The Male Code and the Pressroom

We all know about the Male Code, those rules that govern the behavior of guys: Always split the lunch bill in two, no matter what, never speak in a public restroom, and never, ever, ever ask for directions.

But how about the male code in the pressroom? Pressmen are mostly guys, does some form of the Male Code exist in the pressroom, and how does it affect performance?

The central tenent of the Male Code-never, ever, ever ask for directions.-is probably the biggest obstacle to great presswork. Presses are pesky things, subject to all sorts of mechanical and atmospheric conditions. These variable factors affect press performance, especially in the area of dot gain. Now a pressman has limited control over dot gain, but dot gain is easily changed by the use of plate curves. Problem is, plate curves are set up over in the prepress department, and getting a change made would involve asking for help-a direct violation of the Male Code.

Overcoming the Male Code in the pressroom is a tough problem, and we will talk about different ways to get over this obstacle in future posts.