Plate-Making Operator
せいはんおぺれーたー
Industry & Occupation
Classification
Summary
A technical job that creates printing plates from digital data and performs high-precision plate output and development processing.
Description
Plate-making operators are specialists who create aluminum printing plates using CTP output machines by performing color separation and screening based on digital data created with DTP. They operate exposure machines and developer machines, perform plate cleaning and finishing, and also handle color management for color adjustment and quality inspection. They handle the final stage of the plate-making process, playing a role that determines the quality and accuracy of printed materials.
Future Outlook
With the spread of digital and on-demand printing, demand for traditional plate-making is declining, but it still plays an important role in commercial printing and high-quality printing fields. Skills in automation technology and workflow improvements will be required, and service sophistication will advance.
Personality Traits
High concentration / Meticulous / Strong sense of responsibility
Work Style
Factory work / Night shift / Overtime available / Shift work
Career Path
Junior Plate-Making Operator → Senior Plate-Making Operator → Prepress Engineer → Manufacturing Manager → Factory Manager
Required Skills
CTP output machine operation / Color management (ICC profiles) / Operation and maintenance of exposure and developer machines / Plate-making software operation
Recommended Skills
Color certification / DTP/CAD operation / English (manual reading) / Image processing software (advanced) / Quality control
Aptitudes (Strengths Preferred)
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Attention to Detail & Accuracy | Need to detect minute defects and color unevenness and perform plate-making with high precision. |
| Learning Agility & Knowledge Acquisition | Since plate-making equipment and software continue to evolve, acquisition of new technologies is necessary. |
Aptitudes (Weaknesses Acceptable)
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Creativity & Ideation | Mainly routine tasks, with little demand for originality. |
| Numerical & Quantitative Analysis | Advanced mathematics is not required. |
Related Qualifications
- Printing Technician 2nd Grade
- Printing Technician 3rd Grade
Aliases
- Plate-Making Operator
- Prepress Operator
Related Jobs
- Bookbinding Worker
- DTP Operator
- Prepress Engineer
- Printing Operator