San Luis Obispo, Calif. – Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department will host International Graphic Communication Week from Tuesday through Friday, Jan. 21-24, in San Luis Obispo, California.

The week, which celebrates Benjamin Franklin’s birthday, is dedicated to enriching student awareness of career paths, industry contacts and Graphic Communication Advisory Board involvement.

Cal Poly has celebrated this event annually since 1984 with a lecture series of industry professionals, a celebration banquet and the department’s largest career day of the year, in which companies can take a sneak peek at the best of the best future leaders in the industry.

The theme of this year’s International Graphic Communication Week is “Print and Pixels, Engage the Senses!” The theme reflects how the industry has morphed from traditional print to also include integrated marketing, user experience, packaging, printed electronics, branding, and designing for print and digital.

“The graphic communication industry is constantly changing, and Cal Poly's curriculum is well poised to keep up with those changes,” said Colleen Twomey, chair of the Graphic Communication Department.

International Graphic Communication Week presentations will be provided by many Cal Poly graphic communication graduates. The presenters are industry professionals who will provide students with insight to career paths and share the interesting things they do for a living.

Additionally, Cal Poly’s Shakespeare Press Museum, a 19th century working printing museum, celebrates 50 years in 2020. The department will hold a reception on Friday, Jan. 24, from 5 to 7 p.m., and an Open House on Saturday, Jan. 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum contains rare letterpress equipment, over 500 fonts of handset type, and a variety of printing papers. In addition to serving as a museum, student volunteers and a faculty advisor function as a letterpress printing office, which can produce greeting cards, wedding invitations, bookmarks, posters and personal projects.

A dedication will also take place for two donations to the department: EFI (Electronics For Imaging) and Konica Minolta have donated an H1625 LED Wide Format printer. Mark Andy has donated a Digital Pro 3 narrow web press for our prototyping, packaging, and digital/variable classes.

“We are extremely excited about EFI, Konica Minolta, and Mark Andy's commitment to our students’ experiences and Learn by Doing opportunities,” Twomey said.

The banquet, which will be held at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo on Wednesday, Jan. 22, is the highlight of the week for students. They will meet the Graphic Communication Advisory Board, interact with the presenters of the week, and meet with industry sponsors and Career Day companies. The keynote speaker is Dr. Juanita Parris of Sun Chemical.

On Friday, Jan. 24, the department will host a Career Day, which will take place from 9 a.m. to noon, with interviews from 1 to 5 p.m. Employers and students have the opportunity to talk in an expo-style format. This particular Career Day is the most popular of the year in the Graphic Communication Department.

Links
International Graphic Communication Week: www.grc.calpoly.edu/printweek