The world sees his colorful work every day.Ever wonder who is responsible for the bright, multicolored designs on frozen food packages? It's people like Hassan Shareef in the behind-the-scenes industry of flexographic printing. Flexography flex·og·ra·phy n. A system of printing on a rotary press employing water-based ink, used especially for printing on plastic, paper, or cardboard. flex·og is one of three major printing processes, which include offset lithography, used mainly in magazine and newspaper printing, and gravure, often used in packaging, which involves printing with an engraved en·grave tr.v. en·graved, en·grav·ing, en·graves 1. To carve, cut, or etch into a material: engraved the champion's name on the trophy. 2. copper cylinder. What makes flexography printing unique is its ability to print on any substance (i.e., plastic material, CDs and paper), using a rubber plate called a photopolymer A photopolymer is a polymer which is cured by exposure to light, often in the ultraviolet spectrum. These polymers are useful in dentistry for fillings and in rapid prototyping in the stereolithography and PolyJet processes. . The flexography industry is broken into three parts: design, which is the creation of concepts and packages; pre-press, which is the creation of plate-ready film or plates; and press, which is putting the final product on the press. Training: No specific degree is required. Typically, workers will begin on-the-job training with an experienced professional and advance as they master skills at each level of instruction. The length of training required for pre-press jobs varies by occupation. Some, such as typesetting typesetting: see printing. typesetting Setting of type for use in any of various printing processes. Type for printing, using woodblocks, was invented in China in the 11th century, and movable type using metal molds had appeared in Korea by the 13th , can be learned in a few months. Others, such as film stripping, will take years to master. Shareef began his career in flexography 13 years ago, after earning an associate's degree in printing, publishing and advertising management from New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. Technical College. As a trainee, Shareef worked as a proofer in the Young Sisters and Brothers magazine's trade shop, producing four-color separation proofs for the now-defunct publication. He has also handled color separations for other magazines, such as BLACK ENTERPRISE, The Source and Vibe. Salary: The career ladder extends from an entry-level position as a trainee to management. Salaries range from $20,000 to $100,000, depending on the state in which you live. As a manager for Imaging International Inc., a flexographic, pre-press company, Shareef earns over $50,000 a year. For more information about a career in the printing industry, contact: * Flexographic Technical Association (FTA FTA abbr. Future Teachers of America ) 900 Marconi Ave., Ronkonkoma, New York Ronkonkoma is a census-designated place (CDP) in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 20,029 at the 2000 census. Ronkonkoma is a community in the Town of Islip. 11779-7212; 516-737-6020; www.fta-ffta.org * Graphic Arts Technical Foundation/Printing Industries of America Inc. (GATF/PIA), 200 Deer Run Rd., Sewickley, PA 15143-2600; 800-910-4283; www. gatf.org |
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