“There are three kinds of leaders. Those that tell you what to do. Those that allow you to do what you want. And Lean leaders that come down to the work and help you figure it out.” – John Shook What do you think classifies a person as an exceptional leader? One measure is that a person provides the motivation, knowledge, and tools that result in a company’s operation constantly improving. These are the individuals we want to honor with the 2013 Managing for Improvement Award. This award recognizes managers who make quality and efficiency a top priority—they are the ones making sure their employees are productive and safe and that their customers are satisfied. They inspire people and ensure that these standards are sustained. Why should you nominate an outstanding manager for the Managing for Improvement Award? The winner is recognized at the 2013 Continuous Improvement Conference*—the conference that focuses on exploring the latest innovations in Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement In the ceremony the recipient receives an engraved award to display and complimentary attendance to the CI Conference as well as one night’s hotel stay A news release detailing the recipient and award will be sent to industry media, media in the recipient’s community, and to industry peers Recognition ad in Printing Industries of America: The Magazine A truly outstanding manager helps a company strive for operational excellence. You can give a deserving leader, and their company, the recognition they deserve. Read this article from David Harding’s blog, How to ID a True Leader, for more on what qualities comprise a leader. Harding is presenting “Sustaining an Empowering Culture in the Face of Personnel Changes and Acquisitions” at the 2013 Continuous Improvement Conference. Do you have someone in mind? If so, send us their information by February 15, 2013. Click on the image to view the details on how to enter your nomination. If you have any questions, please contact Jim Workman at jworkman@printing.org or visit www.printing.org/ciconference. You can attend the 2013 Continuous Improvement Conference, April 7–10, 2013, in Indianapolis, Indiana, and learn more about the skills needed to benefit from successful Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement strategies....

The Environmental, Health, and Safety Department at Printing Industries of America offers advice on the control and cleaning of combustible dust, a top priority for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The control of combustible dust has become a top priority for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and they are focusing on many industries—including printing operations—where combustible dust is generated. Combustible dust can be generated by several activities involved with printing and binding, including cutting paper, perfect binding, finishing operations, material handling activities, deteriorating building materials, and use of offset spray powder. The generation, handling, and accumulation of combustible dust present both a fire and explosion hazard, and it must be managed to prevent a hazardous situation. In addition, excessive dust can cause problems with product quality and premature wear of motors, especially around motor sleeves. As a result of many fires and explosions occurring due to combustible dust, OSHA initiated a National Emphasis Program designed to target companies that generate, use, or handle combustible dusts and to cite them for violating OSHA standards. Individual printing and bindery operations are a target and have been inspected and cited for violations. A first step to address combustible dust hazards is to evaluate your current condition. This involves determining first whether you generate combustible dust and second whether there is an accumulation of dust that would exceed OSHA’s threshold for a hazardous environment., OSHA uses a combustible dust threshold of 1/32 of an inch (the thickness of a paper clip) over 5% of horizontal surfaces. If your dust accumulation exceeds this threshold, it is very likely that you have a combustible dust hazard situation that needs to be addressed. The two basic responses required are “cleaning” and “control.” Cleaning involves an initial cleaning of all dust in the area(s) or the entire facility and then implementing a regular cleaning schedule to keep the area(s) dust-free, or at least at or below the OSHA threshold. Control involves determining whether the equipment or operation is designed properly for the activities and performing regular inspection and maintenance of equipment and/or operations that have been identified as generating or contributing to combustible dust, such as dust collection systems, balers, production equipment, etc. With both cleaning and control activities, the efforts should be documented to show proof that the activities are implemented as policy within the company. Although these efforts cannot keep an OSHA inspection from occurring, it can help eliminate or greatly reduce the chances of receiving an OSHA citation For a helpful reminder toward safety in the production environments, the EHS Department has developed a series of safety posters. One poster addresses the topic of reducing combustible dust and can be...

As a professional in the printing industry, it never hurts to get a refresher on the basics. These basics are not “old” ideas or theories of graphic communications. They are simply the building blocks of print and without them, you would not be able to grow with the industry or even understand it. Let’s face it, everyone can use a refresher once in a while. Printing Industries of America will take it back to basics with the workshop Orientation to the Graphic Arts. This popular worskhop is the must-attend event for anyone in the industry who wants to be reminded of basic technology and language. Have you stopped reading, thinking “this isn’t for me, I’ve been in the industry for 20 years?” Well the novice is not the only professional who can benefit from orientation. It is equally beneficial to an expert in the field who wants to get a refresher in technology and industry language. And you don’t need to work in the pressroom to take advantage of all that Orientation to the Graphic Arts has to offer. In past workshops, Orientation has been filled with attendees who are in sales, customer service, graphic design, human relations, marketing, production, and much more. Or if you are thinking of making a move in the industry, it doesn’t hurt to attend either. You will have the opportunity to learn about several different areas you may not have realized you were even interested in. Orientation to the Graphic Arts will be held twice in 2013 at Printing Industries’ state-of-the-art facility just outside of Pittsburgh, PA. Attendees will work hands-on and in classroom-style settings, instructed by Printing Industries’ own experts. The first workshop will be held April 15–18, 2013, and will feature the print production workflow, major printing processes, color theory and reproduction, bindery, desktop publishing, and much more. For more information about this event, visit www.printing.org/training and click on “Orientation to the Graphic Arts” under the “Public Workshops” tab. Get the refresher you need—attend Orientation to the Graphic Arts....

Below is an interview with Paul Cousineau, TAGA President. In this Q&A session, Paul explains the hidden benefits of the 65th Annual Technical Conference, what to expect of this year’s keynote presentations, and much more. Q: What level of understanding of the industry’s technological developments is required to benefit from the 65th Annual Technical Conference? A: The TAGA Conference content appeals to a broad base of academics, technologists, manufacturers, and managers of technology. Some level of understanding of graphics and related industries is helpful, but I never fail to be amazed at the nuggets of information I walk away with every year at this conference—topics I don’t know enough about or should know more about, several of which ultimately benefit my company. The great thing about the conference is the experts are present and attendees are encouraged to network and have discussions with the speakers. Q: A new addition to the conference this year is the addition of Technical Innovation Papers to the Scientific Papers. What can we look forward to from the addition of the Technical Innovation Papers? A: Technical Innovation papers were added as a category by the TAGA Board to recognize unique applications and integrations of existing technologies that in and of themselves are innovative. It provides a forum for going beyond research or the invention of technologies to provide a forum for how technology can be applied and successful in a manufacturing setting. Q: One of the major agenda topics of this year’s conference is inkjet technology. What are some of the exciting applications and changes in the inkjet industry? A: There is a lot of activity and investment in inkjet technologies and consumables. Between workflows, print engines, and finishing, it was clear at DRUPA 2012 this process has the potential to become the next “major” printing process. The most exciting is the bumper crop of new ways to integrate these devices into manufacturing systems capable of producing a wide variety of products. Several inkjet technology leaders will be present at this year’s TAGA—come meet them, ask questions. Q: How will understanding the new developments in technology impact an attendee’s day-to-day work performance? A: Two words: understanding and networking. Understanding. Each attendee has a different experience at the conference. They can participate as much or as little as they want. But it is the only conference I attend that has near full participation in every session. The content is that compelling—it leads to better understanding of what is behind the processes we use, and it helps the attendee to identify ways to apply this knowledge in their work careers. Networking. Meet the experts, talk with them, engage them. Attendees can learn from others and take...

In a world where your clients are bombarded by popular media myths like, “Print is dead,” you choose to fight back because, let’s face it, the facts don’t lie. Print is not only an effective part of the marketing mix; it is an environmentally responsible product and a profitable industry. To help spread this message, we created The Value of Print Flip-Book, a resource full of facts and statistics to counteract common present beliefs that are simply not true. (Learn more at www.printing.org/valueofprint.) So what if you could take all of the information in the Flip-Book, combine it with searchable industry data and an updated RSS feed of industry news, and make it available anytime and anywhere? Well, you will be excited to hear that we have just unveiled a new FREE tool—the Value of Print Mobile App. Apple users: http://prnt.in/ZXq  Android users: http://prnt.in/ZXf  Apple and Android users can download by searching “Value of Print” in their mobile app store or by entering the respective link onto their mobile browser. Blackberry users: http://prnt.in/ZXP Blackberry users may enter the above link into their mobile browser. Now available on your mobile device, the Value of Print App features searchable industry reports from the 2011 Print Market Atlas. This feature allows users to look at print statistics by selecting a location—national, state, or region. They can then look at an overview of the chosen location with shipments, establishments, and employment. Each of these overviews will allow for filtering by market segment and printing process. The results are displayed in a chart or graph format—whichever the user prefers. Say you are working on a sale and want to know shipments by state in the general commercial printing market segment. Well, now there’s a print app for that! The app will also contain live a RSS feed with up-to-the-minute news and announcements as well as supported facts on print’s effectiveness and sustainability from the printed Flip-Book. Our members have told us they need a convenient way to respond to the negative comments often heard in the field about print. Well, did you know that 85% of consumers sort through and read selected pieces of mail every day? Or that Just 11% of the world’s forests are used for paper (25% for lumber; 53% for fuel)? This information and more is found on the app, available at your respective App stores. The printed Flip-Book you have on your desk or in your briefcase has already helped countless sales, marketing, and other print professionals promote the value of print. “I loved the Flip-Book and can’t wait to see the app. It will be a good complement to the hard copy. I Look forward to sharing it with all...