Once again, Printing Industries of America is featuring another great title from Printing Industries Press as our Book of the Month for April/May 2012. Direct Mail Pal 2012: A Direct Mail Production Handbook covers all of the changes in postal rules, rates, options, and practices in order to help you navigate through a changing environment and effectively plan and operate while maximizing your profitability. If you are a direct mail production professional or printer expanding into direct mail, novice or experienced, this handbook is for you. Direct mail personalization, according to recent data, rose 46 percent from 2010 to 2011. With the proper knowledge and planning this book provides,  you can take advantage of this growing trend. This publication is highly recommended by our staff here at Printing Industries of America for its current information and comprehensive scope. Amy Woodall, director of Technical Information, Printing Industries Press, shared some insights about Direct Mail Pal 2012. Ms. Woodall served as editor and project manager on this publication and worked closely with the book’s authors, T.  J. Tedesco and Charley Howard. Here, she shares her insights with us about the Book of the Month: Why did you choose Direct Mail Pal 2012 as the Book of the Month for April/May 2012? This is one of our newest titles from Printing Industries Press and a long-time best seller. The first edition was released ten years ago and has been on the top ten list of our publications since its release. An updated version was long overdue. This book was chosen as the book of the month because I wanted to be sure people knew about the wealth of information about direct mail available in this update. The authors mentioned in your interview with them that this book helps printers with new rates and regulations set by the USPS. In what ways does the book address these new concerns? The actual rate charts are included and broken down by per piece rates, per pound rates, automation, compatibility, and more. The USPS’s new rules and specs can be difficult to navigate, and the book is an easy reference tool. It also goes into a lot of detail about why changes went into effect and what you as a mailing professional can do to take advantage of them—and what to expect in the future. What are some other important topics explored in the book? A lot of attention is given to design and data concerns and other issues you should think about before preparing a mailing. There is also a new barcode called the Intelligent Mail barcode that encodes automation, tracking, and other mailstream information about the piece, such as routing codes, serial numbers, and...

The following information is contributed by Rick Hartwig and the Environmental, Health, and Safety Affairs Department of Printing Industries of America. Get ready for changes to your Hazard Communication program! After years of effort, theOccupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revised its Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to align with the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). The revision was made to provide for consistency and to allow employees to better understand hazards, which will result in improved compliance, easier program management, and fewer injuries and illnesses.   The changes outlined under the new standard will be phased in over time and will be fully in effect by June 1, 2016. This rule includes three major changes to the current standards: Hazard classification. The definitions of “hazard” have been changed to provide specific criteria for classifications of health and physical hazards, as well as the classification of mixtures. The chemical manufacturer and importer are still responsible for hazard classification. Labels for chemical containers. Chemical manufacturers and importers will be required to provide a label that includes a signal word, pictogram, and hazard statement for each hazard class and category. Precautionary statements must also be provided. Safety data sheets. These documents will eventually replace the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and will now have a uniform and specified 16-section format. The compliance requirements for the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) will essentially be the same as was required in the current standard. As a result of the changes to labeling and SDS’s, OSHA will require modified employee training to be provided. The revised rule requires that all applicable workers be trained on the new label elements and SDS format by December 1, 2013 in order to be prepared once the new information is released into the market. Also, in the event any new physical or health hazards are identified, additional employee training on the new information must be completed by June 1, 2016. This modified training is in addition to the current standard’s training requirements. The printing industry will primarily be affected by the labeling and Safety Data Sheet changes to the Hazard Communication Standard, as well as the training requirements that accompany these changes. OSHA will require employers who use an in-plant labeling system to update their labeling program, so companies should begin evaluating the labeling system used for in-plant containers during the transition period. Although the changes do not directly affect the written program requirements of Hazard Communication Standard, OSHA will require employers to update, as necessary, any portion of their programs that would reflect changes such as terminology, definitions, training, or any change in policies as a result of the new revision. To...

As you read through Printing Industries of America’s 2012 Forecast Part 1: Trends and Tactics, it becomes evident that there are many new challenges facing printers, but also, many new tactics to overcoming them. One of these challenges is the effects of the rise of Internet and e-media. The real culprit, however, is that today’s consumers are more demanding than ever. In an age where the most sought after goods and services are just a click away, business must redirect their focus to being more than just printers. Today, printers need to take effective steps to improve their customers’ ROI and transition to being total service providers. According to Printing Industries of America’s 2012 Forecast Part 1: Trends and Tactics, contributor Jack Miller, Principle Consultant for Market-Intel, LLC, printers are now in business to serve the customer.  They must evolve beyond the idea that they are a company that “puts ink on paper” and focus on “helping their customers improve their ROI on their marketing communications.”  For a successful customer-centered business, follow these top practices: Evolve into a “marketing services provider” or “solutions partner” Longer sales cycle, more loyalty Opportunity for cross selling Content delivery vs. multiple channels Focus on consumer retention more than acquisition Growth with existing customers: offer a broader range of services Balance—not putting too many eggs in one basket Integrate social media and search engine marketing into the mix Print as ink on paper, Miller predicts, will continue to play an important part in the media mix. The name of the game is adaptation. Printers must evolve and embrace new technologies and these value-added services to overcome a changing environment. Printing industries of America offers many publications to serve printers.  For a comprehensive look into the future of print, check out our Forecast Part 1:Trends and Tactics from The Magazine. It looks at many facets of the printing industry– from politics to prepress and from economics to print markets– and how they will be affected in the future.  Follow Printing Industries of America on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and, now, Google+ for updates. PIA Blog Opt-Out: ...

This article was contributed by Ed Gleeson, Director of Economic & Market Research, Printing Industries of America.   In 2011 we started off the year with fears of a double-dip recession, but much of those fears have subsided as the U.S. economy gained some momentum ending with fourth-quarter growth of 3.0%. Real GDP increased by 1.7% in 2011, and the printing industry–like the U.S. economy– experienced growth, but at lower levels than 2010. According to our Fourth Quarter Print Market Survey of over 250 survey printers, sales increased by 3.9%. Taking into account the number of firms that went out of business during the year, we estimate that total industry sales increased by 0.35% in 2011 to $145.1 billion from $144.6 billion. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 print shipments declined 0.47%. Since the beginning of the year, both our survey panel and the U.S. Census Bureau reported print sales weakening. Most reported industry growth is from companies with more than 100 employees. On average their sales increased by 5.1%, while smaller firms reported sales declining. Digital toner-based and ancillary service sales were the main drivers of industry growth in 2011. Digital toner-based sales increased 8.5% and ancillary services increased 4.7%. Weighted average* conventional print sales increased by 1.4%, while non-weighted sales declined by 0.6%. Larger firms’ conventional print sales increased by 2.9% while smaller firms’ sales continued to decline. Since larger firms account for a larger percent of total industry sales, their answers receive a larger weight and pull up the industry average. In 2011 our panel reported prices declining slightly by 1.1%. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index for the printing industry, prices increase by 1.8% in 2011. Smaller firms with 1 to 19 employees were the only segment in our panel that reported increasing prices in 2011, an increase of 1.2%. How did your company perform compared to the industry average in terms of percent change in total firm sales, conventional print sales, digital print sales, and ancillary services sales? Were you able to pass along price increases to your customers or, like our panel, did average prices decline? In the Fourth Quarter Print Market Update, available soon at www.printing.org/store/38806, you can compare your firm’s performance to the competition. The following are some of the main benchmarks available for comparison in the report: Percent change in year-end sales Sales expectations for 2012 Printing prices, profitability Material and labor costs Employment and employment expectations Capital spending and access to credit. We further segment the results so you can compare your company to companies of a similar size, in the same region, and using the same primary printing process. We recommend you compare...

This article is written by Mark Bohan, Vice President, Technology and Research at Printing Industries of America. As has been true for some time, the printing industry is in the throes of changes. The business models are changing with transition of content between different media, while technology innovations are positively impacting the manner in which printed material is produced. It is critical to be aware of these technology changes and the ways in which they will impact your business. Here are my top picks on what technologies you need to be aware of: (watch for this year’s InterTechTM Technology Awards to highlight advances in these areas) Automated workflows Automated workflows are going through a new renaissance with the introduction of new specifications so files can handle complex variable data and then process them through the facility in the most efficient manner possible. This applies irrespective of the printing process. Increasingly, companies will try to “touch” a file as few times as possible. Production inkjet technology This technology is taking inkjet printing to a whole new marketplace, and we are seeing new capabilities monthly, if not weekly. Because this is so new, there will be many business and technical questions and challenges in its implementation. Wide format inkjet Wide format inkjet printing continues to expand in use, and is gradually eroding the use of screen printing for signage, point-of-purchase displays, and other uses. Single-pass ink jet is the most exciting development in this area, promising to revolutionize the speed and cost of producing wide-format graphics. Marketing metrics Marketing dollars are continually being challenged, and there is push to show value for the spend that occurs. To help with this there are many new technologies that can link print to other media, such as Web or mobile, including technologies such as QR codes and augmented reality. These can then be used to engage the consumer and provide hard analytics back about the effectiveness and touch points in campaigns. Paper and board packaging There will always be the need to have packaging material for the merchandise we buy! It continues to be a strong area in lithographic and flexo printing, both from the printer’s perspective, as well as those of the suppliers. There is also an increase in inkjet technologies for packaging. Color measurement and management Color science is continually developing to more accurately reflect what humans see. This is leading to the introduction of new color measurement instrumentation and management solutions to meet reproduction challenges. Solutions are continually made easier to use in order to broaden their application, and we are seeing the increased use of RGB workflows and Device Link Profiles to help with color management. Digital technologies The use of digital...