As an AE, some of my proudest moments involve the feeling I get when I see a project – be it a brochure, postcard, annual report – come back from the printer. What fun it is to see the finished product after having shepherded it through the agency. There’s a sense of accomplishment involved, if not the relief of finality.I never really thought much about the period of time between when we send art files away and they come back to us in their final form. I guess I always assumed the printing process was very simple, similar to when I send a document to print on my HP Laser Jet. Point, click, done. Right? Wrong.
As part of our continuing education program, a group of GCGers went on a field trip to Cockrell Printing where we had the opportunity to get a better understanding of what actually happens. The experience reminds me of that reality show on MTV – you think you know, but you have no idea.Turns out that despite how technologically advanced it has become, the printing process remains just as much an art as a science. Having evolved from woodblock printing to movable type to the rotary press, modern print
techniques are rooted in aesthetics and still require an eye for detail and tremendous patience.
I can report with confidence that we all returned to the agency with a newfound respect and appreciation for our friends at the many printers we work with, who take a great deal of pride in their work. And rightfully so.
