Springfield Technical Community College acquired a new digital press that students in the Graphic Communications and Photography program can use to gain industry experience.

The Canon imagePRESS C710 arrived in late August, just in time for the new semester.

Students Diana Rybnikov and Kayla Picard

Matthew Kriftcher, a professor in the program, said he was thrilled students can have a chance to learn on the new machine, which is more compact than the previous digital press.

“We use this in several classes in the department, including digital press production, color management, color reproduction and some of the photography courses,” Kriftcher said. “Almost everybody in the department uses this machine. It’s the way the industry is going.”  

Student Kayla Picard, who is studying in the Graphic Communications and Photography program, said the ability to use equipment such as the Canon press is one of the reasons why she loves STCC.

Student Kayla Picard

“I had been looking at other schools in the area,” Picard said. “I ended up going to STCC because it was computer-science based, and I felt like that was something I could use in my career.”

What does she think of the new press?

“It’s a great opportunity,” she said. “Having the hands-on experience with a press like this is really great. I know some people who own print shops so that opens up a professional opportunity down the line.”

Student Diana Rybnikov said she is interested in photography, which is why she chose to focus her studies on Graphic Communications and Photography. “Working with the new press is a good opportunity for me to experiment and learn,” she said.