Quick, can you recall the last time you made a purchase? What did the ad look like? Tests show that color images hold the consumer’s attention for two seconds or more, while black and white images sustain interest for less than two-thirds of a second. Color is important to our customers’ brands, products, and materials. It is a part of our daily lives. Therefore, achieving consistent, accurate color reproduction is essential to our industry. Color is perception, and as part of our commitment to serve this industry, one of the valuable resources we offer is to help you gain control and improve your management of color. If accurate color reproduction is important in your business, watch as Dave Dezzutti, Technology and Research Analyst, Printing Industries of America and an experienced color expert, demonstrates how the spectrophotometer helps print professionals like you in our on-site, state-of-the-art printing facility. Dave will be presenting at both GRAPH EXPO 2012, held October 7–10, in Chicago, IL (Booth #4045) and the 2012 Color Management Conference, December 1–4, in Scottsdale, AZ. Let us help you color your world—and save your company time and money, too! If color management is important to you and your company, see what awaits you at the 2012 Color Management Conference.  ...

The Call for Papers for the 65th Annual Technical Conference has begun, and papers for both Technical Papers and the NEW Technical Innovations Papers. The conference will be held February 3-6, 2013, in Portland, Oregon. John Seymour of the TAGA Technical Program Committee and TAGA Technical Paper contributor shares the success he has achieved through TAGA. I work in the research group for QuadTech. Our company develops and sells control systems for printing presses. My own work has largely been the measurement and control of color online (that is, on the printing press). I have also been involved in other products that we develop, including register control and web inspection. The majority of my work has to do with advanced research for new product development.   I have been attending TAGA since 1993, and have presented eleven papers and given two tutorials for this conference. TAGA is the one conference that I try to attend every year. Why is this conference important to me to attend? It is worth my time because of the high quality of technical papers and the diversity of topics and of disciplines. The TAGA technical papers committee is very diligent about screening out presentations that are largely commercials for products. Because of this, TAGA is the place to go where you can hear good, solid technical presentations without marketing hype. The technical papers committee actively solicits experts in the industry to present, so the papers are assured of having content that is both reliable and relevant. TAGA has diversity in academics versus industry involvement. Currently, about 60% of the papers are from academic institutions and organizations. Roughly 20% of the papers are from industry. The remaining 20% of the papers represent collaborations between these two groups. TAGA fosters this collaboration, to the benefit of both groups. The other diversity that TAGA provides is the diversity of topics. I look forward to presentations about topics that I know very little about. Often, they turn out to be topics that I should know something about! Why is the TAGA conference an important venue for me to present? There is a certain amount of good karma involved here. If I am receiving, I should be prepared to give. But this is hard to sell to my boss! It is much easier for me to get permission based on the fact that TAGA attracts the technical movers and shakers in this industry. Speaking at TAGA is an opportunity for my company to influence the people who are most influential in the industry. Sometimes that message is simply that my company is doing new and innovative things. Sometimes the message is a bit more of a sales pitch –...

It is survival of the fittest in the tumultuous financial market today. Proper planning, current knowledge, and ability to make timely decisions are more important than ever. Printing Industries of America hosts the annual Printing Industry Financial Executives (PIFE) Conference April 1–3, 2012, in St. Louis, MO in conjunction with the Continuous Improvement Conference. The PIFE Conference is a roadmap that allows you to assess your priorities, create an effective plan for your future, and monitor your improvement. It also provides you the unique chance to network with your peers.  As a V.P. of Finance, Controller, COO, or CFO, you will hear speakers from some of the top financial firms in the country provide you with the tools and resources to not only survive in today’s financial market, but to thrive. Here is a sampling of what these leaders will be presenting at the 2012 PIFE Conference: Learn new tax law and compliance so you can receive the benefits and credits available to make the best business decisions. (Amelia Beckmann, CPA, Principal, LarsonAllen LLP and Timothy O’Shaughnessy, Principal, Tax, LarsonAllen LLP) Execute initiatives with effective performance management and accountability standards using sound benchmarking and key economic metrics to improve the likelihood of success. (Mel Enger, President, Carlson Advisors) Gain an insight into your employer fiduciary responsibilities as they pertain to your 401(k) plan. (John J. Moynihan, President, Diversified Financial Advosors, LLC) One of the most beneficial aspects of the PIFE Conference is networking with other industry professionals. Past participants of the conference, like Gregory J. Dooley, Chief Financial Officer, HM Graphics, Inc., have not only learned many cost-saving strategies but also made valuable connections with their peers.  “It is helpful to get to know people in similar financial situations. When you run into an issue in the future, you can call on them to see how they overcame it and apply [the same method] to your own business.” “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Benjamin Franklin knew a lot about financial success. Plan now for tomorrow’s financial success. Seize the opportunity to learn from the experts and from your peers. Use this knowledge to achieve your own financial prosperit Leave a commen below or join the discussion on LinkedIn to start networking before the conference! PIA Blog Opt-Out: ...

The following post was written by Chuck Gehman of Mimeo.com. It’s hard to say “there’s something for everything” about the TAGA Annual Technical Conference, the global graphics arts industries’ most elite technical conference. It’s specifically NOT for everyone—unless you are an academic, engineer, scientist, or technical practitioner of printing. But if that happens to be the case, you will certainly find things that you need to know being discussed at this year’s 64th annual event, to be held in Jacksonville, Florida, on March 18–21. If you are a CEO, COO, or owner of a printing company or industry equipment or software manufacturer, I would strongly advise that you send a couple of your key technical people. I’ll explain why. My personal involvement in the industry is in the creation of software for printing applications, and there are always a few great talks on this topic. But for me, what I find incredibly invigorating about TAGA is the fact that there are so many topics discussed that I am not directly engaged in as a professional. These topics are as far ranging as ink, paper, mechanical engineering, chemistry, physics, photography, light—but not limited to these. In fact, there are almost no limits. The result for me has been broadened horizons—I learn what I don’t know, and approach problems I face in my work with a new perspective.  The keynotes this year include some of the most interesting leaders from some of the most exciting companies in the graphic communications business today. They start with Marc Olin of EFI, who has been travelling the world buying up printing-related software companies while other former industry leaders are suffering, and move on to Mike Puyot from Memjet, a company which is finally shipping product via OEMs and is poised to dramatically change everyone’s business, after existing as a virtual “urban legend” for almost 10 years! These are followed by the most complete, robust technical program available this year at any conference in the industry. One of the coolest things about TAGA is the questions from the audience after the presentations. As you can imagine with a group of this makeup, there are many opinions, and TAGA encourages an intellectually charged environment. There are no assumptions, and this is not a love-in where PR rules—people are often challenged on the statements they make from the dais. It’s exciting! Another really important aspect of the event is the student chapter participation, and the annual student competitions. To the printing company owner: here is the most important reason for you to send your top technical stakeholder or two to TAGA: recruiting. Plug your company into the top printing schools in the WORLD—Cal Poly SLO, Clemson, RIT,...

Register for the Continuous Improvement Conference April 1- April 4, 2012. The success that printing companies have in using Lean manufacturing concepts depends, largely, on the effectiveness of their managers.  Here are six steps your managers can take to speed the pace of your company’s improvement:    Key 1.  Understand what is meant by improvement.  Most managers seek competitive advantage through operational improvement when the better approach is to seek Lean improvement. Lean improvement is not about the work, but, rather, about eliminating wastes—things that get in the way of efficient work. These wastes—such as waiting—add time and cost and no customer value. You should become familiar with the eight common wastes. Over 95% of the elapsed time between paying and getting paid is attributable to these wastes. Unless managers are trained in what to look for, these wastes may be invisible.  Managers should first  visit the work area with an open mind to identify improvement opportunities.  It is also a good idea to visit a few organizations that have well-developed improvement systems, speak to your peers,  and  learn from their experiences.   Key 2.  Demonstrate Passionate Commitment. Passion for your work will not only drive you forward, but it is also conveyed to your employees.  For managers who see and understand the opportunity for improvement, it’s easy to be passionate. Employees respond to your example of passionate commitment.  Remember—your passion can’t be delegated. If you are a no-show on the floor, don’t expect a commitment from employees.     Key 3.  Learn the Tools. When both managers and employees understand the meaning of  improvement, it creates an opportunity to apply the “how-to” or the tools of Lean Manufacturing.  These are the means to improvement that will work in any organization. Before attempting the know-how, be sure you know and can articulate why these tools are needed.  An employee may initially respond to a tool like 5S with objections. Most objections are just cautionary—that is, employees need to know more before accepting a new idea.    As management is learning the tools, they  are creating a favorable environment for learning and practice and keeping everyone practiced. Provide training at the point of need and allocate time as part of the training for practice with a real, if small, project. Don’t penalize for mistakes but do praise small victories. Lean is learned by doing—and, the best learning occurs in small increments; twenty minutes per day is better than a day once per month.   Key 4.  Make the job easier, better, faster and then cheaper. Use the above order for successful improvement. Open the issue by addressing job strain as the main reason for change, which shows respect for employees while...

The LPIA Technical Institute has one mission—to provide a world-class experience that surpasses any other like it in the label converting, packaging, top-sheet, and product decoration industry. This year, we will feature two state-of-the art venues that will expertly cover the latest technological advances and end-to-end production and workflow solutions. This is not your typical “stand and deliver” program, but a mixture of industry-related experts who will deliver content that is then supported by application showcases and innovative technology demonstrations firsthand.  The HP Experience Center is “your center, your success!” This center is tailored to ensure a truly world-class experience that’s all about you. The HP Experience Center is focused on providing valuable insight on digital printing technologies and workflows that provide higher-impact solutions for their customer needs. The Heidelberg North American Print and Packaging Technology Center  will delve into traditional methods from prepress through finishing, as well as new technology and tactics. Andy Thomas, Editor, Label & Labeling magazine, will give a global perspective on the market and give insight on the new technology that will be featured in the first-ever packaging printer zone at Labelexpo America. Join us and experience the LPIA Technical Institute for yourself! For more information, visit...