Junior Artworker & Graphic Designer

Kustom Design Printing; Doncaster; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading custom labels and stickers company in Doncaster is seeking a talented individual to manage customer artwork and ensure its readiness for printing. The ideal candidate will have strong skills in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, a degree in Graphic Design, and excellent attention to detail. This role offers a pathway to a Middleweight role and a supportive work environment with performance-linked bonuses.

Benefits

Performance-linked bonus scheme

Company events and collaborative culture

Qualifications

• Experience in artwork, pre-press, or packaging artwork role required.
• Basic understanding of barcoding or variable-data printing is desirable.
• Knowledge of colour management and print considerations is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Manage incoming jobs and ensure artwork is press-ready.
• Communicate with customers to gather necessary information.
• Handle various customer files to meet print requirements.

Skills

Strong skills in Adobe Illustrator

Strong skills in Photoshop

Excellent attention to detail

Confident communicator

Education

Degree in Graphic Design

Job description

Kustom DesignPrintingis one of the UK's leading producers of high-quality custom labels and stickers, operating under our successful brands. Based in Doncaster and established in 2013, we've built our reputation on speed, precision, and a genuine commitment to customer satisfaction.

With significant investment in state-of-the-art print technology and a talented, growing team, we deliver fast, reliable, and consistently excellent results across a wide range of industries. From sole traders to large-scale organisations, every order is treated with the same care, quality control and personal attention.

We're proud to hold industry accreditations including ISO 9001 for quality and ISO 14001 for environmental sustainability, and to be active members of the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF). As a award-winning company with a strong local presence and UK-wide reach, we're passionate about doing great work, and creating a supportive environment where our team can thrive and grow.

Role overview

Most of your time will be spent using our proofing system to manage incoming jobs, primarily focused on preflighting, checking and adjusting artwork to ensure it's fully press-ready. Jobs can range from straightforward setups using customer-supplied logos and brand assets, to more involved design-led tasks where only text and a few assets are provided. In those cases, you'll be responsible for pulling everything together into a polished, visually appealing label.

This may involve applying colour schemes, refining layouts or adding simple design elements to meet the customer's brief. You'll communicate with customers through our messaging system to request missing information, confirm details, and ensure the final artwork meets expectations.

Alongside this, you'll also take on creative tasks such as updating product ranges, producing artwork variants, or building tidy, accurate mock-ups for proofing.

If you have a keen eye for detail, enjoy working accurately and efficiently, this role offers a clear path for growth from Junior to Middleweight, and eventually Senior Artworker.

Key Responsibilities

Customer Artwork Handling

• Receive various customer files and adapt them to meet cutter, substrate and press requirements
• Tidy or redraw elements where needed to align with internal guidelines and ensure print-readiness
• Use our proofing system to manage daily artwork flow and communicate with customers via message to gather missing assets or confirm details

Design & Layout

• Create clean, visually appealing labels from limited customer input
• Prepare simple on-screen proofs and mock-ups for client approval

Pre-Press & Technical Checks

• Apply correct bleed, colour mode, and overprint settings for digital production
• Perform pre-flight checks and flag issues before jobs reach the press
• Ensure consistent output and smooth file handover to the print team

Quality Control & Organisation

• Maintain strong version control, naming conventions and tidy archives
• Collaborate with production to ensure jobs print correctly and turn around on schedule

Teamwork & Communication

• Work closely with sales, estimating, and press operators to meet deadlines
• Communicate technical details clearly and professionally to non-design customers

Continuous Improvement

• Keep up to date with substrates, finishes and production trends
• Suggest improvements to workflow, layout or colour handling where possible

What We're Looking For

Essential

• A degree in Graphic Design or a similar transferable qualification
• Strong skills in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to manage multiple tasks calmly and accurately
• Confident and professional communicator with internal teams and customers

Desirable

• Basic understanding of barcoding or variable-data printing
• Experience working with a pre-press or print production team
• Knowledge of colour management, including CMYK vs RGB and digital print considerations
• Understanding of how to apply bleed, spot colours, trapping and overprint settings
• At least 1 year of experience in an artwork, pre-press, or packaging artwork role
• Confidence working with cutter guides and different label shapes or substrates
• UK Driving licence

Working Pattern, Pay & Progression

• Hours : 40 per week
• Rate : £12.50 per hour
• Location : On-site for the first 3 months; hybrid working available afterwards
• Progression : Pathto Middleweight role

Benefits

• Performance-linked bonus scheme
• Company events and a supportive, collaborative studio culture