where are repro houses going?

[marc3llo]

Hi all,

I know that sooner than later everything will be digital but in the meantime there are companies which offers "repro" and finished artist services.. saying that their files are "print ready"...

So, if these companies offer finished artist + trapping via deskpack, what do we do at the repro houses? just checking their mistakes and not getting any profit from it? how does it work?

Is the work-flow already CLIENT, FINISHED ARTIST STUDIO/REPRO, PRINTING???

Where should be working then? In a "old school repro house running Packedge, Backstage, etc or in these fancy studios?

Thanks!
Marcelo

[Lukas Engqvist]

We are in the stage of a shift in paradigm. Your analysis is not unfamiliar. Some printers decide to incorporate the repro others do away with it. Some creators incorporate it others do away with it. The fact remains that we are loosing a whole resource of "silent knowhow" and experience.
I took the route to get involved in training. I think what you will find is that those printers that did have repro service will have to even "sell" that repro service as training rather than think they can use the repro service to bind customers to themselves.

It hurts. It is because we are led to believe we can have all we want for free and with no side effects.
If people are not willing to pay for what they get then they will be responsible for that knowledge dissapearing. Makes you wonder if anybody learned anything in their history class.

[bharatk]

As someone who ran one and closed it down I totally agree with Lukas. There is a shift happening. The customer wants a single stop shop and the time factor for the completion of a job has reduced too. They are also not willing to pay that extra for the expertise in pre-press.
To train or impart the knowledge the repro guys have built up, they need sustenance which the customers are unwilling to do so.
Eventually the repro houses will fade (etched!) away.

[Luc St-Pierre]

Like my father used to say: evolution was such a nice thing when it began! For an aging designer and prepress guy like me, the possible shelter happened to be color management and sticking around the packaging world where human beeings skills are still hard at work . In the wonderful (sic) world of offset, there does'nt seem to be any room left for guys of my kind. Automation, workflow, hot folders seem to be the key words and one day this industry will be left with nobody that really knows what happens under the hood. Then, there will be two possible ways for a file to go: on press or simply rejected by some blind workflow. Some jobber from “Printistan” will put some underpaid fellow to work on that file until it gets printed. End of the story. Don't cry fellows, find a shelter quick!

[maas]

Very good analogy Lukas.

good prepress = good printing.

regards
Maas

[marc3llo]

Yes it is pretty sad indeed.

As Luc was saying, we all have to find a proper shelter.. I thought for my self either colour management or start working in these "fancy" design/repro boutiques.. But I have some mixed feelings about working in these places.. as if I am turning my back to the old repro houses.. anyway.. evolution as they said.

Thanks for your input.
Cheers
Marcelo

[Lukas Engqvist]

Picture the "fancy" design/repro houses. Colour management would probably still be valuable to have since if you are going to build a sheler, build it strong They will need someone who cares about the structure. If you get a job there you will be closer to those who design and will be able to ask them what they were intending to achieve. Also you can make sure they don't make a company guide line that says "Pantone 172 C/U" or all CMYK values for coated, and then decide on an uncoated stock. You will find the design houses are going to be understaffed anyway as the lead creatives are enticed to move over to animated, interactive blingbling.