A professional who presses drycleaned and wet-cleaned silk and synthetic fiber garments, using hot-head press or steamtable, puff irons, and hand iron. Respnsibilities include:

• Operates machine presses to finish those parts that can be pressed flat and completes other parts of garments by pressing with hand iron.
• Finishes parts difficult to reach, such as flounces, by fitting parts over puff irons.
• Finishes velvet garments by steaming on buck of hot-head press or steamtable, and brushing pile (nap) with handbrush.
• Finishes fancy garments, such as evening gowns and costumes, with hand iron, applying knowledge of fabrics and heats to produce high quality finishes which cannot be obtained on machine presses.
• Presses ties on small pressing machine or by inserting heated metal form into tie and touching up rough places with hand iron.
• Finishes pleated garments, determining size of pleat from evidence of old pleat or from work order (for new garments) and presses with machine press or hand iron.
• May press wool fabrics requiring precision finishing.
• In establishments where many silk finishers are employed may be designated according to specialty as Finisher, Hand; Form-Finishing-Machine Operator; Hot-Head-Machine Operator; Pleat Presser; Puff-Iron Operator I; Tie Presser; Velvet Steamer.