customer ’ s project . “ This is their lifeblood ,” Rogers emphasizes . “ Not only is it their living for some customers , but something that ’ s very important to them .” This kind of collaborative , mutual relationship between customer and printer is welcomed at Century Publishing . Whether it includes active collaboration regarding template types in prepress , rendering the color in press , or “ making an issue right ” after the products have already been shipped , Century Publishing encourages their customers to unite with them . It ’ s believed that these dynamics work to “ establish partnerships with our customers that are meaningful ,” says Rogers . “ It ’ s about relationships that go beyond ‘ I ’ m just a printer ’ and ‘ you ’ re just my customer .’”
The creative commercialization of an artist ’ s work is something that deserves thoughtful and professional guidance . When working with a customer , Rogers explains how the intricacy of each project is always something new : “ This isn ’ t cookie-cutter stuff . Every project is a unique one , and we take pride in having a hand in their particular process .” More so , Century Publishing also takes pride in working with multiple kinds of individuals . They ’ re a “ short-run , quick-turn printer ,” meaning they produce a smaller quantity of product in a short amount of time . “ It allows us to constantly change jobs on the press ,” Rogers says , “ Not only is this profitable , but we get to work with a lot of different people because of the varying projects .” Artists are deeply individualistic . Not only regarding their particular creative medium but also in their ingenuity . And it seems , unlike most commercial manufacturers , Century Publishing inhabits a philosophy that parallels many an artist ’ s desire : to create something unique that ’ s intended to be accessible for the world .
In this current , technological-obsessed society , the rumor is that print is supposedly dying . Magazines are quickly reduced to mere collectible items , and the consensus is that ‘ junk mail ’ is more tiring to trash in a real-life garbage can . But according to Rogers , “ Print isn ’ t dead ; it ’ s merely changing .” From the Gutenberg Bible to this issue of Art Chowder , it ’ s true that the printing press has revolutionized . “ The plant has been in a constant flux of change ,” states Rogers , “ I wouldn ’ t even be able to tell you how many remodels I ’ ve observed .” Nevertheless , the printing process has never faltered in making information accessible to the masses , no matter the rapidity of technological advancements . So as you continue your reading , just note : The corners of Art Chowder are meant to be dog-eared . The pages are meant to be coffee stained . Doodle in the side margins ; tear out an advertisement page . Just make sure to recycle Art Chowder so Century Publishing can produce it once again – it ’ s simply an hourly miracle composed of processed wood pulp , ink , and artistic vision .
Visit www . centurypublishing . com to learn more .
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Editor Note : Without Century Publishing , Art Chowder would not exist . We are eternally grateful to the artisans that produce our publication and put it in your hands each issue . They have been an invaluable and excellencedriven partner . And it shows .
Printing has come a long way !
Although historians are unsure of the exact dates , Chinese printers invented woodblock printing in the first millenium A . D . In this process , a block of wood is carved with backwards characters , rolled with ink , and then paper is pressed to the block , leaving a page of printed characters . This carved block can be used many times over , allowing for mass production of almanacs , charts , banknotes , books , and more . Moveable , 3-dimensional characters cast in metal were created by Korean Choe Yun-ui in the 13th Century AD . This was 200 years before the invention of the Gutenberg Press and the spread of printed texts in Europe .
Detail from the “ Diamond Sutra ,” created in China in 868 A . D . — the earliest surviving example of a woodblock printed book .
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