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Print Binding and Finishing Workers

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)	Projected Growth (2024-2034)
National Statistics	$39820	2800	-16.1%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$39820

Median Wage (USD, 2024)

2800

Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)

-16.1%

Projected Growth (2024-2034)

Bind books and other publications or finish printed products by hand or machine. May set up binding and finishing machines.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Related Work Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months

Detailed Work Activities

Operate equipment to print images or bind printed images together.
Cut industrial materials in preparation for fabrication or processing.
Sew clothing or other articles.
Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
Record operational or production data.
Confer with customers or designers to determine order specifications.
Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions.
Engrave designs, text, or other markings onto materials, workpieces, or products.
Drill holes in parts, equipment, or materials.
Study blueprints or other instructions to determine equipment setup requirements.
Load materials into production equipment.
Adjust equipment controls to regulate flow of production materials or products.
Operate sewing equipment.
Trim excess material from workpieces.
Inspected printed materials or other images to verify quality.
Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment.
Clean production equipment.
Lubricate production equipment.
Repair production equipment or tools.
Stack finished items for further processing or shipment.
Package products for storage or shipment.
Instruct workers to use equipment or perform technical procedures.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

Examine stitched, collated, bound, or unbound product samples for defects, such as imperfect bindings, ink spots, torn pages, loose pages, or loose or uncut threads.
Read work orders to determine instructions and specifications for machine set-up.
Install or adjust bindery machine devices, such as knives, guides, rollers, rounding forms, creasing rams, or clamps, to accommodate sheets, signatures, or books of specified sizes.
Trim edges of books to size, using cutting machines, book trimming machines, or hand cutters.
Stitch or glue endpapers, bindings, backings, or signatures, using sewing machines, glue machines, or glue and brushes.
Monitor machine operations to detect malfunctions or to determine whether adjustments are needed.
Maintain records, such as daily production records, using specified forms.
Lubricate, clean, or make minor repairs to machine parts to keep machines in working condition.
Set up or operate bindery machines, such as coil binders, thermal or tape binders, plastic comb binders, or specialty binders.
Set up or operate machines that perform binding operations, such as pressing, folding, or trimming.
Prepare finished books for shipping by wrapping or packing books and stacking boxes on pallets.
Set up or operate glue machines by filling glue reservoirs, turning switches to activate heating elements, or adjusting glue flow or conveyor speed.
Train workers to set up, operate, and use automatic bindery machines.
Insert book bodies in devices that form back edges of books into convex shapes and produce grooves that facilitate cover attachment.
Cut cover material to specified dimensions, fitting and gluing material to binder boards by hand or machine.
Cut binder boards to specified dimensions, using board shears, hand cutters, or cutting machines.
Bind new books, using hand tools such as bone folders, knives, hammers, or brass binding tools.
Perform highly skilled hand finishing binding operations, such as grooving or lettering.
Imprint or emboss lettering, designs, or numbers on book covers, using gold, silver, or colored foil, and stamping machines.
Compress sewed or glued signatures, using hand presses or smashing machines.
Meet with clients, printers, or designers to discuss job requirements or binding plans.
Form book bodies by folding and sewing printed sheets to form signatures and assembling signatures in numerical order.
Design original or special bindings for limited editions or other custom binding projects.
Punch holes in and fasten paper sheets, signatures, or other material, using hand or machine punches and staplers.
Repair, restore, or rebind old, rare, or damaged books, using hand tools.

Work Styles

Innovation

A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.

Innovation

Achievement Orientation

Intellectual Curiosity

Tolerance for Ambiguity

Initiative

Adaptability

Self-Confidence

Perseverance

Leadership Orientation

Humility

Sincerity

Empathy

Cooperation

Optimism

Social Orientation

Cautiousness

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Integrity

Stress Tolerance

Self-Control

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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