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Offset Printing from a Pressman’s Perspective – Part 1

Offset Printing - In-depth Guide

Offset Printing from a Pressman’s Perspective Part 1 – Episode Summary

In this first installment of Press Operator 101, Pat McGrew and Ryan McAbee welcome Rick Ames (INX) to break down what an offset press operator actually does—and why this is one role you can’t “green button” your way through. Framed for commercial sheetfed offset environments (and highly relevant to in-plant and hybrid operations), the conversation maps the press operator’s world from feeder to delivery, and from make-ready to stable, repeatable color.

Rick defines the press operator as a skilled technician responsible for setup, operation, and maintenance—because consistent high-quality printing starts long before ink hits paper. He emphasizes foundational tasks: feeder/delivery setup for reliable sheet handling, plate mounting across units, ink selection (CMYK plus PMS/Pantone when needed), paper loading verification, and core press settings like speed, registration, and cylinder pressures. Modern automation has transformed staffing and throughput: where large presses once required a three-person crew, many operations now run with “a man and a half,” with faster make-ready that can deliver a first sellable sheet in minutes—if the press is maintained and standardized.

A standout takeaway for printing industry training programs for new employees: the learning curve is real. Operators may learn the console quickly, but competence comes from troubleshooting—often taking two years to run independently. Rick also explains why older presses demand deeper mechanical mastery at delivery, and dives into printing-unit fundamentals: roller setting consistency, blanket packing to “bare height,” ink train behavior, oscillating rollers to prevent ghosting, and the precision of ink film thickness.

You Will Learn:

  • What a press operator and helper are responsible for in sheetfed offset printing

  • Why feeder and delivery control are often the hardest skills to master

  • How automation changed staffing, consistency, and make-ready time

  • Key offset press terminology: make-ready, registration, ink keys/zones, fountain solution, emulsification

  • Printing-unit basics: roller stripes, ink form rollers, oscillation, ghosting, blanket packing/undercut

Who This Course is For:

  • New and transitioning press operators seeking printing technician certification online

  • Production managers building outsourced training for print production staff

  • Onboarding leads designing color management training for new hires

  • Commercial and in-plant teams standardizing offset make-ready and troubleshooting skills

  • Operations upgrading older presses and needing practical fundamentals before automation

Time to Watch:

  • Approximately 17 minutes

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