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Bookbinder
It might seem that the profession of a bookbinder is a disappearing one due to the growing popularity of e‑books. A bookbinder is a person who professionally handles the preparation of bindings to be printed, they bind books, occasionally in a decorative fashion. The art of bookbinding has its roots in the ancient Rome where there were people called gluers. Their job was to put separate sheets of papyrus together into volumes of appropriate length.
A bookbinder gives a book its functional form by means of joining the already printed sheets of paper and putting them together with a cover. They cut paper sheets in such a way as to obtain certain formats, fold them, and finally join them together using glue, wires, or special thread. A cover may be refined by means of putting some additional layer of paint or film on it. A bookbinder will find employment in printing houses, publishing houses or in bookbinding houses. One of the most famous bookbinding houses was the one owned by Robert Jahoda, set up in the year 1887 in Cracow. He is believed to have been the best bookbinder and renovator of manuscripts and old prints. His beautiful works may still be seen and admired in national and international exhibitions such as those in Lviv, Paris, or Vienna.
A person who wishes to become a bookbinder should feature the following character traits and skills:
- thoroughness,
- patience,
- endurance,
- perceptiveness,
- manual skills,
- spatial imagination, artistic skills,
- aesthetic sense of form and colour,
- the ability to work both individually and in a team,
- knowledge of graphics software used in printing books or brochures.
A bookbinder is a person who prepares the materials and equipment to be used in the process of making covers and text blocks or separate sheets of paper such as brochures or leaflets. There are, however, certain contraindications against performing the job of a bookbinder. These are: untreated visual impairments, improper colour recognition, lack of binocular vision or limited mobility of upper limbs, fingers in particular.
Printer
The job of a printer was once an elite profession since it required the ability to read and the vast majority of people were illiterate. Nowadays, it is a specialised occupation which involves managing the printing processes. A printer is responsible for numerous activities taking place in a printing house. They must oversee the process of putting paper into the machines, monitor the proper operation of the equipment, and supervise the entire process. The preparation of the materials to be printed, which was previously on the part of the printing house, tends to be outsourced nowadays. Special agencies deliver CTP plates, which significantly speeds up the entire process of printing.
Not everyone is fit to do the job of a printer. Besides the formal education that one must prove to have obtained, there are several contraindications that should be taken into account while choosing this profession. These are the incorrect spatial viewing, colour seeing disorders, eye diseases, allergies, chronic hand skin diseases, kidney or liver diseases, diabetes, or rheumatism.
A printer is a person who handles multiple tasks. These involve the preparation of typographical machines, checking their mechanisms, preparation of paints, starting the machines, reviewing the print copies, managing the printing process and maintenance of the equipment.
The most important tasks that a printer takes care of are as follows:
- making printing plates,
- preparing printing materials and equipment,
- printing batches.
A well‑qualified printer will find employment everywhere in the world. Due to the growing number of printing houses, specialists in printing are in high demand. They can work in printing houses, publishing houses, or in advertising agencies.
However, as pleasant as it may seem, the job is no piece of cake. There’s constant time pressure and disturbing noise. A candidate for the job must possess certain personal characteristics such as physical fitness, attention span, manual and technical skills. Immunity to fatigue, precision and good eye‑hand coordination are no less important. Aesthetic sensitivity, good vision and artistic inclinations are also desirable in a printer.
Bookbinding Processes Technician
A bookbinding processes technician is a future‑oriented profession, yet one that requires specific predispositions. These are mostly good mobility of the upper limbs, fingers in particular, good vision and hearing, clear seeing, the ability to identify colours in terms of their shades, intensity, and brightness, and to recognize various colour mixes. Perceptiveness, composure, patience, endurance, and systematicity are vital. However, attention span, the ability to make quick and informed decisions and to analyse the situation in such a way as to draw productive conclusions, and artistic imagination seem to be no less significant.
Nevertheless, there are quite a few contraindications that speak against choosing this profession. These are musculoskeletal system disorders, rheumatism, chronic respiratory tract diseases, allergies, skin diseases, visual impairments, eye diseases, and colour seeing disorders.
The tasks of a bookbinding processes technician involve:
- making printing moulds used in various printing techniques,
- preparing printing materials and equipment,
- printing batches and monitoring the entire process,
- manual or automatic preparing of printing products,
- securing the old prints and damaged sheets,
- bookbinding books,
- analysing and monitoring the technological process and verifying final products.
The job means working in constant noise and it requires wearing protective measures such as goggles or ear defenders. The working hours are different. Small businesses manage production based on the particular orders, whereas newspapers and magazines are handled in a shift system. Dailies are mostly printed at night since they are published every day.
Due to a wide range of applications and high demand for the specialists, well‑qualified bookbinding processes technicians are much needed both in the country and abroad. Once they have completed their education, they must participate in special courses related to the operation of the machines offered by their employer.
A bookbinding processes technician will find employment in various places such as printing houses, publishing houses, bookbinding houses, advertising agencies, or libraries.
Printing Process Technician
A printing processes technician is a person who will find employment in multiple workplaces. These are mostly advertising agencies, customer service offices, craft businesses, printing houses, and companies that offer various printing products. It is also possible to work in intertwined professions all over the world.
In order to become a printing processes technician one must gain proper qualifications and possess certain character traits. Graduating from a special school for editors and printing specialists is a must, but that is merely not enough. A candidate for this job should keep track with the new technological solutions arriving on the market and take interest in printing technology as such.
A printing processes technician’s job includes mostly:
- making printing moulds,
- preparing printing materials and equipment,
- printing batches,
- planning production,
- monitoring the entire production process.
A printing processes technician is responsible for the entire production process, ranging from preparing the materials to verifying the final products which are usually the printed sheets. They select appropriate printing technique fit for a given order and choose the amount and kind of materials and equipment needed. The job involves putting printing moulds and paper into the machine and applying paint, arranging colourful combinations and determining colour intensity. A printing processes technician must estimate the volume of paper, the amount of paint and time needed to complete the order.
A person who wishes to become a printing processes technician should possess the following personality traits:
- thoroughness,
- precision,
- attention span,
- manual skills,
- aesthetic sensitivity,
- technical skills,
- perceptiveness,
- patience,
- systematicity,
- the ability to analyse situations and make quick and informed decisions.
Sadly, there are also several contraindications against becoming a printing processes technician. These are mostly: visual impairments, eye diseases, lack of binocular vision, colour seeing disorders, nervous and respiratory system disorders, allergies, skin diseases, balance disorders, dizziness, addictions, or limited mobility of the upper limbs, fingers in particular.