Old master in the spotlight: Walter Beraldo
2022.11.28 Walter Beraldo works as 'Support Digital Printing Materials' and has been part of the Grafityp family for 37 years. We would like to introduce Walter and his position to you.
Walter in short
Age: 61 years (in October 2022)
Residence: Genk
Home situation: Walter is married and has two children
Life mottos: ‘Live and let live’ & ‘Work to live, don’t live to work’
Hobbies: budo sport (collective name for Eastern self-defence sports)
Studies: computer science and programming
Seniority at Grafityp: 37 years
Walter's career at Grafityp
Walter has been working at Grafityp for many years as ‘Support Digital Printing Materials’, but he originally started as a programmer. Walter Beraldo: “In the beginning, I worked as a programmer of our own software package for the CSR programme. I just applied for a vacancy in the newspaper. Since I knew a couple of languages, I evolved into supporting the software. Over the years, the cutting plotter was then added and then large format printing. Then, due to strong competition, the CSR programme and the cutting plotters were phased out. My software function lapsed and then I switched to large format printing.
Whether Walter always saw himself working in an international company like Grafityp? Not really. “I simply rolled into it, one thing led to another. But it is super fascinating, I experienced the early years of large format printing. I followed up everything around printing from the very beginning.”
“I experienced the early years of large format printing.”
A day in the life of
What a day looks like as ‘Support Digital Printing Materials’? ” It is quite varied,” Walter says. “First of all, I am responsible for testing the digital printing materials coming from lab/R&D and from production.”There is also a piece of complaint handling in my job description. If customers have complaints or problems with large format printing, I give tips & tricks. However, most of my time is spent in the print room, working with the printers every day. Testing materials (also from our competitors) and preparing print samples. And every now and then something extra is added.”
“I am also in charge of compiling colour profiles, which is also the piece of ‘support’ in my job. For that, I work with the print and RIP producers and also with our dealers to create as many colour profiles as possible for our various print materials. That’s a never-ending story, you can really keep busy.”
“Compiling colour profiles is a never-ending story. You can keep busy on that.”
Over de job
The biggest challenge of the job according to Walter? “The colour profiling. That is why it is good that we cooperate with print and RIP producers and with our dealers to bring colour profiling in-house. What I like most about my job is the diversity and variety, no two days are the same. That keeps it exciting, even after 37 years.”
The old master has been working four-fifths since March 2022, on Wednesdays he has a day at home. “I have always worked full-time but I want to quietly phase out a bit as my retirement approaches. The last year and a half has been continuously busy: time to tighten up my work-life balance a bit again.”
“The best thing about my job? The variety, no two days are the same.”
Future replacement
Walter will retire in about three years, so Grafityp will have to start looking out for a replacement. “The most important thing is that my replacement is versatile and knows all the ins and outs. You must have knowledge of large format printing, colour profiling, informatics, RIP and publishing programmes. Are you a bit handy in mechanics? That’s a big plus, then you can solve small printing problems yourself and don’t always have to rely on the technicians.”
“My future replacement must be an all-rounder. Above all, he or she must have a keen interest in large format printing and all that it entails.”
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