In house classes...

[faustjann]

Companies with the same production printing machines, do they ever share information? Do they have Saturday seminars or classes?

 

[katjt]

I have never heard of such a thing in Auckland, New Zealand. There is not even a Prepress
school anymore. There was one at AUT, but it was closed down about 8 years ago (I think).
Unless one is able to get an apprenticeship with a company (and the companies don't seem to want the expense of that either anymore), you just seem to have to learn on the job. The only quals that I have heard of recently are graphic design degrees. It all seems ridiculous.

Exchanging info sounds like a great idea. Too sensible for most management here. Everything is secret.....

 

[CathieH]

We have our digital machines through All Copy (a distributor of KMs and Canons) and they provide training on Micropresses, Creos and Fierys.

There may be a company out there that can train you, I'd do a search around google and see what you come up with. Whoever makes your machine might have a color specialist of some sort that could come out and walk you through some things and answer questions. They've offered that to me.

Good luck,
CathieH

 

[CD102]

Exchanging info sounds like a great idea. Too sensible for most management here. Everything is secret.....

It's difficult to get pressmen working in the same shop to share information so to see information shared between competing companies doesn't seem too likely.

In a single shop, it comes down to job security and jealousies. Between shops, you are talking about market share and profits.

 

[CathieH]

You make a very good point. I'm a sole copy center operator in an in-house copy shop, so my experience is definitely different than those in the competitive world.

I've often thought of starting a company that goes around teaching pre-press - there are so many variables that are hard to catch. For instance, if a white logo coming out of Illustrator and imported into a document, reversing out of, say, black, doesn't print as a reverse, many times it's because in Illustrator the logo is set to overprint. How does one figure that out on their own? Plus the naming of colors, when to use rich black and when not to, etc.

Cathie

 

[CD102]

Most equipment sellers offer training and I imagine that many software companies do as well, but there could be a market for your concept.

 

[faustjann]

I can't find anything in my area. It's a shame too. One of my quarterly goals is to research and learn more about my RICOH. I'd love to go to another shop for a class or seminar. RICOH techs rush through too much and don't offer much.