jobber

A jobber is a platen printing press, typically small to medium sized, designed to handle short runs of diverse work rather than long production sequences. The machine uses a flat metal plate (the platen) that closes against a type bed, pressing inked type and blocks onto paper in a single strike. This differs from rotary presses, which run continuous rolls of stock, and from large cylinder presses used for higher-volume jobs. Jobbers operate at speeds between 2000 and 5000 impressions per hour depending on the model and the complexity of the setup.

The typical jobber in a printing shop handles business cards, letterheads, envelopes, invoices, announcement cards, and small promotional pieces. Die cutting and embossing attachments can be bolted to the frame to convert the press for specialty work. Paper sizes commonly run from 4 by 6 inches up to about 10 by 15 inches, though larger industrial jobbers exist. Setup time is significant relative to run length, since the operator must lock type and engravings into the chase (the metal frame holding the printing material), adjust the paper guides, and dial in the pressure.

Common wear points and problems

The platen surface hardens and becomes damaged over years of use, developing flat spots and divots that transfer onto printed sheets as shadows or missed areas. Replacement or recovering the platen is a major maintenance job. The linkage connecting the press handle or motor drive to the platen can wear at its pivot points, causing the platen to rack (twist slightly) when it closes, resulting in uneven pressure. Feeder springs and pull-away mechanisms fail when they lose tension, causing paper jams or doubled sheets.

Jobbers earned their name from their reputation for handling small jobs, often custom and one-off, that larger shops would not bother with. The term persists in shops even as older mechanical jobbers have been replaced by small offset presses and digital cutsheet machines. However, the direct-impression character of a platen press still delivers a crisp, embossed feel that some job shops and specialty printers preserve deliberately, particularly for premium stationery and tactile marketing pieces.