Production Artist Job at PPC Flex in Kansas City

Job Summary:

The role of the Production Artist is to adapt art files to press specifications while ensuring customer expectations are met and to produce flexo-friendly separations for plating. The Production Artist may work directly with the client or through the Graphics Account Specialist or Sales staff. A successful Production Artist must possess a mix of both creative and technical skills. They must be able to work quickly but also remain extremely detail-oriented. They must also adhere to company standards and policies relating to quality and cost efficiencies.

Responsibilities and Duties:

• Collaborate as needed to determine best approach for building flexo-friendly separations while meeting customer expectations
• Create PDFs for print review and customer approval
• Retouch process images to match customer-provided target
• Output contract proof to be used for customer approval and adjust color as needed per customer feedback
• Clean, trap and separate 1-up art files
• Create dielines, step & repeat 1-up artwork to approved dielines, and add press marks such as microdots, guidelines, bearer bars, control strips, etc.
• Prepare final press-ready files based on supplied specifications
• Troubleshoot problems as they arise with Graphics and/or Printing

• Communicate informational changes to the Graphics Account Specialist as they relate to design-specific work instructions

Minimal Job requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Communications
• 5 years of production art experience in packaging graphics
• Esko experience preferred

Required Skills:

• Design software experience (Adobe CC, Photoshop, Art Pro+, etc)
• Color retouching/editing experience (must pass color shades test)

• Separation software experience, preferably Esko’s Automation Engine

• Strong understanding of artwork requirements for flexographic printing
• Willing and able to learn new graphic design tools and adapt to new procedures
• Strong analytical skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

• Detail-oriented with a high level of organization
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment to ensure customer deadlines are met
• Microsoft Office experience (Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook)