The following article was written by Joseph Polanco, President, Printing & Imaging Association of MidAmerica If you were to walk into the production areas of several printers anywhere in North America, you would undoubtedly observe something they all have in common. No, it’s not the equipment. Nor is it the facility design. It’s the average age of their employees. Look at the press operators, the skilled bindery technicians, and yes, even the prepress techs. Odds are you won’t see many under 30, or for that matter under 45. How did this happen—and more importantly—what does this mean for our future? Regardless of what the “tekkies” are saying, digital print is not going to replace all of our offset presses, and inline finishing isn’t going to replace our needs to bind and finish offline. The printing industry has always been a craft industry. One learned through a formal apprenticeship (when there were trade unions) or on‐the‐job training (OJT) under the tutelage of someone more knowledgeable. Many would begin in small job shops operating single-color duplicators/presses or simple bindery equipment and then make job hops for the opportunities to operate more complex equipment and hone the skills necessary to be called a craftsman. The apprenticeship programs, as well as many of the high school and trade programs which fed the industry are long gone. The duplicator press, which was the genesis of their journey as a press operator, is hardly ever found in print shops. The job shop has been replaced with a broad range of print providers—all running digital equipment.   Lingering Effects of the Recession Another complication was that the industry workforce took a dramatic hit in the Great Recession which was exacerbated by the move to digital‐based communications. There was no reason to hire new people, and anyone with substandard skills was let go. We went through nearly five years of limited hiring in the pressroom and bindery. Anyone who had been laid off in 2007 or 2008 quickly determined that their future no longer existed in our industry. The result is that we no longer had the “reserve” labor pool that was always available in prior business cycles. To compound matters, many outside of the industry—and for that matter too many inside the industry—were forecasting the death of everything print. Anyone who understood the craft of print and was employed was not too excited about leaving their present job. Especially in light of a rapidly shrinking industry where closures and consolidations were occurring at historical rates. And young people had no interest in getting into a “dying” industry. That’s how we got here.   A People Problem The major challenge facing the industry over the next 10...

When met with a hard business decision, the safe route is to stick with what we know. With years of previous evidence suggesting your current path leads to financial stability, why would you need to change your plans now? Safety does equal security after all—or does it? Take Kodak, for example. According to Jeffrey Hayzlett, primetime television and radio host, former Fortune 100 CMO, and 2016 President’s Conference keynote speaker, when Kodak tried to play it safe in 1975 by dismissing digital camera inventor Steven Sasson, they made the worst business decision of their history. “They had the only product that people would run into a burning house to save,” said Hayzlett in a 2015 Media and Entertainment Services Alliance article. “[But Kodak] just did not adapt. In business, if you don’t change or adapt, you end up dying” (CMS Wire, “Ex-Kodak CMO Jeffrey Hayzlett Warns: Adapt, Change or Die”). After years of running small and big companies, Hayzlett’s experience taught him that the scale of the business doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a difference in problems they face. Essentially, businesses must continue to look at their marketplace conditions and make adjustments to their business strategies or risk failure. “When you start to think that ‘we only do this’ instead of ‘we could be doing that,’—that is the day that you start to die,” said Faye Oney in his article “Jeffrey Hayzlett to Media Companies: Adapt, Change or Die.” Hayzlett will talk more about his experiences at the 2016 President’s Conference in his keynote presentation, Think Big, Act Bigger. Based on his newest book by the same name, the program is a take-no-prisoners, no BS, attitude adjustment for those who call themselves entrepreneurs. Learn more about Hayzeltt’s session and the 2016 President’s Conference when you visit...

When met with a hard business decision, the safe route is to stick with what we know. With years of previous evidence suggesting your current path leads to financial stability, why would you need to change your plans now? Safety does equal security after all—or does it? Take Kodak, for example. According to Jeffrey Hayzlett, primetime television and radio host, former Fortune 100 CMO, and 2016 President’s Conference keynote speaker, when Kodak tried to play it safe in 1975 by dismissing digital camera inventor Steven Sasson, they made the worst business decision of their history. “They had the only product that people would run into a burning house to save,” said Hayzlett in a 2015 Media and Entertainment Services Alliance article. “[But Kodak] just did not adapt. In business, if you don’t change or adapt, you end up dying” (CMS Wire, “Ex-Kodak CMO Jeffrey Hayzlett Warns: Adapt, Change or Die”). After years of running small and big companies, Hayzlett’s experience taught him that the scale of the business doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a difference in problems they face. Essentially, businesses must continue to look at their marketplace conditions and make adjustments to their business strategies or risk failure. “When you start to think that ‘we only do this’ instead of ‘we could be doing that,’—that is the day that you start to die,” said Faye Oney in his article “Jeffrey Hayzlett to Media Companies: Adapt, Change or Die.” Hayzlett will talk more about his experiences at the 2016 President’s Conference in his keynote presentation, Think Big, Act Bigger. Based on his newest book by the same name, the program is a take-no-prisoners, no BS, attitude adjustment for those who call themselves entrepreneurs. Learn more about Hayzeltt’s session and the 2016 President’s Conference when you visit...

The following post was submitted by Color 2015 sponsor, GTI Graphic Technology, Inc. What do a photographer, commercial printer, and sign printer have in common? They all have a need to accurately communicate color. When they carry out this objective consistently and accurately, they are providing a high level of value to their clients and increasing the efficiency of their business. Reproducing color accurately is a complicated process, especially when different substrates, technologies, and production facilities are involved. To help ensure that accuracy is achieved, viewing comparisons across the supply chain should be made in viewing conditions that comply with the ISO 3664:2009 standard. ISO 3664:2009 is the international color viewing standard for the graphic technology and photography industries. It is a set of specifications that enables lighting engineers and manufacturers to design, test, and certify their color viewing systems to the industry standards and challenges them to enhance the performance of their products. There are five specific conditions to meet when designing an ISO 3664:2009-compliant viewing booth. Color Quality D50 light, which represents natural daylight, is used to view prints, photographs, and other graphic arts applications. It should be noted that not all 5,000K lamps are equal. To maintain compliance with the standard, use only ISO 3664:2009-compliant lamps in your viewing booth. Light Intensity Consistent light intensity is critical to consistent image rendition. The standard provides a target intensity designed to allow full tonal visibility of shadow detail without washing out highlights. Color decisions should be under light that is between 1,750 and 2,250 lux, with 2,000 lux being optimum. Evenness Even light intensity across an image assures correct interpretation of print/reproduction quality. Evenness is ensured by measuring illuminance at several evenly distributed points on the viewing surface. Illumination should be at least 1,200 lux (60% of 2,000) intensity at all points on the viewing surface. Surround Surround color and reflectance affect color appearance. ISO 3664:2009 specifies that the surround and backing shall be neutral and matte. Munsell N8/ neutral gray paint is used by GTI Graphic Technology, Inc., the leading manufacturer of color viewing systems to meet this condition. Geometry The presence of excessive glare is distracting and can hide reproduction detail. Therefore, the light source, image, and the observer’s eyes need to be positioned to minimize glare. The standard does not explicitly specify lighting geometry but states it should be minimized.   Selecting a viewing booth to meet your requirements is easy. Determine what size viewing area you need; it is recommend that your viewing area be large enough to allow side-by-side comparison of prints and proofs. You should also consider the number of people who will be involved in the viewing process when selecting your...

The following post was submitted by Color 2015 sponsor, GTI Graphic Technology, Inc. What do a photographer, commercial printer, and sign printer have in common? They all have a need to accurately communicate color. When they carry out this objective consistently and accurately, they are providing a high level of value to their clients and increasing the efficiency of their business. Reproducing color accurately is a complicated process, especially when different substrates, technologies, and production facilities are involved. To help ensure that accuracy is achieved, viewing comparisons across the supply chain should be made in viewing conditions that comply with the ISO 3664:2009 standard. ISO 3664:2009 is the international color viewing standard for the graphic technology and photography industries. It is a set of specifications that enables lighting engineers and manufacturers to design, test, and certify their color viewing systems to the industry standards and challenges them to enhance the performance of their products. There are five specific conditions to meet when designing an ISO 3664:2009-compliant viewing booth. Color Quality D50 light, which represents natural daylight, is used to view prints, photographs, and other graphic arts applications. It should be noted that not all 5,000K lamps are equal. To maintain compliance with the standard, use only ISO 3664:2009-compliant lamps in your viewing booth. Light Intensity Consistent light intensity is critical to consistent image rendition. The standard provides a target intensity designed to allow full tonal visibility of shadow detail without washing out highlights. Color decisions should be under light that is between 1,750 and 2,250 lux, with 2,000 lux being optimum. Evenness Even light intensity across an image assures correct interpretation of print/reproduction quality. Evenness is ensured by measuring illuminance at several evenly distributed points on the viewing surface. Illumination should be at least 1,200 lux (60% of 2,000) intensity at all points on the viewing surface. Surround Surround color and reflectance affect color appearance. ISO 3664:2009 specifies that the surround and backing shall be neutral and matte. Munsell N8/ neutral gray paint is used by GTI Graphic Technology, Inc., the leading manufacturer of color viewing systems to meet this condition. Geometry The presence of excessive glare is distracting and can hide reproduction detail. Therefore, the light source, image, and the observer’s eyes need to be positioned to minimize glare. The standard does not explicitly specify lighting geometry but states it should be minimized.   Selecting a viewing booth to meet your requirements is easy. Determine what size viewing area you need; it is recommend that your viewing area be large enough to allow side-by-side comparison of prints and proofs. You should also consider the number of people who will be involved in the viewing process when selecting your...