The following post was submitted by 2016 President’s Conference sponsor, Heidelberg. Your profit per job should be the driver of which technology and processes you use to produce a job. Think of an ideal production scenario: 1) Your MIS/workflow would determine (based on cost parameters) how a job is scheduled and produced to maximize your return on that entire job. 2) Your color management is so well defined that quality across technologies is a given and will match. 3) Data from your production devices would provide exact and timely feedback for that critical information loop on cost versus estimate. With Heidelberg, that production scenario is a reality today, not a futuristic “wish list”! Heidelberg is committed to improving and expanding its digital solutions as its customers need to run jobs from one to a million sheets. The crossover cost point of digital versus offset technology is much, much lower than people think! Generally, customers compare the cost per copy of a new digital device versus their old offset press, but if you compare the latest Anicolor 75 offset press, it breaks even at 250 sheets versus a 29-in. digital device. In reality, you only need ultra-short run and personalized digital output, a gap which is nicely filled by the latest Linoprint CV (90ppm) & CP (130ppm). At the end of the day, the questions to ask are: –  What volume can you bring in to utilize an asset? –  What’s your cost per sheet based on that volume and the asset price? –   What can you charge for that sheet? Those questions lead to the investment decision, not the technology...

No matter what segment of the postpress industry you’re in, there are always a few special products that really make you proud. Whether it was a unique binding or a project that everyone said couldn’t be done, you made it happen to the best of your abilities and then some. It’s these types of projects that deserve recognition on an industry-wide level. And now, you have the opportunity to enter these into one of the biggest industry award competitions—the Premier Print Awards. Starting in 2016, those companies who previously entered the Product of Excellence Awards now have the opportunity to showcase their work within the Premier Print Awards Competition. The Premier Print Awards recognize the highest quality printed pieces in various categories from around the world. Each year, only the most worthy pieces receive Awards of Recognition, Certificates of Merit, and the highest honor—the Benny statue. For more than sixty years, winners of the largest, most prestigious print competition in the world have leveraged this honor to gain a competitive advantage. What Categories Can I Enter? To ensure your postpress piece is submitted in the appropriate category, the Premier Print Awards have updated five of their categories: O-2 Diecuts and Pop-ups O-4 Folding, Unique Folds, and Involvement Devices O-5 Binding O-6 Other Special Finishing Techniques T-1 Cartons, Containers, Boxes, and Totes Of course, you are more than welcome to submit your pieces into other Premier Print Awards categories including “They Said It Couldn’t Be Done,” “Special Innovation Awards,” and other segments. You can view all of this year’s categories by visiting www.printing.org/ppacategories. Benefits of the Premier Print Awards Recipients of the Premier Print Awards have been known to use their win as leverage in the industry. Receiving an award in the competition will show your customers that you are among the elite in the industry. And your employees can feel proud knowing they work for a highly regarded company. Each recipient will receive an invitation to the Premier Print Awards Gala featuring the InterTech Technology Awards (Benny winners receive a complimentary ticket), inclusion in the Premier Print Awards Supplement, exposure to the media with a press release from Printing Industries of America, a Benny statue, a certificate or plaque to proudly display, industry recognition, a self-promotion kit to help endorse the win, and Premier Print Award imagery to display on your promotional pieces. We encourage you to participate in this exciting event. To submit your entries into the Premier Print Awards, visit awards.printing.org, create your company profile, and enter your pieces. For questions regarding the Premier Print Awards and how to enter this year’s competition, visit www.printing.org/ppa or contact Mike Packard by clicking here or by calling...

No matter what segment of the postpress industry you’re in, there are always a few special products that really make you proud. Whether it was a unique binding or a project that everyone said couldn’t be done, you made it happen to the best of your abilities and then some. It’s these types of projects that deserve recognition on an industry-wide level. And now, you have the opportunity to enter these into one of the biggest industry award competitions—the Premier Print Awards. Starting in 2016, those companies who previously entered the Product of Excellence Awards now have the opportunity to showcase their work within the Premier Print Awards Competition. The Premier Print Awards recognize the highest quality printed pieces in various categories from around the world. Each year, only the most worthy pieces receive Awards of Recognition, Certificates of Merit, and the highest honor—the Benny statue. For more than sixty years, winners of the largest, most prestigious print competition in the world have leveraged this honor to gain a competitive advantage. What Categories Can I Enter? To ensure your postpress piece is submitted in the appropriate category, the Premier Print Awards have updated five of their categories: O-2 Diecuts and Pop-ups O-4 Folding, Unique Folds, and Involvement Devices O-5 Binding O-6 Other Special Finishing Techniques T-1 Cartons, Containers, Boxes, and Totes Of course, you are more than welcome to submit your pieces into other Premier Print Awards categories including “They Said It Couldn’t Be Done,” “Special Innovation Awards,” and other segments. You can view all of this year’s categories by visiting www.printing.org/ppacategories. Benefits of the Premier Print Awards Recipients of the Premier Print Awards have been known to use their win as leverage in the industry. Receiving an award in the competition will show your customers that you are among the elite in the industry. And your employees can feel proud knowing they work for a highly regarded company. Each recipient will receive an invitation to the Premier Print Awards Gala featuring the InterTech Technology Awards (Benny winners receive a complimentary ticket), inclusion in the Premier Print Awards Supplement, exposure to the media with a press release from Printing Industries of America, a Benny statue, a certificate or plaque to proudly display, industry recognition, a self-promotion kit to help endorse the win, and Premier Print Award imagery to display on your promotional pieces. We encourage you to participate in this exciting event. To submit your entries into the Premier Print Awards, visit awards.printing.org, create your company profile, and enter your pieces. For questions regarding the Premier Print Awards and how to enter this year’s competition, visit www.printing.org/ppa or contact Mike Packard by clicking here or by calling...

The following post was submitted by 2016 President’s Conference sponsor, Fujifilm. Fujifilm’s Graphic Systems Division is proud to continue our long-standing support of Printing Industries of America and the 2016 President’s Conference. Our loyalty to PIA and its members aligns with Fujifilm’s prevalent role in the graphic communications industry.  Fujifilm stands apart based upon our broad perspective on both the legacy, analog components of your business, along with every aspect of the newer options for digital print production. Whether it’s pressroom supplies or the premier portfolio of offset and flexo printing plates and equipment, we’ve got you covered. When it comes to digital print, we span the gamut from toner-based solutions to hybrid combinations of traditional and digital, to the cutting edge of 100% digital for applications ranging from commercial to packaging to wide-format. Our commitment to our collective industry is second to none, both in terms of personnel and investments. In the North America market alone, we have a combined field sales and service team of more than 325 skilled professionals. Over the past 10 years we have invested more than $1 billion in targeted acquisitions in the digital print technology category and continue to invest more than $2 billion annually on R&D. Fujifilm’s newly renovated and expanded Chicago Technology Center encompasses more than 23,000 square feet and offers a wide array of printing solutions, from offset to packaging, wide format to narrow-web labels, digital toner presses to high-speed production inkjet presses, and workflow to color management. Fujifilm delivers a first-hand and hands-on educational experience for print providers, all in one facility. Onsite visits to the Chicago Technology Center include one-on-one demonstrations allowing you to run your files on your substrates, VIP tours, Technology Summits, and industry events. We can arrange a private tour for you and your company as well. With the most diverse product and solution portfolio in the graphics industry, Fujifilm can provide an insightful, close-up experience on how the latest innovative technologies can expand and grow your printing business. Your attendance at the President’s Conference is a testament to your leadership approach within your organization; seeking to network and learn from subject-matter experts and your peers is a key success factor in our ever-changing industry. If you are a current customer, thank you for your business—we don’t take our business relationship for granted. If you aren’t currently a Fujifilm customer, we would appreciate the opportunity better understand you and your business, and how we can apply our perspective, commitment, and innovative approach to your needs now, and in the...

The following post was submitted by 2016 President’s Conference sponsor, Fujifilm. Fujifilm’s Graphic Systems Division is proud to continue our long-standing support of Printing Industries of America and the 2016 President’s Conference. Our loyalty to PIA and its members aligns with Fujifilm’s prevalent role in the graphic communications industry.  Fujifilm stands apart based upon our broad perspective on both the legacy, analog components of your business, along with every aspect of the newer options for digital print production. Whether it’s pressroom supplies or the premier portfolio of offset and flexo printing plates and equipment, we’ve got you covered. When it comes to digital print, we span the gamut from toner-based solutions to hybrid combinations of traditional and digital, to the cutting edge of 100% digital for applications ranging from commercial to packaging to wide-format. Our commitment to our collective industry is second to none, both in terms of personnel and investments. In the North America market alone, we have a combined field sales and service team of more than 325 skilled professionals. Over the past 10 years we have invested more than $1 billion in targeted acquisitions in the digital print technology category and continue to invest more than $2 billion annually on R&D. Fujifilm’s newly renovated and expanded Chicago Technology Center encompasses more than 23,000 square feet and offers a wide array of printing solutions, from offset to packaging, wide format to narrow-web labels, digital toner presses to high-speed production inkjet presses, and workflow to color management. Fujifilm delivers a first-hand and hands-on educational experience for print providers, all in one facility. Onsite visits to the Chicago Technology Center include one-on-one demonstrations allowing you to run your files on your substrates, VIP tours, Technology Summits, and industry events. We can arrange a private tour for you and your company as well. With the most diverse product and solution portfolio in the graphics industry, Fujifilm can provide an insightful, close-up experience on how the latest innovative technologies can expand and grow your printing business. Your attendance at the President’s Conference is a testament to your leadership approach within your organization; seeking to network and learn from subject-matter experts and your peers is a key success factor in our ever-changing industry. If you are a current customer, thank you for your business—we don’t take our business relationship for granted. If you aren’t currently a Fujifilm customer, we would appreciate the opportunity better understand you and your business, and how we can apply our perspective, commitment, and innovative approach to your needs now, and in the...