Binding and finishing machine operators
Career Overview
Binding and finishing machine operators work for binderies, commercial printing companies, newspapers, magazines, and other publishing companies, and establishments in both the public and private sectors that have in-house printing, binding and finishing departments. They perform a variety of tasks.
People in these occupations:
- Set up, operate or oversee the operation of specific machines, equipment or computerized units that bind and finish printed material
- Perform finishing tasks in the paper, carton and packaging industries
- Encode and stamp plastic cards
Job Titles
Duties
Binding and finishing machine operators:
- Set up and operate specialized equipment and machines that cut, fold, gather and bind or finish brochures, pamphlets, business forms, magazines, books and other printed material
- Set up and operate specialized equipment and machines that die cut, emboss, imprint, laminate, heat stamp and perform other finishing operations on printed material
- Perform pre-production runs of binding or finishing jobs to verify output and to ensure that product specifications are met
- Operate automatic and semi-automatic equipment and machines to bind or finish print material according to specifications
- Pack, weigh and stack bound and finished products on pallet for shipment
- May repair and rebind damaged or worn books
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
310% Employed Full Time
45%Key aspects of work in this occupation:
- Binding and finishing machine operators usually work in a typical indoor work environment.
- Work may be performed with equipment, machinery or power/hand tools that could cause an injury.
- This work can produce enough noise to cause loss of hearing; however, wearing protective safety devices can reduce this risk.
Career Pathways
There is mobility among various types of binding machine operators in this group.
Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
- Completion of secondary school is usually required
- Completion of a college program in graphic arts technology or a combination of on-the-job training and specialized college, industry or other courses is usually required
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Graphic Design
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
310Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 0 | 0.0% |
| Kootenay | 0 | 0.0% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 240 | 78.7% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 0 | 0.0% |
| Northeast | 0 | 0.0% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 10 | 3.3% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 45 | 14.8% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
100Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | Not available | Not available |
| Kootenay | Not available | Not available |
| Mainland/Southwest | 100 | 1.0% |
| North Coast and Nechako | Not available | Not available |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | Not available | Not available |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 0 | -1.6% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 90 |
| Retail Trade | 10 |
Resources
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British Columbia Printing & Imaging Association (BCPIA)bcpia.org/
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Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild (CBBAG)cbbag.wildapricot.org
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PrintForward Printing & Imaging Association of Western Canadaprintforward.org