Printing Industry Career Guide: Courses, Training Fee, Scope, Salary
Have you ever thought about pursuing a degree in printing technology? If not, maybe you should give it a thought as there are many fringe benefits along. For instance, your career opportunities may arise; you’ll probably have a good salary package and also job security as many government organizations offer good positions from time to time. A career in the printing industry is now a promising prospect in the 21st-century landscape. And it has proven to be a rewarding career option in today’s media-driven world. So, here we are providing you the step by step guide to making a career in this field.
Nature of the Printing Industry
The printing industry includes a process to be covered for imprinting images and texts on a plate by majorly using templates or master form. Each printing process can be divided into three distinct stages: prepress, the necessary steps during which the materials for printing are converted into an image carrier viz. plate or screen, press, the actual printing process and post-press, the folding, binding and trimming of printed sheets into their final form. The primary goal of the printing industry is to convey a message to its target audience on some form of published material whether it’s a newspaper, magazine book, brochure, directory, or product packaging. So, it basically creates a vehicle for information to spread.
Presently, the printing industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in India. Although in this digital world, you can read an ebook on your phone, but look around you; Print constantly touches your lives, the packaging of that phone is printed, the billboards by the road, or even the label on your favorite frozen pizza. It is everywhere in the form of product packaging, books, newspapers, magazines, mails, or any of the wide variety of printed items we use every day. Contrary to people’s belief, print is not dead. In fact, the printing industry has evolved over time, reinventing itself to be more vibrant.
Courses and Eligibility
In India, if you are seeking to pursue courses in the field of printing technology, then courses belonging to the following levels are available.
Diploma in Printing Technology
It is a 3 years long course that is spread over a span of 6 semesters. Students who’ve passed 10th standard as well as 10+2 Science stream (mathematics group) or minimum 50% marks in PCM can pursue this course. There are many institutes that offer the course of diploma in Printing Technology. Here, you can find some of the top institutes with their location and average fees.
| College | Location | Average Fees |
| Government Institute of Printing Technology | Mumbai | INR 0.23 Lacs |
| KhatuShyam Institute of Management and Technology | New Delhi | – |
| Sivakasi Institute of Printing Technology | Tamil Nadu | – |
| Himalayan University | Arunachal Pradesh | INR 10,000 |
| Northern Regional Institute of Printing Technology | Allahabad | INR 10,560 |
| Don Bosco Institute of Graphic Arts Communication Technology | Kochi, Kerala | – |
| Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical University | Chhattisgarh | INR 1.04 Lacs |
| Gujarat Technological University | Ahmedabad | INR 99,000 |
Entrance Exams
Students should qualify the entrance exam taken by the universities. Students can also direct admission based on the marks of Class 10 / 12 in some universities.
Courses Detail
Diploma in Printing Technologyprovides all the theoretical and practical knowledge about Printing Technology. Students pursuing a Diploma in Printing Technology should study the following major and minor courses.
Major Subjects: Printing Process, Offset Printing, Gravure Technology, Digital Prepress, Packaging Technology, Computer Application courses
Minor Subjects: English & Communication Skills, Mathematics Basic Engineering, Business, Applied Science, etc.
Apart from these courses, Diploma in Printing Technology consists of many practical subjects and projects in its curriculum. Students carry out practical and projects on Maintaining paper or ink tests, Binding, and Finishing, Graphic Designs, Surface Preparation, Screen Printing, Product Design, etc.
B.Tech/B.E. in Printing Technology
It is a 4-year undergraduate degree course and is divided into a total of 8 semesters. A candidate who wants to enroll in this course should be XII passed out with physics and mathematics as compulsory subjects. There are many institutes that offer the course of BE/B-Tech in Printing Technology. Here, you can find some of the top institutes with their location and average fees.
| College | Location | Fees |
| Manipal Institute of Technology | Manipal, Karnataka | ₹ 13,00,000 |
| Somay PG Institute of Technology and Management | Rewari, Haryana | ₹ 3,02,00 |
| College of Engineering, Guindy | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | ₹ 1,29,560 |
| Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology | Hisar, Haryana | ₹ 2,44,200 |
| Galgotias University | Greater Noida | ₹ 6,69,600 |
| Calicut University Institute of Malappuram | Pallikal, Kerala | ₹ 1,55,400 |
Entrance Exam
There are many entrance exams that let you study B.Tech/BE in Printing Technology. The entrance exams contain questions from Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. There are many entrance exams including JEE and State Entrance Examination. Some of the private institutes allow direct admission based on marks of 10+2.
Course Detail
In a span of 4 years (8 semesters), Students study the engineering principle associated with Printing Technology through more experiments and theory. Students pursuing BE/B. Tech in Printing Technology should study the following major and minor courses.
Major Subjects: Design & Planning for print production, Flexography, Electronic Composition, Printing Materials, Reproduction Technology, Gravure Technology, etc.
Minor Subjects: Engineering Mathematics, Engineering Drawing, Communication Skills, Electronics, Economics, Physics, etc.
M-Tech/ M.E. in Printing Technology
It is a 2-year graduate degree course and is divided into 4 semesters. A candidate who wants to enroll in this course should pass BE/B.Tech in any engineering discipline. There are many institutes that offer the course of BE/B-Tech in Printing Technology. Here, you can find some of the top institutes with their location and average fees.
| College | Location | Fees |
| Manipal Institute of Technology | Manipal, Karnataka | ₹ 4,00,000 |
| Jadavpur University | Kolkata, West Bengal | ₹ 9600 |
| Pune VidyarthiGriha’s College of Engineering Technology | Pune, Maharashtra | ₹ 2,03,800 |
| Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology | Hisar, Haryana | ₹ 1,22,200 |
| YBN University | Ranchi, Jharkhand | ₹ 1,04,500 |
| University of Technology | Jaipur, Rajasthan | ₹ 1,80,000 |
Entrance Exam
There are many entrance exams that let you study M.Tech/ME in Printing Technology. There are many entrance exams including the GATE and State Entrance Examination. Some of the private institutes allow direct admission based on marks of BE/B.Tech
Core Subjects
- Graphics in Printing and Packaging
- Newspaper and Multimedia Technology
- Advanced Print Finishing Techniques
- Modern Printing Systems
- Digital Imaging Techniques, Print Technology Management
- Advanced Printing Technology etc.
Doctorate Degree in Printing Technology
It is a 5-years duration course that offers extensive research study about Printing Technology. It allows students to pursue research regarding the new technologies in Printing technology. To get admission in Ph.D. courses, students should hold a master’s degree in the pertinent field. This course is offered in both full and part-time duration. Many stipends by the college as well as the government are given for encouraging the students to take this course.
Colleges which offer Doctorate Degree in Printing Technology
- MIT Art, Design and Technology University, Pune.
- Uttaranchal University, Dehradun
- Hindustan Institute of Tech & Science
- National Institute of Technology(NIT) Agartala
- Brindavan Group of Institutions, Bengaluru
- Tolani Maritime Institute, Pune, etc.
Other Certificate Courses
There are many training and small courses on “Printing Technology” available in India. The duration of the certificate course is about one year or less. These training sessions could give you an amazing job with a handsome salary. If you are free for a year or more, you could join on the following certification course to enhance your side skill.
Some other certificate courses are:
- Certificate in Printing Technology
- Certificate in Pre-Press Operations
- Certificate in Press Operations
- Certificate Course in Offset Press Work
- Certificate in Paper and Printing Technology
All the courses listed above deal with the fundamental process of Printing Technology. Some courses listed above are extensive and comprehensive, however, all of these courses deal with the same fundamental process.
Fundamental Process of Printing Technology
Offset printing: It is a widely used printing technique in which images on metal plates are transferred (offset) to rubber blankets or rollers and then to print media. It is most frequently used for printing magazines, newsletters, tabloids, and books. Students in this course will learn basic operations of an offset press.Students may also learn about environmental factors in printing such as FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification and other green printing initiatives.
Screen printing: It is a printing technique in which ink is pressed through a stenciled mesh screen to create a printed design. Screen printing is used to reproduce pictures on T-shirts, bumper stickers, posters, and other materials. This course covers general concepts in exposure, coating, and print materials. Students also have the opportunity to work with multi-color and single-color projects.
Digital Printing: Digital printing is the printing technique in which digital-based images are printed directly on to a variety of media substrates. In this course, students will learn how to work with digital graphics files in order to produce them on a digital press. Topics covered may include digital press programming, managing workflow, file formats, proofing, and plate making. Students may also learn trends in marketing as they relate to digital printing and personalized print materials.
Graphics and Design: Within the printing industry, it’s important to have a good understanding of graphics and what types are acceptable for different printing methods. A graphics and design course provides students with a general background in the types of graphics programs, files, fonts, and color formats that may be used within the printing industry. Students may cover everything from CMYK and RGB color graphics to setting print margins and transferring font files. Course emphasis is on hands-on activities, and students use a variety of graphics software, such as InDesign and Quark Press.
Career and Jobs
The printing industry is a standout amongst the most thriving parts of the nation. People are seen picking a profession in print media as working in this field gives promising opportunities to move ahead quickly. But jobs in print technology can be quite challenging also as it demands a lot of hard work and patience. However, there is a huge opening for qualified printing professionals in India.
A Career in printing industry gives a plethora of opportunities to work on various positions like
- General Manager,
- Registrar,
- Director,
- Consultants
- Chief Production Officer,
- Technical Officer,
- Printing Officer,
- Manager Printing,
- Supervisor,
- Publication Officer
- Design specialist
Apart from these positions, there are many more positions.
Jobs for printing technologist are available in different areas such as
- Publishing companies
- Designing and digital printing
- Security printing
- Electronic publishing
- Color management solution
- Packaging
- Print finishing and converting
- Machine manufacturing /service
- Marketing/management executive
- Research and development
Students after successful completion of printing technology courses can work as a fresher as an editor, sub-editor, assistant sub-editor, etc. in printing companies and media houses. Generally, major advertising agencies recruit students through campus interviews.
Salaries
Pondering about how much print technology jobs pay a month?
Well, this field offers a handsome salary to the deserving candidates. In the beginning, a student with a diploma in Printing Technology may get a monthly salary of Rs. 15000-16000 while a degree holder may get Rs. 20000-22000 per month which is considered a good start.
Books and Study materials
Some best books to study printing technology are listed below:
- The Complete Book on Printing Technology with Process Flow Diagrams, Plant Layouts and Machinery Details (Offset, Gravure, Flexographic, Security, Web Offset and Pad Printing) , Price: Rs. 1,695.00
- Handbook on Printing Technology (Offset, Flexo, Gravure, Screen, Digital, 3D Printing with Book Binding and CTP) 4th Revised Edition, Price: Rs. 1,675.00
Despite the digital penetration, the printing industry in India is thriving and continuing to grow in a good space. The main reason for the blooming of this printing industry is the growing literacy rate. People are taking keen interest in this industry now. There are more than 36 printing institutes, some of these even giving post-graduate educations. Every year more than 3500 new printing engineering graduates join the industry, while still much more gets on the spot training in the print shops. So, it is one of the most dynamic sectors and pursuing the career in this industry will definitely be the logical decision.
