Statewide occupation search

Sort your search results or select and compare details of two occupations. Find out if an occupation is in demand or not in demand in your local area, at Learn about an occupation.

Statewide occupation search

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators

It's a bright outlook for

This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Learn more about what they do.

Perform work involved in developing and processing photographic images from film or digital media. May perform precision tasks such as editing photographic negatives and prints.

Related: Camera & Photographic Equipment Repairers Etchers & Engravers Office Machine Operators Prepress Technicians & Workers Printing Press Operators

Industries: Professional, Science, & Technical Service

Summary
Details

Maintain records, such as quantities or types of processing completed, materials used, or customer charges.
Reprint originals for enlargement or in sections to be pieced together.
Load circuit boards, racks or rolls of film, negatives, or printing paper into processing or printing machines.
Operate scanners or related computer equipment to digitize negatives, photographic prints, or other images.
Load digital images onto computers directly from cameras or from storage devices, such as flash memory cards or universal serial bus (USB) devices.
Examine developed prints for defects, such as broken lines, spots, or blurs.
Clean or maintain photoprocessing or darkroom equipment, using ultrasonic equipment or cleaning and rinsing solutions.
Splice broken or separated film and mount film on reels.
Select digital images for printing, specify number of images to be printed, and direct to printer, using computer software.
Thread filmstrips through densitometers or sensitometers and expose film to light to determine density of film, necessary color corrections, or light sensitivity.
Retouch photographic negatives or original prints to correct defects.
Produce color or black-and-white photographs, negatives, or slides, applying standard photographic reproduction techniques and procedures.
Fill tanks of processing machines with solutions such as developer, dyes, stop-baths, fixers, bleaches, or washes.
Examine quality of film fades or dissolves for potential color corrections, using color analyzers.
Upload digital images onto Web sites for customers.
Create prints according to customer specifications and laboratory protocols.
Set or adjust machine controls, according to specifications, type of operation, or material requirements.
Insert processed negatives and prints into envelopes for delivery to customers.
Clean or maintain photoprocessing or darkroom equipment, using ultrasonic equipment or cleaning and rinsing solutions.
Measure and mix chemicals to prepare solutions for processing, according to formulas.
Operate special equipment to perform tasks such as transferring film to videotape or producing photographic enlargements.
Splice broken or separated film and mount film on reels.
Review computer-processed digital images for quality.
Measure and mix chemicals to prepare solutions for processing, according to formulas.
Read work orders to determine required processes, techniques, materials, or equipment.
Place sensitized paper in frames of projection printers, photostats, or other reproduction machines.
Immerse film, negatives, paper, or prints in developing solutions, fixing solutions, and water to complete photographic development processes.
Monitor equipment operation to detect malfunctions.
Read work orders to determine required processes, techniques, materials, or equipment.
Produce timed prints with separate densities or color settings for each scene of a production.
Examine drawings, negatives, or photographic prints to determine coloring, shading, accenting, or other changes required for retouching or restoration.

Persuasion
- Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Troubleshooting
- Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Science
- Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Operations Analysis
- Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Judgment and Decision Making
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Systems Evaluation
- Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Negotiation
- Bringing people together to solve differences.
Learning Strategies
- Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Equipment Maintenance
- Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Equipment Selection
- Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Instructing
- Teaching people how to do something.
Management of Personnel Resources
- Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Coordination
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Management of Material Resources
- Managing equipment and materials.
Systems Analysis
- Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Mathematics
- Using math to solve problems.
Time Management
- Managing your time and the time of other people.
Service Orientation
- Looking for ways to help people.
Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Social Perceptiveness
- Understanding people's reactions.
Speaking
- Talking to others.
Management of Financial Resources
- Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Technology Design
- Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Operation and Control
- Using equipment or systems.
Active Learning
- Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Quality Control Analysis
- Testing how well a product or service works.
Programming
- Writing computer programs.

Glare Sensitivity
- Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Depth Perception
- Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Time Sharing
- Doing two or more things at the same time.
Oral Comprehension
- Listening and understanding what people say.
Gross Body Equilibrium
- Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Written Expression
- Communicating by writing.
Auditory Attention
- Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Peripheral Vision
- Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Number Facility
- Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Rate Control
- Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Explosive Strength
- Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Stamina
- Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Extent Flexibility
- Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Spatial Orientation
- Knowing where things are around you.
Dynamic Flexibility
- Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Near Vision
- Seeing details up close.
Flexibility of Closure
- Seeing hidden patterns.
Inductive Reasoning
- Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Static Strength
- Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Far Vision
- Seeing details that are far away.
Gross Body Coordination
- Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Trunk Strength
- Using your lower back and stomach.
Category Flexibility
- Grouping things in different ways.
Problem Sensitivity
- Noticing when problems happen.
Selective Attention
- Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Reaction Time
- Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Control Precision
- Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Visualization
- Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Oral Expression
- Communicating by speaking.
Information Ordering
- Ordering or arranging things.
Visual Color Discrimination
- Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Speech Recognition
- Recognizing spoken words.
Hearing Sensitivity
- Telling the difference between sounds.
Speech Clarity
- Speaking clearly.
Memorization
- Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Night Vision
- Seeing at night or under low light.
Dynamic Strength
- Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Fluency of Ideas
- Coming up with lots of ideas.
Written Comprehension
- Reading and understanding what is written.
Deductive Reasoning
- Using rules to solve problems.
Finger Dexterity
- Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Multilimb Coordination
- Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Response Orientation
- Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Sound Localization
- Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Perceptual Speed
- Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Mathematical Reasoning
- Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Wrist-Finger Speed
- Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Speed of Limb Movement
- Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Speed of Closure
- Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Originality
- Creating new and original ideas.
Manual Dexterity
- Holding or moving items with your hands.

Chemistry
- Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Sociology and Anthropology
- Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Building and Construction
- Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Foreign Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Administration and Management
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Customer and Personal Service
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Administrative
- Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Economics and Accounting
- Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Mathematics
- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Physics
- Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Medicine and Dentistry
- Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
History and Archeology
- Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Mechanical
- Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Law and Government
- Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Communications and Media
- Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Education and Training
- Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
English Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Food Production
- Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Production and Processing
- Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Psychology
- Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Geography
- Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Public Safety and Security
- Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Biology
- Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Design
- Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Philosophy and Theology
- Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Sales and Marketing
- Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Personnel and Human Resources
- Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Telecommunications
- Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Computers and Electronics
- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Therapy and Counseling
- Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Engineering and Technology
- Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Transportation
- Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Fine Arts
- Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

Less than 1 month on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

Washington Annual Salary

51730/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

24.87/hr

Currently Employed

170

Yearly Projected Openings

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Independence
Self Control
Cooperation
Integrity

Air brushes
Bar code reader equipment
Camera lens
Cathodes or emitters
Clock timers
Colorimeters
Densitometers
Developing tanks
Developing tongs
Developing trays
Digital cameras
Dye sublimination printers
Film driers
Film splicers
Flash memory storage card
Flowmeters
General purpose refrigerators or refrigerator freezers
Handheld thermometer
High capacity removable media drives
Hot air blowers
Hydrometers
Inkjet printer for commercial printing applications
Laboratory beakers
Laboratory graduated cylinders
Laboratory mixers
Laboratory stirring rods
Laminators
Laser printers
Light enhancing cameras or vision devices
Offset darkroom equipment
Offset film processors
Paint brushes
Personal computers
Photo cutters or trimmers
Photographic enlargers
Printing guillotines
Printing plates
Reflectometers
Scanners
Squeegees or washers
Thermal transfer printer for commercial printing applications
Thermographs
Ultrasonic cleaning equipment
Water pumps

Application server software
Data base management system software
Data base user interface and query software
Desktop publishing software
Electronic mail software
Enterprise resource planning ERP software
File versioning software
Graphics or photo imaging software
Object or component oriented development software
Office suite software
Presentation software
Spreadsheet software
Web platform development software
Word processing software

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Find Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators jobs Education and Training for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators

Statewide occupation search

Statewide occupation search

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators

Work Activities

Skills

Abilities

Knowledge

Education

Pay

Washington Employment Trends

Personality

Tools

Technology

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES