Below is an interview with Paul Cousineau, TAGA President. In this Q&A session, Paul explains the hidden benefits of the 65th Annual Technical Conference, what to expect of this year’s keynote presentations, and much more. Q: What level of understanding of the industry’s technological developments is required to benefit from the 65th Annual Technical Conference? A: The TAGA Conference content appeals to a broad base of academics, technologists, manufacturers, and managers of technology. Some level of understanding of graphics and related industries is helpful, but I never fail to be amazed at the nuggets of information I walk away with every year at this conference—topics I don’t know enough about or should know more about, several of which ultimately benefit my company. The great thing about the conference is the experts are present and attendees are encouraged to network and have discussions with the speakers. Q: A new addition to the conference this year is the addition of Technical Innovation Papers to the Scientific Papers. What can we look forward to from the addition of the Technical Innovation Papers? A: Technical Innovation papers were added as a category by the TAGA Board to recognize unique applications and integrations of existing technologies that in and of themselves are innovative. It provides a forum for going beyond research or the invention of technologies to provide a forum for how technology can be applied and successful in a manufacturing setting. Q: One of the major agenda topics of this year’s conference is inkjet technology. What are some of the exciting applications and changes in the inkjet industry? A: There is a lot of activity and investment in inkjet technologies and consumables. Between workflows, print engines, and finishing, it was clear at DRUPA 2012 this process has the potential to become the next “major” printing process. The most exciting is the bumper crop of new ways to integrate these devices into manufacturing systems capable of producing a wide variety of products. Several inkjet technology leaders will be present at this year’s TAGA—come meet them, ask questions. Q: How will understanding the new developments in technology impact an attendee’s day-to-day work performance? A: Two words: understanding and networking. Understanding. Each attendee has a different experience at the conference. They can participate as much or as little as they want. But it is the only conference I attend that has near full participation in every session. The content is that compelling—it leads to better understanding of what is behind the processes we use, and it helps the attendee to identify ways to apply this knowledge in their work careers. Networking. Meet the experts, talk with them, engage them. Attendees can learn from others and take...

In a world where your clients are bombarded by popular media myths like, “Print is dead,” you choose to fight back because, let’s face it, the facts don’t lie. Print is not only an effective part of the marketing mix; it is an environmentally responsible product and a profitable industry. To help spread this message, we created The Value of Print Flip-Book, a resource full of facts and statistics to counteract common present beliefs that are simply not true. (Learn more at www.printing.org/valueofprint.) So what if you could take all of the information in the Flip-Book, combine it with searchable industry data and an updated RSS feed of industry news, and make it available anytime and anywhere? Well, you will be excited to hear that we have just unveiled a new FREE tool—the Value of Print Mobile App. Apple users: http://prnt.in/ZXq  Android users: http://prnt.in/ZXf  Apple and Android users can download by searching “Value of Print” in their mobile app store or by entering the respective link onto their mobile browser. Blackberry users: http://prnt.in/ZXP Blackberry users may enter the above link into their mobile browser. Now available on your mobile device, the Value of Print App features searchable industry reports from the 2011 Print Market Atlas. This feature allows users to look at print statistics by selecting a location—national, state, or region. They can then look at an overview of the chosen location with shipments, establishments, and employment. Each of these overviews will allow for filtering by market segment and printing process. The results are displayed in a chart or graph format—whichever the user prefers. Say you are working on a sale and want to know shipments by state in the general commercial printing market segment. Well, now there’s a print app for that! The app will also contain live a RSS feed with up-to-the-minute news and announcements as well as supported facts on print’s effectiveness and sustainability from the printed Flip-Book. Our members have told us they need a convenient way to respond to the negative comments often heard in the field about print. Well, did you know that 85% of consumers sort through and read selected pieces of mail every day? Or that Just 11% of the world’s forests are used for paper (25% for lumber; 53% for fuel)? This information and more is found on the app, available at your respective App stores. The printed Flip-Book you have on your desk or in your briefcase has already helped countless sales, marketing, and other print professionals promote the value of print. “I loved the Flip-Book and can’t wait to see the app. It will be a good complement to the hard copy. I Look forward to sharing it with all...

Getting hands-on training is important when trying to get your printing facility up to speed. With the upcoming workshop, Extreme Offset: Troubleshoot, Control, Optimize, attendees will get the proper training to keep their facility in top condition, while learning how to print higher quality pieces more efficiently. Extreme Offset will be the first workshop of 2013 for Printing Industries of America. Held March 19–21, 2013, this popular workshop will provide the essential training to save your business money and gain an aggressive edge against the competition. Attendees will participate in sessions in the areas of troubleshooting, controlling, and optimizing printing capabilities and activities in the pressroom environment. With this comes hands-on learning from Printing Industries of America’s experts—Lloyd DeJidas, Director, Graphic Services and Facility Manager, and Greg Workman, Pressroom and Bindery Supervisor. Printing Industries’ Test forms are just one resource that will be presented in the press laboratory. Learning their proper use will be part of day one at Extreme Offset. Test forms are comprehensive diagnostic and measurement tools designed to help printers achieve quality color printing with less waste and reduced makeready time. The instructors will demonstrate how you can use test forms to see if your printing presses are reproducing consistent color. Additionally, see how to use these forms as a benchmark, with the ability to put your own color management targets into the form to compare color and consistency from the original colors. To learn more about this informative event, visit www.printing.org/training and click on “Extreme Offset: Troubleshoot, Control, Optimize” under the “Public Workshops” heading. Don’t wait to register for Extreme Offset as this program is known to sell out quickly. If you want to attend Extreme Offset but March is not convenient for you, there are other options. This event is so popular, we are running two sessions in addition to the March event—July 23–25, 2013, and November 5–7, 2013. Choose the date most convenient to you and put it in your calendar...

Below, Michael Walters, Executive Director, Distributor Services, ASI, discusses how the newest National Buying Program will help your business. So what does the new National Buying Program with ASI mean to you and your business? More revenue! Distributors (like you) who sell promotional products find it very lucrative. Here’s a little background on this $18.5 billion industry and why it makes sense to offer a new service to your clients. What is a promotional product? Also known as ad specialties, promotional products are any item that can be imprinted with a company’s logo. Top Promotional Products in 2012 Shirts Bags Writing instruments Other apparel Caps/headwear Why would my customers want to use promotional products? Two main reasons: Exposure. Companies increase brand recognition with these products, because they are designed to be used or worn on a repetitive basis, constantly putting a company’s name and logo in front of potential buyers. Affordability. Promotional products are very affordable, with the cost per impression being less than other forms of popular media, including TV and radio. What kind of revenue can I expect? There’s a high profit margin on promotional products—up to 40%, and average yearly sales for a distributor are around $775,100. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Want to learn more? Offer customers a new service and gain new clients! Visit www.printing.org/asi to learn more about Printing Industries of America’s National Buying Program with...

Below, Michael Walters, Executive Director, Distributor Services, ASI, discusses how the newest National Buying Program will help your business. So what does the new National Buying Program with ASI mean to you and your business? More revenue! Distributors (like you) who sell promotional products find it very lucrative. Here’s a little background on this $18.5 billion industry and why it makes sense to offer a new service to your clients. What is a promotional product? Also known as ad specialties, promotional products are any item that can be imprinted with a company’s logo. Top Promotional Products in 2012 Shirts Bags Writing instruments Other apparel Caps/headwear Why would my customers want to use promotional products? Two main reasons: Exposure. Companies increase brand recognition with these products, because they are designed to be used or worn on a repetitive basis, constantly putting a company’s name and logo in front of potential buyers. Affordability. Promotional products are very affordable, with the cost per impression being less than other forms of popular media, including TV and radio. What kind of revenue can I expect? There’s a high profit margin on promotional products—up to 40%, and average yearly sales for a distributor are around $775,100. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Want to learn more? Offer customers a new service and gain new clients! Visit www.printing.org/asi to learn more about Printing Industries of America’s National Buying Program with...

When it comes to image and color management, it’s best to look at the big picture—your whole workflow. When you capture a digital photograph, you are making essential decisions that impact your entire workflow. Some people are right-brain, and some are left-brain. But everyone can learn how to capture and process high-quality images by learning the fundamentals from image capture to output. Few professionals know this better than Dr. Taz Tally, Taz Tally Photography and Director of the Digital Print Production Program, Sessions.edu—The Online School of Design. He is leading “The Fine Art of Digital Photography and Workflow,” one of the most talked-about sessions of this conference. Now less than one month before he presents at the 2012 Color Management Conference, we have an exclusive interview with Dr. Tally on his much-anticipated session. See what you will experience during a day with this self-described adventure seeker! What makes you excited about your pre-conference session, and what makes this conference unique? This is an all-day, hands-on session that lets you capture and create color-managed images from start to finish. I take you through the whole color management workflow, from image capture to color correction to preparing your images for viewing and printing. You will see your finished product at the conclusion of the day. The Arizona landscape is spectacular with endless opportunities. If I am not a photographer, will this session be useful? Absolutely. We will be covering both the fundamentals of image composition as well as adjusting and  managing files in a Photoshop-based workflow for creating high-quality images for viewing and printing. We will first focus on capturing well-composed images, which is the first step in a high-quality image and color management process. We will then apply Photoshop image correction and management fundamentals to our well-composed images. This information will result in having better composed and higher-quality images and better color—it also makes you a more valuable and/or marketable employee! For this session, I recommend having a basic knowledge of Photoshop. Have you created this session from a technical or creative perspective? Both, actually. Some people lean more toward the creative side, some the more technical, while others see the whole process. The information is developed and presented to include photographers and pre-media personnel, and anyone involved in the image and color management process, whether you are design, photography, or production oriented. I teach trainable skills—you learn the fundamentals to get you started and fill in any gaps in your workflow. Can you describe what attendees will experience? We will be shooting at a prime location in Scottsdale, not far from the conference venue, the Hotel Valley Ho. We will go through the entire process of capturing the image,...