If you entered the print industry from any direction in the last millennium, there were pathways that included education. There were apprenticeships, and there was vocational education in secondary schools. You could take the classes and earn a solid degree in every aspect of print, from machine designs to prepress techniques. Expert instructors could guide you through the intricacies of color management and the fine points of screening. You could confidently enter the workforce with an understanding of the technologies, their differences, and their best applications. 

The landscape today is more complicated for novices in the print industry. There are fewer opportunities for apprenticeships (but they are out there!), opportunities for vocational training at the high school and junior college level are harder to find, and university degrees that focus on print instead of making it a footnote in a Web-focused curriculum are also fewer in number. That doesn’t mean we give up. 

There are different educational needs depending on the type of printer or vendor you are. Let’s break them down and look at how to meet your needs.