Print Finishing Technician (Fine Art)

Avant Arte B.V.; Greater London; On-site; GBP 31,000; Full time

Job summary

A fine art print studio is looking for a Print Finishing Technician to ensure quality in handling and finishing various artworks. You will work closely with a small team using advanced printing techniques in a high-performance environment located in Tottenham, London. Ideal candidates have experience in print finishing, attention to detail, and good problem-solving skills. The role offers a starting salary of £30,800 annually and various employee benefits, including healthcare and holiday allowances.

Benefits

25 days of holiday plus one extra day

£1000 L&D budget per year

Private Healthcare

Enhanced pension contributions

Cycle to Work scheme

Generous equity allowance

Qualifications

• Experience in paper or art handling.
• Ability to operate guillotines with precision.
• Skills in print finishing including hand-cutting.

Responsibilities

• Ensure quality checking and finishing tasks meet high standards.
• Handle and pack artworks carefully.
• Operate guillotine and prepare media for print processes.

Skills

Paper or art-handling experience

Guillotine operation

Print finishing

Familiarity with digital print software

Forklift certification

High attention to detail

Good problem-solving abilities

Good level of fitness

Basic use of hand tools

Job description

ABOUT MAKE-READY

Make-Ready is dedicated to producing original prints of outstanding quality and has an altogether different approach on defining what a fine art print studio can be. We specialise in high‑end silkscreen printing, producing stunning artworks for some of the world's most exciting contemporary artists.

We’re a small team with really big ambitions, both for what we want to achieve and also the environment we’re building. We all work incredibly hard because we really care about what Make‑Ready is here to do. We want to create a company that remains thoughtful as we scale and tries to be genuinely progressive in how we operate; we want people to really own what they do and create something meaningful. We’re looking for exceptional people who are proactive, hungry to learn, and put pride in our collective achievements.

We are a team of 12 based in Tottenham, North London. This is a unique opportunity to join a high performance team of skilled professionals, working with some of the most technically versatile printing processes in the arts.

ABOUT THE ROLE

• Job title: Print Finishing Technician
• Level: Entry – Mid
• Location: Make‑Ready, Tottenham, London
• Contract type: Full time 40hrs p/w (Monday‑Friday, 9‑6pm)
• Starting salary: £30,800 p/a
• Manager: Finishing lead

SKILLS & REQUIREMENTS

• Paper or art‑handling experience
• Guillotine operation
• Print finishing (including hand‑cutting, deckling paper)
• Familiarity with digital print software and printing processes
• Forklift certification (Paid training will be covered if you do not have this experience)
• High attention to detail
• Good problem‑solving and communication abilities
• Good level of fitness (you will be on your feet most of the day)
• Basic and safe use of hand tools e.g. scalpel, cutting knife, drill etc.

KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Finishing and Quality Checking:
  • You will be part of a team responsible for QC’ing and finishing fine art digital and silkscreen prints to highest quality standards.
  • Other finishing tasks include, but are not limited to application of gold leaf, glitter, diamond dust and collage.
• Art handling: you will be expected to handle, finish and pack original and edition artworks with care and professionalism, using archival techniques and industry good practice.
• Packing and organising shipping: for samples, proofs and editions, as well as ancillary logistics tasks. Editions are typically packed in Art crates for safe international shipment.
• Guillotine operation (Polar Mohr 155):
  • You will be the primary operator for the Guillotine and will be responsible for the daily upkeep and maintaining a safe working environment within the studio.
  • Pre‑press preparation of papers and other media for print processes in an efficient, diligent and careful manner, managing multiple production workflow priorities at once to meet ambitious deadlines. You will be working with all types of fine art and reprographic media and materials, both small and large format.
  • Operation of a forklift and lifting equipment for accessing our bulk paper store.
• Organising and maintaining the Finishing department: to keep the work stations in great condition for efficient workflow.
  • Making quick assessments of project requirements and timeline implications, to alleviate downtime, wasted materials and other resources.
  • Communicating any changes to the other teams; Creative and Printmaking, to alleviate any downtime.
  • Identify and assess improvements that can be made in the Finishing workflow.
  • Observe and critically assess real world pipeline parameters and feedback to department leads.
• Developing a fundamental understanding of the digital printing and finishing environment and workflow for high‑level fine art silkscreen printing:
  • Ensuring that ground level tasks are fulfilled and communicated effectively across teams.
  • Following good practice and procedure to ensure that quality is in line with Make‑Ready high standards of output.

OBJECTIVES AND KEY RESULTS (OKRS)

• Maintaining high quality standards across 100% of projects.
• Effective channels of communication maintained between teams for optimum efficiency. Reduce down‑time caused by production changes through effective communication and problem solving.
• All projects are QC’d in line with M‑R standards.
• Projects are finished to a world class standard and packed safely in good time to meet shipping deadlines.
• Work areas are organised neatly and logically to maximise workflow efficiency.

BENEFITS

• 25 days of holiday plus one extra company wide day on Kings Day (National Holiday in the Netherlands which falls in April) & company closure days between Christmas and New Year
• L&D budget of €1000 per year per employee
• Private Healthcare
• Enhanced pension contributions and parental leave policies
• Regular team and company wide socials
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Generous equity allowance
• Plus many other benefits.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

As we really invest in our team we like to take each candidate through our recruitment process. This ensures the right fit for both employer and candidate.

You will not necessarily progress through every stage.

1. Video call interview
2. Face to face meeting at Make‑Ready
3. Trial days at Make‑Ready (paid, London Living Wage)
4. Final interview

Should you be successful, an offer will be made at the end of the recruitment process.