By: Nick Howard | Date: September 2021 | Contact the Author
Canada’s graphic arts industry has navigated many peaks and valleys during the past 60 years. Only one publication has continually captured all the developments, and that is PrintAction (PA).
From the 1970s to the 1990s, the industry experienced many transformative phases. Canadian and/or U.S. tariffs were either placed on or taken off many mass-produced products such as books and magazines. During the 1970s, the federal government’s position on “Printing in Canada” drew a lot of criticism. Parliament waffled between groups who wanted cheaper printing made in the U.S.A. and those who pushed to protect Canadian workers.
Canadians were afraid of their American neighbours, who had bigger plants and could produce print at a cheaper rate. PrintAction made it a point to amplify and promote our country’s printers and featured articles railing against and encouraging parliament to do something about work being lost to the U.S.
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