Career Videos

Video Transcript

Try to picture a stack of all the books you’ve handled throughout your life, and you will begin to appreciate the value of print binding and finishing workers, who have assembled each of those books. Publications such as newspapers, magazines, and books, are produced in volume by printing presses; these binding and finishing workers ensure effective machine operation and quality control. Print binding and finishing workers use various machines and hand tools to bind the pages together with stitching and gluing, then trim and cover, conducting visual inspections to ensure accuracy. These workers pay close attention to the work orders listing the specific requirements for a given product so the equipment will be set up correctly. This work also requires manual dexterity, and the ability to diagnose and resolve problems, such as print blemishes or binding errors. Work in press room environments can be noisy, but it’s necessary to oversee and conduct the ground-level aspects of book manufacturing. Most jobs require a high school diploma; training is on-the-job. While the job market has narrowed in the field because of increased use of digital material, the public’s demand for the printed word continues.