Prepare photographic negatives and transfer them to printing plates using copy cameras and enlargers
- Prepare layouts of artwork, photographs, and text for lithographic plates
- Produce brochures, newspapers, maps, and charts
- Bind printed material into hardback or paperback books using binding machines
- Maintain printing presses
Helpful Attributes
Helpful school subjects include shop mechanics and photography. Helpful attributes include:
- Interest in learning about printing
- Preference for doing physical work
Training Provided
Job training consists of classroom instruction, including practice in operating printing presses. Training length varies by specialty. Further training occurs on the job and through advanced courses. Course content typically includes:
- Photolithography techniques
- Operation of offset presses
- Techniques for making printing plates
- Binding techniques
Work Environment
Printing specialists work indoors in print shops and offices located on land or aboard ships.
Civilian Counterparts
Civilian printing specialists work for commercial print shops, newspapers, insurance companies, government offices, or businesses that do their own printing. They perform duties similar to military printing specialists. They may be called offset printing press operators, lithograph press operators, offset duplicating machine operators, lithograph photographers, or bindery workers.
