Call it printing. Or call it graphic arts or graphic communications. Whatever you call it, you're referring to one of the largest industries in the United States in terms of not only employees but also annual revenue. It is very hard to overlook an industry that employs over 1,100,000 people in over 45,000 establishments. Annual shipments are over $155 billion.

In this guide, graphic communications is a catch-all term for all the different industries involved in reproducing an image. The image, whether it be a word, photograph, or illustration, can be reproduced on paper, cloth, metal, glass, plastic, or a variety of other materials so that the message can be widely seen. Most often, these images are reproduced using a printing press, but graphic communications involves much more than just printing.

Graphic communications is a multifaceted industry, with a wide range of career opportunities. The graphic communications industry is made up of not only printers, but also publishers, packagers, papermakers, inkmakers, equipment manufacturers, and in-house design and printing departments within corporations, banks, and even department stores.

This highly technical industry employs men and women working as chemists, engineers, computer programmers, writers and editors, designers, marketing specialists, researchers, press operators, technicians, salespeople, managers, photographers, and bindery workers, as well as a variety of other positions. Many, but not all, of these occupations require a college degree. Students interested in pursuing a college degree in a field related to graphic communications should contact the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation (PGSF www.pgsf.org) for additional information about scholarships as well as a directory listing technical schools, colleges, and universities offering courses in graphic communications.

Joining the graphic communications industry is a wise career choice for high school graduates, college graduates, and vocationally trained students. The exact size of the graphic communications industry is hard to determine because of the wide variety of companies involved in graphic communications. However, the number of printing and publishing companies probably ranks second to restaurants in total establishments. The industry includes small, medium, and large establishments in both small towns and large metropolitan areas.

But the biggest part of the industry is what meets our eye. Graphic communications is all around us: when we read a newspaper, novel, or cereal box; drink from a beverage can; open a can of soup; or eat from a bag of pretzels. Products of this huge industry include the checks that we write, the greeting cards that we send, the postage stamps we lick, and the paper money we spend. We are surrounded by the products of graphic communications even when we are asleep in the forms of printed wallpaper, designed and printed sheets, bedspreads, pajamas, and even the printed face of an alarm clock.

Everything from billboards and comic strips to toothpaste tubes and detergent boxes is produced by the graphic communications industry. In fact, the demand for the end products has grown and will continue to grow. Consumption of printed products per capita in the United States has never been so high. Despite the increased use of the personal computer and the Internet, and the prediction of a paperless society, the demand for printed products continues to grow. By the way, publishing on the World Wide Web is a form of graphic communications.

The age of convenience and throwaway packaging continues to keep the graphic communications industry producing an ever-increasing number of books, catalogs, corrugated boxes, magazines, labels, food (flexible) packages, directories, financial and legal documents, business forms, brochures, newspapers, and greeting cards.

The rising demand for printed products has resulted in a rise in the number and variety of job opportunities in graphic communications. The ongoing rapid technological advancements made in the graphic communications industry is another reason for the existence of so many opportunities for college and vocational graduates.

It is important to understand that graphic communications is not just a printer working with presses; it is also people working with computers, lasers, and even satellites. For instance, USA TODAY is transmitted via satellite to a number of regional printing locations, saving shipping costs and providing readers with printed information quicker.

Students often have questions. The following list of the careers in graphic communications will help to illustrate the size and importance of an industry that employs so many and touches our lives daily.

Writer
The writer starts the process of graphic arts production by writing the text for the piece to be printed. Writers can be technical writers, creative writers, or journalistic writers such as newspaper reporters. A copywriter should have a good command of the language and the ability to be concise and accurate. Copywriters work in business firms, software development companies, advertising and public relations, and other industries. Many specialize in writing materials for a particular area, such as software documentation manuals.

Photographer
The needed photographs or transparencies for a printing job are produced by a photographer, who usually works closely with the writer. Photographers must have proven creative talent, as well as the ability to get along with others during a photo shoot. In addition, they need a sense of good composition and a working knowledge of lenses, filters, and color theory. A new tool for photographers in recent years is the digital camera, which uses no film but rather stores the captured image as a file that can be downloaded to a computer. Therefore, even photographers must become increasingly aware of and familiar with digital and computer technologies.

Print Buyer
The print buyer contacts various vendors-e.g., designers, writers, photographers, and printers-and asks them to bid on a specific job. The print buyer awards the printing job to the vendors offering the lowest costs or fastest turnaround or best quality- whichever is more important to the print buyer. Once the vendors have been selected, the print buyer then works closely with them until the job is printed and shipped. A print buyer must be organized and able to work with a number of different people under deadline conditions.

Customer Service Representative
The customer service representative, or CSR, functions as a liaison between the printer and the customer once a job has entered the printing plant. If there are any questions or problems concerning a printing job, the CSR must be able to communicate fluently with the buyer and must understand the customer's needs. Although a CSR does not operate production equipment, he or she must be technically knowledgeable about the entire printing production process in order to communicate effectively with customers as well as plant personnel.

Sales Representative
The sales representative, or "sales rep" for short, solicits business for a printing firm, manufacturer, or supplier. A sales representative advises customers how to get the most out of their printing budget. Ambition and the ability to maintain a good appearance, as well as getting along well with others, are a few characteristics of a professional sales representative.

Production Manager or Coordinator
The production manager or coordinator directs traffic for printing, production, or manufacturing jobs through the plant, making sure that each piece of material gets where it should go at the proper time and in the proper sequence, from the time the job enters the plant until its delivery. Production managers or coordinators should be well-organized individuals, able to plan ahead, foresee and troubleshoot problems, and be level-headed in their dealings.

Educator
An educator specializing in graphic communications stimulates the students' interests in the topic by presenting an accurate and up-to-date picture of the state of the industry. Opportunities for teaching graphic communications courses are available in high schools, vocational schools, and colleges and universities, as well as within the industry itself, as a trainer.

Estimator
The estimator calculates the cost of a printing job after it has been discussed with the client or print buyer. The estimator's recommendations are the basis for the printing firm's bid on a job. The estimator also looks at ways to do the job while bringing costs down. Students interested in this area should have a sharp mind and a way with numbers.

Manager
The manager is responsible for policy and decision making in the company and for purchasing proper equipment for normal operation and expansion. There are various levels of management, such as company president, vice-president, and printing plant supervisor.

Marketing Specialist
The marketing specialist works in public relations, advertising, or marketing. Specialists in marketing often analyze where and how the company can do its business more efficiently. Advertising and public relations employees are responsible for promoting the work of the company through advertising campaigns, brochures, print, television, radio, and public appearances.

Engineer or Scientist
The engineer designs machinery, and the scientist conducts research in all aspects of the industry such as ink formulation, papermaking, health and safety standards, and quality control. Due to the widespread application of computers in the industry, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, and computer specialists are in demand. Included in the group are chemists, physicists, mathematicians, optical engineers, and color specialists.

Graphic Designer
The designer plans the piece to be printed and establishes the mood and style of the printed piece. Although designers still use traditional design tools, the designer relies also extensively on the computer for a variety of design-related tasks. Designers should have a natural artistic talent as well as an eye for detail and color.

Illustrator
The illustrator creates illustrations, drawings, charts, graphs, or full-color artwork to complement the written words. Although most illustrations are now created using a computer and a software program like Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator, some illustrations are still created with the traditional tools of the illustrator. An illustrator must have precise artistic talent as well as a knowledge of composition and proper use of the tools of the craft.

Page-layout Artist
The page-layout artist uses a computer workstation to assemble the artwork and the text according to the designer's layout. Since the artist prepares the piece for production, the job requires precision, accuracy, neatness, and the ability to follow directions. With the advent of desktop publishing, one person often performs all the functions of the graphic designer, illustrator, and page-layout artist. Therefore, the person needs a wellrounded knowledge of computer software, in addition to having artistic ability.

Electronic Prepress Technician
The computer has largely been responsible for replacing a number of jobs in prepress -camera operator, platemaker, and film assembler-with a new group of prepress technicians that work almost exclusively on computers with large amounts of RAM and hard disk storage to handle huge graphics files. Depending on the size of the company, these technicians may perform only basic functions, or they may perform a number of related functions. Among the functions performed scanning of images, file repair, trapping, imposition, and outputting of film and plates. The titles of people working in electronic prepress include preflighting technician, input technician, customer service representative, and output technician.

Press Operator
The press operator is the person who actually runs the printing press, putting "ink on paper," so to speak. Press operators must know the mechanical workings of the machine, possess good manual dexterity, and think quickly on their feet in order to produce a good quality product. Most new presses have a large number of automated or computerized features; therefore, the press operator must be comfortable around computers. In addition, the so-called digital printing presses are becoming widely available, and the digitalpress operator requires an even more extensive computer background.

Bindery Worker
The bindery worker typically performs one or more of the following functions: cutting, folding, gathering, collating, trimming, and binding the final printed piece. Most bindery workers must be able to operate various kinds of machinery, so ground-level training on each piece of equipment is important. Many large printers have computerized bindery systems that automate the bindery process.

Materials Handlers
Materials handlers are responsible for the loading and unloading of freight cars or trucks and for moving the materials throughout the printing plant. Much of this work is done using forklift trucks, but some manual lifting is required. Many large printers have at least partially automated materials handling by using computerized vehicles to move the materials.

Obviously, not every career in graphic communications can be listed here. These are some of the ones asked about most often. The educational requirements for these careers vary according to the type of work, size of company, and amount of responsibility.

Wages...
The wages in graphic communications are comparable to those in other major manufacturing industries. Like other industries, there is a wide range of salaries. Graphic communications careers also offer good benefits, job security, resistance to the effect of economic problems as the demand for printed material is on the rise, opportunities for promotion and advancement, modern plants, and comfortable working conditions. It is not a seasonal industry either, since its products are always in demand.

Career opportunities are waiting for interested young people. A number of post high schools, technical schools, and colleges and universities offer programs in all areas of graphic communications. For a complete list, contact the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation. PGSF also administers a scholarship program for high school graduates wishing to pursue college degrees leading to careers in graphic communications. More information can be obtained by contacting PGSF.

About the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation
The Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation (PGSF), a 48-year-old nonprofit organization, administers the largest scholarship and fellowship program for students pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees in graphic communications. Each year, PGSF administers over 200 scholarships and fellowships, ranging in value from $1,000 to $4,000. Since its inception, PGSF has helped over 6,000 students. These scholarship and fellowship programs are made possible by donations from individuals and companies involved in graphic communications.

About PIA/GATF
The Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF), along with its affiliates, deliver products and services that enhance the growth, efficiency, and profitability of its members and the industry through advocacy, education, research, and technical information. The 1999 consolidation of PIA and GATF brought together two powerful partners: the world's largest graphic arts trade association representing an industry with more than 1 million employees and $156 billion in sales and a nonprofit, technical, scientific, and educational organization dedicated to the advancement of the graphic communications industries worldwide.

Founded in 1924, the Foundation's staff of researchers, educators, and technical specialists help members in more than 80 countries maintain their competitive edge by increasing productivity, print quality, process control, and environ-mental compliance and by implementing new techniques and technologies. Through conferences, Internet symposia, workshops, consulting, technical support, laboratory services, and publications, PIA/GATF strives to advance a global graphic communications community.

PIA/GATFPress publishes books on nearly every aspect of the field; training curricula; audiovisuals (CD-ROMs and video-cassettes); and research and technology reports. It also publishes GATFWorld, a bimonthly magazine providing articles on industry technologies, trends, and practices, and Management Portfolio, a bimonthly magazine that provides information on business management practices for printers; economic trends, benchmarks, and forecasts; legislative and regulatory affairs; human and industrial relations issues; sales, marketing, and customer service techniques; and management resources.

For more information about PIA/GATF, special industry groups, sections, products, and services, visit www.gain.net or write to 200 Deer Run Road, Sewickley, PA 15143-2600 (phone: 412-741-6860).

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