Printing Industries of America Celebrates a Milestone Year in 2012

The accomplishments and innovations of the printing industry are immeasurable. Printing Industries of America’s year-long celebration of its landmark 125th anniversary has the industry reflecting on its history, staying up-to-date with current trends, and feeling excitement for its future. The milestone we are celebrating once again reminds the printing industry of all that it has to offer. Stay Up-to-Date with Current Industry TrendsNot only is Printing Industries of America reflecting on the history of this exciting industry, but we are also looking to keep our members current in some of the top industry trends. The Center for Digital Printing Excellence at Printing Industries provides up-to-date information on digital printing business applications and technologies, cross-media marketing opportunities, emerging innovations, Web and eCommerce, and social media engagement. The Center for Technology and Research is at the forefront of technology for the printing industry and provides members with support for day-to-day operations and long-term product development. The Value of Print is another hot trend we are extolling to our members and the industry. Now more than ever, it is vital to communicate that printed products are both environmentally and socially responsible. To advance the core message that printing is vital and a sustainable form of communication, Printing Industries of America has provided information and developed resources to help increase awareness about print. Actively promote the value of print with The Value of Print Flip-Book. The new flip-book delivers facts and figures to support your sales efforts in the modern media mix. The Future of the IndustryPut the future of your business into your hands. Printing Industries of America members have the opportunity to take advantage of benefits that can save time and money and help improve profitability. As print advances, so will our place in the industry. Printing Industries of America will continue to be the leader for the graphic communications industry, providing printers with the latest in technology, education, and products and services. As we look to the future, we acknowledge that only a willingness to grow and evolve can help keep print valuable and relevant to...

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A Passion for Print

Printing is not just a business for many print professionals. It is a passion. People have made printing an integral part of their lives, and we want to highlight some of these individuals as part of our 125th Anniversary here at Printing Industries of America. Watch as Brad performs quality control ink testing. Few people are more passionate than Brad Evans, Senior Research Technician/Lab Coordinator at Printing Industries of America, who has spent three decades performing various testing to make better, higher-quality materials for print production. One of the ways his department serves the printing industry and our members is by analyzing issues such as ink tack for quality control.  He is truly devoted to his trade and to assisting printing companies. Here, he shares with us some highlights of his career: Tell us about our testing facilities here at Printing Industries of America. We are able to do all of the Napiri and Tappi test methods to test ink and paper qualities here at Printing Industries of America. One of the services you provide is to perform ink and paper tests to help printing companies with various issues. How many companies do you regularly assist and how have they benefitted? We have two to three dozen companies that regularly use our testing services. Most companies call on us for quality control testing for raw materials such as ink and paper. Other companies order testing for conflict resolution. In one case, a company had a conflict with basis weight (or the weight of paper). If there is a variance in the basis weight, it causes a difference in mailing costs. We are currently testing their unprinted paper to resolve this issue. How long have you been performing this kind of research? For 30 years I have been performing research here; first as GATF, then as Printing Industries of America. What were some of your most interesting case studies over the years? I had a case performing research on packaging for a soap company. The company had been printing with reflex blue ink. After a couple weeks on the shelves, the reflex blue ink on the wrappers would turn pink. As a result, this company now packages their product in polyboard wrap. We discovered that the lye in the soap was reacting with the reflex blue ink. The resulting change to pink occurred because reflux blue is sensitive to the alkalinity of the lye. It seems like you have helped quite a few companies over the years. What is your favorite part about your job here at Printing Industries of America? There is always something new to discover. Every day is different. After 30 years you never know what is...

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Recounting the Highlights of the Association

I sat down to talk with Michael Makin, President & CEO of Printing Industries of America, to hear his take on association’s 125th anniversary. We talked about how Printing Industries of America has adapted throughout the years and where it’s heading. Michael also touches upon some of the highlights of the association, such as teaming up with the Graphic Arts Show Company and last year’s CPSIA victory.  You can listen to that interview below.  Michael Makin Talks about Printing Industries of America”s 125th Anniversary (mp3) Have a highlight or memory you want to share? Leave a comment...

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Printing Industries of America Celebrates 125 Years!

Printing Industries of America, which formed in 1887, is pleased to announce that 2012 marks its 125th anniversary as an association. To help celebrate this milestone, a new logo and webpage have been created. The webpage will highlight not only the history of the organization but also the future of print and Printing Industries. Video and audio pieces featuring industry experts will be developed to capture their view of print’s past and its future. Celebrations will take place throughout the year, including one at Printing Industries of America’s booth at GRAPH EXPO 2012. “It’s important to look at our history to not only see what we’ve accomplished, but to learn from our past,” Michael Makin, CEO of Printing Industries of America, said, “This association has grown and evolved over the years to nurture printers as they’ve embraced change in the industry, and we’re excited to look back and explore our rich history. There’s certainly a lot of information to glean from the past 125 years.” Printing Industries of America was born out of a constitutional convention held in Apollo Hall in Chicago, Illinois, to help assuage the printing industry’s competition and labor problems. Then known as United Typothetae of America, the association defined a mission that it still carries to this day: exchanging information and assisting each other where necessary. All of the 125th anniversary content will be available at www.printing.org/125years. Click here for an audio interview with Lisa Rawa, vice president of marketing, Printing Industries of America, about the anniversary celebration. Over the last 125 years, Printing Industries of America has grown to provide state-of-the-art research, hands-on training, and economic insight and helped spread the value of print. This anniversary celebration will look at those facets and educate members of the industry with key insights and a storied history of how Printing Industries of America has evolved to what it is today as well as what it will be in the future. If you have a memory or comment you want to share with Printing Industries of America, contact Dan Tallarico at dtallarico@printing.org, leave a comment on this blog post, or include the hashtag #PIA125 on social media. For more information about the anniversary, visit...

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125th Anniversary Celebration

Did you know that we’ll be celebrating the association’s 125th Anniversary in 2012? We’ll be exploring the storied history of Printing Industries of America, which was founded in 1887 as the “United Typothetae of America.” We’ll also be talking to employees of Printing Industries of America for their perspective on how the association has changed over the years to keep up with the evolving world of print. We’ll kick off the celebration in the new year, but if you have any memories or insight you want to share in the mean time, leave a comment on this blog. We look forward to celebrating 125 years with...

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