About This Career

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

This career is part of the Arts, Audio-Video Technology and Communications cluster Printing Technology pathway.

A person in this career:

• Examines stitched, collated, bound, or unbound product samples for defects, such as imperfect bindings, ink spots, torn pages, loose pages, or loose or uncut threads.
• Reads work orders to determine instructions and specifications for machine set-up.
• Installs or adjusts bindery machine devices, such as knives, guides, rollers, rounding forms, creasing rams, or clamps, to accommodate sheets, signatures, or books of specified sizes.
• Stitches or glues endpapers, bindings, backings, or signatures, using sewing machines, glue machines, or glue and brushes.
• Trims edges of books to size, using cutting machines, book trimming machines, or hand cutters.
• Monitors machine operations to detect malfunctions or to determine whether adjustments are needed.
• Maintains records, such as daily production records, using specified forms.
• Lubricates, cleans, or makes minor repairs to machine parts to keep machines in working condition.
• Sets up or operates bindery machines, such as coil binders, thermal or tape binders, plastic comb binders, or specialty binders.
• Sets up or operates machines that perform binding operations, such as pressing, folding, or trimming.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
• Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring

Work Hours and Travel

• Regular working hours and limited travel