Did you know that industry pundit, printing professor, and prolific author Frank Romano will soon reach his 80th birthday? As part of an ongoing celebration, the Museum of Printing (where Frank is President) is celebrating “A Year of Frank” in his honor. For more information, check out the museum’s press release and then start thinking about what you might be able to do to help Frank mark this momentous occasion.
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I can’t remember exactly when I first met Frank Romano in person. Of course, like many others in our industry, I knew who he was for quite some time before meeting him. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, I spent seven years working for Linotype and his magazine TypeWorld was required reading. It wasn’t until I left Linotype (by then it was Linotype-Hell, and about to become Heidelberg Prepress) that I really got to know Frank. I was a newly hired Senior Consultant at CAP Ventures, and Charlie Pesko sent me to cover a Polaroid press event in New York City. This event was particularly memorable since Polaroid had hired New York Yankee great Yogi Berra to speak to the gathered editors and market analysts. I know Frank was there because I’ve seen a photo of him with Yogi Berra in front of a Polaroid sign—and I have one exactly like it!
Later on, I remember sitting next to Frank on a tour bus at an analyst briefing. We got to talking and I realized how much we had in common, including having worked at Linotype and sharing a love of print. We also share a connection to Rochester Institute of Technology, where I received my Master’s Degree in Printing Technology. I was at RIT in the days before he started teaching there, yet over the years I (and many other alumni) enjoyed the gatherings that he hosted at his home when he lived in the South End of Boston.
CAP Ventures later became InfoTrends, and has since merged with Buyers Lab to become Keypoint Intelligence. When I retired from my full-time position in 2017, I offered to volunteer at the Museum of Printing. Because I live about an hour and a half from the museum, I wanted to find something I could do remotely, so I said I could help with social media. Before long, I was offered a spot on the board. During my time volunteering for the museum, I have seen just how important it is to Frank—and even more importantly—how much Frank does every day to help the museum achieve its goal of "preserving the rich history of the graphic arts, printing & typesetting technology, and printing craftsmanship."
I hope I can count on you to help make Frank’s 80th birthday celebration a truly special one. If you’re seeking inspiration, I encourage you to read the Museum of Printing’s press release and act on one or more of its recommendations:
Here’s wishing Frank many happy returns, and thanks for your support!
