A skilled tradesperson who sets up, operates, and maintains printing presses to produce printed material. In a broader commercial sense, it refers to the entire manufacturing business that executes print jobs for publishers and clients. The role requires deep knowledge of mechanics, color theory, ink chemistry, and paper behavior.
Heard on the job
The printer called to say they have to delay the run because the coated stock we ordered is backordered.
Insider tip
While the general public uses this word for desktop computer peripherals, in the trade, it almost always means the human operator or the commercial shop.
Also heard as
- pressman
- press operator