Back in March of 1999, when I was just starting as a receptionist at a local printer, I had a lot to learn. Like CMYK (that’s cyan, magenta, yellow and black, the four colors that make up 4 color process). Also PMS, which I found out wasn’t a physical condition, but the Pantone Matching System.

Looking back, I think I came into the printing industry at a great time. Ten years ago, film was still being used to make plates. Now, of course, there are more economical digital processes that allow artwork to be burned directly onto plates.

Then, big offset presses ruled. These days, digital presses are mandatory pieces of equipment, because let’s face it, somebody’s always going to need a quick turnaround on a small quantity. Who wants to hold 500,000 brochures in inventory for 3 years?

I bring this all up because many print industry folks I know are worried about keeping jobs in the digital age. Call me naïve, but I’m not worried. People will always want ink on paper in some form. The trick for printers will be finding ways of producing faster, maintaining high quality and keeping cost down. As long as they can do that, they’ll have no problem coexisting with digital advances. In fact, the digital age may turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to them.