Flatbed Cutter Operator - Colex

Job Description

Job Description

Benefits:

• Free uniforms
• Paid time off
• Training & development

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 as the primary operator. You will own the machine end to end: setup, file prep, tooling, cut quality, throughput, and upkeep. This is a production role where registration accuracy and material yield directly affect whether a job ships on time and on budget.

Key Responsibilities

Machine operation

• 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
• Dial in cut parameters for material thickness, kiss-cut vs. through-cut, and edge quality across mixed substrates
• Sequence and prioritize the cut queue against production schedules

File prep and yield

• Prepare, import, and nest cut files
• Optimize nesting for material yield and report yield performance on high-volume runs
• Troubleshoot file issues before they reach the table: open paths, incorrect scale, missing registration marks, wrong color separations

Quality control

• Run first articles and in-process QC against job specs
• Catch registration and tolerance problems before a full sheet is scrapped
• Document and escalate recurring print or file defects that originate upstream

Finishing

• Laminate, mount, trim, grommet, and hem large-format output as required by the job
• Inspect finished graphics for edge quality, squareness, and surface defects before handoff to fabrication or packing

Maintenance

• Perform operator-level maintenance: blade and bit changes, vacuum table and belt care, lubrication, and calibration checks
• Log machine issues for service and track consumable usage
• Keep the machine, tooling, and immediate work area clean, organized, and safe

Shop support

• Move, stage, and stack substrates and finished goods
• Support packing and load-outs as production requires

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
• Working knowledge of large-format print substrates and how they behave when cut
• Able to read a tape measure to 1/16" and hold dimensional tolerances
• Comfortable working from job tickets, cut lists, and dimensioned drawings
• 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 laminating and mounting equipment
• 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
• 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

op environment with noise, dust, and variable temperatures, wearing required PPE