Job Summary
Signs By Tomorrow is seeking a full-time Graphic Designer / Large Format Print & Sign Production Specialist to join our team. This is a hands-on, hybrid position combining graphic design, production layout, digital pre-press, large-format printing, sign fabrication, and post-press finishing.
Our diverse product offerings require a strong technical understanding of digital print manufacturing, graphic production, substrate handling, post-press finishing, and precision production processes. The ideal candidate understands not only how to create and prepare artwork, but also how that artwork will ultimately be printed, cut, fabricated, assembled, and finished into a professional sign or graphic product.
In this role, you will be responsible for creating and preparing production artwork, fabricating, assembling, and finishing high-quality signage while operating large-format printers, CNC routers, and finishing equipment. You will work closely with our sales, design, and production teams to take projects from customer-supplied artwork or initial concept through layout, file preparation, production, and final completion.
Your focus will be on maximizing production efficiency, minimizing waste, maintaining accurate and production-ready artwork, and ensuring exceptional product quality.
We are a small, passionate, and fast-paced manufacturing team that is fully invested in our company's success. We are looking for a dependable, collaborative professional who is comfortable working both at a computer and on the production floor, and who is motivated to optimize production workflows and contribute to the growth of a locally owned business.
Key ResponsibilitiesGraphic Design & Production Layout
- Create, modify, and prepare professional artwork and production layouts using Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and other Adobe Creative Suite applications.
- Develop layouts for a variety of signage, large-format graphics, vehicle graphics, banners, dimensional signage, displays, and other visual communication products.
- Take customer-supplied artwork, logos, and concepts and prepare them for professional production.
- Create and modify vector artwork, including proper sizing, scaling, bleeds, cut paths, registration marks, and other production requirements.
- Perform basic image editing, cropping, color adjustments, retouching, and file corrections as needed.
- Review artwork for resolution, dimensions, fonts, linked images, color spaces, and other potential production issues.
- Prepare production-ready files for digital printing, vinyl cutting, CNC routing, and other manufacturing processes.
- Understand how design decisions affect printing, cutting, fabrication, finishing, material usage, and installation.
- Make artwork revisions based on customer requirements and communicate potential design or production issues to the appropriate team members.
- Maintain organized digital artwork and production files according to company standards.
Machine Operation
- Program and operate large-format digital printers, UV flatbed printers, roll-to-roll printers, and CNC routers/plotters.
- Operate laminators, vinyl cutters, and other digital production and finishing equipment.
- Maintain equipment and ensure optimal machine performance.
- Monitor equipment during production runs and make adjustments as necessary to maintain quality and efficiency.
Pre-Press & File Preparation
- Review and analyze production files for large-scale printing and signage projects.
- Set up cut paths and contour cuts for vinyl graphics and digitally printed materials.
- Prepare files for a variety of rigid and flexible substrates and production methods.
- Verify artwork dimensions, scaling, resolution, color, bleeds, and other technical requirements prior to production.
- Utilize RIP software to properly prepare and process files for production.
- Identify and resolve file-related issues before they result in production delays, material waste, or quality concerns.
Post-Press Finishing
- Perform laminating, weeding, trimming, mounting, bindery work, and other finishing processes according to project specifications.
- Apply vinyl and printed graphics to various substrates and surfaces.
- Fabricate, assemble, and finish a variety of custom signage and graphic products.
- Ensure finished products meet established quality and production standards.
Quality Control & Material Handling
- Monitor print quality throughout production runs.
- Perform routine equipment maintenance, calibration, and troubleshooting.
- Inspect finished products for accuracy, color, alignment, dimensions, and overall quality.
- Safely handle a variety of materials, including vinyl, acrylic, rigid boards, banner materials, vehicle wrap media, and custom fabrication substrates.
- Select and utilize appropriate materials and production methods based on project requirements.
- Minimize material waste through proper file preparation, nesting, layout, and production planning.
Workflow Management
- Manage daily production schedules and priorities.
- Coordinate with sales, design, and production team members to ensure projects move efficiently through the shop.
- Review upcoming projects and identify potential production, material, or file issues before production begins.
- Minimize downtime, maximize efficiency, and ensure on-time delivery of high-quality products.
- Maintain a clean, organized, and safe production environment.
QualificationsRequired Experience
- Minimum of 2 years of experience in sign production, large-format printing, graphic production, or a related field.
- Experience assembling, finishing, and packaging products such as banners, vehicle graphics, window graphics, dimensional signage, and illuminated signs.
- Demonstrated experience working with production artwork and preparing files for physical output.
- Experience with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop is strongly preferred.
Technical Skills
- Proficiency operating large-format digital printers, UV flatbed printers, roll-to-roll printers, laminators, and CNC routers.
- Working knowledge of RIP software, including Onyx and Fiery.
- Strong working knowledge of Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.
- Familiarity with Adobe InDesign or other Adobe Creative Suite applications is a plus.
- Ability to create and modify vector artwork and production-ready layouts.
- Understanding of color, resolution, scaling, dimensions, typography, and basic graphic design principles.
Material Knowledge
- Understanding of the characteristics and applications of various substrates, including vinyl, banner materials, rigid boards, acrylics, vehicle wrap media, and other sign-production materials.
- Understanding of how different materials and finishing methods affect the design and production process.
Problem-Solving & Attention to Detail
- Ability to troubleshoot equipment issues, perform calibrations, and resolve production challenges efficiently.
- Ability to identify and correct artwork and file-preparation issues before production.
- Strong mathematical, measuring, and organizational skills.
- Ability to maintain accuracy while managing multiple projects simultaneously.
- Strong attention to detail and commitment to producing high-quality work.
- Ability to identify potential problems and develop practical solutions with minimal supervision.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to safely lift up to 50 pounds.
- Comfortable handling large rolls of media and working at production tables for extended periods.
- Ability to stand, bend, reach, and perform hands-on production and fabrication tasks throughout the workday.
- Valid Driver License.
Communication Skills
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to work effectively with production, design, and sales teams.
- Ability to communicate technical production requirements and identify potential issues before they affect project schedules or quality.
- Ability to work independently while contributing effectively to a small team environment.
The Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is someone who can bridge the gap between design and production.
You should be comfortable moving between Adobe Creative Suite and the production floor—creating a layout in Illustrator, preparing the file for a RIP, setting up a printer or CNC router, monitoring production, and then finishing the completed product.
Experience in either graphic design or sign production is valuable, but candidates who bring both design and hands-on production experience will be especially well suited for this position.
A strong understanding of how artwork translates into a physical finished product is essential. We value candidates who are detail-oriented, mechanically inclined, dependable, and take pride in both the creative and manufacturing aspects of their work.
Benefits
- 401(k) with company matching
- Health insurance
- Dental insurance
- Paid time off
Schedule
- Full-time
- Day shift
- 8-hour shifts
Application Questions
- How many years of experience do you have with RIP software?
- How many years of experience do you have operating roll-to-roll large-format printers?
- How many years of experience do you have with flatbed printers, and what brands?
- How many years of experience do you have working in a sign production role?
- How many years of experience do you have using Adobe Illustrator?
- How many years of experience do you have using Adobe Photoshop?
- Do you have experience preparing production-ready artwork for large-format printing, CNC routing, or vinyl cutting?
- Do you have a valid driver's license?
Work Location
In person
Pay: $25.00 - $36.00 per hour
Application Question(s):
- How many years of experience do you have with RIP software?
- How many years of experience do you have operating roll-to-roll large-format printers?
- How many years of experience do you have with flatbed printers, and what brands?
- How many years of experience do you have working in a sign production role?
- How many years of experience do you have using Adobe Illustrator?
- How many years of experience do you have using Adobe Photoshop?
- Do you have experience preparing production-ready artwork for large-format printing, CNC routing, or vinyl cutting?
- Do you have a valid driver's license?
Work Location: In person
