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...

If you’ve seen promotions about our upcoming Optimizing Digital Color from Your Digital Press workshop and wondered how this training would benefit you on the job, take a lesson from the Publications team here at Printing Industries of America. We recently got some firsthand experience with how color reproduction changes when a job shifts from the offset press to the digital press, and our best resource was workshop leader Dave Dezzutti. So, how did we get there and what did we learn from the experience? In the past, at Printing Industries Press we have always produced our color-related titles on a lithographic press because accurate color reproduction is critical when discussing the science and control of color. But over the years most of our titles have migrated to digital short-run production, and our most recent book, Color Printing Excellence, made that transition to digital printing as well. Knowing it would be printed on the iGen4 production press, our digital production staff assured us the press would be able to handle the color reproduction to meet the needs of this topic. But we did need to do a little behind-the-scenes work to make sure we got there on a few of the more color-critical images. Color Printing Excellence developed from the need to update Color and Its Reproduction, Third Edition, which had been printed on an offset press. That meant a lot of the images used in Excellence were picked up from the original text, and those images had been optimized for offset production. As the editor worked on the layout and proofs for review throughout the editorial process, he noticed there were inconsistencies between the images, such as the digital versions being darker than the earlier offset printing, and these were differences that went beyond the paper used. We’re lucky to be able to turn to our in-house experts and staff consultants when problems like these surface. Technology and Research Analyst Dave Dezzutti, who is also the instructor of the Optimizing Digital Color from Your Digital Press workshop, was able to take a look at our images, troubleshoot and diagnose the issues, and walk us through the solutions. Some of the problems and necessary adjustments included: Images appeared darker when printed on digital press. The adjustments needed here were minimal and involved lightening the image with some middletone adjustments in Adobe Photoshop. Dave indicated that the darkening is a probable result of the GCR (gray component replacement) present in production inkjet presses. Overlap of color. In one sensitive graphic it was important that the dots in a simulated screen pattern did not touch. However, despite the editor’s great care, while working in Adobe Illustrator, to allow a reasonable amount...

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...

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...

Brittany Bolenbaugh  It’s no secret that printers are always on the lookout for enterprising young professionals who can help their companies stay ahead of the curve in a constantly evolving industry. That’s why, over the next several weeks, we’ll be profiling some talented students who are about to enter the workforce. All of the students we’re profiling have received monetary awards from the Print and Graphic Scholarship Foundation (PGSF), a not-for-profit, private, industry-directed organization that dispenses undergraduate college scholarships and graduate fellowship assistance to talented men and women interested in graphic communication careers. Housed under the same roof as Printing Industries of America, PGSF has coordinated the printing industry’s largest scholarship program since its inception in 1956. Our first interviewee, Brittany Bolenbaugh, is currently a senior at Ball State University. Brittany was kind enough to share with us a little bit about her university experience, her goals for a graphic arts career, and her thoughts on the future of the industry. 1. What area of the graphic arts do you consider your primary focus (design, print production, digital media, etc.)? I would say that my primary focus in the graphic arts would be the design as I have a great passion and love for being creative. Although through my classes at Ball State University and my experiences I have grown to love all aspects of the graphic arts. 2. Have you started job searching? If so, what has been your experience? I have begun the job search since I will be graduating this May and I have found that my school career center and professors have been my biggest resource. I have had many opportunities to pursue and I just hope that I am able to find the right one for me. 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 I look for a job in the graphic arts field, it is important to me that I come into a position where I can not only utilize my skill sets, but also enhance them and grow with a company. It is important to me to have that opportunity to move forward and gain responsibility as I further my career. 4. What are one or two interesting graphic arts projects you’ve completed at school? There are so many! I love to create things and learn new techniques, but I think the process that was the most fun to learn and explore was screen-printing. There are so many possibilities with screen-printing that I wish I had time to do even more with it. I also have been able to...

Troubleshoot, Control, and Optimize. Those three words are vital to running a successful printing operation. Without an educated workforce, your press crew may be practicing wasteful activities and not optimizing time and material use. With the upcoming workshop, Extreme Offset: Troubleshoot, Control, Optimize, those wasteful activities—and how to solve them—will be brought to light. Presenters—Lloyd DeJidas, Director, Graphic Services and Facility Manager, and Greg Workman, Pressroom and Bindery Supervisor—will provide the steps to turn any pressroom into one that will increase job throughput while printing higher quality, more consistent color with less downtime, waste, and spoilage through the process of Troubleshooting, Controlling, and Optimizing.   TroubleshootAttendees will learn the skills to identify root causes of printing problems and how to quickly address and fix these issues. ControlAcquire the skills to control print color and quality by utilizing proper tools and techniques. OptimizeGet an understanding of how to find and eliminate waste in the pressroom to enable your press’s performance, as well as confirming that it is printing at an ideal, consistent state. Extreme Offset: Troubleshoot, Control, Optimize, will be held three times throughout the year— March 19–21; July 23–25; and November 5–7—at Printing Industries of America state-of-the-art facility outside of Pittsburgh, PA. This workshop has quickly become an industry favorite and is known to be a frequent sellout. Now is the time to make your reservations for the March event. Click on the image below to go straight to the registration...