Screen Printing - April/May 2020 - 20

shop talk

COME TOGETHER
AS THE PANDEMIC DEVELOPS ON A DAILY
BASIS, SCREEN PRINTERS FROM AROUND THE
GLOBE SHARE HOW IT'S IMPACTING THEIR LIVES.
By Andy MacDougall
"I'VE HEARD A LOT of times that we have no historical memory, or as the Spanish saying goes, 'Humans are
the only animals that trip over the same stone twice.'
Hopefully this time we'll get the message the world is
trying to send, and we get it right... And we won't forget,
again." - Gemma Berenguer, owner of Monostereo.
In the middle of this COVID-19 pandemic, things carry
on. One of those is my column. The problem is, whatever
I write by deadline is not published for weeks. In this fast,
evolving disaster, that time frame renders most things out of
date. Way out of date. Example: Whatever I was blathering
on about last issue - tradeshows, live music, live printing, or
what the '20s might be remembered for - has disappeared
for the foreseeable future, and is trite in comparison to what
is going on around the world.
My editor, Adrienne, and I decided we would try something a bit different with this issue. We're going to take Shop
Talk online after we burn through our 900-word limit. I've
reached out to a group of screen printers around the world
to see how things are going in their specific communities.
What's really happening in Spain? France? Canada? USA?
Mexico? I picked a mixed bag of textile printers, art and rock
poster printers, and industrial printers. We have CEOs of big
operations and small, one-person shops. We have people you
know, and people you don't.
The pandemic is like a tsunami as it radiates waves, and
screen printers are going to get hit in different ways and at
different times depending on where they live. It's not one
and done like a typical disaster that hits and ends, gone
from the news cycle in a week.
As a starting point, I asked our correspondents for their
thoughts on the following as it relates to the pandemic in
their business, their community, and their life. "It was the
best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of
wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of
belief, it was the epoch of incredulity..." You might recognize the quote from Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities"
circa 1775. Or it might describe what just happened between
last issue and now. Is something good going to come out of
this? Or is it all bad? What's the news from Barcelona? Or
Connecticut? Let's find out.
"Although the circumstances are catastrophic for most,
it's the small artisans, those who work from home, who are
20

SCREENPRINTING | APRIL + MAY 2020

for once the most in-demand now that 'bigger' companies
are on hiatus. Furthermore, there is a massive movement
to turn to local makers and support the economy of Quebec,
[because] the borders are closed." - Iris Sautier, owner, La
Bourgeoise Sérigraphe, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
"During this global event, I feel positioned uniquely as a
leader in the community to witness an amazing metamorphosis of everyone in the world, and all those we come in
contact with. Some people are much more giving, benevolent,
and helpful instead of only focusing on themselves. I am
seeing it every day. Sustainability has a whole new meaning
during this global health crisis. We must sustain ourselves,
our families and loved ones, our businesses, and charities.
Everything is a challenge." - Edward Cook CEO, ECI Screen
Print, and immediate past chairman of the Board of Directors, SGIA, Watertown, Connecticut
"A good thing happening right now, maybe the best I'd
say, is that Barcelona's air pollution levels haven't been this
low since 1920, 100 years ago. The sky is so clean and sharp
it seems my eyes got an upgrade to HD vision. Air is so pure
it almost hurts when you breathe." - Gemma Berenguer,
owner, Monostereo, Barcelona, Spain
"In France, in terms of health, the situation is gradually
improving. Yesterday evening [April 13], we learned that
we will come out of confinement on May 11 (it is total here;
we only go out for urgent shopping: food and health), with
masks for everyone. The schools will also gradually restart
from May 11. But hotels, restaurants, cinemas, and cultural
events will remain closed. Borders remain closed too for all
non-European citizens. As of today, we are at 15,000 dead
and 6800 people in intensive care." - Michel Caza, Michel
Caza Consulting, and former president, FESPA, Champagnesur-Oise, France
And, we've run out of space. We have more reports
coming in from other printers in the US, Mexico, and other
countries. Head to screenweb.com/shoptalk to get the fulllength interviews, photos, and my comments.

Andy MacDougall is a screen printing trainer and consultant based on
Vancouver Island in Canada, and a member of the Academy of Screen &
Digital Printing Technology. If you have production problems you'd like
to see him address in "Shop Talk," email your comments and questions
to andy@squeegeeville.com.

http://www.screenweb.com/shoptalk

Screen Printing - April/May 2020

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