CRW Graphics
CRW Graphics is a commercial printing and digital printing company in Pennsauken, New Jersey and I had the pleasure of visiting them and getting an incredibly informative tour about how their facilities work. CRW offers a full range of services and will staffing 24/7 every job gets done in a timely fashion. Some of their capabilities include digital printing, commercial & conventional printing, prepress services, direct mail services, mailing and fulfillment, bindery services, and much more!
CRW is also an environmental leader making sure each job promotes sustainability. In October of 2008 CRW was awarded the GreenWorks Environmental Recognition Award. Their Green practices include using renewable resources, eliminating chemistry, saving water, using energy-efficient monitors, analyzing their carbon footprint, using fewer sheets, regulating waste disposal, and most importantly, recycling.
So after hearing a little bit about CRW Graphics we headed through the building in the order that a job would be processed. First, we got to see where the clients and employees discus a job and how it moves on to prepress. Here we viewed the light table used for viewing all the pieces to ensure that everything is exactly how the client wants it.
We also learned about die cuts and how a client can request that a certain section of the printed piece is cut out to create a design. The document is given to a team of professionals who then create the die cut.
After heading past the die cut machine we saw the guillotine machine used for cutting jobs to create a straight edge.
After a slight detour through the packaging and shipping departments the room opened up where we got to see two huge printers in action. It was amazing to actually see the cartridges of the inks in action laying the paint down to create the final piece. Every few pieces that comes out must be checked for color quality and we even got to see a nifty machine that can be placed over the color and give exact results to the color combination used.
Sadly the tour had come to an end but luckily we got to raid the sample room where tons of Temple promos were laid out across the table. Best of all we were given a prepress checklist which will come in handy as an art direction major! The entire tour was an experience I was lucky to have. It’s easy to forget that so much goes into printing the final piece after you send it away. The staff of CRW Graphics was extremely polite and offered up very interesting facts to the entire process of printing.
