Paper or Plastic?

I frequently hear buzz about becoming a “paperless office,” and while it sounds great in theory, and would obviously help the environment, I am not convinced it is the right thing for us (or many offices) to do.

I have been in the advertising business since the days of boards, Amberlith, and typography, when designers painstakingly applied every element by hand to create a print-worthy product. But those days have gone the way of the T-Rex, since the computer is now the tool of choice for our industry. And it’s a good thing. We love to be able to use the computer in every capacity of our business—from design to production to billing.

So why can’t we go paperless and toss the dockets and their contents for good since we love our computers?

Because, even a minor, momentary computer crash with loss of data can omit vital job information and cause irreparable damage; unless, however, there is an efficient paper trail to fall back on. Here at PUNCH, our computer and paper trail work in tandem for every job, creating a blend of information we can depend on. And, as a production manager, I constantly need tangible details at my fingertips, such as art layouts, contracts, signed estimates, print contracts, emailed notes, etc. So the thought of totally relying on cyberspace to give me this critical information sends shivers down my spine—knowing that the chance of a computer crash, glitch, or data loss is real and could (and does) happen in the blink of an eye. I also think that trying to scan and archive original (paper) documents is difficult, if not impossible when one needs immediate access. So, I say to those who like to dream paperless… I like the thought and admire the intention; but let’s keep the paper AND keep the technology. They both are great, and work wonders together… Just like peas and carrots.