
What's clear to me about serious, professional print buyers is not so much their skill and savvy; rather, it's their affection for print.
I've been hanging around print buyers for 25 years, and I've noticed that when they talk about their work, they're animated. There's the thrill of the daily challenge — what jobs will surface today, how will I ever get all of this stuff done on time, can I trust that new printer, and so on and so forth. Every day's a new day — and usually an exciting one.
But if they didn't genuinely care about print, they wouldn't be half as good at their jobs. I don't know if most printers realize this about their customers: for a number of reasons, they love print as a medium, and that's why they remain in the field, typically for life.
Some love typography. Some love paper. Some love the mix of magic and manufacturing that turns out printed piece after printed piece.
What concerns me is the "incoming class" of freshmen print buyers. I don’t think they'll major in print buying anymore. They will major in media or communications or marketing, with a minor in print.
They won't seek out jobs as print buyers out of a love for the medium. They will be generalists who must be comfortable with different media. Print will hold no allure for them, no mystery.
I worry that they'll be missing a key criteria for excellent print buying; that is, an appreciation for print. If they can't recognize stellar printing, why will they care who does the work — let alone how it gets done?
It's an issue we all face together. How do we pass on the affection for printing? Does it start in the schools, or at home, or in the curricula of colleges and universities? It feels like a Sisyphean task. But I for one have always loved a good challenge.
- Categories:
- Business Management - Marketing/Sales

Long regarded as a print buyer expert and trade writer, Margie Dana launched a new business as a marketing communications strategist with a specialty in printing and print buying. She is as comfortable working in social media as she is in traditional media, and now she’s on a mission to help clients build customer communities through carefully crafted content. Dana was the producer of the annual Print & Media Conference.
Although she has exited the event business, Dana is still publishing her Print Tips newsletter each week. For more details and to sign up for her newsletter and marketing blog, visit www.margiedana.com