Trainee Retoucher

Prospex Recruitment; Bradford; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 23,000; Full time

Job summary

Our Bradford-based client, a leading packaging and branding design agency, seeks a motivated Trainee Retoucher to join their production studio. You will develop practical retouching skills, learn print fundamentals, color management, and image separations while working under senior staff.

Ideal candidates are college/university leavers or those with some experience in graphic/design/art fields who are keen to grow in retouching and packaging.

Qualifications

• Foundational education in Graphic Design or self-taught background.
• Familiarity with Adobe Creative Cloud tools.
• Good eye for detail, composition, colour balance.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Organized with reliable work habits and punctuality.

Responsibilities

• Learn separation techniques and prepare images for printing under supervision.
• Assist with file QC and color accuracy during proofing.
• Organize assets and follow SOPs for naming conventions.
• Output proofs and validate color development using standard tools.
• Support on-time delivery to clients within SLAs.
• Maintain daily timesheets and assist with studio equipment upkeep.

Skills

Graphic design basics

Photo editing

Time management

Education

Graphic Design background

Self-taught background in visual/graphic

Tools

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Illustrator

InDesign

Job description

Trainee Retoucher - Packaging

Location: Bradford

Salary: DOE

Company: A leading packaging and branding design agency.

Role: Our client has a very unique and exciting opportunity to join them as a trainee in their offices in Bradford.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a college / university leaver or an individual with some experience within the graphic / design / art / retouching / print industry who is keen to develop their career and join a well-respected packaging agency.

The Trainee Retoucher will contribute to the performance of the production studio by developing practical retouching skills and learning the technical fundamentals of print production, image separations, and colour management.

Working under the guidance of senior retouchers and the Line Manager, the candidate will combine an enthusiastic, proactive approach and a strong willingness to learn with a genuine passion for digital retouching, visual graphics, and colour theory.

• Technical Retouching & File Preparation: Learn and assist in reviewing supplied files, understanding separation techniques, and preparing images and artworks for specific printing processes under supervision
• Quality Control & File Inspection: Develop skills to carry out self-checks and identify problem tones (such as below minimum dots and isolated rogue tones) to ensure artwork accuracy).
• File Management & Naming Conventions: Learn to organize job assets, ensure clean folder structures, and save all working files according to company naming conventions and standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• Proofing & Validation: Assist with outputting scatter proofs to standard and using virtual proofing tools to validate image development and colour output
• Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Support On Time In Full (OTIF) delivery to clients in accordance with SLAs, keeping the Line Manager regularly updated on project statuses
• Timesheets & Studio Maintenance: Accurately record all daily time entries in the company timesheet system, review MIS data, and assist with basic calibration, consumables, and studio equipment maintenance

Requirements:

• Educational / Creative Background: Foundational education or self-taught background in Graphic Design, Digital Media, Photography, Prepress, or a related visual field.
• Software Familiarity: Basic knowledge of or strong interest in Adobe Creative Cloud tools (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).
• Graphic Awareness: Good eye for detail, composition, colour balance, and graphic layout.
• Communication & Collaboration: Good communication skills with an open, receptive attitude toward feedback and team collaboration
• Time Management & Organization: Good planning and organizational skills with reliable work habits and punctuality

Any experience within a retoucher or graphics / artwork would be highly desirable but all college leavers / university leavers with a creative background are welcome.

Key words; trainee retoucher / retoucher / trainee print retouch / trainee technical retoucher / print / packaging / graphics / graphic designer / packaging retoucher / Adobe CS / Photoshop / Illustrator / Indesign