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Date: 05/18/2026

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators

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.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

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

    Skills

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    4
    Workplace Documents
    4
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    Knowledge

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • 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.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • 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.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • 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.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • 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.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • 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.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • 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.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 50120/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 24.1/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 40
    • Yearly Projected Openings 10

    Typical Education

    Personality

    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

    Tools

    • 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

    Technology

    • 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

    Tags

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