Inspiring the Next Generation of Print Professionals

For the print industry to continue thriving, innovation alone won’t be enough—it must truly inspire. You see, in a time when teens turn to pixels before paper, sparking the next generation of print professionals has never been more important.The Next Generation of Print Professionals PGSF
The Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation (PGSF) is at the heart of that effort. Now celebrating its 60th anniversary of serving the print industry and awarding millions of dollars in scholarships, PGSF produces a Higher-Ed directory to help students interested in pursuing careers in graphic communications or print.
While useful, the piece itself lacked the creative edge needed to get students excited about the industry. Printed on a toner-based press, it was an underwhelming black and white, 8.5” x 5.5” paperback directory.
“Students want to see something that’s colorful and bold that speaks to them … We wanted it to reflect what is possible in the printing field with the technology available today,” said Jon Hall, Graphic Designer at PGSF.
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So PGSF decided to turn the design on its head. Collaborating with Xerox, the foundation moved to a hybrid solution, combining some of today’s hottest print technologies. Using the Xerox® Rialto® 900 Inkjet Press for the interior pages and the Xerox® Color 1000i Press for the covers, PGSF turned this utilitarian directory into a full-color, photo-rich, marketing piece—topped off with shimmering gold metallic ink.
“The difference between the new and old directory is night and day. In talking to my students, their first impression was ‘that’s a quality printed piece,’” says Gary Walton, Professor Emeritus, Cincinnati State, Graphic Imaging Tech.
What has the visual transformation done for the foundation, in terms of results? Directory orders have already shot up by 600 and counting. Plus, more and more high schools have been requesting copies—each with the potential to inspire the next movement of print professionals.
It is efforts like these that energize the collective industry as a whole – helping pave the path for the next chapter of the print industry to be written
Read how PGSF leveraged the latest print technology to reach and excite Millennials about printing.
 

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