Print Flatbed Cutter Operator / Custom Hardware Fabricator

Job Description

Job Description

About CR&A Custom

CR&A Custom is a Los Angeles large-format printing and visual display company. We produce building wraps, tradeshow and retail displays, event graphics, and out-of-home advertising for national brands, and we handle fabrication and installation in house.

Position Summary

We are hiring an experienced flatbed cutter operator to run our Colex digital cutting table and build the custom hardware our graphics mount to. You will own the cutter: setup, file prep, tooling, cut quality, and machine upkeep. Between cut jobs you will be on the bench building the frames, mounts, and structures that finish the job. 

Key Responsibilities

Flatbed cutting

• Set up, operate, and maintain the Colex flatbed cutting table as the primary operator
• Load and register printed and raw substrates on the vacuum table; verify registration marks and correct for print stretch or skew
• Select, install, and calibrate tooling for the material and cut type: drag knife, oscillating and tangential knives, creasing wheels, routing bits, v-cut
• Prepare, import, and nest cut files; optimize nesting for material yield
• Dial in cut parameters for material thickness, kiss-cut vs. through-cut, and edge quality across mixed substrates
• Run first articles and in-process QC against job specs; catch registration and tolerance problems before a full sheet is scrapped
• Perform operator-level maintenance: blade and bit changes, vacuum table and belt care, lubrication, calibration checks, and logging machine issues for service

Custom hardware fabrication

• Build, assemble, and finish custom hardware for displays and signage: frames, backers, mounting systems, brackets, crates, and one-off structures
• Work across aluminum, steel, wood, acrylic, PVC, Dibond, coroplast, and foam board
• Operate shop tools accurately and safely: table and panel saw, miter saw, drill press, router, grinder, sander, rivet gun, and standard hand and power tools
• Drill, tap, fasten, and finish assemblies to spec; build square, flat, and to tolerance
• Work from shop drawings, cut lists, dimensioned sketches, and direction from the production team
• Prototype and problem-solve hardware for jobs that have no existing template

Shop support

• Move, stage, and stack materials and finished goods; support packing and load-outs
• Keep the machine, tooling, work area, and shop clean, organized, and safe

Required Qualifications

• 2+ years operating a digital flatbed cutting table in a production environment (e.g., Colex, Zund, Summa, or comparable)
• Hands-on experience with tooling selection, cut parameter setup, and registration on printed material
• Demonstrated fabrication and assembly skill with both wood and metal
• Confident and safe with shop power tools and machinery
• Able to read a tape measure to 1/16", work from drawings, and hold dimensional tolerances
• Reliable attendance and flexibility to work overtime when production requires it

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct Colex experience and familiarity with its control software
• Cut-file prep in Illustrator, AutoCAD, or comparable software
• Experience with large-format print substrates and finishing (laminating, mounting, trimming, grommeting, hemming)
• Welding or metal fabrication background (MIG/TIG)
• Forklift or scissor lift certification
• OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 certification

Physical Requirements

The essential functions of this position require the ability to:

• Stand and walk on a concrete shop floor for the majority of an 8+ hour shift
• Regularly lift, carry, push, or pull up to 50 lbs, and team-lift full sheets and large assemblies
• Bend, kneel, crouch, reach overhead, and handle full-size sheet goods onto and off the cutting table
• Work with hand and power tools requiring fine motor control and hand-eye coordination
• Work in a shop environment with noise, dust, and variable temperatures, wearing required PPE