A printing company is only as good as the employees that operate its machines. If you want to offer the highest quality of printing, investing in the right skills and training on each of your printing machines is a necessity.
Added to that, employees who can work quickly and efficiently are able to complete more printing jobs, thereby increasing your company’s productivity. Training is one of the most significant investments in time and money for businesses investing in a new printing press. Presses with a shorter learning curve and a more intuitive interface therefore often offer better affordability and value than older more complex machines.
Changes to the printing industry
Across the market, production runs are getting shorter but orders are becoming more frequent. This is likely due to the growing use of personalised labels, as well as regional promotions, to help brands stand out. Customers are increasingly demanding fast turnarounds and exceptional quality, against a backdrop of rising material costs and a lack of skilled workers.
The industry is seeing a lack of skilled technicians to operate printing presses. In the last recession, many employers in the industry paused recruitment for a number of years. This meant that many skilled and experienced employees decided to look for work elsewhere, or left the industry altogether. With fewer people entering the printing industry than in the past, it can be harder now to find staff with the appropriate technical skills to ‘hit the ground running’ on a complicated printing press.
What is the solution?
The latest printing presses are a big advancement towards meeting the changing demands of customers and addressing staff training challenges. The newest presses are designed for ease of use, especially the Servo range, which is digital and intuitive. These attributes make it easier for non-technical and less experienced staff to be trained to use printing presses, and mean that employees can pick up the required skills more quickly.
The value of quality training
At Focus Label, we know you need to get the most out of your printing press. As part of our service, we provide comprehensive training for your employees, as an integral part of your investment. This isn’t something we outsource – training is delivered by the same technicians who have designed and manufactured your press. This means they know it better than anyone, and are in the best position to provide guidance and training to your team members.
How long it takes to train a flexographic technician on a modern printing press will inevitably vary on the technician and the machine. However, intuitive new printing presses are making it faster than ever for employees to pick up the skills they need to deliver consistently high-quality printing.
Get in touch
If you want to know more about the training we offer for flexographic technicians, please give us a call.
Image source: Canva
