San Luis Obispo – Cal Poly Graphic Communication Department hosted Gravure Day as part of Printing Week 2010, including presentations from leading industry experts on economic and technical issues in the industry.
 
Gravure Day is dedicated to educating students about current applications and developing technologies in gravure printing, which produces some of the highest quality and diverse output in the printing industry.

Gravure Day brings industry professionals to the classroom, allowing students to interact with the speakers personally. This year, the lecture series featured four prominent leaders in the gravure industry: Lynette Archbold, print production manager of Harbor Freight Tool Company; Stuart Moore, plant manager of Quad/Graphics-Reno; Bill Staab, operations support manager of R.R. Donnelley; and Walter Veil, president of St. Marys Paper Company.

Severe weather caused flight cancellations that prevented Moore and Staab from attending, but this did not prevent them from presenting. Cal Poly technicians connected students and lecturers through a video conferencing system that enabled the students to interact with the presenters almost as if they were in the room.

The speakers were introduced by Donna Clark and Laura Kiyoi, recipients of Cal Poly's Gravure Education Foundation scholarships. Clark and Kiyoi will also represent Cal Poly at the Gravure Association of America 2010 conference in Parsippany, N.J.

"The gravure process is a cornerstone of traditional printing with capabilities related to quality and run lengths not achievable through other printing processes," said Harvey Levenson, head of Cal Poly's Graphic Communication Department. "Cal Poly remains committed to addressing the gravure process as part of its core curriculum in Graphic Communication and preparing students to enter the gravure field."

Industry Presentations
Archbold, with Harbor Freight Tools, spoke about the wealth of opportunity in the printing industry, using examples from her own diverse background. Her degree in fine arts helped her in collaborate with artists, printers and managers for a wide range of companies and organizations, from the World Constitution and Parliament Association to Bonhams and Butterfield Auctioneers. Archbold addressed the constant deadlines inherent in the printing industry and the need to find creative solutions to keep the product new and fresh. She also addressed the need to increase workflow efficiency and acknowledged gravure for its quality and high-output capabilities.

Quad/Graphics' Moore explained the features and benefits of gravure printing and provided an overview of an industry career, with examples that included his early experiences in sales to the possible expansion of the Reno Quad/Graphics plant. He also touched on important issues such as how quickly costs, such as paper and postage, can add up in publication printing. Moore provided a technical perspective on the importance of workflow control as jobs progress through each production and cost center.

With more than 35 years in production management with R.R. Donnelly, Staab provided an in-depth lecture on the industry. He also spoke about his company's commitment to training and education, including on-site experiences mentoring Cal Poly students at the company's Reno facility. Staab presented a detailed perspective of gravure, exemplified through examples from the Donnelly Reno plant that included prepress, engraving and gravure print production, detailing various steps through the process.

Vail discussed St. Marys Paper Company's three Fourdrinier machines, two of which date to the early 1900s. He addressed the profitability of these machines and the effect the economy is having on the paper industry. Vail outlined current economic data associated with the gravure industry and discussed trends in magazine ad pages, catalog production and distribution, paper industry trends and the impact of the recession on these industry segments. Vail also touched on career opportunities in the gravure industry as well as the important role that the Gravure Education Foundation plays by providing scholarships and other resources to students studying graphic communication.