Highly Respected Author Speaks Out About Print

“There has been no evidence put forth in any field to dispute that print is the most pervasive, detailed, informative, and meaningful form of mass communication since its inception in circa 1456 when Gutenberg invented the process of duplicating movable type.”

So says Dr Harvey R. Levenson (pictured), who has co-authored and published an updated, digitally-enhanced edition of the textbook, Introduction to Graphic Communication. The Professor Emeritus of CalPoly, situated in California, USA, co-authored the text with former Seybold Editorial Director John Parsons.

“There is substantial data showing that there are different learning styles from which people absorb information and learn. This book is designed to appeal to today’s different learning styles including reading, video, audio, and from a tactile (feeling) experience,” Levenson says.

“It is my opinion that the more that printers, publishers, designers, marketing specialists, and media buyers understand this, the more they will understand the power of print for teaching and learning, whether in a formal educational setting or in a corporate training setting,” he added.

Levenson, former Department Head of Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department, had received numerous requests for an update to the popular 2007 work, originally published by the Printing Industries of America.

The new edition, published in partnership with Ricoh, uses an augmented reality approach to learning, namely their innovative “Clickable Paper” technology to access online learning videos and reader-to-reader interaction. It is the first such textbook to use Ricoh’s technology in this manner, although similar publishing projects are in the planning stages.

Levenson said, “This is not an eBook. This is a printed book that allows the book to communicate with the reader, and the reader to communicate with the book via direct communication with the authors, via chat groups among readers, and more.”

“The science of haptics (touch) has shown that print is the best medium for deep engagement and substantial learning,” Parsons said, “but online media and resources are themselves incredibly valuable. This book is an attempt to combine the two—and give students and industry professionals the benefits of both worlds.”

Using the free Clickable Paper app, readers can access videos by industry leaders and technical experts on subjects covered in the book. Levenson, Parsons, and others also provide video overviews and summaries of each chapter. Industry marketing videos (clearly labeled as such) are also included when they illuminate or demonstrate a particular concept. “People learn in different ways,” Levenson said. “This book serves those who learn by reading, by watching, by listening, and by discussing. All you need is the printed book and a smartphone or a tablet. It makes the technology come alive.”

A sample chapter and table of contents are available on the book’s website: www.igcbook.com. Written for college, vocational, and high school programs, the 248-page book is also designed for internal industry training, as well as for use in graphic arts programs, and to help printing companies, equipment dealers, and OEMs clarify the basic principles of printing to print buyers, marketers, designers, and other partners.

The book is available now, with discount packages for multiple books. Selected, individual chapters will also be published separately for programs that do not require the entire book. For more information, contact IntuIdeas at (206) 842-4154, or book@intuideas.com.