My First Press Check

Last week, I went on my first press check for work. The press was in Englewood, New Jersey (not that far from Manhattan). Some of the houses there are gorgeous... Aside from that, it was really cool to see the entire process from how a file is prepped and then printed out on a metallic plate that then goes onto a HUGE press. The paper feeds through the press, gets inked and then little tweaks are made (some by hand, others electronically) to make sure that the registration and coloring looks as best as it can. The whole experience made me really embrace the fact that good design on its own is only half the “battle.” If the paper choice is poor, or the coloring is off, or the printer does a crappy job, good design cannot nearly compensate for these types of errors. While the graphic design curriculum at Penn does emphasize the importance of handcraft, paper choice, and printing in making our final products, I don’t think that our eyes have been opened up enough to the commercial aspect of printing, which if we pursue the field of design, we will inevitably work closely with.