Digital File Preparation

Pittsburg State University | Graphics & Imaging Technologies Students

This blog is dedicated to the students of our Graphics and Imaging Technologies Department at Pittsburg State University. It is a space for our students to collaborate, communicate, create and commend the work of their peers. Feel free to comment and by all means compliment their work. The list of student blogs are categorized by course and were customized during class. Our Digital File Preparation student blogs are focusing on communication skills, where the Web Site Design class is focused more on design.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Teacher's Update | In the Trenches

Today was our "field trip" day! While one group went to Ditto Document Solutions, the other toured Brady Communications, a Marketing Communications firm.

Leah Osley, Brand Strategy Diretor, took excellent care of us.

Their awards.....


This clever self promo piece and snazzy note pad were waiting on us in the "board room"


Marilyn made signs directed you to the ladies room!

A few more awards!


The "work" room

Photo prop storage

Designer and Art Director giving us a demo of the iPad Wine and Dinner menu application they developed for a cruise line


The client specifically requested photos of food NOT be used so within 4 days they had to develop these clever icons to accompany the food selections.

Art Director's work space.....oozes creativity, don't you think!

This chart is an example of their work flow. It helps keeps the team on task for each of their many clients.

Production team giving an explanation of the latest Boy Scouts of America annual report. He was discussing how they used a recycled, uncoated sheet, and had to maintain close contact with the printer and watch the ink density to make sure the art work held it's nice black areas.

They have 7 designers on staff and 5 print production people. They like to have their files as close to perfect when they are sent off to print. Don't we all!

One production artist's super hero collection

We also got to chat with the primary photographer/designer for Del Monte




Artwork collage in the entry way

Nice photographic display advertising "on the way"

PIA book store

Along the hall of PIA and even in the restrooms there are award winning print industries framed



This just might be my single most favorite person at PIA....Kathy. She has organized the most amazing meals for us. We have been eating quiche, sandwich wraps, breaded pork chops, meatloaf and mashed potatoes, Caesar salad, and peach cobbler, and chocolate cupcakes… just to name a few! Thanks for the extra pounds, Kathy!

Tom came through for us! Yesterday while demonstrating the folder, he told us he would trim some of the pamphlets we were test folding. They are basic printing information pamphlets, perfect for our classrooms. He not only trimmed them, he packaged and wrapped them for us!


Chibaud and Dr. Mark, although Mark claims he is not a "geek" he is leaps and bounds beyond the rest of us when it comes to his knowledge of the "science" of printing. He also knows everything there is to know about JDF's.

Bill should be on staff at PIA. He's part of our class, but has served as a personal tour guide for the hotel group. Each night we've met in the lobby and said "Ok, Bill, where we going tonight?" He is very familiar with Pittsburgh, and has not failed us yet! Bill is from Ohio and is a hardcore rollerblader.

We got so many great things to take home from PIA, I had to make a pit stop at Fed Ex to ship a few things home. I snapped this lion on my walk back to the hotel.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Science and Chemistry....of Printing

Today was the day for a lot of math, science and chemistry. To quote Joe, our fearless leader, who has yet to appear on the blog....Brad Evans is the "Paper and Ink God" and I think we would all agree.

This is a sample from a court case where the ink company blamed the paper company and vice versa; Brad was called in for consultation and the results showed that the presses were not thoroughly cleaned between cover ink and insert ink. The wax/teflon in the cover ink caused the lovely effect from the friction of transporting the 1.5 million catalogs to be shipped.

The Paper and Ink God explain the different printing problems he's consulted on over the years.





Piling on a blanket


Lots of discussion about ISO standards from Greg. Especially ISO 12647.
A brief overview of gory printing accidents and why this industry is on Osha's hot list for amputee's. Then right before lunch, and excellent presentation from Julie Shaffer on internet communications. I have a very long list of links to provide from her presentation, but we will hear from her again on Friday, so I will wait and list them all together!

Tom has 25+ years in the industry, primarily as a pressman, but he gave us an excellent bindery/finishing demonstration. It was very refreshing to see someone with his years of expertise so excited about new technology.

We knew we were going to be on the press today, so an elite few of us purchased special aprons from dinner at the Hoffbrau.

Mark a.k.a. Phil from Massachusetts,
doesn't have an "r" in his vocabulary...it's "Lobsta, riva, dinna"


This brand new installation was just up and running in time for a demonstration



Then we moved over to the press! We watched the entire process of printing the posters we proofed yesterday. Greg and Jim were extremely patient with us as a group. They explained all of the steps and gave us a chance to be as involved as we wanted to be.




I remember sitting at home in Pittsburg, KS, watching this episode with Blake, thinking, as I often do with these episodes....WHO EATS THAT! Tonight....it was me!



I cannot say enough positive things about this organization and this experience.