Abstract

As the complexity of laser color copiers/printers evolve in this fast-paced, technological, quick-print industry, the amount of printing knowledge that is required to operate these devices is considerably declining. Advancements in the color laser printing arena are expanding every day. With the introduction of more precocious color printing units coupled with an infinite number of features, a broader market of users becomes available. Increasingly, non-traditional printing users are becoming involved with color copier/printer devices. There are several reasons why this infusion is taking place. Foremost, the technology now exists to convert "ordinary" black pages into full color documents. Secondly, there is a cost savings by bringing prepress work in-house. The cost of entering this market is decreasing as a result of color copiers/printers becoming available to those that could not afford color previously. Finally, there are users who simply want to invest in new technologies. User interfaces on the color laser printers are becoming more icon-driven to simplify the operation of these devices. The amount of experience an operator needs to run a device is rninimal. There is an immense amount of technology that is performing many of the calculations and adjustments behind the scene for the users. The problem still exists of what operators do if they need to further adjust output to meet a customer's request. An understanding of the principles of printing would provide an operator with the necessary background to satisfy customers' varying requirements. The purpose of this thesis was to confirm that knowledge of the principles of printing would increase the productivity of color laser copier/printer operators. The major component of this research was in establishing, conducting, and analyzing the effects a customized learning tool had on the productivity of color copier/printer operators. The hypothesis stated that the learning tool would assist each operator with: increasing the total output on their device reducing the amount of waste generated in trying to produce successful output pages increasing job satisfaction and reducing the job run-length A group of ten key operators were selected to partake in the study. An indepth study was conducted to capture their critical learning needs as they related to the color copier/printer operation. From the needs of the operators, a customized learning tool (framing class) was created and provided to each operator. Total ouput, generated waste, job satisfaction, and job run-length were analyzed before and after the training was delivered. It was determined that the learning tool did have a significant effect on all four components of this researcher's components of productivity: total output, generated waste, job satisfaction and job run-length. Knowing the functions and theoretical principles of a device greatly reduced the amount of time it took to run jobs as well as decreased the amount of wasted pages in trying to obtain quality output. The length of time it took to complete a job was significantly reduced as well as the amount of stress the operator endured in the operation of the device. For example, an understanding of additive and subtractive color supplied these operators with the knowledge to adjust the color toner levels to comply with customers' request to have output look "more red." One operator stated that it took him several guesses as to what buttons to push on the device to achieve the correct output before he learned about color theory. He was lucky if it took him several attempts of running a job before he obtained the output that his customer was looking for. This caused him much stress and many wasted output pages. The information he learned about color theory provided him the background he needed to understand a customer's job before wasting paper and consumables trying to run it.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Laser printing--Study and teaching; Color printing--Study and teaching; Printing industry--Employees--Training of

Publication Date

3-1-1996

Document Type

Thesis

Advisor

Not listed

Comments

Note: imported from RIT’s Digital Media Library running on DSpace to RIT Scholar Works in December 2013. Physical copy available through RIT's The Wallace Library at: Z249.4 .S325 1996

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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