Screen making technician
Also known as: rotary engraver, textile screen maker, etcher and engraver, silk screen etcher, textile engraver, silk screen engraver
About this occupation
Screen making technicians engrave or etch screens for textile printing.
A specialisation of prepress technician.
Essential skills and knowledge
- operate screen printing equipment for textiles
- maintain equipment
- decorate textile articles
- maintain control systems for automated equipment
- 3D printing process
- bundle fabrics
- cut textiles
- prepare equipment for textile printing
- printing techniques
- health and safety in the textile industry
- properties of fabrics
- tend textile printing machines
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Etchers and Engravers (O*NET 51-9194.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Inspect etched work for depth of etching, uniformity, and defects, using calibrated microscopes, gauges, fingers, or magnifying lenses.
- Examine sketches, diagrams, samples, blueprints, or photographs to decide how designs are to be etched, cut, or engraved onto workpieces.
- Clean and polish engraved areas.
- Prepare workpieces for etching or engraving by cutting, sanding, cleaning, polishing, or treating them with wax, acid resist, lime, etching powder, or light-sensitive enamel.
- Engrave and print patterns, designs, etchings, trademarks, or lettering onto flat or curved surfaces of a wide variety of metal, glass, plastic, or paper items, using hand tools or hand-held power tools.
- Prepare etching chemicals according to formulas, diluting acid with water to obtain solutions of specified concentration.
- Typical education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Artistic, Conventional
Top skills: Reading Comprehension, Monitoring, Operations Monitoring, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking
US median pay: US$43,310 a year (2025), 7,750 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- MetalworkO*NET: MechanicalImportant (3.0)
- Technical DrawingO*NET: DesignImportant (3.0)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers
- Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
- Tool and Die Makers
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
- Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing
- Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers
- Prepress Technicians and Workers
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.