Is Print Dying or Not?

This has been up for debate by a lot of people – authors, design geeks, print fanatics, companies, etc. I don’t believe print is dying, but I am not one of those people with a smart phone (I still live in a world where phones were meant to call people and nothing more) or an iPad (click here for a really great graphic explaining the iPad), an e-Reader or … an e-Reader. I love my books, my printed art, newspaper crosswords, magazine quizzes, and zines. I love writing on paper, coloring in or drawing on printed pictures, and collecting postcards (especially one for upcoming art shows). There’s just something really special to me about these things because print is an art, in any form. I looked at a magazine on an iPad one time, and though it was really cool, it actually took more effort “turning the pages” than it does in an actual magazine. And please understand this — those iPad magazines will lead to TROUBLE. They link you to every item you can buy for instant shopping accessibility! That’s too triggering and I don’t need that extra convenience in my life.

Also, many places throughout the world still rely on print for everything. So, will print ever die in the US? Quite possibly, but I don’t see it happening anytime soon. There are enough people out there who feel the same way I do and in my generation print is becoming more popular. I guess you could call it a subculture. Screen printing, zines and self-publishing are a few of the biggest things going around Austin’s art scene right now and print is really big in the DIY-community (which is also gaining popularity like no one’s business). Zines have been around for decades but really started gaining a new sense of popularity with the start of the punk revolution during the ’70s and continue on in a lot of the DIY-punk subcultures across the country today. It’s also becoming easier and easier to screen print at home, and websites make self-publishing as easy as 1-2-3. If anyone can do it and it’s more cost-effective, more people are likely to do so.

I think print will stick around for years to come. Not only because some people love it, but because it’s affordable. A digital world calls for massive changes, expensive changes, and those are things that just aren’t possible (or plausible) right now. What do you think? Is print a dying breed or is it here to stay?