Along time ago, in a print shop far, far away.... OK, may be not THAT long ago, and perhaps not that far away either; I began my career. It didn't start with a bang or a flash; more of a steady slide from a Senior High School Graphic Arts class, directly into the printing field. Do not pass GO, do not collect $200. 'Back in the day' (as we older people sometimes say) prepress was a far cry from what it has morphed into in a short 23 + years. We were craftsmen...a trade within a trade; working with our hands and eyes. Using our collective experience, and knowledge of the materials, to produce the best possible outcome; and realizing the customer's dreams in print.

Today we have - CTP, FTP, JPG, EPS, and PDF. Not only did we have to learn a whole new language, but also a new way of thinking. Workstations replaced light tables, and digital files replaced the artboard. A once difficult effect to achieve on film became commonplace; and the wheels flew off the cart of convention. Printers learned the graphics programs; bridging the gap between design and print, and soon the designers were becoming prepress experts, and the prepress experts were becoming designers. Those of us who embraced the new technology became irreplaceable, while those who resisted were soon outmoded. The whole industry morphed into something new, right before our very eyes. Exciting? You better believe it!

I still marvel at the speed of the changes since the day when I first picked up an exacto-knife, gently pressed it into a masking sheet, and stripped the piece away to reveal the negative beneath. It's amazing really, and I'm fortunate to have witnessed it. So with each passing year and each new breakthrough, I say...'Bring it!'.