P
aul Smith lived at Rose Haven Nursing Home in Roseburg, Oregon, USA
for years. Paul Smith, the man with extraordinary talent was born on 21
September 1921, with severe cerebral palsy. Not only had Paul beaten
the odds of a life with spastic cerebral palsy, a disability that impeded his
speech and mobility but also taught himself to become a master artist as well as
a terrific chess player even after being devoid of a formal education as a child.
‘When typing, Paul used his left hand to steady his right one. Since he couldn’t
press two keys at the same time, he almost always locked the shift key down
and made his pictures using the symbols at the top of the number keys. In other
words, his pictures were based on these characters ..... @ # $ % ^ & * ( )_ .
Across seven decades, Paul created hundreds of pictures. He often gave the
originals away. Sometimes, but not always, he kept or received a copy for his
own records. As his mastery of the typewriter grew, he developed techniques
to create shadings, colours, and textures that made his work resemble pencil
or charcoal drawings.’
This great man passed away on 25 June 2009, but left behind a collection of his
amazing artwork that will be an inspiration for many. You know that saying about,
‘When life closes a door, God opens a window’? Well, I think God just helped this
man build a whole new digital house.
Paul was remarkable because he taught himself to become a ‘Digital artist’ and
a ‘Digital Printer’ but most of us mere mortals need help to master a Printing
technique. So, where would one start? Where would you suggest to a youngster
that he goes to learn the fundamentals of Digital Printing?
Well if Printing SA has its way, you will be able to attend a Digital Printing Course
which it is planning to run nationally by the start of 2015. An ambitious project
but a worthy one which has the support of many manufactures who see this as
a way to improve skill levels in the Digital Print, both wide-format and cut-sheet,
industry in South Africa. Printing SA shared with me the outline of this course and
would welcome input and ideas. Tania Rhode is managing this project and she
would love to hear from anyone with constructive ideas.
Proposed Modules to be developed for the digital sector
1. Introduction to digital printing
• This course must cover a brief history of and developments/progressions
in digital printing.
• It must provide an overview of and introduction to the different digital
printing processes and applications – e.g
o Origination
o Colour (FOGRA/ICC standards).
o Machine types (wide-format vs cut-sheet digital, inkjet and laser
printers etc). To include an overview/outline of alternative printing
processes such as lithography and screen printing, briefly covering
benefits and disadvantages.
o Media
o Inks
o Finishing
2. DTP and file design (Should there be a split between narrow and
wide format?)
• Desktop Publishing
o File design and preparation: to also cover designing for different media/
applications and wide- vs narrow-format printing.
o File formats: Understanding the different file formats, designing for
different file formats.
o PDFs: explaining and understanding PDFs, print-ready PDFs and the
differences between different PDF types.
o Cut lines, bleeds and registration marks (if applicable).
• RIPS
o Overview of the different RIPS available (main ones used).
o Layout of file for print.
o Applying input and output profiles.
o Compatibility and integration of RIPS with other machines/presses
o RIPping for a variety different outputs and maintaining the integrity
between proofs on different presses/machines.
• Variable Data
o Touch on the differences between wide and narrow format.
• Workflows
• Pre-flighting, Imposition and Proofing
• Web-to-print
Another course must be developed in conjunction with this but aimed at the
clients/ad agency designers.
• This will focus on educating the clients/ad agency designers on how to
ensure their file formats are correct before they submit it to the printer.
• This course will be marketed to the client through Printing SA and the
digital printers.
3. Colour
• Basics of colour including: colour matching, colour profiling/applying colour
profiles, understanding colour, setting tolerances, calibration of presses,
CMYK, RGB, Pantones, colour perception and what influences colour.
• Output intent.
• Colour measuring devices – spectrophotometers (filters and calibration).
To include the difference between densitometers.
The importance of training
in this digital print world
I bet that not many of you reading this article have ever heard of Paul Smith. Not Paul Smith the fashion designer;
not Paul Smith the film and TV writer. Not Paul Smith, the father of ASCII art.
Vol 4 Issue 4 • THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING IN THIS DIGITAL PRINT WORLD
By Keith Solomon
Tania Rhode, national training
manager of Printing SA.
50
I
The GAPP
magazine
www.
thegapp
.co.za
