Meet the Intergalactic Ambassador to the Printerverse

New York-born Deborah Corn has created her own unconventional job title within the realm of print. The self-styled 'Intergalactic Ambassador to the Printerverse' has captured the attention of global audiences, in addition to the range of work she's involved in within the printing world.

After more than two decades in advertising, Deborah started an online group, Print Media Centr, to connect and provide "printspiration" to print and marketing professionals. She later founded International Print Day and now hosts both Podcasts From The Printerverse and the weekly #PrintChat on Twitter. Alongside this, she runs the world's largest online network of women in the print industry, Girls Who Print, which is now 8,000 members strong and in its 12th year, and also masterminded Project Peacock, a resource platform for print and marketing professionals around the world.

"I named myself the Intergalactic Ambassador to the Printerverse because I was somebody who helped people to connect to one another," explains Deborah. "I was not there to be the Supreme Leader of the Printerverse… although technically I am!"

Here we discover Deborah's fascinating world, what drives her, and her insights garnered from a lifetime of experience in print.

What is International Print Day and how did it come about?

"The idea came in 2014 during #PrintChat, a weekly gathering on Twitter I co-host with Sandy Hubbard. Every October, the print community takes to their social streams and shares print love with the world. To accommodate all time zones, we celebrate for 24 hours, kicking off in Australia and New Zealand and working our way east.

"We have had participation from six continents and generated more than 156 million impressions on Twitter alone. We have an annual theme – in 2021, it's #PrintAgain – and I would encourage everyone to visit internationalprintday.org for more info, then join in by adding #IPD21 to your social media shares on 20 October 2021."

What is the importance of print for a business?

"One of the benefits of using printed materials in a business setting is flexibility. Print covers signage, in-store materials, marketing materials, decor, shirts, hats, customer loyalty and retention materials, SWAG (promotional merchandise) and so much more. With the right print partner or the right printer in-house, a business is only limited by their imagination – and, of course, budget. However, print offers a lot of bang for your business bucks and, with digital printing, things can be ordered and changed as needed. It is worth having a conversation with a printer to explore the possibilities."

What does Project Peacock aim to achieve?

"Back in 2017 when Project Peacock first started, the industry was evolving from analogue to digital at a rapid pace, and print customers were getting left behind. Unless print customers had PSP [print service provider] partners that invested in new digital, inkjet and wide format presses, they weren't being educated on all the new possibilities to execute their work. If a printer doesn't have access to the latest technology, they aren't going to tell their customers about a better, smarter, faster, more customisable way to print – that they can't deliver.

"Because of my background in advertising, I knew there was a real need for direct print customer education to get them excited about new presses, finishing, paper and substrates, the new applications they could create and marketing technology they could tack on to provide a digital bridge and data reporting. After many frustrating conversations about whose responsibility it was to educate print customers, I decided to take it on myself, and Project Peacock was born – at a Canon event in Melville, New York as a matter of fact!

"I needed partners who built the presses and finishing equipment, who made the paper and developed the software. The conference room visits evolved into pop-up events in 2019 and we had met with over 2,200 print customers before Covid-19 shut us down in 2020. In 2021, I morphed Project Peacock into an online resource platform to provide intelligence, samples and partners 24/7 from wherever you are."

When most images are viewed on screens, why should photographers print more?

"I don't know anybody that hangs an iPad with a photo of their diploma on their wall. I don't know anyone who hangs their cellphone with a magnet on their refrigerator to look at pictures of their family. If it's printed in front of you, you can't delete it by accident. It can't be lost if your computer dies, and you can't restore it. Now that might seem like a predictable answer, but there are some experiences you cannot recreate by scrolling through an image library. Having photos in your hands – through books and magazines and collectable bespoke items – helps create a deeper connection."

What do you see in store for the future of printing?

"I think that we are at a crossroads of what the future of print could be, and it boils down to the people we can attract to work in the printing industry. Right now, the industry is facing a significant workforce development crisis. Until we can successfully rebrand ourselves as an innovative, creative and inclusive industry, we're going to have a serious problem having a future. We need to support the graphic communications programmes, develop formal internship and apprenticeship channels, and make sure that everyone understands how cool print really is. If a student wants to work at Apple, they should want to work in the printing industry. There are many similarities – we need to make that case, loud and proud!"