How to become a Printer
Official title: Printers
Also called: Printer, Hat printer, Map printer, Mat printer, Dial printer, Film printer, Gold printer, Hand printer, Sack printer, Block printer, Cloth printer, Glass printer
Printers set up and operate various small offset printing presses and digital printing processes.
Main tasks
- Positions form or plate on machine, checks alignments and sets press
- Mixes and loads inks and solvents, loads paper and regulates during print run
- Prints and examines proof copies and adjusts press as necessary
- Starts or directs start of printing run and monitors machine to ensure that printing proceeds smoothly
- Pours colour into machine or directly on to screen and positions screen over item
- Operates squeegee by hand or machine to press colour through screen
- Dips wooden pattern block into colour tray and lays different colours on top of, and adjacent to, others to form the required pattern
- Produces, transfers and outputs digital print images
How to become one
There are no formal academic requirements although some employers may require GCSEs/S grades. Training is typically received on-the-job. Traineeships and apprenticeships in Machine Printing are available at NVQ/SVQ levels 2 and 3.
Ways in
- Apprenticeship (England): Print technician (level 3). England. Typically 36 months. Skills England standard ST0309.
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £33,019 a year The middle half earn £26,538 to null.
- About 22,700 people work in this job now, and about 22,700 are projected by 2035. (+0.2%)
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Printer?
There are no formal academic requirements although some employers may require GCSEs/S grades. Training is typically received on-the-job. Traineeships and apprenticeships in Machine Printing are available at NVQ/SVQ levels 2 and 3.
How much does a Printer earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £33,019 a year (Office for National Statistics).
Is a Printer a growing career in the UK?
Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 22,700 people now and 22,700 later (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become a Printer?
Not always. 34% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Print technician (level 3).
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03