Friday, May 21, 2010

Make Hay While the Sun Shines

Like many small businesses, we have been slow lately. This week, for a change, we got slammed. Not that I am complaining, I will take the work any day.

For the first time in a long time, we will be In production on Saturday. I have had to jump in to get the work out. I have only run a printing g press once in the last ten years. The first reason for that is because the nature of our business changed and the second is that Hank is so efficient.

So, in helping out where I need to, I have been operating our letterpresses. I am in no way a press operator, merely a tender. Hank and Bob set the jobs up and I stand there and keep them running.

Yesterday, I die cut several thousand sheets of labels on our Heidelberg Windmill. That is the press featured in the video on our website.

Today I'm a watching our 70year old Kluge letterpress while we die cut a few thousand paper wrap labels. As this machine runs, which looks like it was made from the cast Irene version of the game Mousetrap, I'm writing this blog post. I am writing it on my new WiFi iPad.

Two different forms of communication, one seventeenth century, the other 21st century, living side by side. That's the way it is.

The Internet did not kill print. Just as TV did not kill radio and videos did not kill TV, print will live on. It will remain a vital part of our lives.

Gotta go, my Kluge needs me.


Sent from my iPad