We’re all trying to adjust to color standards updates, new automated workflow systems, and a steady flow of emerging technologies. Everyone in the workflow is responsible for ensuring that the color of a printed piece is accurate and consistent all the way from concept to customer. If you’re like Elizabeth Nolden, a production manager at Sign-Zone, Inc., you are looking to stay competitive in today’s market and find the latest information on color technologies and trends. As a long-time attendee of the Color Management Conference, we asked her how this particular event helps her stay fresh in her career. Q: As a printer aiming to stay up-to-date on color management tech, why is this conference unique in the industry, and why is it important for workflow and production? Elizabeth Nolden: This conference is unique in a sense that it gathers all print professionals together to talk about one issue they can all relate to, color. Whether you’re a designer at an ad agency or a print operator, offset or wide format, we all deal with color. This year’s conference in particular is geared toward brand management through the entire process. It will also be uniquely structured from previous years. I’m excited to see where it takes us. Q: What can attendees expect to learn and how can they prepare to get the most out of the conference when they come? EN: My recommendation would be to look at the schedule early and plan your path ahead of time. The conference is segmented out for different levels of expertise. Make sure you’re attending the sessions you’ll get the most out of. Attendees can expect to learn a lot of technical pieces of print, but also some good tips and tricks to increase your productivity. Q: What can production professionals, who need to learn to speak the language of brand managers, designers, and standards experts, expect to get out of it? EN: It’s important for production professionals to understand all aspects of print, including design and brand management. With the collaboration effort of this conference and wide variety of attendees it’s a great opportunity for everyone to speak the same language to reduce communication gaps. Q: What do you personally learn when you attend the conference, and how has this event helped you keep up to date on color tech, standards, and specifications? EN: I can always count on learning something new at this conference. As a print professional, it’s always helpful to keep track of all standards, but also to learn where the industry is going, not just where our little niche is. It’s also a great opportunity to network with other print professionals. Q: What sessions are you most...

We’re all trying to adjust to color standards updates, new automated workflow systems, and a steady flow of emerging technologies. Everyone in the workflow is responsible for ensuring that the color of a printed piece is accurate and consistent all the way from concept to customer. If you’re like Elizabeth Nolden, a production manager at Sign-Zone, Inc., you are looking to stay competitive in today’s market and find the latest information on color technologies and trends. As a long-time attendee of the Color Management Conference, we asked her how this particular event helps her stay fresh in her career. Q: As a printer aiming to stay up-to-date on color management tech, why is this conference unique in the industry, and why is it important for workflow and production? Elizabeth Nolden: This conference is unique in a sense that it gathers all print professionals together to talk about one issue they can all relate to, color. Whether you’re a designer at an ad agency or a print operator, offset or wide format, we all deal with color. This year’s conference in particular is geared toward brand management through the entire process. It will also be uniquely structured from previous years. I’m excited to see where it takes us. Q: What can attendees expect to learn and how can they prepare to get the most out of the conference when they come? EN: My recommendation would be to look at the schedule early and plan your path ahead of time. The conference is segmented out for different levels of expertise. Make sure you’re attending the sessions you’ll get the most out of. Attendees can expect to learn a lot of technical pieces of print, but also some good tips and tricks to increase your productivity. Q: What can production professionals, who need to learn to speak the language of brand managers, designers, and standards experts, expect to get out of it? EN: It’s important for production professionals to understand all aspects of print, including design and brand management. With the collaboration effort of this conference and wide variety of attendees it’s a great opportunity for everyone to speak the same language to reduce communication gaps. Q: What do you personally learn when you attend the conference, and how has this event helped you keep up to date on color tech, standards, and specifications? EN: I can always count on learning something new at this conference. As a print professional, it’s always helpful to keep track of all standards, but also to learn where the industry is going, not just where our little niche is. It’s also a great opportunity to network with other print professionals. Q: What sessions are you most...

The following is an interview with Dave Dezzutti, Technology and Research Analyst, Center for Technology and Research, at Printing Industries of America. How confident are you that every job your company produces will render spot-on color (if 1 is “not a chance!” and 10 is “we’re color masters!”)? If you’re like most companies, you’re probably somewhere in the middle. According to past customers, the solutions our expert consultants provide directly raise their confidence in producing predictable color. In addition to color management, more than a dozen full-time and external consultants serve members and the industry in a variety of areas. (Read the interview with digital and offset consultant Keith Whistler.) As a consultant with the Center for Technology and Research since 2011, Dave Dezzutti, who’s also a G7® Certified Expert and trainer, explains how he has helped many companies both on site and off with their color management issues.  Q: What is your background in this field that has enabled you to become a successful consultant? Dave: I have been very fortunate in my career to have worked in a production capacity with a wide variety of equipment and procedures. Ultimately this helps me assess a company’s current situation and provide them with a road map to follow in the future. This information will assist them in being more productive, with less waste, and gain a sense of predictability with regard to quality and consistency. Q: What is your current role with our consulting team? Dave: My focus is on color management. With hands-on experience with three different workflow systems, nine RIPs, two CTP systems, and a variety of digital equipment, my G7® Expert certification permits me to consult at printing companies and qualify them to become G7® Master facilities. Q: What are some of the highlights from your consulting experiences? Dave: I get a wide perspective on current issues our industry is facing. For instance, I am still somewhat surprised at the lack of process controls at some companies. Color management will only work continuously providing there is a process controls implementation in place. Q: How do you help companies find solutions? Dave: As a third-party observer, some problems are easily exposed. People, by nature, are so ingrained in what they are producing that they sometimes lose track of procedures, like those in process controls, which enable them to catch errors in the production stream. By methodically assessing each step of the process, issues will inevitably surface, and I can recommend a corrective action. Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job? Dave: There is no greater feeling than when an owner says at the end of a consulting assignment, that they have never had this...

The following is an interview with Dave Dezzutti, Technology and Research Analyst, Center for Technology and Research, at Printing Industries of America. How confident are you that every job your company produces will render spot-on color (if 1 is “not a chance!” and 10 is “we’re color masters!”)? If you’re like most companies, you’re probably somewhere in the middle. According to past customers, the solutions our expert consultants provide directly raise their confidence in producing predictable color. In addition to color management, more than a dozen full-time and external consultants serve members and the industry in a variety of areas. (Read the interview with digital and offset consultant Keith Whistler.) As a consultant with the Center for Technology and Research since 2011, Dave Dezzutti, who’s also a G7® Certified Expert and trainer, explains how he has helped many companies both on site and off with their color management issues.  Q: What is your background in this field that has enabled you to become a successful consultant? Dave: I have been very fortunate in my career to have worked in a production capacity with a wide variety of equipment and procedures. Ultimately this helps me assess a company’s current situation and provide them with a road map to follow in the future. This information will assist them in being more productive, with less waste, and gain a sense of predictability with regard to quality and consistency. Q: What is your current role with our consulting team? Dave: My focus is on color management. With hands-on experience with three different workflow systems, nine RIPs, two CTP systems, and a variety of digital equipment, my G7® Expert certification permits me to consult at printing companies and qualify them to become G7® Master facilities. Q: What are some of the highlights from your consulting experiences? Dave: I get a wide perspective on current issues our industry is facing. For instance, I am still somewhat surprised at the lack of process controls at some companies. Color management will only work continuously providing there is a process controls implementation in place. Q: How do you help companies find solutions? Dave: As a third-party observer, some problems are easily exposed. People, by nature, are so ingrained in what they are producing that they sometimes lose track of procedures, like those in process controls, which enable them to catch errors in the production stream. By methodically assessing each step of the process, issues will inevitably surface, and I can recommend a corrective action. Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job? Dave: There is no greater feeling than when an owner says at the end of a consulting assignment, that they have never had this...

This article was contributed by Dr. Mark Bohan, vice president, Technology and Research, Printing Industries of America, who is presenting “Jazzing Up Your Brand with Cool Varnishes, Inks, and Substrates” at the 2013 Color Management Conference, December 7–10, in Phoenix, AZ. The communications industry today is highly competitive with different message forms used to communicate with customers from mass media and electronic communications to printed material. In recent years we’ve seen many new technological developments to enhance the impact of printed material visually, as well as addressing our other senses, like touch and smell.  These developments also allow print to interact with electronic devices. With these new approaches, brands and companies can differentiate their products to increase customer awareness and satisfaction. I have the great pleasure of witnessing many of these new technologies in product demonstrations, trade shows, open houses, and from visits to printers using the different solutions. I look forward to sharing these findings with you in this session at the 2013 Color Management Conference this December in Phoenix, AZ. Here is a list of ten different technologies* your company can use to differentiate your product: Raised coatingsProduced inline on an offset or digital printing press, raised coatings create textures that can be from one micron to well in excess 100. New solutions offline allow great register to the pre-printed product and can introduce secondary sparkling or metallic effects, for instance. Lenticular printingIntroduce depth and movement with images produced on lenticular lenses. Interlace the images and print using many different print processes. Metallic effectsMake the print shiny, be it through the use of metallic inks, substrates, or the introduction of foiling in the production. This can easily be designed and visualized to go mainstream. Scented coatingMimic the smell of the product or location with scents in either a coating or ink. Whatever your desire, there will be the scents available to use! 3D texture with inkjetBuild up a 3D image using flatbed inkjet, create a wood-paneling effect, reproduce an old master, or create highly personalized wall coverings. Reticulated coatingsCreate that special look by using coatings that do not fully flow on the substrate producing a textured feel to the coated area. Thermochromic inksThe temperature changes and so does the color—have your drink tell you when it’s ice cold! Laser diecuttingUsing lasers to create individualized patterns in printed sheets, these can vaporize the substrate to provide great detail and impact. Inks for thermoformingPrint it on a flat surface and then use thermoforming to create three-dimensional items in many different run lengths—personalize each of the items with digital. Fluorescent coatings and inksEither as a spot or flood, this will fluoresce under different lighting conditions; it could be for security...

This article was contributed by Dr. Mark Bohan, vice president, Technology and Research, Printing Industries of America, who is presenting “Jazzing Up Your Brand with Cool Varnishes, Inks, and Substrates” at the 2013 Color Management Conference, December 7–10, in Phoenix, AZ. The communications industry today is highly competitive with different message forms used to communicate with customers from mass media and electronic communications to printed material. In recent years we’ve seen many new technological developments to enhance the impact of printed material visually, as well as addressing our other senses, like touch and smell.  These developments also allow print to interact with electronic devices. With these new approaches, brands and companies can differentiate their products to increase customer awareness and satisfaction. I have the great pleasure of witnessing many of these new technologies in product demonstrations, trade shows, open houses, and from visits to printers using the different solutions. I look forward to sharing these findings with you in this session at the 2013 Color Management Conference this December in Phoenix, AZ. Here is a list of ten different technologies* your company can use to differentiate your product: Raised coatingsProduced inline on an offset or digital printing press, raised coatings create textures that can be from one micron to well in excess 100. New solutions offline allow great register to the pre-printed product and can introduce secondary sparkling or metallic effects, for instance. Lenticular printingIntroduce depth and movement with images produced on lenticular lenses. Interlace the images and print using many different print processes. Metallic effectsMake the print shiny, be it through the use of metallic inks, substrates, or the introduction of foiling in the production. This can easily be designed and visualized to go mainstream. Scented coatingMimic the smell of the product or location with scents in either a coating or ink. Whatever your desire, there will be the scents available to use! 3D texture with inkjetBuild up a 3D image using flatbed inkjet, create a wood-paneling effect, reproduce an old master, or create highly personalized wall coverings. Reticulated coatingsCreate that special look by using coatings that do not fully flow on the substrate producing a textured feel to the coated area. Thermochromic inksThe temperature changes and so does the color—have your drink tell you when it’s ice cold! Laser diecuttingUsing lasers to create individualized patterns in printed sheets, these can vaporize the substrate to provide great detail and impact. Inks for thermoformingPrint it on a flat surface and then use thermoforming to create three-dimensional items in many different run lengths—personalize each of the items with digital. Fluorescent coatings and inksEither as a spot or flood, this will fluoresce under different lighting conditions; it could be for security...