Communicating with your Printer

One thing I really like about the blog is that you don't have to enter a username and password to read it.

I just returned from a morning in Long Island City, where I attended a seminar entitled: "Communicating with your Printer: Effective and Efficient Print Planning." The printer's job is easier if the customer knows what s/he is talking about. A direct quote: "A smart buyer is what we desire." Most of the people there were young women like myself, but there were a few middle-agers and one guy who looked a lot like Gary Sinise and talked just like Lowell from Wings. I learned about the relationship between ink and paper: "It's like two people going on a date. They're independent and have all these individual qualities, but when they get together weird things can happen." For example, the exact same ink color can come out quite differently depending on whether the paper used is "coated" or "uncoated." This phenomenon was illustrated by two different versions of the book jacket to Deepak Chopra's "Ageless Body, Timeless Mind." I also learned that now over 25% of the commercial printers in the U.S. are using ink from soybeans to decrease dependence on petroleum. The latest in paper technology? Cling-z. This is a sheet of thin, electromagnetically charged paper that is manufactured in New Mexico and can stick to any surface--metal, brick, plaster, you name it--without adhesive for at least 3 to 6 months.

The bottom line is that your relationship with your printing company will be most rewarding for all involved parties if you are up front about what you want. Don't wait until a late proof stage before you bring up a change you've been thinking about making in paper stock. A lesson we could all take to heart.