TAGA’s Annual Technical Conference is where the latest in global technological research and development for the printing and graphic arts industry is presented. The environment here is alive with active discussion on what’s new, innovative, and has the most impact in our industry. If you want to be the first to know what technologies will be emerging and changing the way we operate, this is the forum to attend. Attendees experience technical presentations from business leaders, scientists, academics, and professionals, and all are full of excitement as new ideas and solutions are revealed after months or even years of development. Some of the brightest minds in the industry, including students, research scientists, engineers, and the world of academia converge here for three days of dissertations, learning, and some serious networking. Take a look at what you can expect from the 66th TAGA Annual Technical Conference, happening March 23–26, 2014, in Fort Worth, Texas. Innovations That Rock the Industry Conference presentations provide insight into the future of the industry, making them highly valuable if you want to be an early adopter of the technologies. Presenting companies highlight their research and technology to their peers. Keynotes gather from leading companies around the world. In 2013 the conference welcomed top minds from Heidelberg, Landa Digital Printing, Kodak, and many other organizations and universities. Two types of papers are presented. Scientific Papers are based on emerging science, technology, and the application of all forms of graphic technology and printing processes. Technical Innovation Papers cover topics where a broad technology perspective is needed, focusing on issues that are current to the industry and critical to its development. Abstracts are submitted, and the top papers are chosen for presentation. More information can be found in the 2014 Call for Papers (PDF download). Intelligent Idea Swapping It’s impossible not to learn something in a room concentrated with intense intellect. This conference attracts a diverse group of professionals and students who come together from around the world to discuss industry innovations. Attendees have the opportunity for unparalleled networking. At next year’s event in Fort Worth, Texas, expect to make connections in both quality and quantity. Student Involvement Few other technology-centered events promote such strong student participation. Eager college students conduct research and can present the results of those projects during the student portion of the conference. These student papers and journals add great value to their future careers and can even earn them awards, as the TAGA Board of Directors judges all student papers. TAGA Past President Paul Cousineau described student members as, “The best and brightest students in our industry and our up-and-coming stars.” Find out more about TAGA Student membership. Learn more about TAGA and...

TAGA’s Annual Technical Conference is where the latest in global technological research and development for the printing and graphic arts industry is presented. The environment here is alive with active discussion on what’s new, innovative, and has the most impact in our industry. If you want to be the first to know what technologies will be emerging and changing the way we operate, this is the forum to attend. Attendees experience technical presentations from business leaders, scientists, academics, and professionals, and all are full of excitement as new ideas and solutions are revealed after months or even years of development. Some of the brightest minds in the industry, including students, research scientists, engineers, and the world of academia converge here for three days of dissertations, learning, and some serious networking. Take a look at what you can expect from the 66th TAGA Annual Technical Conference, happening March 23–26, 2014, in Fort Worth, Texas. Innovations That Rock the Industry Conference presentations provide insight into the future of the industry, making them highly valuable if you want to be an early adopter of the technologies. Presenting companies highlight their research and technology to their peers. Keynotes gather from leading companies around the world. In 2013 the conference welcomed top minds from Heidelberg, Landa Digital Printing, Kodak, and many other organizations and universities. Two types of papers are presented. Scientific Papers are based on emerging science, technology, and the application of all forms of graphic technology and printing processes. Technical Innovation Papers cover topics where a broad technology perspective is needed, focusing on issues that are current to the industry and critical to its development. Abstracts are submitted, and the top papers are chosen for presentation. More information can be found in the 2014 Call for Papers (PDF download). Intelligent Idea Swapping It’s impossible not to learn something in a room concentrated with intense intellect. This conference attracts a diverse group of professionals and students who come together from around the world to discuss industry innovations. Attendees have the opportunity for unparalleled networking. At next year’s event in Fort Worth, Texas, expect to make connections in both quality and quantity. Student Involvement Few other technology-centered events promote such strong student participation. Eager college students conduct research and can present the results of those projects during the student portion of the conference. These student papers and journals add great value to their future careers and can even earn them awards, as the TAGA Board of Directors judges all student papers. TAGA Past President Paul Cousineau described student members as, “The best and brightest students in our industry and our up-and-coming stars.” Find out more about TAGA Student membership. Learn more about TAGA and...

Take the Print Master Monday Challenge! Think you know the answers to the quiz questions below? Each Monday, we’ll reveal an answer on our Twitter page. All you have to do is: * Follow Printing Industries of America on Twitter (if you aren’t already) by clicking here.* Starting Monday, June 24, we’ll post a question and an answer on Twitter each week until July 15.* You can post your guesses and track the questions and answers by searching #PrintMasterMonday on Twitter. 1.  In which of the following places can an ICC profile be utilized? a)  The operating systemb)  PDF creationc)  Page layout applicationsd)  All of these 2.  What two items must a press operator continually balance on an offset press? a)  Ink and register b)  Ink and colorc)  Color and registerd)  Ink and water 3.  A unit of measure used to describe differences in color is a)  Delta A b)  CIELABc)  CMMd)  Delta E 4.  Fountain solution is primarily composed of a)  Alcoholb)  Gum Arabicc)  Sensitivity solutiond)  Water Could you or your staff answer these questions? This quiz is just a sample of what you will learn in the Orientation to the Graphic Arts training workshop. Printing Industries of America supports our industry with a variety of in-depth technical training and education opportunities for the seasoned professionals, but we understand that you can’t put the cart before the horse. It’s important that both the novice and the veteran understand the core principles of print. Why are the fundamentals important? These elements are the “bread and butter,” or the foundation of the printing and graphic arts industry—an industry that is rich in both creativity and technology. New hires and print sales professionals must know these fundamentals to better communicate with each other, and more importantly, the client! To get oriented (or reoriented) with the industry, join us for the Orientation to the Graphic Arts workshop at Printing Industries of America headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA, October 21–24, 2013. For more on training, visit...

Take the Print Master Monday Challenge! Think you know the answers to the quiz questions below? Each Monday, we’ll reveal an answer on our Twitter page. All you have to do is: * Follow Printing Industries of America on Twitter (if you aren’t already) by clicking here.* Starting Monday, June 24, we’ll post a question and an answer on Twitter each week until July 15.* You can post your guesses and track the questions and answers by searching #PrintMasterMonday on Twitter. 1.  In which of the following places can an ICC profile be utilized? a)  The operating systemb)  PDF creationc)  Page layout applicationsd)  All of these 2.  What two items must a press operator continually balance on an offset press? a)  Ink and register b)  Ink and colorc)  Color and registerd)  Ink and water 3.  A unit of measure used to describe differences in color is a)  Delta A b)  CIELABc)  CMMd)  Delta E 4.  Fountain solution is primarily composed of a)  Alcoholb)  Gum Arabicc)  Sensitivity solutiond)  Water Could you or your staff answer these questions? This quiz is just a sample of what you will learn in the Orientation to the Graphic Arts training workshop. Printing Industries of America supports our industry with a variety of in-depth technical training and education opportunities for the seasoned professionals, but we understand that you can’t put the cart before the horse. It’s important that both the novice and the veteran understand the core principles of print. Why are the fundamentals important? These elements are the “bread and butter,” or the foundation of the printing and graphic arts industry—an industry that is rich in both creativity and technology. New hires and print sales professionals must know these fundamentals to better communicate with each other, and more importantly, the client! To get oriented (or reoriented) with the industry, join us for the Orientation to the Graphic Arts workshop at Printing Industries of America headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA, October 21–24, 2013. For more on training, visit...

In an ideal pressroom environment, nothing would go wrong and you’d get consistently accurate jobs from your offset press. Unfortunately, we don’t work in this imaginary perfect pressroom. As a result we sometimes end up wasting materials and losing time. Your best bet is to learn more and be prepared to handle problems the moment they arise. There are useful training and education tools available that will help you stop wasting and start earning more profits. If you wish you had an expert on hand who can tell you how to handle these types of problems, you actually do! We’ve pulled advice together from one of our onsite experts, Lloyd DeJidas, Director, Graphic Services and Facility Manager, Printing Industries of America, for Five Best Bets for Your Offset Press: When troubleshooting on a lithographic process, first and most importantly, be sure to accurately identify the problem. I see many printers resorting to excuses like “These inks should run on any stock,” or “We don’t have time to test things,” rather than trying to identify the root cause. When you know the problem, you can find a solution and help avoid a future incident. Determine all possible causes of the problem, such as press, materials, or human error. Ask what has changed and quickly organize your data to verify potential causes. Analyze the plate scum line and determine if you have the proper ink and water balance. The scum line will tell you if your: Skewing roller is set properly Metering roller is performing well Dampening system is even from side to side        Get an accurate measurement of fountain solution, blankets, and rollers. With the many interactions and variables on the offset press, you need to have the right instruments: Meters measuring p/H and conductivity assure that the fountain solution has been mixed properly and will indicate when the fountain solution has become contaminated and should be changed to avoid print quality deterioration. A roller durometer indicates when the ink or dampening roller has become too hard, which could cause roller streaks. Regular measurements of the blanket with a packing gauge will indicate when a blanket has lost pressure due to compression set and needs repacked. Measurements with a dead weight micrometer confirm that the blanket has been made to proper specifications. Always remember:  If you can’t measure it, you can’t control it! When a printing problem arises, determine the root cause by testing your paper and ink. These are some of the tests to perform: Inkometer readings measure if the ink tack sequence is correct for proper wet ink trapping. Grindometer measurents ensure that the paper has been milled properly. Calibrate abrasion testers indicate that the inks have set...

In an ideal pressroom environment, nothing would go wrong and you’d get consistently accurate jobs from your offset press. Unfortunately, we don’t work in this imaginary perfect pressroom. As a result we sometimes end up wasting materials and losing time. Your best bet is to learn more and be prepared to handle problems the moment they arise. There are useful training and education tools available that will help you stop wasting and start earning more profits. If you wish you had an expert on hand who can tell you how to handle these types of problems, you actually do! We’ve pulled advice together from one of our onsite experts, Lloyd DeJidas, Director, Graphic Services and Facility Manager, Printing Industries of America, for Five Best Bets for Your Offset Press: When troubleshooting on a lithographic process, first and most importantly, be sure to accurately identify the problem. I see many printers resorting to excuses like “These inks should run on any stock,” or “We don’t have time to test things,” rather than trying to identify the root cause. When you know the problem, you can find a solution and help avoid a future incident. Determine all possible causes of the problem, such as press, materials, or human error. Ask what has changed and quickly organize your data to verify potential causes. Analyze the plate scum line and determine if you have the proper ink and water balance. The scum line will tell you if your: Skewing roller is set properly Metering roller is performing well Dampening system is even from side to side        Get an accurate measurement of fountain solution, blankets, and rollers. With the many interactions and variables on the offset press, you need to have the right instruments: Meters measuring p/H and conductivity assure that the fountain solution has been mixed properly and will indicate when the fountain solution has become contaminated and should be changed to avoid print quality deterioration. A roller durometer indicates when the ink or dampening roller has become too hard, which could cause roller streaks. Regular measurements of the blanket with a packing gauge will indicate when a blanket has lost pressure due to compression set and needs repacked. Measurements with a dead weight micrometer confirm that the blanket has been made to proper specifications. Always remember:  If you can’t measure it, you can’t control it! When a printing problem arises, determine the root cause by testing your paper and ink. These are some of the tests to perform: Inkometer readings measure if the ink tack sequence is correct for proper wet ink trapping. Grindometer measurents ensure that the paper has been milled properly. Calibrate abrasion testers indicate that the inks have set...