Print class gives students real-world experience for future careers
March 1, 2019
For everything from birthday cards to labels for Food Services, Mountaineer Printing has members of the App State community covered.
The student-run print lab located on campus provides graphic arts and imaging technology students in the advanced printing and finishing course hands-on experience by printing the needs of App State students and beyond.
All students who take the course must work at the shop for four hours per week, production supervisor Charles Perkins said.
Perkins and two other employees serve as leaders for the students and train students on all of the equipment, junior graphic arts and imaging technology major Lana Jackson said.
Jackson said although working in the print shop is a class requirement, she thinks of it as a positive experience that helps the students, most of whom are seniors, gain real-world experience for future careers.
Zach Byrd, senior graphic arts and imaging technology student, operates a printing machine. Byrd works for Mountaineer Printing, a student-run print lab located on campus that provides students in the advanced printing and finishing course in the graphic arts and imaging technology program hands-on experience.
“Pretty much everyone that goes through this program usually works in a print place when they graduate, so it’s pretty much a perfect experience of exactly what we’ll be doing when you graduate for most people,” Jackson said.
Perkins said working in the shop also helps students understand the process of print production.
Jackson added that Mountaineer Printing is “just like a regular print shop” and serves as a resource available to meet the printing needs for almost any project.
“If it’s on paper, we pretty much print it,” Perkins said.
Prices for the print shop are based on the cost of materials and the number of items needed, according to Mountaineer Printing.
Mountaineer Printing also offers printing services that include design, digital, offset, flexography, screen printing and finishing.
Jackson said that although some students may not know about the print shop, people definitely use the resource.
“I think for the size that it is, it gets used the perfect amount. We’re pretty much busy all the time,” Jackson said.
Mountaineer Printing is located in Katherine Harper Hall. Those interested in using the shop should contact Perkins to determine prices.
