that printing can be spiritually fulfilling! This may sound like I’m off my rocker, but hear me out! I became aware of the a great deed printers offer society when I realized that the material we print for our customers has a direct impact on the direction and success of their venture. Whether it’s a startup with their first business card, a corporation printing its umpteenth promotion or a philanthropic organization raising money for a worthy cause, the quality of their printed material affects the outcome of their goal. I always tell myself: “If we do a fantastic job on this guy’s project, his business could be really successful and his kids might go to university.” So in a way, printers are actually the lifeblood of society – what makes things really go ‘round (I know other industries claim it’s them, but I swear it’s really us!).
Since the beginning of time, mankind has strived to record our history through the written word. From etchings on stone to written scrolls, society’s history has been recorded with increasing detail. We, the printing industry folk, carry on this tradition. The stories of our time may be typed instead of handwritten, but someday, people of the future may look at these little pamphlets and booklets that fill up our days, and think, “So this is what people in 2003 were like,” or “This is how smart they were.” So next time you’re going over text one last time, think of a futuristic Jetson family pouring over great-great-great grandfather’s scrap book and saying something like “Look! They used to spell July with two ells!” (oops – Is that how you spell “L”)! Now I’ve got myself worried!
Printing makes me feel I’m doing something worthy because it plays such an important part in everyone’s day. Whether its reading the back of a cereal box, buying tickets for a show or cashing a pay cheque – graphic conception and printing were likely the very first steps in each of these activities!
The printing industry makes it easy and rewarding to support philanthropic organizations. I helped coordinate the design and printing for the Montreal Children’s Hospital’s ABC Ball to raise money for pediatric research. The event raised over $500,000 and although MPR Communications cannot take all the credit for this, we sure don’t mind taking a teensy bit of it! From the invitations to the raffle tickets, we worked hard with the hospital committee and knowing the results went to a great cause made it all the better. I urge all printing companies to support local organizations, by offering charitable foundations a discount or free design work. You can often benefit from a tax receipt while doing great work for society.
Take a moment to think about where the project you are working on is going to end up. A children’s storybook may be the first words a child reads. A brochure on the 4 hazards of smoking may be the trigger a woman needs to finally quit. A ticket to an event may lead to a couple meeting and falling in love. The point is, the job you lithely wave off as a quick five hundred bucks will likely change – or at least affect – someone’s life. This is an example of how your actions can have phenomenal repercussions.
There is certainly more to the printing and graphic arts industry than meets the eye. So the next time the day’s running a little long and you’re not sure why you’re doing what you’re doing, think about what printing really means to society. After all, printing’s got soul.
