Editor’s Notebook: Time to Pass the Baton

This issue marks my last as editor-in-chief of Printing Impressions. It’s been a wonderful journey, and one I have no regrets about. With a college degree in journalism and two years of experience as the editor of a small-town newspaper in northern Illinois, I relocated to the Philadelphia area and answered a help wanted ad in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Little did I know a subsequent job offer in 1982 would turn into a nearly 43-year love affair with the printing industry.

It’s been amazing to witness all of the technological developments that have occurred, especially since I had a front-row seat watching how those advancements directly impacted how we produced our printed magazines. I lived the era of typesetting bureaus and color separation houses, the advent of the internet, PostScript and desktop publishing, the PDF format, computer-to-plate workflows, and digital printing, to name just a few.

But it wasn’t merely technology advancements that fueled my devotion; more importantly it’s been the countless industry people who I’ve encountered and befriended along the way. Entrepreneurial executives, craftspeople, inventors, sales professionals, publishing co-workers — and a few real characters along the way, too. We all shared a common bond: a love for the printing industry and its fundamental role in communication.

I had the honor to create the Printing Industry Hall of Fame, the Printing Impressions 300 (once the PI 500), and to play a pivotal role in the development of the Inkjet Summit and other events.

I’m very comfortable passing the torch to my very talented successor. Ashley Roberts has been a rising editorial star in our organization for more than nine years. She also earned a master’s degree in publishing from NYU. A digital native, Ashley will lead our venerable brand in many new directions.

Some people enter retirement and never look back. Instead, I plan to still contribute to Printing Impressions and to other industry endeavors. As long as printer’s ink continues to course through my veins, my love affair with the printing industry will keep my heart pumping. Thanks for all of the support that enabled me to play a role in driving our industry forward; it’s a distinct privilege I will forever cherish.