If you’ve seen promotions about our upcoming Optimizing Digital Color from Your Digital Press workshop and wondered how this training would benefit you on the job, take a lesson from the Publications team here at Printing Industries of America. We recently got some firsthand experience with how color reproduction changes when a job shifts from the offset press to the digital press, and our best resource was workshop leader Dave Dezzutti. So, how did we get there and what did we learn from the experience? In the past, at Printing Industries Press we have always produced our color-related titles on a lithographic press because accurate color reproduction is critical when discussing the science and control of color. But over the years most of our titles have migrated to digital short-run production, and our most recent book, Color Printing Excellence, made that transition to digital printing as well. Knowing it would be printed on the iGen4 production press, our digital production staff assured us the press would be able to handle the color reproduction to meet the needs of this topic. But we did need to do a little behind-the-scenes work to make sure we got there on a few of the more color-critical images. Color Printing Excellence developed from the need to update Color and Its Reproduction, Third Edition, which had been printed on an offset press. That meant a lot of the images used in Excellence were picked up from the original text, and those images had been optimized for offset production. As the editor worked on the layout and proofs for review throughout the editorial process, he noticed there were inconsistencies between the images, such as the digital versions being darker than the earlier offset printing, and these were differences that went beyond the paper used. We’re lucky to be able to turn to our in-house experts and staff consultants when problems like these surface. Technology and Research Analyst Dave Dezzutti, who is also the instructor of the Optimizing Digital Color from Your Digital Press workshop, was able to take a look at our images, troubleshoot and diagnose the issues, and walk us through the solutions. Some of the problems and necessary adjustments included: Images appeared darker when printed on digital press. The adjustments needed here were minimal and involved lightening the image with some middletone adjustments in Adobe Photoshop. Dave indicated that the darkening is a probable result of the GCR (gray component replacement) present in production inkjet presses. Overlap of color. In one sensitive graphic it was important that the dots in a simulated screen pattern did not touch. However, despite the editor’s great care, while working in Adobe Illustrator, to allow a reasonable amount...

We rely on a lot of business products in our industry: papers, inks, presses, computers, and lots of material elements! But one component supersedes technologies—great employees. The best companies in the industry recognize their importance with devoted Human Relations Managers investing in their employees, hiring and retaining skilled professionals who, according to countless studies, perform better and stay longer with their company. Every day hard-working people are adding greater value to their organizations. They are the faces and personalities behind the products, contributing their skills and passion for their work. These are the companies who enter the Best Workplaces in the Americas competition from Printing Industries of America. Here are some winning examples of sound HR practices: “Communication meetings are held on a monthly basis by the Senior Management Team. The plant is normally in full operation 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. However, during these hour-long Communication Meetings, the presses and other work stop so that all employees can hear the same message from the owners. One is held for each shift. The meeting consists of sharing the monthly sales goal and comparing to the actual sales, company announcements, employee recognition, and usually a topic employees can be training on. At least once a quarter, we also work in a team-building exercise for the employees to complete.” Best Work Environment practice: MOSAIC, Cheverly, MD.—BWA Winner, 2011 “In addition to the benefits of our wellness program, TLP implemented an on-site dietician available to all employees—temporary employees included. Once a month, our designated dietician comes on site to meet with employees for 30 minutes each. We’ve had a huge response to this initiative with almost a 50% participation rate.” Best Health and Wellness practice: Tailored Label Products, Menomonee Falls, WI.—BWA Winner, 2011 (For more winning practices, see the Best Practices of the Best Workplaces in the Americas volumes.) Sound like your workplace? These are samples of the high-caliber HR practices that are entered in the BWA competition. We recognize the companies truly committed to their workforce. It is a win-win situation because employees benefit from excellent HR policies, and companies can showcase their admirable practices. Here is what a few past winners had to say: “At Fusion, we use the Best Workplace win to promote our company in a few different ways, especially for recruiting and to promote the company as a whole. We use the logo on a  table banner at career fairs and technical school presentations;  display the plaques in our lobby. This gets lots of attention and is a great conversation starter about the company to any visitors, whether they’re potential job candidates, vendors, customers, or suppliers.” —Sheila Greco, Fusion Paperboard 2012 “Best of the...

From automated tellers to radiology, information technology is helping to automate the delivery of products and services. It’s no different with print—automating the print production process creates greater efficiency and less waste. It is also making many printers more profitable. In fact, Printing Industries of America Ratios studies have shown that about 25% of printers make 100% of the profit in the industry. One thing that these high-earning companies have in common is that they replace much of their labor with automation. Would you like to say that you can have a job on press in less than 10 minutes from its order time? Or how would you like to guarantee your customers that their jobs will ship the same day if the order is placed in the morning? If you have an automation strategy, there are plenty of benefits. But before you begin, you need the right education. Find the tools to help you learn how to implement an automated system. Printing Industries of America has plenty of resources to get you up to date, including events, publications, and webinars. Take advantage of our automation resources like reports, articles, and the Tech Hotline. If you want to be the best, learn directly from the best. Take part in the events from the Automation Solutions Network  that highlight a company exemplifying best automation practices. Their meetings are excellent ways to network and learn. This May you can attend the newest event that will take you behind the scenes to see automation successfully implemented at Digital Lizard and Creel Printing. Hear about automated workflows and equipment straight from the company leaders. The meeting takes place May 2–3, 2013, in Las Vegas, NV. Find more information and a presentation schedule here.  Hear from Digital Lizard president about how his company gets its edge. You will want to read up on the intricacies of automation technologies before you implement a system. Printing Industries of America offers many titles and webinars on automation through our bookstore. One of our newest titles is JDF Workflow: A Guide to Automation in the Graphic Communications Industry. Vital for print professionals and students, this book explains how to implement print automation and what you can accomplish. Get an in-depth review of this title and the importance of automation from James Harvey of CIP4 here. For more on automation, visit the Automation Solutions Network...

You only have to read through one industry publication to know that there is a lot of talk about digital printing. From package to commercial printing, innovation in this field is taking place daily. If there were a good time to declare a “Digital Boom,” you can say that time is now. We’ve expanded the digital print category for the 2013 Premier Print Awards competition because it has become such an important, growing segment in our industry. Printing companies can now choose from eight, more product-specific subcategories to enter their pieces like On-Demand, Variable-Data, and more. “As a representative for the industry, Printing Industries of America is no stranger to adapting to new technologies to support the needs of our members,” says Lisa Rawa, Vice President, Marketing. “We’ve seen a surge of digitally printed entries in recent years, and it is evident that these printers can really hold their own. We wanted to give them new, exciting opportunities to be recognized for their work.” Did we mention that there are more than 100 other categories to enter in the Premier Print Awards? According to Lisa, “We want this competition to touch upon every niche in the industry so that any printer has an opportunity to enter and win. Digital printing is expanding, and we have expanded our offerings to reflect this.” This is not the first time we have re-energized the Premier Print Awards to keep the contest relevant and in sync with the industry environment. And with all of the innovation among printers, it will not be the last change either. Here are the new Digital Printing subcategories for the Premier Print Awards: On-Demand Brochures and Booklets (1, 2, or 3 colors) Brochures and Booklets (4 or more colors) Juvenile Books Novelty Books Cookbooks Customized/Personalized/Variable-Data Digital Printing Campaign Read more about the Primer Print Awards and how you can enter on our website www.printing.org/ppa.  Also find out about other digital printing education...

The printing industry is constantly facing challenges regarding its place in messaging, its environmental impact, and its future. As recently as January of this year, Google launched a campaign to “Go Paperless in 2013,” and who can forget Toshiba’s ill-fated “National No Print Day,” announced in the summer of 2012? Both campaigns encouraged switching from paper to electronic communications as a means of protecting the environment. These are only two of the most recent cases. With industry giants making false claims about print, it became clear we needed to fight back. Printing Industries of America created the Value of Print campaign in March 2012 as a response to false claims about print’s negative impact on the environment and the loss of its effectiveness. This campaign has served as a resource for the industry to spread the message about the power of print and is available in a printed Flip-Book, PDF version, and a mobile app. Our President and CEO, Michael Makin, even referenced facts and statistics from the Flip-Book in his open letter to Google in response to their “Go Paperless in 2013” campaign. What started as direct mail pieces—including a brochure, poster, and a PR tool kit—grew into a bigger campaign, crossing several platforms. The campaign is now promoted on Printing Industries of America’s social media channels—you may have even seen our #FlipbookFactFriday tweets, which include quick statistics from the Flip-Book. The purpose of social media is to discover and share content you wouldn’t find though normal means. This campaign has reached audiences that we wouldn’t have been able to reach with just a social media campaign, or just a direct mail campaign. By integrating the various outlets available, we have been able to maximize our reach. The industry knows its value. When you marry the power of print with the efficiency of electronics, you can create an extremely effective marketing mix that is also environmentally friendly. Coming this spring, the campaign will even cross over to television. Printing Industries of America will be featured in a video to be aired on In Focus, a television series on PBS. The video promotes the industry’s sustainability and print’s effectiveness and features segments from Tim Burton, President, Burton & Mayer, and Chairman of the Board, Printing Industries of America; Michael Makin, President and CEO, Printing Industries of America; and Lisa Rawa, Vice President, Marketing, Printing Industries of America. Stay tuned for more developments from the Value of Print Campaign by visiting printing.org/valueofprint and be sure to download the mobile app for the latest facts and statistics to support our industry.  Lisa Rawa in a behind-the-scenes image from the In Focus Video Shoot. Lisa stands in front of Printing Industries of...