We asked Julie Shaffer, Vice President, Digital Strategies, about the newest resource for digital printing and integrated marketing, the Integrated Print Center. Why did you decide to transform the Digital Printing Council into the new Integrated Print Center (IPC)?  “Digital printing” has become mainstream, and today printers are using “integrated” techniques like QR codes and augmented reality. Our transformation mirrors the industry’s in a way—as our members transition their focus to integrated technologies, we do as well. The new Integrated Print Center is the place to educate our members and the marketing industry on all the ways print is relevant and is a key feature in the marketing community. What types of print professionals can find solutions on this new site? Anyone who wants to take advantage of trends toward integrated marketing can find valuable, curated information on this site. If you are involved in digital and want to do more, this is where you can learn how—and the information is all in one place! There are so many resources available through the IPC. What are some of the top benefits our members can look forward to? The Learning Center, which has white papers, Tech Reports, and more The blog that provides timely industry news Integrated Print Forum information for the latest on the annual meeting that explores all things integrated PRIME and Test Drive Tools offer training and implementation of integrated marketing campaigns  If you could describe the new IPC site in three words, what would they be? Focused Content-rich Relevant Discover more integrated print information and go-to resources to transform your business at the new Integrated Print Center,...

We asked Julie Shaffer, Vice President, Digital Strategies, about the newest resource for digital printing and integrated marketing, the Integrated Print Center. Why did you decide to transform the Digital Printing Council into the new Integrated Print Center (IPC)?  “Digital printing” has become mainstream, and today printers are using “integrated” techniques like QR codes and augmented reality. Our transformation mirrors the industry’s in a way—as our members transition their focus to integrated technologies, we do as well. The new Integrated Print Center is the place to educate our members and the marketing industry on all the ways print is relevant and is a key feature in the marketing community. What types of print professionals can find solutions on this new site? Anyone who wants to take advantage of trends toward integrated marketing can find valuable, curated information on this site. If you are involved in digital and want to do more, this is where you can learn how—and the information is all in one place! There are so many resources available through the IPC. What are some of the top benefits our members can look forward to? The Learning Center, which has white papers, Tech Reports, and more The blog that provides timely industry news Integrated Print Forum information for the latest on the annual meeting that explores all things integrated PRIME and Test Drive Tools offer training and implementation of integrated marketing campaigns  If you could describe the new IPC site in three words, what would they be? Focused Content-rich Relevant Discover more integrated print information and go-to resources to transform your business at the new Integrated Print Center,...

Josh Boland In our continuing series of blog posts featuring recipients of monetary awards from the Print and Graphic Scholarship Foundation (PGSF), today we profile Josh Boland, a senior with a bright future who will soon be graduating from Clemson University. Josh spoke with us about his focus in the graphic arts industry, interesting projects he has completed at Clemson, and his thoughts on the future of the printing industry. 1. What area of the graphic arts do you consider your primary focus (Design, Print production, Digital media, etc.)? I’ve always enjoyed design and being creative. Having a piece look good and communicate effectively can be challenging, but the challenge itself is sometimes what makes design so engaging and enjoyable for me. I also have discovered a personal passion for web design and development and I hope to apply some of my design skills in that arena in the future. Overall, I think I would lean more toward the digital media as an area of interest, but the Clemson Graphic Communications program has also given me a strong technical printing background. Maybe I’ll end up doing cross-media and working with both.  2. Have you started job searching? If so, what has been your experience thus far? Yes, as of right now I am a few weeks away from graduation and have been talking to a few different companies over the past month. The experience is strange in a way, thinking about the fact that I’ll be in a totally new environment very soon. It’s certainly exciting and I’m anticipating knowing where I’ll be working. Fortunately, it’s not stressing me out (yet). 3. What will be your top considerations when looking for a job in the graphic arts field? (In other words, what characteristics are you looking for in potential employer?) As far as an employer goes, I’m looking for a company who is moving forward and embracing the changes that are affecting the graphic arts industry. Printers can’t be just printers anymore, they need to be offering multiple services (which might include wide format, design, web development, multi-channel marketing…etc.) in order to stay ahead of the game. I have a personal interest in the web and digital media; and I’d like to find a place where I can continue to learn more in those areas. Also, I’d look for an employer that is organized and knows how to keep track of jobs and resources as they come into and go from the workplace. A well-structured business with an efficient and effective workflow system in place I’d consider to be a much better workplace than one that is disorganized with few processes in place. 4. What are one or two...

Nick Gawreluk In our continuing series of blog posts featuring recipients of monetary awards from the Print and Graphic Scholarship Foundation (PGSF), today we profile Nick Gawreluk, an enterprising student at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Nick, who has already done extensive internship work with Heidelberg, spoke with us about his focus in the graphic arts industry, interesting projects he has completed at RIT, and his thoughts on the future of the printing industry. 1. What area of the graphic arts do you consider your primary focus (Design, Print production, Digital media, etc.)? My primary focus is within the printing industry. Through past internships with Heidelberg in Brazil and Germany, I have really gained a passion for business development and product management. A second focus is within the digital media sphere as a “media architect.” The name of the game here is being able to strategize where content should go and in what channels to effectively reach the right audience. 2. Have you started job searching? If so, what has been your experience thus far? My job search has just recently started as of last week. I have been very proactive and contacted employers all around the word located in over 5 continents. I am continuously looking for job opportunities and maintaining a positive attitude that the right connection will present itself. 3. What will be your top considerations when looking for a job in the graphic arts field? (In other words, what characteristics are you looking for in potential employer?) My top consideration is that the company fundamentally understands how the printing industry is changing and has a strong vision in place to operate business and services offered accordingly amongst changed marketplace conditions. I am also looking for an employer that actively seeks out and presents hard working individuals with a proven success record the opportunity to move throughout the company to utilize their skills and talents and reach their career potential. 4. What are one or two interesting graphic arts projects you’ve completed at school? At RIT I took an intensive 4-month Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification and had a consulting project at a local printing company. The project I was in charge of created the company saving opportunities of over $150,000. This was possible through revising their material flow in the pressroom in addition to placing benchmarks throughout the entire print production workflow to be able to quantify and improve upon continuously. 5.Have you attended any professional events or conferences? What could organizations that host professional events and conferences do to attract more student participation? As a former president of RIT TAGA (Technical Association of the Graphic Arts), I have been fortunate to attend TAGA...

Jason Falls Jason Falls is a leading digital strategist, author, speaker, and thinker in the digital and social media marketing industry. He leads digital strategy for CafePress, a publicly-traded internet retailer consistently ranked as one of the top online shopping destinations. He also continues to serve as founder and chief instigator at SocialMediaExplorer.com, an industry-leading blog and digital marketing agency.  Jason will be speaking at the Integrated Print Forum in May, and he recently talked with us about social media, marketing, and what attendees can expect from his session. What’s the best way for a business with an e-commerce outlet to use social platforms to drive traffic to the site? Draw your audience in with interesting, engaging posts including stories, photos, and questions that encompass your particular worldview. Then occasionally give them a benefit (a deal) for being connected there. The real answer, though, will vary by industry, audience, competitive marketplace, and more. What works for CafePress won’t work for some of you. What works for you won’t work for a business similar to yours and so on. You have to test and iterate within your environment to see what works best for your business. Specifically, I’ve seen e-commerce businesses do quite well with sharing imagery of products that links back to the product page. But that’s boring and very brand-centric. I’ve seen businesses do better by generating content that delivers an audience-centric focus (helpful tips, entertaining articles, initiates discussion on industry topics) to draw in those they’re trying to reach, then ensuring that for every 4-5 posts that engage, they offer one that rewards the audience with an offer, coupon, or free item. What do you say to small/medium business owners who claim there is no time for social media interaction? They may not be wrong. But they will eventually lose out to their competition. Social media fuels both search engines and word-of-mouth advertising in interesting and powerful ways. So if you don’t have time for social, you’re eventually going to lose out on the primary mechanisms—search engines and word of mouth—that customers use to decide to buy from you. Does it make sense for a small-business owner to personally spend time on social media interaction? What about if the company has a dedicated person whose job it is to manage the company’s social interaction? It depends on the person, the time commitment, and more. If the owner isn’t good with people and can’t communicate well, please stay away from social media. You’ll hurt more than help. The best bet is to have someone to interact on social channels on your company’s behalf who is as close to the bone as possible. Sure, you can use an agency...

Gregory DeGross Today we continue our series of blog posts profiling students pursuing graphic arts careers who have received monetary awards from the Print and Graphic Scholarship Foundation (PGSF). Our second interviewee, Gregory DeGross, is currently a senior at Western Michigan University. Greg spoke with us about job search strategies, student participation in professional conferences, and his thoughts on the future of the printing industry. What area of the graphic arts do you consider your primary focus (design, print production, digital media, etc.)? My primary focus is in print production and digital media, including RFID technology, color management, and quality assurance. Have you started job searching? If so, what has been your experience thus far? I had two internships at Nosco, Inc., a pharmaceutical printed packaging company in Gurnee, IL. These internships lasted 4 months each, and I have  accepted their job offer as a Senior Quality Assurance Specialist. From my experience, industry meetings and conventions are definitely a good place to start your job search. The networking that goes on is tremendous—building contacts for the near and distant future. I’ve had contacts through LinkedIn, which is also a good resource for new grads. What were your top considerations when looking for a job in the graphic arts field? What I was looking for in a potential employer and something I feel all new graduates should be looking for is a growing company, even if it is a new company—a company that will provide health benefits and the opportunity to advance. Companies with multiple branch locations are worth the application process as well. Other considerations would include companies with a variety of graphic positions, e.g., computer design, mechanical prep, production, purchasing, customer service, shipping, etc. What are one or two interesting graphic arts projects you’ve completed at school? I was a part of the 2012 Phoenix Challenge team at Western Michigan University. The Phoenix Challenge is a flexographic printing competition. Multiple schools from across the country participate in this competition every year. My team created labels and packaging for reusable containers and a sweet and salt snack mix. We worked with experts in the industry, as well as new and innovative materials. The most interesting part of the competition was having the opportunity to print on dissolvable label paper. Have you attended any professional events or conferences? Yes, I’ve been to Info Flex, which was hosted by the FTA (they also sponsored the Phoenix Challenge competition). I also attended the annual conference of the Association of Independent Corrugated Converters, which was held in Salt Lake City, UT. What could organizations that host professional events and conferences do to attract more student participation? Students do not typically have discretionary income...