Printing Takes On New Depth of Information Production
The U.S. Government Printing Office is hardly the first place that one thinks of when scanning the headlines for innovative concepts in content production, but in the wake of 9/11, it probably shouldn't be surprizing to discover that the GPO indeed is pushing the envelope in the physical delivery of content. The Rochester, New York Democrat and Chronicle reports in an interview with Bruce James, Public Printer of the United States, that the need for more foolproof security is impacting the printing world in ever more profound ways. One innovation being considered for U.S. passports is the imbedding of microchips that could be programmed with a digital rendition of one's passport photo. When we think of print as a medium, we may have to think a little more carefully as to what constitutes physical content delivery; even fairly mundane documents may benefit from electronic content imbedding, adding depth, value and context to the information and experiences that they offer.