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...

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...

This is a guest blog post from Michael Walters, Executive Director, Distributor Services at Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI). For more information about the National Buying Programs available to members through Printing Industries of America affiliates, visit www.printing.org/buyingpower. Every client who buys from you already uses imprinted items—logo pens, t-shirts, bags, etc. Selling promotional products is a natural progression for a lot of printers—you already have your clients’ logos, there aren’t any start-up costs, there’s a high ROI, and it’s easy to get started! The Printing Industries of America National Buying Program with ASI, for members through Printing Industries of America affiliates, is a great way for you to break into this $19.4 billion industry and immediately begin increasing revenue. Margins and Sales Distributors selling promotional products see: Profit margins up to 40% Average yearly sales around $775,000 ROI Opportunities Based on the results of ASI’s Global Advertising Specialties Impressions Study v.3, your customers spend an average of $3,000 per year on promotional items, with an average gross profit margin of 38%. Take a look at what that could mean for your annual revenues and gross profits if you sell promotional products to your current customers: Click here to view Global Advertising Specialties Impressions Study v.3. Increase Your Earning Potential Instead of doing one-off print jobs, help your clients build campaigns using promotional products. Campaigns help increase brand recognition for your clients and ensure repeat business for your company. You can help customers be more successful—and increase your sales. Want to Learn More? Find out how ASI’s tools can help you grow profits and expand your business and see all that ASI has to offer members through Printing Industries of America affiliates by visiting...

This is a guest blog post from Michael Walters, Executive Director, Distributor Services at Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI). For more information about the National Buying Programs available to members through Printing Industries of America affiliates, visit www.printing.org/buyingpower. Every client who buys from you already uses imprinted items—logo pens, t-shirts, bags, etc. Selling promotional products is a natural progression for a lot of printers—you already have your clients’ logos, there aren’t any start-up costs, there’s a high ROI, and it’s easy to get started! The Printing Industries of America National Buying Program with ASI, for members through Printing Industries of America affiliates, is a great way for you to break into this $19.4 billion industry and immediately begin increasing revenue. Margins and Sales Distributors selling promotional products see: Profit margins up to 40% Average yearly sales around $775,000 ROI Opportunities Based on the results of ASI’s Global Advertising Specialties Impressions Study v.3, your customers spend an average of $3,000 per year on promotional items, with an average gross profit margin of 38%. Take a look at what that could mean for your annual revenues and gross profits if you sell promotional products to your current customers: Click here to view Global Advertising Specialties Impressions Study v.3. Increase Your Earning Potential Instead of doing one-off print jobs, help your clients build campaigns using promotional products. Campaigns help increase brand recognition for your clients and ensure repeat business for your company. You can help customers be more successful—and increase your sales. Want to Learn More? Find out how ASI’s tools can help you grow profits and expand your business and see all that ASI has to offer members through Printing Industries of America affiliates by visiting...

Like a common language, wide-format digital printers need set standards to enable their devices to communicate with different parts of the workflow efficiently. When different products operate on the same standard “language,” printers can easily purchase new equipment that will integrate with their existing workflow and connect with one another. Using JDF technology, they achieve standardized interoperability and break free of the data exchange issues and loss of time and revenue caused by competing systems. Through Printing Industries of America, you can take advantage of a new CIP4 JDF Product Certification Program for wide-format devices to complement the existing certifications. This new certification is based on the Digital Print Workflow Interoperability Conformance Specification (DPW ICS) 1.4a. Why is this important to the growing wide-format market? For starters, a JDF Certification provides a competitive selling point to attract new customers and extend services for new clients. For a limited time, members can participate in a beta test of DPW ICSat a special reduced fee.* Here, Dr. Mark Bohan, Vice President, Technology and Research, Printing Industries of America, and CIP4’s Education & Marketing Officer, shares some of his thoughts on JDF Certification for both the seller and the consumer. Discover facts that will increase consumer confidence in purchasing JDF-Certified products and the unique profitable advantages for sellers. Q: What does “JDF-Certified” mean? Mark Bohan: If a product is “JDF-Certified,” it means that it writes and reads JDF and JMF as established in one of many “Interoperability Conformance Specifications” (ICS) documents published by CIP4. The “ICS” documents establish the basic requirements for systems that produce and consume JDF within different workflow options. Certification means that a product has proven that it meets these requirements for basic interoperability, the level of the certification relating to the amount of JDF and JMF information that the systems will handle. Q: Who certifies that my products are JDF compliant? MB: Printing Industries of America provides world-wide JDF certification testing for CIP4. Registration for the certification is carried out through the CIP4 website, www.cip4.org. The program was developed in collaboration with CIP4 and their members to provide a method to ensure that the basic interoperability was available. We have seen great strides over the years with the results for the certifications and level of JDF implemented by the different manufacturers. On a personal note, it has been great to see the development of the program and the success that it has had in helping workflow implementations, as this was one of the reasons that I joined Printing Industries of America to head up this program. Q: How will my customers know that my product is JDF-Certified? MB: We issue products certified by Printing Industries of America a...