What Is a Quoin Key…and Why Is It in My Marketing?

 

To understand a quoin key is to partly understand me. You see, I got my “start” in printing during 7th grade shop class. Of all the quarter-long options–metal shop, wood shop, printing and drafting–print was my favorite. I used to stop by and see Mr. Taylor sometimes before school, just because I enjoyed the smell of ink, the mechanical nature of lead type and the intricacy of finding, assembling and “locking up” type.

Metal toothed quoins

Okay, you say, what does that have to do with a quoin key? Well, this key turned the quoins, which were small, metal triangles with teeth running down the “hypotenuse”; the teeth faced each other so that as the key turned, they moved along that hypotenuse and created a locking wedge. This wedge system applied pressure to the type block holding it in place inside the metal chase (think of an iron picture frame). So without the key and the quoins, everything would fall out of the chase and no printing was possible.

With the key inserted, quoins could be tightened, locking the information into place fro reproduction

 

This “blogservation” is rooted in the timeless appreciation of good craft. Whether that craft is made from ink and paper or pixels, we all need an ability to create. It’s just hard-wired into our DNA. Without creation, our world becomes listless and boring. Without the proverbial quoin key, these ideas and creations find difficulty in taking shape and form and locking into place.

Like Printing, Advertising and Marketing is a craft. It’s easy in our fast-paced and highly technical world to see all the information and assume that everything has a science behind it. And, while it’s true that human advancements have brought us all further down the path, one cannot overlook the basis of marketing and advertsing: to create an emotional connection with another person that causes a reaction. Basic Psych 101: rewards and punishments associated with our decisions and actions. So, this business we’re all part of is our craft and demands thoughtful approaches, relevance to other people and constant growth as persons inside this craft.

I love print, but I appreciate the craft of human interaction even more. It’s my hope that this blog space can create a meaningful space to share observations about these human connection points in our business world; spur some unconventional thinking; and, recognize the relevance of our communication history as we look to the future of print, interactive and all that seeks to bolster the ability to create human interaction. I think then can we “lock up” an idea (at least temporarily) and reproduce (share) it for others to see.

Think well!