Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Gravure Assistant

🎯 Role Definition

The Gravure Assistant is the right-hand to the Press Operator, a crucial team member responsible for ensuring the smooth, efficient, and safe operation of sophisticated gravure printing presses. This hands-on role is the backbone of the press team, involving everything from preparing materials and inks to performing quality checks and maintaining the machinery. It serves as an essential foundation for a rewarding career in the high-demand world of print and packaging, offering a direct path to mastering a valuable industrial craft. This is not just a job; it's an apprenticeship in a specialized trade.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

General Production Worker
Warehouse Associate
Machine Operator Trainee

Advancement To:

Gravure Press Operator
Lead Press Operator
Production Shift Supervisor

Lateral Moves:

Quality Control Inspector
Flexographic Press Assistant

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Actively assist the lead press operator in the complete setup and makeready of gravure printing presses for new jobs, including the precise installation of engraved cylinders, doctor blades, and impression rollers.
Accurately weigh, blend, and viscosity-test inks and solvents to precisely match customer color standards and job specifications, maintaining meticulous records of all formulations.
Safely transport, load, and splice large, heavy rolls of paper, film, or other substrates onto the press unwind, ensuring correct web tension and alignment to prevent material waste.
Continuously monitor the printing process for defects such as hazing, mottle, streaks, or color variations, and immediately report any quality concerns to the operator for swift correction.
Perform rigorous and routine cleaning of press components, ink fountains, rollers, and surrounding work areas to ensure a safe, organized, and contaminant-free production environment.
Manage the ink supply system by ensuring pumps are functioning correctly, lines are clear, and adequate ink levels are maintained in the fountains for uninterrupted press runs.
Prepare and stage all necessary production materials, including inks, solvents, substrates, and cylinders, for upcoming jobs to minimize press downtime and maximize efficiency.
Carefully remove, clean, and store printing cylinders and other critical press parts after a job is completed, documenting their condition and storing them properly to protect valuable assets.
Operate material handling equipment, such as forklifts, pallet jacks, and roll clamps, in a safe and certified manner to move raw materials and finished products throughout the facility.
Assist in performing preventative maintenance tasks on the press as scheduled, such as lubrication, parts inspection, and minor adjustments, to ensure machine longevity and reliability.
Record accurate production data, including material usage, waste tracking, run times, and quality checks, into the company's manufacturing execution system (MES) for inventory and performance analysis.
Adhere strictly to all company safety protocols and environmental procedures, including wearing appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and following lockout/tagout (LOTO) guidelines.
Support the operator in troubleshooting minor press issues and making on-the-fly adjustments to ink viscosity, doctor blade pressure, or dryer temperatures to maintain print quality.
Remove and label finished printed rolls from the press rewind, ensuring they are correctly documented and transported to the next production stage, such as slitting or shipping.
Maintain a well-organized and clean inventory of press-side supplies, including cleaning rags, solvents, tools, and spare parts, ensuring they are readily available when needed.
Conduct basic quality control checks on printed samples using tools like a viewing loupe, spectrophotometer, or densitometer to verify registration, color density, and print clarity against standards.
Actively participate in continuous improvement initiatives and team meetings, offering practical suggestions for enhancing safety, quality, and operational efficiency.
Manage the solvent recovery and waste ink disposal systems according to strict environmental regulations and company policies, ensuring responsible handling of all chemicals.
Learn and master the various components and functions of the gravure press, including the unwind, infeed, print units, drying systems, and rewind sections, to become a more valuable team member.
Provide clear and effective communication with the press operator, shift supervisor, and quality control team to ensure seamless workflow, job handoffs, and rapid problem resolution.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc requests from the shift supervisor for material handling, inventory counts, or general plant organization.
Contribute to the plant's safety committee by participating in safety audits, reporting potential hazards, and promoting a culture of safety.
Collaborate with the maintenance department by clearly describing machine faults and assisting during scheduled repair activities.
Participate in daily shift change meetings, providing a clear and concise handover of job status, material levels, and any ongoing issues to the incoming team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Mechanical Aptitude: A strong, intuitive understanding of how machinery works and the ability to assist with minor troubleshooting, adjustments, and preventative maintenance.
Basic Math & Measurement: Proficiency in performing calculations, using a tape measure accurately, reading a ruler, and understanding units of measure for ink mixing and material sizing.
Color Acuity: Excellent color vision and the ability to discern subtle differences in hue, shade, and saturation to assist in maintaining critical color consistency.
Material Handling Equipment Operation: Experience or the ability to be certified in operating forklifts, electric pallet jacks, and other warehouse equipment safely and efficiently.
Computer Literacy: Basic ability to enter data into production tracking software (MES) and navigate a computer interface for job information retrieval.

Soft Skills

Attention to Detail: A meticulous and thorough approach to all tasks, from cleaning to quality checks, to prevent errors and ensure high-quality output in a fast-paced setting.
Strong Work Ethic: A reliable, motivated, and proactive individual who takes ownership of their responsibilities and consistently seeks to contribute to team success.
Teamwork & Communication: The ability to work collaboratively and communicate clearly and respectfully with the press operator, supervisors, and other team members.
Safety Consciousness: A deep-seated commitment to following all safety rules and procedures without compromise to protect oneself and colleagues.
Problem-Solving Mentality: The capacity to think on your feet, remain calm under pressure, and assist in identifying the root cause of minor production issues.
Physical Stamina and Strength: The ability to stand for an entire 8-12 hour shift, lift up to 50 lbs frequently, and perform physically demanding tasks in a manufacturing environment.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High School Diploma or GED.

Preferred Education:

Vocational or Technical certificate in printing technology, graphic communications, or a related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Graphic Communications
Manufacturing Technology
Industrial Maintenance

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 0 - 2 years.

Preferred: 1+ years of experience in a manufacturing, production, or machine operator assistant role is highly desirable. Direct experience in any form of printing (flexographic, offset, screen) or packaging converting is a significant plus and will be prioritized.