31 Days of Thanks Day 7 Commercial Printing at Hamblin Company

31 Days of Thanks Insight into who has influenced us, our art, and our business throughout the years.

One day I saw an ad for a job running a press at a commercial printer. I hand only run a tiny press at the Senior Citizen Job but thought it was something I could do.

I remember the day I started Andy helped me put the printing plate on the press, then he just stood there. I flipped the switch and he grinned and said "most people are afraid to turn it on!" I worked as a press man for a short while, when the work slowed down I volunteered to work in other departments - "I want to learn it all" I told Andy.

And over the next 6 or 7 years ended up working in every department in the plant, from paste up, to developing film, making plates, setting type and working in the bindery. These days the printers go from the computer right to the printing plate. So today when I complain about my ad not being in registration and the guy says "you don't know how hard it is" I say "don't get me started."

I did a few small drawings that were used in some of our printing jobs.


By working in all the different departments I did each job better. I saw how a tricky paste up job could effect the other parts of the job all down the line.

Working in the field of commercial printing has helped me in so many ways, from knowing how to reproduce my own work to designing my own ads and advertising pieces, and so on. I use the skills I learned there every day. 

Thank you Andy for giving me the opportunity to learn so much.

- Jan Francoeur