New Market Study Tells the Story of Integrated Print Demands
It is no surprise to hear that the printing industry is evolving in the general direction of integrated services and products. If you are like most, your company is already a part of this growing segment. Printing Industries of America wanted clearer insight into this market in preparation for the Integrated Print Forum 2013, so we turned to our ownEconomic and Market Research department. In early 2013, the Economic and Market Research department conducted a survey to address the demands in different markets within the printing industry. The results provide an insightful look into the most current demands for these markets—Web-to-print eCommerce branded storefronts and integrated marketing services ranked among the top 10. The Results The survey confirms that integrated print market demands are increasing exponentially, with many of these markets reporting the biggest sales demand increases. Of the 57 companies that answered the question for Web-to-print eCommerce branded storefront sales, 82% of them indicated that demand is increasing for this service. 78% of printers that reported offering Web development services reported demand increase. 74% of the 46 responding companies reported an increase in demand for integrated marketing services. 34% of respondents indicated a decrease in demand for brochure printing. A decrease was also reported for newspaper printing at 50%. What do these results tell us? We can conclude that while demand in the integrated print markets is growing, the more traditional markets, such as brochures, newspapers, magazines, or books, are declining. Therefore, if your company is still confined to these more traditional markets, you are, or will soon be, experiencing a decline in your sales and profits. The Action Plan Where does your company fit into the equation, and what can you do to capitalize on these growing markets? If your company is already expanding into integrated print markets, great! You are in a key position. However, in order to stay at the forefront, you must continually educate yourself in ways to refine your current offerings and branch into new markets. For the businesses that are not yet into media integration, this is an opportune time to start. We offer plenty of resources to help you assess your needs, develop a plan, and implement profitable integrated printing services. Integrated Print Form 2013, the annual event of the Integrated Print Center, has essential information for companies at any point in their business transformation stage. Learn in an engaging environment from innovative expert speakers. Sign up today to attend this event May 14–15, 2013, in Pittsburgh, PA, and find more details at...
read moreGraphic Arts Students Prepared for a Mixed-Media World
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 interesting graphic arts projects you’ve completed at school? Over the past two years I’ve served as the president of Clemson’s TAGA (Technical Association of the Graphic Arts) chapter. Each year, the team works together to produce a journal of technical research from the university. From the initial concept all the way to the finished piece, we are responsible for every step. This year’s journal was a lot of fun to put together, we got to play around with several different coatings including a dry-erase coating that allowed parts of the journal to act like a whiteboard surface. We also did...
read moreSelling Print—The Tools for Sales and Marketing
We know that a printing organization needs far much more to operate successfully than just printing equipment. It also needs people with creative, business-savvy minds to sell the products. You may not know that Printing Industries of America offers many resources, like great publications, that go beyond technical printing aspects. A number of these resources are tailored specifically toward Sales and Marketing professionals to help integrate print and new media and grow their profit potential. If you have not discovered the group yet, look to Sales and Marketing Executives (S&ME). Through S&ME, you will find plenty of resources to promote, connect, and learn. Join our Updated Networking Listserv Will my idea sell? If you have ever wanted to pick some of the creative minds out there, join the Sales and Marketing Executive listserv. We have revamped the system, so it is easier to network with peers. Just send an email to telserv2@lists.printing.org with the body: Subscribe sme@lists.printing.org. Learn More about the Print-New Media Mix Are you using QR codes to reach out to your customers yet? What about augmented reality, email marketing, or creating effective company websites? Our Publications department is flooded with new titles and requests from marketers for more on the hottest marketing trends to integrate print and digital media. Here are the top five titles we wanted to highlight for you. 1. Value of Print Flip-Book Numbers don’t lie. The Flip-Book provides a wealth of useful facts and statistics to promote the truth about print’s effectiveness and sustainability. As a convenient counterpart to the Flip-Book, we’ve recently released the Value of Print Mobile App that rounds out the campaign media mix. The app enables access to the most current, searchable data to help you promote the value of print—all at the touch of a button! Visit www.printing.org/valueofprint to learn more. 2. Best Practices for QR and Other 2D Mobile Barcodes (Brandable PDF) Find out how and when to use QR and other 2D mobile barcodes as part of your marketing campaign. Start by understanding your audience, what motivates them, and your campaign goals. 3. Marketing4Digital Full Set Do you have a strong understanding of what your business and your clients need to be successful? The vertical reports in this set give digital and conventional printers the information and tools they need to develop new business within 24 vertical segments. 4. PURLs for Profit (PDF) Successfully combine direct mail and email campaigns to increase your campaign’s effectiveness. Read best PURL practices and valuable user case studies. 5. Win Top-of-Mind Positioning Are you at the top of your customer’s mind? In this relationship-based business, learn how to create successful sales and marketing efforts. Win Top-of-Mind Positioning offers concrete, real-world examples, making it perfect for all graphic arts professionals wanting to increase their company’s bottom line. Don’t forget, Printing Industries of America members receive discounts on many of our publications! Professionals may also find pages full of great sales and marketing resources here at the Printing Industries Press Store. If you have questions regarding our sales and marketing resources, or the Sales and Marketing Executives (S&ME), visit www.printing.org/sme or contact Lisa Rawa, Vice President, Marketing, at lrawa@printing.org, or...
read moreYour Ticket to Automated Success
It is no secret that the most successful companies are employing automation to cut costs and increase efficiency. You can read about it, and you can listen to presentations on it. But how would you like to actually experience it? The next Automation Solutions Network Meeting features a tour of Creel Printing, which recently acquired another industry leader, Digital Lizard. You have probably heard of these companies, but in case you haven’t, we’ll give you some of the reasons this is a plant tour you don’t want to miss. Full-Service, Award-Winning Facility Creel has a 300,000-square-foot facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, operating 24/7 and providing a full range of services, including pre-media, printing, binding, mailing, distribution, and fulfillment. For more than 50 years they have been earning industry accolades, producing high-quality products, and providing outstanding customer service. The company earned their eighth Gold Ink Award in 2012 for their meticulous craftsmanship in addition to a slew of other printing awards. Expanded Capabilities Creel expanded their capabilities after acquiring Digital Lizard in 2011. Already one of the top digital printing companies in the U.S., Digital Lizard brought their own advancements, including processing protocols to manufacture, finish, and ship on the same day; state-of-the-art HP Indigo presses; a full-service bindery; and pre-negotiated discount shipping rates. Digital Lizard also develops automated Web-to-print storefronts to improve ordering, workflow, and reporting, allowing customers to deploy their own portals or improve the capabilities and return on investment of those that exist. Effective Print-on-Demand system from Digital Lizard High-Quality Automated Equipment As a combined force, they produce high volumes of superior products and services by employing a facility full of enviable automated equipment and systems. High-tech equipment like the Xerox iGen4 and DucoTech HighLight Color produce quality digital variable prints. They recently implemented a modern MIS system that has taken them to a new level of efficient data organization. This is your ticket to automated success! Join the tour May 2–3, 2013, in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the Automation Solutions Network Meeting. Register now to experience successful automation at its...
read moreLearn About Color Reproduction First-Hand
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 of white space between each dot, in the digitally printed proofs, the dots still bumped up against each other unacceptably. Dave recognized this problem as resulting from the trapping that was built into the system. To produce this critical image, he advised printing this page separately, with trapping turned off, and tipping the page in to the book during binding. Color builds could not reach 100% density. This same image included a build of process colors (cyan and magenta) compared against the process colors themselves. These colors would have been produced as a solid color on an offset press, but...
read moreWill A ‘New Bind’ Arrive?
By Don Piontek Information technology changes at lightning speed. With book binding, a truly new technology arrival every decade is more like it. But, every once in a while, a game changer sneaks in. The last major milestone in adhesive binding was the…
read moreWhat Are the Best Companies Doing that You’re Not?
We rely on a lot of business products in our industry: papers, inks, presses, computers, and lots of material elements! But one component supersedes technologies—great employees. The best companies in the industry recognize their importance with devoted Human Relations Managers investing in their employees, hiring and retaining skilled professionals who, according to countless studies, perform better and stay longer with their company. Every day hard-working people are adding greater value to their organizations. They are the faces and personalities behind the products, contributing their skills and passion for their work. These are the companies who enter the Best Workplaces in the Americas competition from Printing Industries of America. Here are some winning examples of sound HR practices: “Communication meetings are held on a monthly basis by the Senior Management Team. The plant is normally in full operation 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. However, during these hour-long Communication Meetings, the presses and other work stop so that all employees can hear the same message from the owners. One is held for each shift. The meeting consists of sharing the monthly sales goal and comparing to the actual sales, company announcements, employee recognition, and usually a topic employees can be training on. At least once a quarter, we also work in a team-building exercise for the employees to complete.” Best Work Environment practice: MOSAIC, Cheverly, MD.—BWA Winner, 2011 “In addition to the benefits of our wellness program, TLP implemented an on-site dietician available to all employees—temporary employees included. Once a month, our designated dietician comes on site to meet with employees for 30 minutes each. We’ve had a huge response to this initiative with almost a 50% participation rate.” Best Health and Wellness practice: Tailored Label Products, Menomonee Falls, WI.—BWA Winner, 2011 (For more winning practices, see the Best Practices of the Best Workplaces in the Americas volumes.) Sound like your workplace? These are samples of the high-caliber HR practices that are entered in the BWA competition. We recognize the companies truly committed to their workforce. It is a win-win situation because employees benefit from excellent HR policies, and companies can showcase their admirable practices. Here is what a few past winners had to say: “At Fusion, we use the Best Workplace win to promote our company in a few different ways, especially for recruiting and to promote the company as a whole. We use the logo on a table banner at career fairs and technical school presentations; display the plaques in our lobby. This gets lots of attention and is a great conversation starter about the company to any visitors, whether they’re potential job candidates, vendors, customers, or suppliers.” —Sheila Greco, Fusion Paperboard 2012 “Best of the Best” Small Company Winner “We make sure to reference the Best Workplace award on all of our FRQs and FRIs from customers. Customers want to know that the employees are happy and work at a place that respects and rewards them for their contributions. A BWA award also tells our customers that we probably have low turnover. Low turnover= experienced craftsmen.” —Michelle Waterhouse, Hopkins Printing 2012 “Best of the Best” Medium-size Company Winner Does your company take pride in its motivating HR practices? Learn more about the 2013 Best Workplace in the Americas program and how it can help your...
read moreXaar shares leap as board raises expectations
In an interim management statement (IMS) published this morning, the inkjet printhead manufacturer said that – based on unseasonably stong trading in the first quarter and the strength of its forecast for the rest of 2013 – it was increasing its expectations for the year. Sales in the first three months of 2013 were said to have “grown significantly” year-on-year as well as versus the last quarter of 2012. This was said to be in contrast with historic seasonal sales patterns, as the first quarter is usually adversely affected by the Chinese New Year. The Cambridge-based manufacturer said that product gross margins had improved as a result of the higher sales level and were ahead of those achieved in the second half of 2012. Revenue growth came primarily from the industrial and packaging markets, supported by “modest growth” in the graphic arts market. Operating margins also benefited from the growth in sales although the board warned that these were expected to soften later in the year due to the impact of planned manufacturing capacity investment and increased R&D spend. Net cash at 31 March 2013 was £41.7m, versus £28.9m at 31 December 2012, although this was partly due to the phasing of this year’s capex towards the second half of the year and a reduction in net working capital. The IMS concluded that the board was “confident that strong growth in revenue and profit will be achieved in 2013 versus 2012” – when the company achieved record results – adding that it was increasing its expectations for the year....
read morePresstek poised to announce restructuring, including major layoffs
“They are cutting into the bone and then trying to grow the business again and reestablish it,” one source said in reference to the restructuring. Presstek Press Business General Manager Geoff Loftus declined to give details of the restructuring but confirmed that new CEO David Savage had spent the past few days travelling between the direct imaging press manufacturer’s sites to explain the impact to staff. “He was with our South Hadley ( MA), Greenwich (CT) and Hudson, New Hampshire employees already this week and is now meeting face to face with our team in the UK,” Loftus added. Presstek officials have publicly been touting the benefits of the AIP acquisition since it was announced last August, stressing that it put the one-time publicly traded company on much firmer financial footing. AIP, which also owns mid-web flexo press maker Mark Andy, reportedly paid about $26m for Presstek, which lost $73m between 2009 and 2011 alone. Executives have also recently been suggesting that the Presstek 75DI – a 31″ direct imaging press available in four to 10-color configuration that can print up to 6,000sph and includes support for 300lpi and FM screening – has been making solid inroads in the packaging/folding carton market for shorter run jobs....
read moreAlexander Clark Printing Installs Second Komori Press
ROLLING MEADOWS, IL—April 10, 2013—Komori America, a premier manufacturer of printing presses, today announced that Alexander Clark Printing, a full-service commercial printer located in Boise, ID, recently installed its second Komori…
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