Printing Technology: UG, PG and diploma courses, eligibility and job roles

The claim of immortality in Shakespeare’s sonnets could have gone awry but for the printing press. Printing Technology has progressed by leaps and bounds since the days of foilos and quartos — it now involves the knowledge of several disciplines like Information Technology, Chemical Engineering, Quality Management, Operations Management and Security Printing.

Studying Printing Technology:

After passing your Class XII board exams, you can go for a bachelor’s, diploma or certificate course in Printing Technology. However, some diploma courses can be done right after your Class X board exams. On completion of your undergraduate degree, you can also do a master’s course in Printing Technology and subsequently opt for a PhD in the subject.

Some institutes that offer courses in Printing Technology:

Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal

Course: Bachelor of Engineering (BE) in Printing Engineering.

• Duration: Four years.
• Eligibility: You need to clear your Class XII board exams with Maths, Chemistry and Physics.
• Admission: Depends on your WBJEE rank.

Course: Master of Engineering (ME) in Printing Engineering and Graphic Communication.

• Duration: Two years.
• Eligibility: You need an appropriate or equivalent undergraduate BE/BTech degree in the same or similar discipline.
• Admission: Depends on your GATE rank.
• Check out more here.

Regional Institute of Printing Technology, Kolkata, West Bengal

Course: Diploma in Printing Technology.

• Duration: Three years.
• Eligibility: You need to clear your Class XII board exams and then crack JEXPO (Joint Entrance for Polytechnics) and VOCLET (Vocational Lateral Entry Test) to become eligible for this course, which is approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
• Admission: You need to clear JEXPO and VOCLET conducted each year by the West Bengal State Council of Technical, Vocational Education and Skill Development.
• Check out more here.

• Get more information regarding JEXPO and VOCLET here.

Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal, Karnataka

Course: BTech in Printing Technology.

• Duration: Four years.
• Eligibility: You need to clear your Class XII board exams in Science stream.
• Admission: Depends on your Manipal Entrance Test (MET) rank.

Courses: MTech in Print and Media Technology.

• Duration: Two years.
• Eligibility: You need at least 50% aggregate in a similar or any equivalent BE/BTech exam.
• Admission: Merit-based.
• Check out more here.

Anna University, Chennai

Course: BE in Printing and Packaging Technology.

• Duration: Four years.
• Eligibility: You need at least 45% aggregate in your Class XII board exams.
• Admission: Depends on your JEE Main rank.

Course: ME in Printing and Packaging Technology.

• Duration: Two years.
• Eligibility: You need an undergraduate degree in a similar or equivalent subject.
• Admission: Depends on your GATE rank.
• Check out more here.

Institute of Engineering and Technology, University of Calicut, Kerala

Course: BTech in Printing Technology.

• Duration: Four years.
• Eligibility: You need to clear your Class XII board exams in Science stream.
• Admission: Depends on your Kerala Engineering Agricultural and Medical Entrance Exam (KEAM) rank.
• Check out more here.

R. C. Technical Institute, Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Course: Full-time Diploma Course in Printing Technology under the Directorate of Technical Education (affiliated with Gujarat Technological University).

• Duration: Three years.
• Eligibility: You need to pass your Class X board exams.
• Admission: Merit-based.
• Check out more here.

Job roles with a Printing Technology degree:

• Printing officer: They are responsible for reading, correcting, and striking-off proofs of their organisation’s gazettes. They are also required to determine the priorities and assess the technical output of each machine used in the various sections. They determine a planning schedule so that different units can work in unison.

• Printing supervisor: They ensure that the finished product conforms to client specifications. They are in charge of scheduling printing presses and screen rooms. They also take care of troubleshooting and solving any kind of manufacturing problems.

• Print manager: They supervise the entire printing department, including workers and machines. Using negotiation skills, they competitively bid with vendors or suppliers to take print orders from companies. Such orders may include seasonal promotional mail, direct mail and other printed media like newspapers or magazines.

• Print technician: They ensure that print specifications given by clients are being maintained. They are also required to adjust the colour volume, examine the binding and reassemble the page layout for an order. They operate the equipment and also work in quality assurance to check press results.

• Print operator: They are printing press workers who operate and maintain printing machines. They prepare machines for printing sessions, install printing plates and prepare printing necessities such as ink type and paper size. Working primarily on-site, print operators adjust the workflow of printing machines to prevent errors, fix paper jams and adjust ink use where needed.