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Print production managers need knowledge of printing and production processes, attention to detail, leadership skills, and the ability to prepare schedules. They may work with multiple customers and vendors, and need marketing and software skills. Communication, organization, and management skills are essential. A degree is preferred, but experience can suffice.
If you want to become a print production manager, you need to have a working knowledge of printing and production processes, a keen attention to detail, leadership skills, the ability to prepare detailed production schedules and work under stressful circumstances. Exceptional interpersonal, active listening and communication skills are also important roles for anyone aspiring to become a print production manager. An understanding of production and printing costs is also likely to be required. Some print production managers need at least a smattering of marketing and the different types of scheduling software. The educational requirements for this position are typically an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, although some managers have risen through the ranks, learning the necessary skills along the way.
You will likely be responsible for planning and implementing print production operations for a specific company or, if you work in a commercial print production facility, for several different customers and companies. This type of work will likely require you to have some working knowledge of desktop publishing, prepress, and printing processes. If you work in an on-premises print facility, you will likely always be working with the same print and production team, which facilitates communication and interpersonal relationships. If the company you work for does not have an in-house print facility, the ability to work with external print or production providers is required. Dealing with multiple outside vendors is where exceptional communication and interpersonal skills will serve you best.
Marketing skills may be required. The specific roles, capabilities and responsibilities of print production facilities vary greatly from company to company. Sometimes a print production manager’s responsibilities include overseeing a team of printers or technicians. Under other circumstances, you might work on a project from concept to completion while supervising writers, production artists, designers, photographers and illustrators. In either case, the primary role of the job is to track a project and do whatever it takes to deliver it on time and on budget. This requires exceptional management, communication and organizational skills.
To become a print production manager, you will likely need well-developed communication skills. Active listening will be a big part of this job, as you’ll be working closely with people at the executive level as well as entry-level assistants and everyone in between. Some people are not aware of how the print production process works; therefore, the ability to articulate the client’s sometimes ambiguous concepts and orientations into a clear and concise plan of action will serve you well in this position. The ability to communicate clearly in writing is also a required skill for this position.
Knowing how to schedule several different projects and keep all the work flowing to meet multiple deadlines is another necessary skill. If you are working with outside vendors, this position requires you to be aware of the costs of various services such as desktop publishing services, prepress and printing services. Estimating the sometimes complex fees and charges for vendors and services, keeping them working within specified budget constraints and meeting deadlines can also be part of this work.
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