the day the humidifier broke

Depending on the print job, sometimes it's good to dampen the paper before printing. This allows for a deeper impression without the paper cracking. The damp cotton fibers in the paper also absorb the ink better and produce a more vibrant result. So last week while printing I pulled out my humidifier. This is what it looks like:

That crack is like a scar (less painful of course) every time I see it, it brings me right back to when it happened. My first time printing went exactly as planned, well according to Murphy that is. I mixed ink forever trying to get the color I wanted, the roller height was way off no matter what I tried, even though my chase was packed well and the keys wound evenly the plate was not inking on one side, and on and on. It seemed just as I figured out one problem another would pop up.

So after several weeks of practice and trouble shooting, I had some decent prints and decided to try damping my paper. I set my humidifier up on the feed board while the press was inking. A few moments later I heard a huge crash and turn to see the humidifier on the floor and water everywhere. I quickly turned off the press, unplugged it, and started cleaning up the water. I cried, a lot. It was a stupid mistake, I had put the humidifier too close to the edge on the feed board and as the press began to move it fell off. But I wasn't crying because there was water everywhere, I was crying because I couldn't do anything right.

Running this business is always challenging. Once I figure something out, a new challenge always presents itself. However, looking at my humidifier reminds me I have come so far and grown so much. Last week was full of great printing, client consults, and exciting new projects. I am so thankful I didn't give up when that humidifier fell. A little tape and determination go a long way :)