This blog was adapted from “The Evolution of Color in High-Speed Production Inkjet” by Mike Herold, and Nick Fiore of RICOH Company Limited. You can read the full article in the November 2014 issue of Printing Industries of America: The Magazine. Mike is a featured speaker at the 2014 Color Conference, December 6–9, in Scottsdale, AZ. Where is digital inkjet now, where is it going, and how is it impacting you? The fast-growing market of High-speed production inkjet has transformed color printing in recent years. Today the opportunities are virtually limitless, affording greater capabilities and higher-coverage applications, such as direct mail, marketing collateral, books, and more. Digital inkjet now offers users the capabilities to produce rich color, completely variable, and full dynamic printing. As digital color consistency improves, much of this progress can be traced to new processes, inks, heads, coatings, and substrate options. Let’s take a look at these sources of progress and the exciting new applications of high-speed production inkjet! 1. Paper In high-speed production inkjet’s infancy, paper options were limited to say the least. Not optimized for high-volume piezoelectric drop-on-demand inkjet technologies, papers either absorbed too much ink or not enough. The result was less-then-desirable color output. Over the past five years, and especially during the last two, this challenge has changed dramatically. New paper types, including recycled, inkjet coated, inkjet treated, and others have enabled customers to receive enticing output at a price appropriate for their markets. The paper industry is also designing papers with specific ink types in mind, which is a huge step forward! Soon it may no longer be necessary to use coated papers, and users will have more choices without having to worry that their substrate is at odds with the color. 2. Ink Developments and Advancements Inks are evolving as well with most high-speed inkjet vendors providing—and customers leveraging—a variety of dye, pigment, MICR, and other inks to meet the changing and growing demands for new applications. This diversity is enhancing color output and opening up a new world of applications for inkjet. These new inks are higher density, more vibrant, and contain a lower water content to speed drying time and reduce the power needed to produce higher ink amount applications. But they’re not easy to formulate. Energy consumption, characteristics of the paper, color gamut, and finishing processes all need to be taken into consideration. 3. Advances in Color and Ink Management Tools Next-generation controllers and workflows offer enhanced color management by size and object type, which lays the groundwork for more accurate color and consistent reproduction. Spot color dictionaries from Pantone and other color leaders enable spot color mapping, custom curves, and linked and unlinked advanced color management....

This blog was adapted from “The Evolution of Color in High-Speed Production Inkjet” by Mike Herold, and Nick Fiore of RICOH Company Limited. You can read the full article in the November 2014 issue of Printing Industries of America: The Magazine. Mike is a featured speaker at the 2014 Color Conference, December 6–9, in Scottsdale, AZ. Where is digital inkjet now, where is it going, and how is it impacting you? The fast-growing market of High-speed production inkjet has transformed color printing in recent years. Today the opportunities are virtually limitless, affording greater capabilities and higher-coverage applications, such as direct mail, marketing collateral, books, and more. Digital inkjet now offers users the capabilities to produce rich color, completely variable, and full dynamic printing. As digital color consistency improves, much of this progress can be traced to new processes, inks, heads, coatings, and substrate options. Let’s take a look at these sources of progress and the exciting new applications of high-speed production inkjet! 1. Paper In high-speed production inkjet’s infancy, paper options were limited to say the least. Not optimized for high-volume piezoelectric drop-on-demand inkjet technologies, papers either absorbed too much ink or not enough. The result was less-then-desirable color output. Over the past five years, and especially during the last two, this challenge has changed dramatically. New paper types, including recycled, inkjet coated, inkjet treated, and others have enabled customers to receive enticing output at a price appropriate for their markets. The paper industry is also designing papers with specific ink types in mind, which is a huge step forward! Soon it may no longer be necessary to use coated papers, and users will have more choices without having to worry that their substrate is at odds with the color. 2. Ink Developments and Advancements Inks are evolving as well with most high-speed inkjet vendors providing—and customers leveraging—a variety of dye, pigment, MICR, and other inks to meet the changing and growing demands for new applications. This diversity is enhancing color output and opening up a new world of applications for inkjet. These new inks are higher density, more vibrant, and contain a lower water content to speed drying time and reduce the power needed to produce higher ink amount applications. But they’re not easy to formulate. Energy consumption, characteristics of the paper, color gamut, and finishing processes all need to be taken into consideration. 3. Advances in Color and Ink Management Tools Next-generation controllers and workflows offer enhanced color management by size and object type, which lays the groundwork for more accurate color and consistent reproduction. Spot color dictionaries from Pantone and other color leaders enable spot color mapping, custom curves, and linked and unlinked advanced color management....

Picture this: Upon returning to the office from GRAPH EXPO 14, you meet with your boss to talk about a current project. What impresses her (more than that deep-dish Chicago-style pizza you had) is that you now have solid solutions to implement that save your company time and money! Congrats to you, star employee, for discussing your challenges with the experienced, knowledgeable Printing Industries of America experts at Booth #3667. They’re here to answer your specific questions in person and help you find solutions related to EHS, integrated print, economic forecasting, and more.  We’ll show you just where you can meet them—at our booth, presenting seminars, and throughout the show. Julie Shaffer Vice President, Digital Strategies Years of experience—I’ve been in industry in one aspect or another for more than 24 years.   Main area of expertise—My expertise has evolved. In prepress, I have solid knowledge in image editing, layout and design, color management, workflow automation, proofing, and imaging. Having managed the Digital Printing Council, I understand digital printing and production and direct marketing applications. I’ve written books on PDF, social media, and web-to-print. Now I’m focusing on 3D printing and developing online training programs to help members learn all of the above and researching new and disruptive technologies that may impact the industry. Julie’s integrated print tip—“The USPS website is a great place to find case studies, templates, and tips for designing a direct mail piece. This great free resource is at www.usps.com/business/mail-it.htm.” Meet Julie—I’ll be demoing the new Integrated Learning Center at our booth, #3667. You can also find me presenting several seminars: “3D Printing: NEW Profit Pathway for Commercial Printers,” Sunday, September 28 from 2:00–3:30 p.m. in R8; then “Color Management for ‘Non-Techies’,” Monday, September 29, 4:00–5:30 p.m. in R31; finally a Computer Lab “Digital Print Design: 20 Things You MUST Know Now,” Tuesday, September 30, 2:00–5:00 p.m. Ed Gleeson Director of Economics & Market Research Years of experience—I’ve been in the industry for 8 years as an economic and market researcher. Main area of expertise—Tracking industry trends such as profitability, sales, pricing, cost, etc., and providing the industry with this information so they can make better informed decisions. Ed’s tip for profitability—“According to our Ratios database, small- and medium-size printers that are profit leaders are just as profitable as their larger counterparts. During the seminar, we’ll explore why profit leaders earn 4 to 5 times as much as the average printer.” Meet Ed—Join me forthe seminar, “Beyond Survival: NEW Success Strategies for Small & Medium Sized Printers,” on September 30, 8:30–10:00 a.m. in R36. Gary Jones Assistant Vice President, EHS Affairs Years of experience—27 years. Main area of expertise—Federal (e.g., EPA, OSHA, DOT, CSPC, USDA, FTC,...

Picture this: Upon returning to the office from GRAPH EXPO 14, you meet with your boss to talk about a current project. What impresses her (more than that deep-dish Chicago-style pizza you had) is that you now have solid solutions to implement that save your company time and money! Congrats to you, star employee, for discussing your challenges with the experienced, knowledgeable Printing Industries of America experts at Booth #3667. They’re here to answer your specific questions in person and help you find solutions related to EHS, integrated print, economic forecasting, and more.  We’ll show you just where you can meet them—at our booth, presenting seminars, and throughout the show. Julie Shaffer Vice President, Digital Strategies Years of experience—I’ve been in industry in one aspect or another for more than 24 years.   Main area of expertise—My expertise has evolved. In prepress, I have solid knowledge in image editing, layout and design, color management, workflow automation, proofing, and imaging. Having managed the Digital Printing Council, I understand digital printing and production and direct marketing applications. I’ve written books on PDF, social media, and web-to-print. Now I’m focusing on 3D printing and developing online training programs to help members learn all of the above and researching new and disruptive technologies that may impact the industry. Julie’s integrated print tip—“The USPS website is a great place to find case studies, templates, and tips for designing a direct mail piece. This great free resource is at www.usps.com/business/mail-it.htm.” Meet Julie—I’ll be demoing the new Integrated Learning Center at our booth, #3667. You can also find me presenting several seminars: “3D Printing: NEW Profit Pathway for Commercial Printers,” Sunday, September 28 from 2:00–3:30 p.m. in R8; then “Color Management for ‘Non-Techies’,” Monday, September 29, 4:00–5:30 p.m. in R31; finally a Computer Lab “Digital Print Design: 20 Things You MUST Know Now,” Tuesday, September 30, 2:00–5:00 p.m. Dillon Mooney Technical Consultant, Certified SHOTS Trainer Years of experience—34 years. Main area of expertise—Technical consulting and press and technical advice. Dillon’s cost-saving tip—“Preventive equipment maintenance is cost effective and helps ensure high-quality products. Quality will not exceed the most neglected subsystem on any press.” Meet Dillon—You can find me in and around the Printing Industries of America Booth #3667 or out meeting with vendors and scoping out the exciting new technologies. Ed Gleeson Director of Economics & Market Research Years of experience—I’ve been in the industry for 8 years as an economic and market researcher. Main area of expertise—Tracking industry trends such as profitability, sales, pricing, cost, etc., and providing the industry with this information so they can make better informed decisions. Ed’s tip for profitability—“According to our Ratios database, small- and medium-size printers that are profit leaders...

Picture this: Upon returning to the office from GRAPH EXPO 14, you meet with your boss to talk about a current project. What impresses her (more than that deep-dish Chicago-style pizza you had) is that you now have solid solutions to implement that save your company time and money! Congrats to you, star employee, for discussing your challenges with the experienced, knowledgeable Printing Industries of America experts at Booth #3667. They’re here to answer your specific questions in person and help you find solutions related to EHS, integrated print, economic forecasting, and more.  We’ll show you just where you can meet them—at our booth, presenting seminars, and throughout the show. Julie Shaffer Vice President, Digital Strategies Years of experience—I’ve been in industry in one aspect or another for more than 24 years.   Main area of expertise—My expertise has evolved. In prepress, I have solid knowledge in image editing, layout and design, color management, workflow automation, proofing, and imaging. Having managed the Digital Printing Council, I understand digital printing and production and direct marketing applications. I’ve written books on PDF, social media, and web-to-print. Now I’m focusing on 3D printing and developing online training programs to help members learn all of the above and researching new and disruptive technologies that may impact the industry. Julie’s integrated print tip—“The USPS website is a great place to find case studies, templates, and tips for designing a direct mail piece. This great free resource is at www.usps.com/business/mail-it.htm.” Meet Julie—I’ll be demoing the new Integrated Learning Center at our booth, #3667. You can also find me presenting several seminars: “3D Printing: NEW Profit Pathway for Commercial Printers,” Sunday, September 28 from 2:00–3:30 p.m. in R8; then “Color Management for ‘Non-Techies’,” Monday, September 29, 4:00–5:30 p.m. in R31; finally a Computer Lab “Digital Print Design: 20 Things You MUST Know Now,” Tuesday, September 30, 2:00–5:00 p.m. Ed Gleeson Director of Economics & Market Research Years of experience—I’ve been in the industry for 8 years as an economic and market researcher. Main area of expertise—Tracking industry trends such as profitability, sales, pricing, cost, etc., and providing the industry with this information so they can make better informed decisions. Ed’s tip for profitability—“According to our Ratios database, small- and medium-size printers that are profit leaders are just as profitable as their larger counterparts. During the seminar, we’ll explore why profit leaders earn 4 to 5 times as much as the average printer.” Meet Ed—Join me forthe seminar, “Beyond Survival: NEW Success Strategies for Small & Medium Sized Printers,” on September 30, 8:30–10:00 a.m. in R36. Gary Jones Assistant Vice President, EHS Affairs Years of experience—27 years. Main area of expertise—Federal (e.g., EPA, OSHA, DOT, CSPC, USDA, FTC,...

  Have you ever received a marketing message so on target it was almost like they were speaking directly to you? In an age where targeted marketing has become the norm, customers expect companies to understand what they need and help them move forward. If yours is one of the many businesses struggling to grow sales as a commodity printer, John Leininger has a piece of advice on how to get your foot in the door—51 pieces to be exact. A Professor of Graphic Communications at Clemson University for 28 years, John regularly presents at industry events around the country. After talking to many print and graphic arts professionals and getting to know more about their sales strategies, he was surprised by what he found. A number of these business leaders had little understanding about the important dynamics of their vertical markets. What did he do? He developed a hugely successful course at Clemson University that focused on sales prospecting. One of the assignments he had the student work through was to analyze 180 integrated marketing case studies. With the help of his students, he composed a list of 51 proven prospective sales objectives that you will be able to hear at the 2014 Print Leadership Summit. But first, here’s how he did it. Learning the ways of a Successful MSP John created a new course that taught his Clemson University students prospective sales strategies to sell targeted integrated marketing services in the graphic communications industry. With intense focus on using online tools to research potential customers, this class showed them how to understand a client and uncover new vertical markets to pursue. In other words he was preparing them to become successful MSPs. Uncovering the Answers His students read through a total of 180 PODI Case Studies. After analyzing each case, breaking down their main campaign objectives, and recording the overlaps, they came out with a list of 51 objectives. This list is pure ammo for print sales reps who research their customers and can now pinpoint the objectives to target their specific needs. It provides the ice breakers to open new doors and reach niche vertical markets. Some of these objectives your sales professionals can use include: 1.            Maintain and develop a brand image, both on a national and local level (different concerns for versioning and personalization at these two levels). 2.           Provide a completely automated system to create a print campaign online and automate the postal prep and mailing. 3.           Reduce the costs (by reducing time, effort, storage and waste) and improve turnaround time involved in producing and distributing marketing collateral and support documentation (through the use of a Web-to print portal or managed fulfillment services)....