Paul Ward
Oughtibridge
Summary
Gained over 34 years of experience working in the printing industry, 33 years of those working as a Pre-press Studio Operator. Within this time gaining a total of 21 years experience working with Pre-Press PDF workflow systems. Gained 16 years experience working in the greeting cards specialised area of printing with over 5 years experience working in Commercial Print, gaining a wealth of skills in sheet imposing and planning for print runs with many post print finishing techniques, such as full sheet foiling, embossing, die-cutting, flitter and spot uv. Working in print with multiple shop floor manufacturing processes has been invaluable.
Overview
37
37
years of professional experience
Work History
Pre-Press Studio Operator
Whittington Moor Printing Works
Chesterfield, Derbyshire
11.2021 - 03.2026
- 4 years experience of working in Pre-Press Offset-Lithography attained at Whittington Moor Printing Works specialising in commercial print.
- AGFA APOGEE PDF workflow with unified imposition capability utilised for 3 years.
- HEIDELBERG PRINECT COCKPIT PDF workflow utilised for 1 year.
- HEIDELBERG PRINECT SIGNASTATION imposition software utilised for 1 year.
- HEIDELBERG PRINECT PDF TOOLBOX PDF editing and optimizing software utilised for 1 year.
- MICROSOFT EXCEL experience with data merging within Indesign utility.
- PC utilisation and proficiency.
- THARSTERN Management Information System utilised.
- Experience of file preparation from Front-end files to Industry standard print ready PDFs for workflows, utilising, ADOBE INDESIGN, ILLUSTRATOR and PHOTOSHOP files.
- Performed editing and amends to customer supplied PDFs with ADOBE ACROBAT pre-flight and editing plug-in ENFOCUS PITSTOP PRO application and HEIDELBERG PRINECT PDF TOOLBOX.
- Daily performed 2 step processing and refining of PDFs put into PDF workflow. Initially Pre-flight designs to check integrity of files for potential font, image and colour issues. Completing second stage file refining process by highlighting or resolving Spot Colour problems, Spot Colour Mapping and Colour Trapping.
- Extensive experience of working with different colour modes, including CMYK with printing Pantone Spot Colours. Also handling files containing composite colours of CMYK and non printing Spot Colours produced to represent print finishing separations including SPOT UV, FOIL, EMBOSS, and DIECUT.
- Maintained and used knowledge of printing on different Coated and Uncoated substrates using industry standard ISO 12647 quality control, helping to preserve brand recognitions and consistency of colour through print and repeated print runs.
- Worked within teams with all persons working to Studio Checklists for every job worked on in studio, to ensure standard working procedures.
- Daily practice of comprehensive and single person involvement in producing and completing jobs worked on from instructions from job tickets, taking customer supplied artwork via email through to online proofing liaising closely with CSRs and Clients.
- Helped to resolve customer queries through effective communication and providing solutions both with clients and CSR representatives, also ensuring job ticket instructions were amended by CSRs when clients changed or amended specifications and instructions.
- Experience of amending artwork to meet customer design and colour requirements whilst also having keen eye for detail to highlight mistakes or substandard quality clients may have missed.
- Processing of print ready colour mapped PDFs through PDF workflow, to imposing PDFs into imposition software for outputting of colour proofs and printing plates on their correct curves. Ensuring files for Online approvals and finishing files sent to component suppliers via webflow were achieved within deadlines, often working to same day deadlines from receiving new artworks to scheduled print runs.
- Extensive experience of Platemaking from outputting plates for job specific multiple media sizes and different plate compensation curves. Tasks would also include making adjustments to curves stored in workflow databases to provide colour alterations on press if required. Responsibilities also included time scheduled maintenance on both plate-setter and plate processor.
- Outputting of approved artwork to multiple print media platforms including offset lithography, digital print and large format.
- Daily management of Studio emails and telephone calls.
- Experience gained in all aspects of commercial print including Leaflets, Posters, Stationery, NCR sets with numbering via Excel data merging, Diecut Folders and Packaging to Saddlestitched and Perfect Bound (PUR) Brochures with creep and spine width calculations required respectively for bookwork.
- Knowledge of Work and Turn, Work and Tumble, Sheetworking and Perfecting double sided printing techniques for lithographic printing.
- Simplex and Duplex printing with Cut and Stack collation for data contained jobs on digital print runs.
- Additional experience included running and maintaining Canon varioPRINT IX digital press for large print runs as staffing cover to ensure deadlines were achieved.
Builder's Labourer
Martin Duncan Builders
Sheffield, South Yorkshire
08.2021 - 10.2021
- Assisted by helping skilled labour, including carpenters and bricklayers, with daily tasks.
Builder's Labourer
Chris Walker Renovations
Sheffield, South Yorkshire
05.2021 - 07.2021
- Assisted by helping skilled labour, including carpenters and bricklayers, with daily tasks.
Multi-Drop Delivery Van Driver
DPD
Doncaster, South Yorkshire
11.2020 - 04.2021
- Safely loaded and numbered up to 130 multi stop parcels onto delivery van within 1 hour timeframes at depot, lifting and carrying objects of anything up to 30kg.
- Evaluated driving routes, identifying limitations and suggesting adjustments that resulted in increases in delivery efficiencies.
- Accurately delivered multiple customer orders in each run, resulting in parcels being delivered within pre-determined 1 hour time slots.
- Effectively utilised computerised dispatching system to achieve on-time deliveries.
- Utilised hand-held computer devices to capture proof of delivery for deliveries with zero error.
- Verified daily deliveries against shipping instructions before delivering to customers.
- Completed pre and post-trip safety inspections, recording and reporting any defects and malfunctions.
Pre-Press Studio Operator
Loxleys Print
Sheffield, South Yorkshire
06.2004 - 11.2020
- 16 years experience of working in Pre-Press Offset-Lithography attained at Loxleys Print specialising in Greeting cards manufacture.
- HEIDELBERG PRINECT PRINTREADY PDF workflow utilised for 2 years.
- HEIDELBERG PRINECT SIGNASTATION imposition software utilised for 2 years.
- KODAK PRINERGY PDF workflow utilised for 14 years.
- KODAK PREPS imposition software utilised for 14 years.
- APPLE MAC utilisation and proficiency.
- OPTIMUS Management Information System utilised.
- Experience of file preparation from Front-end files to Industry standard print ready PDFs for workflows, utilising QUARKXPRESS, ADOBE INDESIGN, ILLUSTRATOR and PHOTOSHOP files whilst also utilising SUITCASE font manager for font organisation and embedding.
- Performed editing and amends to customer supplied PDFs with ADOBE ACROBAT pre-flight and editing plug-in ENFOCUS PITSTOP PRO application.
- Daily performed 2 step processing and refining of PDFs placed into PDF workflow. Initially Pre-flight designs to check integrity of files for potential font or image problems. Completing second stage file refining by highlighting or resolving Spot Colour problems, Spot Colour Mapping and Trapping.
- Extensive experience of working with different colour modes, including CMYK with printing Pantone Spot Colours and HEXACHROME. Also handling of files containing composite colours of CMYK and non printing Spot Colours produced to represent print finishing separations including SPOT UV, FOIL, EMBOSS, DIECUT and FLITTER.
- 16 years experience working within teams with all persons working to Studio Checklists for every job worked on in studio, to ensure standard working procedures.
- Daily practice of comprehensive and single person involvement in producing and completing jobs worked on from job tickets. From collating and archiving of files on customer databases, processing of print ready colour mapped PDFs through PDF workflows, to imposing PDFs into imposition software for outputting of colour proofs and printing plates on their correct curves. Also making files available for Online approvals and finishing files sent to component suppliers via webflow.
- Extensive experience of Platemaking from outputting plates for job specific multiple media sizes and different plate compensation curves. Tasks would also include making adjustments to curves stored in workflow database to provide colour alterations on press if required. Responsibilities also included time scheduled maintenance on both plate-setter and plate processor.
- Daily management of incoming files supplied from customers into correct customer folders on company database supplied by email, FTP or webflow.
- Daily management of Studio emails and telephone calls.
- Helped to resolve customer queries through effective communication and providing solutions.
- Provided workstation demonstrations for PDF workflow and studio working practices to visiting customers and suppliers.
- Provided training to new Pre-press Studio Operator recruits.
Pre-Press Studio Operator
Charisma colour Print
Sheffield, South Yorkshire
06.1993 - 06.2004
- 11 years experience of working in Pre-Press Offset Lithography attained at Charisma Colour Print, specialising in book and brochure solutions for HSBC Bank.
- Assisting Studio manager in Full Colour Film Planning. Assisting in intermediary processes of contacting films and image building to produce 4 final Emulsion backed positive master films from designers original paste-up artwork, representing 4 process print colours of Cyan, Magenta, yellow and Black.
- Worked as Camera Operator to create negative films from art-boards to initiate process of reproduction graphics from artwork to final full colour positive CMYK master films for use in print platemaking.
- Gained extensive experience of producing and processing duplicate films from Full colour master films to fulfil planning requirements such as Step and Repeat designs working to imposition templates.
- Gained extensive experience of planning to accurate register 4 colour final film separations, planning and platemaking for print runs on SRA2 and SRA3 sized paper.
- Assembled and produced full colour Matchprint proofs for customer approvals.
- Maintained and cleaned film and plate processors.
- Stock checked and ordered all studio consumables.
- AGFA APOGEE PDF workflow utilised for 1 year.
- PREPS imposition software utilised for 1 year.
- Experience of file preparation from Front-end files to Industry standard print ready PDFs for workflows, utilising QUARKXPRESS, ADOBE INDESIGN, ILLUSTRATOR and PHOTOSHOP files whilst also utilising SUITCASE font manager for font organisation and embedding.
- Inputting of PDFs into PDF workflow. Initially Pre-flight designs to check integrity of files for potential font or image problems. Completing second stage file refining by highlighting or resolving Spot Colour problems, Spot Colour Mapping and Trapping.
- Creating and populating impositions with print ready PDFs using WORK AND TURN, WORK AND TUMBLE, PERFECTING and SHEETWORK working styles ready for proofing and plating.
Camera Operator (Reprographics)
G & L Services Reprographic House
Sheffield, South Yorkshire
08.1990 - 08.1991
- 12 months experience working within Reprographic platemaking company supplying final films and printing plates to printing works. Mainly producing for computer games packaging market.
- Worked as trainee aiding Studio team in Full Colour Film Planning. Assisting in intermediary processes of contacting films and image building to produce 4 final Emulsion backed positive master films from designers original paste-up artwork, representing 4 process print colours of Cyan, Magenta, yellow and Black.
- Worked as Camera Operator to create negative films from art-boards to initiate processes of reproduction graphics from artwork to final full colour positive CMYK master films for use in print platemaking.
Trainee Printer
Graphic House Group
Sheffield, South Yorkshire
08.1989 - 08.1990
- 12 months experience as Trainee Printer at Graphic House Group, mainly producing continuous stationary and NCR business forms.
- Gained experience in operating small offset single colour printing press (A B Dick).
- Printing single to 2 colour A4 letterheads.
- Printing on NCR sets for business forms such as Invoices, Statements, Delivery Notes., Order Pads and Receipts.
Education
GCSEs - Mathematics and English Language
Bradfield Comprehensive
Sheffield06.1989
NVQ Level 5 - Pre-Press Reprographics And Platemaking
BPIF
Sheffield01.1995
NVQ Level 3 - Art And Design And Printing
Loxley Collage of Art And Design
Sheffield01.1991
Skills
- PDF file prep and Pre-flight processes
- PDF Workflow software
- PDF imposition software
- Troubleshooting
- Great Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Quality Control
- Lithographic printing Knowledge
- Decision-Making aptitude
- Pressure handling
- Lean methodology understanding
- Safety compliance
- Equipment Maintenance
- Workflow coordination
- Friendly
- Helpful
- Quality control commitment
Timeline
Pre-Press Studio Operator
Whittington Moor Printing Works
11.2021 - 03.2026
Builder's Labourer
Martin Duncan Builders
08.2021 - 10.2021
Builder's Labourer
Chris Walker Renovations
05.2021 - 07.2021
Multi-Drop Delivery Van Driver
DPD
11.2020 - 04.2021
Pre-Press Studio Operator
Loxleys Print
06.2004 - 11.2020
Pre-Press Studio Operator
Charisma colour Print
06.1993 - 06.2004
Camera Operator (Reprographics)
G & L Services Reprographic House
08.1990 - 08.1991
Trainee Printer
Graphic House Group
08.1989 - 08.1990
GCSEs - Mathematics and English Language
Bradfield Comprehensive
NVQ Level 5 - Pre-Press Reprographics And Platemaking
BPIF
NVQ Level 3 - Art And Design And Printing
Loxley Collage of Art And Design