I've had this argument by press operators when we were working to set ourselves up to printing standards. There were complaints that you cannot put numbers in printing, as it is 'art', which is a ridiculous thing to say when you work within the walls of a factory and you have to punch in a card for breaks. Now operators are complaining if they have to print at a different density to get to color, which is a big change in mentality.
As for the argument whether it is craft, it is far more reasonable and combines the human element and pride of craftmanship with quality and production concepts, like "numbers".
Quality control has metrics - i.e. it is quantifiable and is measurable. No craft required. Unless I misunderstand what you mean by craft.
best, gordon p
No you didn't misunderstand. You are correct - no craft required. But I often find that the added human touch that makes a certain job unique comes from customizing the process for that specific job in small ways so that you have the highest quality product.
No you didn't misunderstand. You are correct - no craft required. But I often find that the added human touch that makes a certain job unique comes from customizing the process for that specific job in small ways so that you have the highest quality product.
If you're saying that "craft" applies to the human aspect - the "touchy-feely" of understanding print customer needs and expectations for a given job or print experience, then I absolutely agree with you. That is the real craft that the best printers have always had. It's what many of the graphic equipment vendors and many industry pundits do not understand when they denounce the notion of "craft" in the industry.
Printing SHOULD be a by-the-numbers trade... However, due to a series of factors, it is a craft and often even becomes a form of art.. Let me explain. I believe that most of those that work in printing have had their share of troubles with "art by the customer". Many people believe that a DTP software on a computer and a good sound idea of what you want to print on your leaflet are enough to produce an art file for printing. However, as we all know, that is not so. Try educating and explaining the customer he was erring when he first laid out the design. That the colours he saw on his office monitor will never be the same on paper. And that his beautifully coloured laser-print has very little to do with what the 4+4 colour offset is going to produce. In the end, in most of the cases it's easier to resort to "craft" and "art" than explain to a customer he's getting it all wrong and that if a guy is a "computer wizard" he does not necessarily have the knowledge to produce a printable file. Printable meaning that the printing machine will produce something at partially resembling the beautiful bright picture on the monitor. So, this is where the "by the numbers manufacturing process" leaves the stage and the "art and craft" kicks in... That's my take on it...
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Originally Posted by JasonSpr
