Print Finishers bind books and other publications and finishes printed products by hand or machine.

Skill Level

3

Specialisations

• Mailhouse Operator (Aus)
• Paper Guillotine Operator (Bookbinding)

Unless you are exempt in very limited circumstances, you are required to have a positive Skills Assessment to apply for the visas listed above.

Skills Assessment authority for Print Finisher is Trades Recognition Australia (TRA). To have a positive skills assessment, you must meet the following criteria:

• Must have successfully completed an AQF Qualification either a Certificate III in Print Manufacturing or formal training that is comparable
• Must possess skills that are current to Australian industry standards demonstrated by 12 months full time employment or equivalent part-time in the occupation in the previous three years
• If you have obtained a qualification internationally or an Australian qualification that was not through the Australian Recognition of Learning process, you are required to demonstrate 3 years full time or equivalent post-qualification experience
• If you have obtained an Australian qualification issued through the Australian Recognition of Learning process, you are required to demonstrate 3 years full-time or equivalent post-qualification experience OR 6 years full-time or equivalent experience which can be either pre- or post-qualification

Bind books and other publications, finish printed products by hand and machine, prepare stencils, and set up and operate power-driven and hand-operated screen print equipment.

Tasks

• Setting up and supervising the operation of automatic binding and finishing equipment
• Binding full, half and limp-bound books, and repairing bindings
• Folding, collating and sewing signatures by machine and hand
• Operating paper guillotines for pre-press and post-press paper cutting and trimming, and programming electronically operated units
• Operating systems to insert printed material into newspapers, magazines and envelopes
• Embellishing printed products automatically and manually
• Operating photographic and electronic reproduction devices
• Preparing stencils using computer and hand-cut methods
• Selecting, mixing and matching coloured inks and loading into screen printing presses
• Loading printed items into drying racks, and unloading and stacking dry items

Skill Level

Most occupations in this unit group have a level of skill commensurate with the qualifications and experience outlined below.
In Australia:
AQF Certificate III including at least two years of on-the-job training, or AQF Certificate IV (ANZSCO Skill Level 3)

In New Zealand:
NZ Register Level 4 qualification (ANZSCO Skill Level 3)

At least three years of relevant experience may substitute for the formal qualifications listed above. In some instances relevant experience and/or on-the-job training may be required in addition to the formal qualification.

Occupations in this Group

• 392111 Print Finisher
• 392112 Screen Printer