It’s no surprise that letterpress printing seems to be on the rise. Paper still has power. There’s an undeniable appeal to the look, texture and feel of metal type and engravings imprinted on old fashioned or even homemade paper. Even the latest all-digital companies acknowledge that paper just might have its place. The online invitation company Evite recently began offering… gasp …paper invitations through Evite Ink.
Printers generally are a notoriously skeptical lot, me included. Many years ago when I was managing a small commercial printing company, a couple of clean-cut fellows in suits entered our shop. They said they were from the FBI and wanted to talk to the manager. I laughed a bit too heartily and replied “OK, sure you are, show me some ID.”
Most of us who work on bindery equipment get pretty good training on how to use the equipment itself, typically through a mix of on-the-job training and instruction by manufacturer’s reps. I suspect that most get very little, if any, training on how to troubleshoot and repair that same equipment. This sort of knowledge is typically a result of experience.
I periodically get letters from bindery equipment operators and others in the printing industry who feel stuck in their jobs, or are underemployed, unemployed or are at a loss as to how to advance their career. They want advice. Considering the very personal nature of their situations I realize that reaching out like this is a big, vulnerable step. I know because I’ve been in the same situation.
Experience is a double-edged sword. On the plus side, an experienced bindery equipment staffer can bring lots of skill and know-how to production operations. It saves time, training, mistakes and keeps things flowing smoothly. It’s only natural that owners and managers of printing and bindery businesses love such employees, especially in a region where they’re hard to find.
My first unforgettable exposure to the dangers of fork lifts goes back to before I ever set foot in a print shop. The experience was responsible in part for instilling the caution I later had when working around bindery and material handling equipment.
Today we’re talking guillotine cutters with Dave Double of Double Equipment, a bindery equipment repair specialist based in Ohio.
Most of us involved in bindery and post-press work get the ‘privilege’ of working with trucking companies. It’s often a task delegated to the new guy.
Having trouble finding qualified, skilled help for your post-press department? You’re not alone. A recent article on piworld.com highlights a common lament in the printing industry. "Finding a qualified worker who has the special skill set, knowledge and ability to accomplish the assigned job is an ongoing challenge. This “skills gap” is growing more severe, forcing many manufacturers to scale back their growth plans."
He’s called Fearless Felix by friends and colleagues. This past week Felix Baumgartner set four world records including the highest skydive at 128,097 feet (24 miles), highest manned balloon flight, the first man to go supersonic in freefall, and longest vertical distance in freefall.