Skip to main content

Misprint Monday: Clearing Out Old Files

By Rick Roth

In a move that moves me closer to going fully to DTS (Direct to Screen) I have started to clear out old art files. What a bad chore that would be so much easier if everything was digital only.  If you have lots of space like we do (almost 30K s.f.) you tend to save crap and eventually crap must go.

I”m reusing most of the envelopes, recycling the paper, and sending the old films to a company that recovers silver. I’m saving a few things, but mostly being ruthless.

A few things learned:

  1. There was lots of ugly art 25 years ago.
  2. We have improved in communicating about artwork, note the colors we were given that were not pantone.
  3. Stickers fall off, better to write on things that you might keep.
  4. Hard jobs that caused you great anxiety and rush jobs that kept you worrying all night seem trivial later, so really they were always not worth getting your panties in a bunch about. Remain calm and do the best you can, in the long run it just isn’t worth raising your blood pressure.

 

We called this customer "the shiny guys" with their patented reflective ink. We learned so much for so little gain...
We called this customer “the shiny guys” with their patented reflective ink. We learned so much for so little gain…
The stickers seemed like they were really on there but they come off eventually.
The stickers seemed like they were really on there but they come off eventually.

 

20161212_170449
Morphine Tour. Can’t even remember, but I think it was a rush job. We did all their printing until they got big, I wasn’t dealing with my pals Dana or Mark and then somehow as per usual we got cut out.

 

screen-shot-2016-12-12-at-5-42-04-pm

We struggled to satisfy this customer and we printed hardly any shirts.
We struggled to satisfy this customer and we printed hardly any shirts.
Back in the day we hand cut the colored areas with rubylith and had trouble holding the type.
Back in the day we hand cut the colored areas with rubylith and had trouble holding the type.
  • Boston Pressman's Union made it 100 years 1896 to 1996 but maybe not longer as I see their July 2015 website says, "coming soon."
    Boston Pressman’s Union made it 100 years 1896 to 1996 but maybe not longer as I see their July 2015 website says, “coming soon.”
    Notice we shown colors to use but no Pantone numbers.
    Notice we shown colors to use but no Pantone numbers.
    With the inks of 20 years ago, the top image was probably tough to print without build-up.
    With the inks of 20 years ago, the top image was probably tough to print without build-up.
    Some art looks pretty dated.
    Some art looks pretty dated.

    20161212_170422

    and some art still looks pretty cool.
    and some art still looks pretty cool.

    20161212_170317

Some printing still looks pretty sharp.
Some printing still looks pretty sharp.

Comments

  1. Damn this is hella cool. The discovery channel add Clinique prints are my favorite. Throwing them out or just looking at them?

    Reply

    1. I’m recycling all that I can (film has silver in it) and throwing the rest out after photos of any samples. We used to run four autos and have most of the films for twenty five years or more.

      Reply

  2. I’ve been going through the same process. All the way back to hand-cut rubylith artwork. The art got ugly when too much was generated with Quark and early Mac-based type. Please post updates of the move to DTS.

    Reply

Leave a comment