Throughout my free time the past RIT school year, I have been searching for an innovative commercial printing company within my hometown the Twin Cities to intern at over the summer. After looking at over fifteen different companies, I chose to spend my summer at Bolger "Vision Beyond Print" located in Minneapolis. Bolger is a family-owned company that over the years has made tremendous strides into expanding its services and becoming a leader within the industry. Staying true to the company's motto, Bolger strives in going beyond full-service commercial printing and offers unique and unconventional advantages to its customers.
I sought out a CSR position at Bolger because I wanted to be involved in the entire print production process starting from when the sales representative hands me the job all the way to when it's shipped out the door. What I greatly enjoy about this position is working directly with each department(pre-press, press, post-press) and overseeing that the job until it is finished. This comes with many tasks such as communicating efficiently with the sales reps, working with customers, being flexible and working with changes/new information etc.
Everyday as I work with different jobs, I learn something new or think of a question that will guide me to seek out an answer. I have recently begun helping with some of Bolger's high end work with clients from the fashion/jewelry industry. This experience has allowed me to get involved with some really amazing print processes and pursue an interest of mine in stochastic screening. If I ever have any questions with the theory of why a certain type of screening was used on a piece or how it attributed to gain a certain aspect in the image, I am able to talk directly with pre-press, the head of production or even go on press and see the job being run and talk with the press operators.
What I enjoy most about working at Bolger is being around the progressive atmosphere and friendly staff day in and day out. This is my first full time job and at the end of the day I leave feeling that not only did I learn a lot, but I had a really fun time doing it as well. Through this summer internship, I feel that having the CSR background is a valuable experience in my early
career and will leave me with the sound knowledge of the production process that I can carry into future positions.
As time flies by, it is without a doubt that the start of school at RIT will soon be approaching. I would like to continue sharing with you my intern experiences this summer and I also wish you the best of luck in your own endeavors.
Nick Gawreluk
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Monday, November 30, 2009
Fall 09 RIT
As summer came to an end and the newspaper began to advertise notebooks, pencils and backpack supplies, I knew school was just around the corner. Since my junior year in high school, I knew without a doubt, that I wanted to pursue my college career with Rochester Institute of Technology. The reputation within the industry as well as the opportunity to receive a high end education, led me to the school and pursuing a major in New Media Publishing. Once I was all packed up and ready to go, my family and I left Minnesota to begin the long drive to Rochester, New York. After completing a summer internship at GLS and the summer before Advanced Web, I looked back at all that I had learned and felt extremely prepared to start school.
This all seemed like it happened yesterday. From late August to now late November, I can attest that the old saying holds true, "Time flies when you are having fun". As school began, I was extremely motivated to get involved within RIT's Print Media department.
I started working in the Digital Publishing Center. At RIT, the DPC is student operated and is a solution for other students in any major to print off projects, photo prints, books, etc. My duties working this fall were to open the center and prepare it for the full day ahead. Starting the presses, wide format plotter, cutters, etc. as well as completing calibration tests for each device were some of my morning duties. When the center opens up and customers begin to fill in, as a lab assistant, I work wit the CSR's and complete each incoming job. This includes releasing it from RIP, getting the correct paper, running it on the printer, finishing and handing it to the customer.
In the school of Print Media, RIT has three student related groups. TAGA, PUB, and GET. All serve as an opportunity for students to get involved and work first hand with industry leading trends. I decided to join TAGA and PUB because they seemed to fit me best with what I wanted to get out of them.
Each year, the Technical Association of Graphic Arts (TAGA) invites students from TAGA Chapters around the world to participate in a publication competition a their international technical conference. Each chapter submits an entirely student-written, designed, and produced publication of technical papers which is judged on its informative, professional, and creative merits.
The RIT TAGA Student Chapter combines printing, design, photography and multimedia skills into one cohesive publication. Our chapter produced its last publication as a 148-page journal theme of international accessibility. Features of our journal included keyword translations in four languages, a Smyth sewn binding with lay-flat design, and each journal was individually issued via variable data. I am production manager of this year's publication and I am very excited about the direction the publication is heading. Three other students and myself recently completed a test run on the NexPress. We tested specifically the dimensional coating capabilities and were really happy with the results.
PUB is a project-based organization withing the School of Print Media that is focused on education, networking and experience in the fields related new Media, Print, Publishing Photography, Design, Business and Information Technology. Besides working on yearlong projects, PUB also hosts various speakers, networking events and Brain Exchange seminars. PUB holds various social events throughout the year including quarterly dinners, trips off campus, and our end of the year banquet. I am project lead of the Variable Data Group. Our goal is to work with admissions to incorporate VDP in their postcards to prospective students.
My print related classes this fall have been Digital Foundations and New Media Perspectives. My professors in both classes are greatly involved in the industry and being able to learn from them each day is enjoyable for me. In Digital Foundations, we learned all about file types, bit depth, resolution, color theory, production flow, etc. In the New Media Perspectives class, we had may interesting discussions such as current state of the newspaper industry and where the future might take us.
As I am writing this, I am enjoying my first break home and seeing everyone for Thanksgiving. I fly back tomorrow night and I look forward to starting a new winter quarter. I hope to share with you my future experiences.
Nick Gawreluk
This all seemed like it happened yesterday. From late August to now late November, I can attest that the old saying holds true, "Time flies when you are having fun". As school began, I was extremely motivated to get involved within RIT's Print Media department.
I started working in the Digital Publishing Center. At RIT, the DPC is student operated and is a solution for other students in any major to print off projects, photo prints, books, etc. My duties working this fall were to open the center and prepare it for the full day ahead. Starting the presses, wide format plotter, cutters, etc. as well as completing calibration tests for each device were some of my morning duties. When the center opens up and customers begin to fill in, as a lab assistant, I work wit the CSR's and complete each incoming job. This includes releasing it from RIP, getting the correct paper, running it on the printer, finishing and handing it to the customer.
In the school of Print Media, RIT has three student related groups. TAGA, PUB, and GET. All serve as an opportunity for students to get involved and work first hand with industry leading trends. I decided to join TAGA and PUB because they seemed to fit me best with what I wanted to get out of them.
Each year, the Technical Association of Graphic Arts (TAGA) invites students from TAGA Chapters around the world to participate in a publication competition a their international technical conference. Each chapter submits an entirely student-written, designed, and produced publication of technical papers which is judged on its informative, professional, and creative merits.
The RIT TAGA Student Chapter combines printing, design, photography and multimedia skills into one cohesive publication. Our chapter produced its last publication as a 148-page journal theme of international accessibility. Features of our journal included keyword translations in four languages, a Smyth sewn binding with lay-flat design, and each journal was individually issued via variable data. I am production manager of this year's publication and I am very excited about the direction the publication is heading. Three other students and myself recently completed a test run on the NexPress. We tested specifically the dimensional coating capabilities and were really happy with the results.
PUB is a project-based organization withing the School of Print Media that is focused on education, networking and experience in the fields related new Media, Print, Publishing Photography, Design, Business and Information Technology. Besides working on yearlong projects, PUB also hosts various speakers, networking events and Brain Exchange seminars. PUB holds various social events throughout the year including quarterly dinners, trips off campus, and our end of the year banquet. I am project lead of the Variable Data Group. Our goal is to work with admissions to incorporate VDP in their postcards to prospective students.
My print related classes this fall have been Digital Foundations and New Media Perspectives. My professors in both classes are greatly involved in the industry and being able to learn from them each day is enjoyable for me. In Digital Foundations, we learned all about file types, bit depth, resolution, color theory, production flow, etc. In the New Media Perspectives class, we had may interesting discussions such as current state of the newspaper industry and where the future might take us.
As I am writing this, I am enjoying my first break home and seeing everyone for Thanksgiving. I fly back tomorrow night and I look forward to starting a new winter quarter. I hope to share with you my future experiences.
Nick Gawreluk
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Intern Nick's 1st post
Hello,
My name is Nick Gawreluk, with the support of the Printing Industry of Minnesota, I am here to share with you my experiences as a member of the PIM/Pohlad summer internship program. I will share with you how I became exposed to printing, how I got involved with the summer program, and what day to day experiences I encounter. Whether you’re a student looking to be involved, a company looking to start hosting an internship program, or just someone who is interested in printing, I invite you to read on.
I originally became exposed to printing at Roseville Area High School. It is little known, but they have a graphic arts program unique to any other high school in the nation. The instructor, Brian Hoag, has been the mastermind of the department and it’s programs for over 19 years and with his industry and business experience has built up the program so successfully that students have the opportunity to receive college credits or even get employed right after graduation. All based off their experiences within Roseville’s print department. The program starts off with an introductory class where students are taught what exactly graphic arts is, how it’s all around us and more importantly, how we can be involved in it. From there forward, the student is free to choose an array of classes from t-shirt printing, photographics II, offset printing, digital/vinyl e.t.c.. Oh, I forgot to mention, the print department has the current technology and equipment to back this up. You often hear about how companies are exploring the capabilities of going digital, well Roseville already has. Their recent purchase of a digital garment printer has allowed them to expand their capabilities of shirt printing to match or exceed that of any modern screen printing shop around. This compliments their commercial automatic screen printing press; numerous AB Dick offset presses, full creative suite computer lab, Versa Cam large format printer, dye sublimation technology, as well a variety of vinyl cutters. As you can clearly see the opportunities available to me at Roseville were outstanding. My four years there were spent in that department before, during and after school because I could never get enough of it.
When I heard about the Printing Industry of Minnesota’s summer internship program, I was ecstatic! Most kids complain how they hate their summer job and I figured, why not pursue something I really enjoy and obtain first-hand experience all while getting paid? I made a phone call to the PIM and Kris Davis was more than happy to assist me with the information I needed to get started. With over thirty company’s participating in this year’s program, I researched each one and through their websites I got a small feel for what each on had to offer. After endless researching, I was really impressed with GLS. Knowing that I wanted to focus my time at an offset company that was progressive and up-to-date, I made sure to research their equipment list and I saw that they had both a Komori web press and new Heidelberg sheet fed at their St. Paul location; I knew that this was where I wanted to intern. After contacting GLS, setting up a tour, meeting the Human Resource representative, I was ready to go.
I start my internship each morning with a meeting. The head of pre-press, bindery, production, shipping, and estimating discuss that days specific agenda and what deadlines need to be met. If necessary, the production board would be shifted around as needed and each person representing a different department would relay the status and specifics that needed to be completed. Attending this morning meeting was really interesting, as it allowed me to understand production flow from management to the floor in making sure the jobs were coming in and headed out in a fast, effective and timely manner.
After the meeting, I head down to the Speedmaster CD 102 6 color press. Let’s just say it was quite a difference from the little one color AB Dick press at school. Each day I comprehend better how things work by asking questions and helping the operators load plates, clean the ink trays and throw paper. Participating with the simple things, really allows me to see first-hand the overall process of a job. Within the first couple of weeks, I was gaining a good understanding of the workflow on the press. Of all that went on at the Speedmaster, color management is what I found to be the most interesting. I enjoyed the challenge of all the different variables that came into play for each job (paper stock, inks, layouts, coatings, UV) and how each called for something entirely different to get the job completed. Seeing the press operator build up the color and then maintain it over the entire job was really interesting to me. Through that I learned many important concepts such as color sequence, ink density, layout and the capabilities of UV.
After spending some time on both sheet fed and web presses, I was sent to spend time at the pre-press department. There, I gained a great deal of knowledge on the overall workflow of a job. I was taken through the process of how they brought in the files from the client, made changes, adjusted it for the desired press and then processed the plates. I saw how important it is to have an efficient pre-press department that is quick and fluent. The people there were more than happy to answer my questions and give me further explanations of related topics that I could find useful. Examples of what I learned at GLS include the different types of screens used, the principles of stochastic, how their software manages/rips files, as well as the differences between a Fuji and an Epson preview.
Currently, I am over half way done with the summer internship. The plan is in the upcoming weeks to see the estimating, sales side of the company, as well as visit the bindery. So far, being able to spend time at each of the departments has made me feel really well rounded and solid in understanding what gets done to complete a job from start to finish. The people have been friendly and outgoing to answer questions or just introduce themselves and make me feel welcome to the company. After this summer, I will be attending Rochester Institute of Technology in New York to further my education in printing. One day I would like to manage a printing company of my own, and thanks to the experience of this PIM/Pohlad Program, I will be entering college with a great head start.
My suggestions to anybody interested in the summer internship would to be to give it a try. If any aspect of printing interests you, then I believe this is the perfect opportunity to learn and have a good time. There are an array of companies that participate and would fit any of your interests. Whether you have an extensive background or are just learning about printing for the first time, I encourage you to contact the Printing Industry of Minnesota.
-Nick Gawreluk
My name is Nick Gawreluk, with the support of the Printing Industry of Minnesota, I am here to share with you my experiences as a member of the PIM/Pohlad summer internship program. I will share with you how I became exposed to printing, how I got involved with the summer program, and what day to day experiences I encounter. Whether you’re a student looking to be involved, a company looking to start hosting an internship program, or just someone who is interested in printing, I invite you to read on.
I originally became exposed to printing at Roseville Area High School. It is little known, but they have a graphic arts program unique to any other high school in the nation. The instructor, Brian Hoag, has been the mastermind of the department and it’s programs for over 19 years and with his industry and business experience has built up the program so successfully that students have the opportunity to receive college credits or even get employed right after graduation. All based off their experiences within Roseville’s print department. The program starts off with an introductory class where students are taught what exactly graphic arts is, how it’s all around us and more importantly, how we can be involved in it. From there forward, the student is free to choose an array of classes from t-shirt printing, photographics II, offset printing, digital/vinyl e.t.c.. Oh, I forgot to mention, the print department has the current technology and equipment to back this up. You often hear about how companies are exploring the capabilities of going digital, well Roseville already has. Their recent purchase of a digital garment printer has allowed them to expand their capabilities of shirt printing to match or exceed that of any modern screen printing shop around. This compliments their commercial automatic screen printing press; numerous AB Dick offset presses, full creative suite computer lab, Versa Cam large format printer, dye sublimation technology, as well a variety of vinyl cutters. As you can clearly see the opportunities available to me at Roseville were outstanding. My four years there were spent in that department before, during and after school because I could never get enough of it.
When I heard about the Printing Industry of Minnesota’s summer internship program, I was ecstatic! Most kids complain how they hate their summer job and I figured, why not pursue something I really enjoy and obtain first-hand experience all while getting paid? I made a phone call to the PIM and Kris Davis was more than happy to assist me with the information I needed to get started. With over thirty company’s participating in this year’s program, I researched each one and through their websites I got a small feel for what each on had to offer. After endless researching, I was really impressed with GLS. Knowing that I wanted to focus my time at an offset company that was progressive and up-to-date, I made sure to research their equipment list and I saw that they had both a Komori web press and new Heidelberg sheet fed at their St. Paul location; I knew that this was where I wanted to intern. After contacting GLS, setting up a tour, meeting the Human Resource representative, I was ready to go.
I start my internship each morning with a meeting. The head of pre-press, bindery, production, shipping, and estimating discuss that days specific agenda and what deadlines need to be met. If necessary, the production board would be shifted around as needed and each person representing a different department would relay the status and specifics that needed to be completed. Attending this morning meeting was really interesting, as it allowed me to understand production flow from management to the floor in making sure the jobs were coming in and headed out in a fast, effective and timely manner.
After the meeting, I head down to the Speedmaster CD 102 6 color press. Let’s just say it was quite a difference from the little one color AB Dick press at school. Each day I comprehend better how things work by asking questions and helping the operators load plates, clean the ink trays and throw paper. Participating with the simple things, really allows me to see first-hand the overall process of a job. Within the first couple of weeks, I was gaining a good understanding of the workflow on the press. Of all that went on at the Speedmaster, color management is what I found to be the most interesting. I enjoyed the challenge of all the different variables that came into play for each job (paper stock, inks, layouts, coatings, UV) and how each called for something entirely different to get the job completed. Seeing the press operator build up the color and then maintain it over the entire job was really interesting to me. Through that I learned many important concepts such as color sequence, ink density, layout and the capabilities of UV.
After spending some time on both sheet fed and web presses, I was sent to spend time at the pre-press department. There, I gained a great deal of knowledge on the overall workflow of a job. I was taken through the process of how they brought in the files from the client, made changes, adjusted it for the desired press and then processed the plates. I saw how important it is to have an efficient pre-press department that is quick and fluent. The people there were more than happy to answer my questions and give me further explanations of related topics that I could find useful. Examples of what I learned at GLS include the different types of screens used, the principles of stochastic, how their software manages/rips files, as well as the differences between a Fuji and an Epson preview.
Currently, I am over half way done with the summer internship. The plan is in the upcoming weeks to see the estimating, sales side of the company, as well as visit the bindery. So far, being able to spend time at each of the departments has made me feel really well rounded and solid in understanding what gets done to complete a job from start to finish. The people have been friendly and outgoing to answer questions or just introduce themselves and make me feel welcome to the company. After this summer, I will be attending Rochester Institute of Technology in New York to further my education in printing. One day I would like to manage a printing company of my own, and thanks to the experience of this PIM/Pohlad Program, I will be entering college with a great head start.
My suggestions to anybody interested in the summer internship would to be to give it a try. If any aspect of printing interests you, then I believe this is the perfect opportunity to learn and have a good time. There are an array of companies that participate and would fit any of your interests. Whether you have an extensive background or are just learning about printing for the first time, I encourage you to contact the Printing Industry of Minnesota.
-Nick Gawreluk
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