Few can argue that attention to detail is not a high priority in many sectors of the business world nowadays. When it comes to Hein Pretorius’s profession, however, attention to detail is absolutely essential. Hein is an ink technician working for Continental Printing Inks, and one of his primary concerns is to blend colours of ink made in the factory to complete perfection, to give clients exactly what they ordered. Ink technicians create the shades of ink needed for printing jobs. They work hand-in-hand with professional printers, and the ink they produce is not for home printers, but rather for large-scale jobs.

They work with colour guides or colour palettes, which contain a specific formula for each colour. The formulas are translated into recipes on the computer system, specifying the exact colours needed to make the various shades of ink.

“We work in the colour lab and blend the colours, according to samples in a formula guide, until we get the exact colour ordered.”

Besides blending colours, ink technicians also have to perform quality control tests on orders to ensure that colours are precise.

“For special jobs – like the ink for the SA Reserve Bank – we go through a fine-tuned checking process, where we use machines to check that the batch made is exactly the same as the master copy of the colour we have on file.”

An ink technician’s job also involves ensuring that special mixes are documented, and generating new colour recipes on the system, so that the best and most cost-effective formulas are recorded for creating the colours required. Ink technicians also need to know how the printers work, so that they can fix problems with the machines.

“If there is a problem on a printing machine, like the ink not transferring or the shade being out, the ink technician has to adjust the water fountain solution or chemistry.”

One of the worst things about being an ink technician is that there is constantly high pressure in this industry.

“It’s unrelenting. The client pressure is immense. Orders are based on turnaround time – so you need to be able to get colours right and do it fast. Clients often come in and want their jobs done by the next day, which means that printers give us a few hours to make

There is no formal theoretical training available in South Africa for ink technicians, and everything you know, you learn through hands-on training. While there is a correspon-dence course through the University of Oxford, the industry is more lenient about this qualification, because it’s not readily available in South Africa. Hein explains that, once you’ve been introduced to the industry, it would take you about three months’ training to understand the basics.

Being hardworking, patient and extremely accurate, and paying attention to the finest detail are very important when it comes to being an ink technician. Precision is essential, as the ink can’t be out, even by a shade.

“You have to make sure that you have the correct colour, because if you don’t, there could be consequences. These could impact financially on your business and on your client’s product reproduction. You can’t mess up. You have to be very critical and accurate,” explains Hein.

He adds that being friendly and willing to work with customers are also advantageous.

Ink technicians work straight day shifts. Hein works from about 7.45 am until 5.00 pm. “However, if there are rush jobs or emergencies, you might have to put in some extra hours,” he shrugs. Beginners can expect to earn around R5 000.

“It’s a time-orientated environment. Customers are demanding and want their inks urgently – everyone thinks their job is more important than anyone else’s. Your turnaround time needs to be as quick as possible, and there is no time to mess around.”

There is a great sense of job satisfaction. “It’s not always easy to get the colour a customer requests very quickly, so every day presents a new challenge. You have to make sure it’s the right colour, and when you get the colour, there is a sense of achievement attached to it.”

Hein has been in the industry for 19 years and, although he knew very little about the blending of ink when he first arrived at Continental, he now knows the process like the back of his hand.

Aimee Jackson