An Interview with Keith Whistler, Technology and Research Analyst The expert consultants for our Center for Technology and Research have one main feature in common: qualifying experience and the drive to help companies find solutions. More than a dozen full-time and external consultants are available to support members in all facets of printing operations. The goal is to help firms improve their operational performance and competitive position. So just how do these business-saving experts and consultants help your company? We talked to one of our consultants, Keith Whisler, who lends his expertise in offset and digital printing, color management, and operational issues. With two decades in commercial printing, it’s safe to say he has a vast amount of experience and knowledge. But it is his holistic perspective from a customer’s point of view that really sets him apart. Take a look at how Keith’s experiences taught him how to overcome challenges and how he now applies his talent to printing companies like yours. Q: What is your background in this field, and how has this has enabled you to become a successful consultant? Keith: Experience. I have more than 20 years in commercial printing, providing a great perspective on our customer’s position. Having been a customer much of my career, my experiences remain fresh. This helps me understand their circumstances and challenges.   My background ranges from prepress to plant manager, so I also have insight on different layers within an organization (operator to top management). I have been in management for more than 18 years.  My work has always been technology focused with an emphasis on deploying new systems, including identification, purchasing, implementation, and training.  I have a strong background in IT and prepress, enabling me to move technology into other areas of manufacturing, such as the press and finishing departments. I honed my problem-solving skills because I have always been in areas where I had no choice but to find a way to overcome challenges. Q:  What is your current role with our consulting team?  Keith: Technology and Research Analyst, which includes consulting, training, presentations, product testing, writing articles, and developing process improvement tools. I stay abreast of industry trends and technology developments and relay that information to our members and the industry. With an ever-changing environment like printing, it is vital to incorporate these changes in resources that can benefit the industry, such as updated training material, reference articles, and consultation services. For example, one recent project was to explore the technology of vision inspection, and how it will increasingly be used in the printing industry. I’ll also be giving a presentation on wide-format inkjet at PRINT 13. Q: What are some of the highlights of your consulting experiences? Keith: Printing Industries of America provides great resources to their consultants. I recently earned the G7 Expert and...

An Interview with Keith Whistler, Technology and Research Analyst The expert consultants for our Center for Technology and Research have one main feature in common: qualifying experience and the drive to help companies find solutions. More than a dozen full-time and external consultants are available to support members in all facets of printing operations. The goal is to help firms improve their operational performance and competitive position. So just how do these business-saving experts and consultants help your company? We talked to one of our consultants, Keith Whisler, who lends his expertise in offset and digital printing, color management, and operational issues. With two decades in commercial printing, it’s safe to say he has a vast amount of experience and knowledge. But it is his holistic perspective from a customer’s point of view that really sets him apart. Take a look at how Keith’s experiences taught him how to overcome challenges and how he now applies his talent to printing companies like yours. Q: What is your background in this field, and how has this has enabled you to become a successful consultant? Keith: Experience. I have more than 20 years in commercial printing, providing a great perspective on our customer’s position. Having been a customer much of my career, my experiences remain fresh. This helps me understand their circumstances and challenges.   My background ranges from prepress to plant manager, so I also have insight on different layers within an organization (operator to top management). I have been in management for more than 18 years.  My work has always been technology focused with an emphasis on deploying new systems, including identification, purchasing, implementation, and training.  I have a strong background in IT and prepress, enabling me to move technology into other areas of manufacturing, such as the press and finishing departments. I honed my problem-solving skills because I have always been in areas where I had no choice but to find a way to overcome challenges. Q:  What is your current role with our consulting team?  Keith: Technology and Research Analyst, which includes consulting, training, presentations, product testing, writing articles, and developing process improvement tools. I stay abreast of industry trends and technology developments and relay that information to our members and the industry. With an ever-changing environment like printing, it is vital to incorporate these changes in resources that can benefit the industry, such as updated training material, reference articles, and consultation services. For example, one recent project was to explore the technology of vision inspection, and how it will increasingly be used in the printing industry. I’ll also be giving a presentation on wide-format inkjet at PRINT 13. Q: What are some of the highlights of your consulting experiences? Keith: Printing Industries of America provides great resources to their consultants. I recently earned the G7 Expert and...

Are you or your staff prepared to meet growing customer demands when new standards and technologies are evolving faster than you can say, “training”? Begin the fall 2013 season by going back to school. We have a lineup of highly rated, hands-on training courses to give your company an upper hand on the competition. Fall 3013 Training Workshops September 26–27 G7® Offset Press Operator Training Program  October 1–2    Safety Matters: OSHA Compliance for Printers October 8–9 G7® Digital Press Operator Training Program October 21–24 Orientation to the Graphic Arts November 5–7 Extreme Offset: Troubleshoot, Control, Optimize Why does it pay to send employees for quality off-site training at Printing Industries of America headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA? We have the skilled experts and trainers that attendees say are “engaging” and “extremely knowledgeable and consistent.” Attendees learn via classroom and hands-on instruction for a comprehensive understanding they can take back to their facility. Additionally, off-site training, away from their daily work, allows for complete focus and material absorption—which leads to greater ROI! Visit www.printing.org/training and look under “Public Workshops” for all of our 2013 training courses....

Are you or your staff prepared to meet growing customer demands when new standards and technologies are evolving faster than you can say, “training”? Begin the fall 2013 season by going back to school. We have a lineup of highly rated, hands-on training courses to give your company an upper hand on the competition. Fall 3013 Training Workshops September 26–27 G7® Offset Press Operator Training Program  October 1–2    Safety Matters: OSHA Compliance for Printers October 8–9 G7® Digital Press Operator Training Program October 21–24 Orientation to the Graphic Arts November 5–7 Extreme Offset: Troubleshoot, Control, Optimize Why does it pay to send employees for quality off-site training at Printing Industries of America headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA? We have the skilled experts and trainers that attendees say are “engaging” and “extremely knowledgeable and consistent.” Attendees learn via classroom and hands-on instruction for a comprehensive understanding they can take back to their facility. Additionally, off-site training, away from their daily work, allows for complete focus and material absorption—which leads to greater ROI! Visit www.printing.org/training and look under “Public Workshops” for all of our 2013 training courses....

When you hear “Who you gonna call?” we tend to think of those ghost-busting heroes from the 1980s. But Printing Industries of America has real experts who printers call on when they need challenging problems solved and are continually working to drive the industry forward with technical innovations.  The full-time researchers and scientists working on-site at the Center for Technology and Research have helped hundreds of industry members by offering technical advice, lab testing, consulting services, training, and more. In our 2013 Member Satisfaction Survey, more than three-fourths of members said these technical services are an important membership benefit. At the Center for Technology and Research, we focus on all aspects of the printing process, including paper and ink testing, color management, digital printing, and management information systems. Find out about the services we offer in “What Can the Center for Technology and Research Do for You?” So who are these experts and how can their work benefit your company? Get to know some of our staff members here. They are just a few of the professionals helping our industry get the most from production processes, improve consumables, access education, understand the industry standards we set, and benefit from the latest technical innovations. Dr. Mark Bohan, Vice President, Center for Technology and Research—Dr. Bohan has spoken extensively on many topics, including research, press optimization, CIM technologies, and the opportunities they present. He is active in CIP4, (More…) Jim Workman, Assistant Vice President, Technology and Research—Jim Workman helps members by providing them with the knowledge to make smart decisions about technology. He is directly responsible for the InterTech Technology Awards competition, custom training activities, and the annual Continuous Improvement Conference. He is a certified mailpiece design consultant and provides member support on mailing issues (More…) Lloyd DeJidas, Director, Graphic Services & Facility Group—Supervising printing and support services for research, material testing, training, marketing, and technical information, DeJidas serves as a workshop instructor and has guided publishing efforts through major changes in lithographic technology and process controls (More…) Dave Dezzutti, Technology and Research Analyst—Dezzutti is one of the industry’s leading experts in color management and is a  G7® Certified Expert. He brings years of practical experience to his consulting assignments (More…) Mike Duvall, Computational Research Analyst—As a certifier of JDF products, Duvall writes applications in the C# programming language. He is also an active member of CIP4 (More…) Brad Evans, Senior Research Technician/Lab Coordinator—Evans is a technical expert providing support to industry companies for more than 30 years. He has developed an unparalleled reputation for spotting the causes of print, ink, paper, and finishing problems. Over the years he has evaluated 5,000 problem jobs (More…) Dillon Mooney, Technical Consultant—Mooney runs the Technical...

When you hear “Who you gonna call?” we tend to think of those ghost-busting heroes from the 1980s. But Printing Industries of America has real experts who printers call on when they need challenging problems solved and are continually working to drive the industry forward with technical innovations.  The full-time researchers and scientists working on-site at the Center for Technology and Research have helped hundreds of industry members by offering technical advice, lab testing, consulting services, training, and more. In our 2013 Member Satisfaction Survey, more than three-fourths of members said these technical services are an important membership benefit. At the Center for Technology and Research, we focus on all aspects of the printing process, including paper and ink testing, color management, digital printing, and management information systems. Find out about the services we offer in “What Can the Center for Technology and Research Do for You?” So who are these experts and how can their work benefit your company? Get to know some of our staff members here. They are just a few of the professionals helping our industry get the most from production processes, improve consumables, access education, understand the industry standards we set, and benefit from the latest technical innovations. Dr. Mark Bohan, Vice President, Center for Technology and Research—Dr. Bohan has spoken extensively on many topics, including research, press optimization, CIM technologies, and the opportunities they present. He is active in CIP4, (More…) Jim Workman, Assistant Vice President, Technology and Research—Jim Workman helps members by providing them with the knowledge to make smart decisions about technology. He is directly responsible for the InterTech Technology Awards competition, custom training activities, and the annual Continuous Improvement Conference. He is a certified mailpiece design consultant and provides member support on mailing issues (More…) Lloyd DeJidas, Director, Graphic Services & Facility Group—Supervising printing and support services for research, material testing, training, marketing, and technical information, DeJidas serves as a workshop instructor and has guided publishing efforts through major changes in lithographic technology and process controls (More…) Dave Dezzutti, Technology and Research Analyst—Dezzutti is one of the industry’s leading experts in color management and is a  G7® Certified Expert. He brings years of practical experience to his consulting assignments (More…) Mike Duvall, Computational Research Analyst—As a certifier of JDF products, Duvall writes applications in the C# programming language. He is also an active member of CIP4 (More…) Brad Evans, Senior Research Technician/Lab Coordinator—Evans is a technical expert providing support to industry companies for more than 30 years. He has developed an unparalleled reputation for spotting the causes of print, ink, paper, and finishing problems. Over the years he has evaluated 5,000 problem jobs (More…) Dillon Mooney, Technical Consultant—Mooney runs the Technical...