Cal Poly’s graphic communication department (GrC) will celebrate International Printing Week this Tuesday through Friday to commemorate Benjamin Franklin’s birthday and the importance of print media in America.
This year marks Franklin’s 301st birthday (Jan. 17), and each year Cal Poly celebrates this event with a lecture series and related events, according to a press release.
“We, as well as institutions all over the country, celebrate Benjamin Franklin’s birthday in honor of his role as the first public printer in America, and in recognition of the importance of print in a free society and the role it continues to play,” said Harvey Levenson, head of the university’s graphic communication department.
In addition to recognizing the importance of Franklin’s contributions to print and graphic communication, the celebration also aims to “salute an industry whose existence has been a dynamic and constructive force in the cultural lives and advancement of civilization” as well as “to encourage young people to share in the limitless career opportunities which are provided by the graphic arts,” according to the graphic communication department’s Web site.
The week-long celebration will include lectures from various Cal Poly professors, professionals and distinguished scholars, in addition to panel discussions, a career fair, a banquet, and the dedication of a new $1.5 million printing press.
This year’s event begins with a three-day lecture series from Jan. 23-25 conducted by industry leaders from across the nation. The presentations will be held in the Graphic Arts Building, room 209 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and are open to the public.
On Tuesday, the lecture series kicks off with “Design Reproduction Technology and Packaging Day,” which will explore topics such as wine label design, radio frequency identification technology, and digital label printing.
Lectures for the day begin at 8:15 a.m., and will include presentations from several Cal Poly professors and graphic communications professionals.
Wednesday will play host to “Gravure Day” which is dedicated to lectures on technology and issues related to gravure printing, a process designed for extremely long print runs – up into the millions – or for the highest quality printing, such as the pages of National Geographic, according to a press release.
There will also be a distinguished scholar lecture held Wednesday evening in the Performing Arts Center at 8 p.m. to be hosted by Michael Cunningham, a clinical professor of entrepreneurship at San Diego State University.
Renowned as one of the graphic communication industry’s most successful leaders, Cunningham will provide a presentation as part of the new Distinguished Lecture Series, titled “The Significance of Entrepreneurial Thinking in Today’s Global Economy: A Multidisciplinary Approach.” The lecture is free and will be followed by a “meet the speaker” reception from 9 to 9:30 p.m., according to a press release.
Thursday is dedicated to the memory of industry leaders Terry Bell and George Prue, and will include lectures that address the latest management ideas in the graphic arts industry, the technologies being used to keep the industry vital and competitive, and the future of the industry.
Two major gifts will be dedicated on Thursday: A $1.5 million four-color printing press installed by Heidelberg and a Trendsetter “computer-to-place” system from the Eastman Kodak Co. Both gifts will have a special dedication ceremony – the Heidelberg Press dedication at 2 p.m. in the Press Lab, and the Trendsetter dedication at 2:30 p.m. in the Digital Printing Lab, according to a press release.
In addition, there will be an International Printing Week banquet held at the Embassy Suites in San Luis Obispo on Thursday evening from 6 to 9:30 p.m, which includes a special presentation from Heidelberg USA President James Dunn. The banquet is open to the public at a cost of $65 a person.
The celebration will conclude on Friday with “Career Day.” The day will host 15 graphic communication companies, including Heidelberg USA, Leo Burnett USA and Pinnacle Printing systems among several others from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Graphic Arts building, room 209.
For more information about International Printing Week and a complete list of events and lectures, visit the graphic communication department’s Web site at www.grc.calpoly.edu/printweek.