What You'll Do

  • Operate steam, hydraulic, or other pressing machines to remove wrinkles from garments and flatwork items, or to shape, form, or patch articles.
  • Lower irons, rams, or pressing heads of machines into position over material to be pressed.
  • Remove finished pieces from pressing machines and hang or stack them for cooling, or forward them for additional processing.
  • Hang, fold, package, and tag finished articles for delivery to customers.
  • Slide material back and forth over heated, metal, ball-shaped forms to smooth and press portions of garments that cannot be satisfactorily pressed with flat pressers or hand irons.
  • Select appropriate pressing machines, based on garment properties such as heat tolerance.
  • Push and pull irons over surfaces of articles to smooth or shape them.
  • Finish pleated garments, determining sizes of pleats from evidence of old pleats or from work orders, using machine presses or hand irons.
  • Straighten, smooth, or shape materials to prepare them for pressing.
  • Finish pants, jackets, shirts, skirts and other dry-cleaned and laundered articles, using hand irons.

Essential Skills

Operation and Control 3.0/5
Critical Thinking 2.5/5
Operations Monitoring 2.5/5
Time Management 2.5/5
Monitoring 2.38/5
Complex Problem Solving 2.25/5
Equipment Maintenance 2.25/5
Troubleshooting 2.25/5
Speaking 2.12/5
Active Learning 2.12/5
Quality Control Analysis 2.12/5
Judgment and Decision Making 2.12/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Artist: Creating original work and expressing ideas feels natural.

Common styles

Attention to Detail, Dependability, Cautiousness, Integrity, Perseverance

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Manual Dexterity 3.62/5
Arm-Hand Steadiness 3.38/5
Control Precision 3.25/5
Near Vision 3.25/5
Finger Dexterity 3.12/5
Multilimb Coordination 3.12/5
Reaction Time 3.0/5
Trunk Strength 3.0/5

Technologies & Tools

Email software Microsoft Excel Microsoft Word

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.43/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.2/5)
  • Cautiousness (High importance: 3.74/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 3.4/5)
  • Perseverance (High importance: 3.37/5)

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How to Become One

Little or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for this career. Training is provided on the job.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

All-Around Presser Armhole Presser Automatic Presser Blocker Boarder Bobbin Presser Brim Presser Buffing Wheel Presser Bulk Folder Calender Machine Operator Clothes Ironer Clothes Presser Clothing Presser Coat Presser Creaser Crown Presser Curtain Stretcher Delicate Fabrics Presser Drapery Head Former Dry Clean Presser Dry Cleaner Presser Flap Presser Flat Finisher Flat Ironer Flatwork Finisher Flatwork Ironer Flatwork Presser Form Presser Fur Ironer Garment Folder Garment Presser Garment Steamer Hand Flatwork Finisher Hand Ironer Hand Presser Handkerchief Presser Hat Blocker Hat Ironer Hat Lining Blocker Hat Presser Hat Steamer Hydraulic Press Operator Ironer Ironing Machine Operator Ironing Pleater Ironing Worker Knitted Goods Shaper Laundry Press Operator Laundry Presser Leather Finisher Linen Folder Linens Folder Machine Presser Machine Straw Hat Presser Mangle Feeder Mangler Millinery Blocker Pants Presser Patch Press Operator Patching Machine Operator Press Operator Presser Pressing Machine Operator Pressing Machine Tender Pressure Steamer Tender Seam Presser Shirt Folder Shirt Ironer Shirt Line Operator Shirt Presser Silk Finisher Silk Presser Sleeve Ironer Sleeve Presser Operator Sleever Slip Presser Steam Clothes Press Operator Steam Press Operator Steam Press Tender Steam Presser Steamer Steaming Cabinet Tender Straw Hat Plunger Operator Strip Presser Tie Presser Under Presser Vest Presser Wool Presser Yoke Presser

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.