What Do Etchers and Engravers Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

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Job Description, Daily Responsibilities, and Work Life

Etchers And Engravers

Etchers And Engravers engrave or etch metal, wood, rubber, or other materials. Includes such workers as etcher-circuit processors, pantograph engravers, and silk screen etchers.

Salary
$35230
Becoming One
Easy
Education
No degree required
Job Satisfaction
Low
Job Growth

Personality



Job Description

Job Description

Etchers and Engravers engrave or etch metal, wood, rubber, or other materials. Includes such workers as etcher-circuit processors, pantograph engravers, and silk screen etchers. They also inspect etched work for depth of etching, uniformity, and defects, using calibrated microscopes, gauges, fingers, or magnifying lenses.

Other tasks include:

  • Prepare workpieces for etching or engraving by cutting, sanding, cleaning, polishing, or treating them with wax, acid resist, lime, etching powder, or light-sensitive enamel.
  • Engrave and print patterns, designs, etchings, trademarks, or lettering onto flat or curved surfaces of a wide variety of metal, glass, plastic, or paper items, using hand tools or hand-held power tools.
  • Prepare etching chemicals according to formulas, diluting acid with water to obtain solutions of specified concentration.
  • Use computer software to design patterns for engraving.
  • Examine sketches, diagrams, samples, blueprints, or photographs to decide how designs are to be etched, cut, or engraved onto workpieces.
  • Expose workpieces to acid to develop etch patterns such as designs, lettering, or figures.

We asked Etchers and Engravers how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

Job satisfaction

61%

How meaningful is this job

46%


61% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 46% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.



Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Etchers and Engravers determine machine settings, and move bars or levers to reproduce designs on rollers or plates. They expose workpieces to acid to develop etch patterns such as designs, lettering, or figures.

A typical day for an Etcher and Engraver will also include:

  • Adjust depths and sizes of cuts by adjusting heights of worktables, or by adjusting machine-arm gauges.
  • Use computer software to design patterns for engraving.
  • Set reduction scales to attain specified sizes of reproduction on workpieces, and set pantograph controls for required heights, depths, and widths of cuts.
  • Remove completed workpieces and place them in trays.
  • Observe actions of cutting tools through microscopes and adjust stylus movement to ensure accurate reproduction.

We asked some Etchers and Engravers a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job? 81% said yes
How important is it to work in a team in this job? 13% said very important
Do you have group discussions everyday in this job? 82% said yes
Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job? 3% said yes
Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job? 0% said yes
Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job? 78% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Etchers and Engravers also carve designs and letters onto metal for transfer to other surfaces. They may also observe actions of cutting tools through microscopes and adjust stylus movement to ensure accurate reproduction.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Etchers and Engravers Start machines and lower cutting tools to beginning points on patterns. They might also Insert cutting tools or bits into machines and secure them with wrenches.

In addition, they Fill etched characters with opaque paste to improve readability.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Prepare etching chemicals according to formulas, diluting acid with water to obtain solutions of specified concentration.

To some Etchers and Engravers, it is also their responsibility to Sandblast exposed areas of glass to cut designs in surfaces, using spray guns.


Working life

Working hours

Standard 40 hour work week

Working schedule

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as an Etcher and Engraver, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.

Do Etchers and Engravers work in an office-style work environment?

Every day
83%


Never
14%


Do Etchers and Engravers work outdoors?

Never
67%


Once a year
33%



Is this right for me

Best personality for this career

The Builders and The Organizers

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

You can read more about these career personality types here.



Learn more about Etchers And Engravers

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Related to Etchers and Engravers Job Description

Etchers and Engravers job description, what do Etchers and Engravers do, typical day for Etchers and Engravers, what is it like to work as an Etcher and Engraver, how many hours do Etchers and Engravers work, day to day work of an Etcher and Engraver

Additional resources

http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes519194.htm


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