125th Anniversary Celebration
Did you know that we’ll be celebrating the association’s 125th Anniversary in 2012? We’ll be exploring the storied history of Printing Industries of America, which was founded in 1887 as the “United Typothetae of America.” We’ll also be talking to employees of Printing Industries of America for their perspective on how the association has changed over the years to keep up with the evolving world of print. We’ll kick off the celebration in the new year, but if you have any memories or insight you want to share in the mean time, leave a comment on this blog. We look forward to celebrating 125 years with...
read morePrint as the Launch Pad—Kismet or Ka-Boom?
As the Vision 3 Summit approaches, we asked a few of the speakers to share their thoughts on the industry in blog form. This blog is from Kevin Keane, President, International Association of Printing Craftsmen. Mr. Keane will be speaking at the Vision 3 Summit about how to keep print relevant in a digital world. I did a speech for a group of small commercial printers circa 1989 forecasting the digital deluge and all its permutations. Frank and Larry, two printer pals, were in the audience. At the conclusion, Frank turned to Larry and said, “What do we do now?” Larry paused not a moment and said, “Sell!” A decade later I was asked to pinch-hit as the luncheon speaker at The Executive Outlook conference that precedes each GRAPH EXPO. In my remarks, I suggested that manroland, KBA, Heidelberg, and Komori would no longer be the only name plates in the pressroom and offered Canon, Ricoh, HP, Kodak, and Xerox. The then-CEO of one of the heavy iron press manufacturers, a very suave gentleman, approached me and begged to differ. He was elegant in his defense of conventional offset, but his firm never did develop a digital partner and eventually sought protection against creditors. The digital die is cast. This morning, 15 December 2011, Cheryl McClorey, who is in training as Marketing & Social Media Manager at Xic.com {Express Image} in Aberdeen/Edinburgh, Scotland sent me a note on our IAPHC Facebook Group page: “Right back at you Kevin, and Merry Christmas to everyone on your end 🙂 I don’t see why we have to choose one or the other. I think there are huge benefits in blending both traditional and digital. You just have to be clever about it. I made the point to the person who posted the article that in actual fact, I am more likely to look through the pile of catalogs that comes through the post than I am all the spam that comes through my email. I love the tangible effect print has, and I feel many others are the same. Cheryl is spot-on; it is not an either/or choice. Print, radio, and TV no longer have hegemony over marketing spends, but do not mistake the landscape has changed. Print is merely one of many arrows in the marketer’s quiver. If we want print to be a partner in the media mixology, then we need to pay attention to the wicked ways technology is changing our fortunes. Take a moment and note Cheryl’s job title. Does your firm have such a person, and if not, why not? In the speech I will give at the Vision 3 Summit, we will take an A–Z survey. Much as the nameplates on our digital presses have changed, so too will the tools we use to make print come alive. A friend sells for GPA, Specialty Substrate Solutions, and he saw a YouTube video we had shared about a Blippar–enabled Heinz Ketchup Label. His bride works at General Mills and he shared the reaction of the senior marketing personnel— “way cool” is the meme. A glistening new array of intelligent print recognition technologies are thrilling in their construct, and the plain fact is they require (indeed they demand) print as the essential launch pad to a fully immersive multi—media...
read moreYear-End Sale at Printing Industries Press
As 2011 winds down, it’s time to plan for the year ahead. To help you get ready for a profitable 2012, Printing Industries Press is presenting our year-end sale on our newest titles released throughout the past year. These featured titles touch on a wide range of topics that impact your workplace in all business areas—production, training, human resources, marketing, and financial performance. And, for a limited time, you can take advantage of a discount on these resources as you prepare for 2012. If you follow us on Twitter (@printind) you’ve probably already seen some deals tweeted out. Enjoy the expansive list below! Order Now and SavePurchase any of the titles listed below before December 31, 2011, and get a 20% discount off the price when using the discount code YEAREND at checkout. Pressroom and Production Adding Value to Print Basics of Print Production, 2nd Edition Best Practices for Print Automation PDF Operational Excellence Workbook Series Book 1: Operational and Performance Excellence: The Shingo Model Book 2: Finding Printers’ Hidden Waste Book 3: Cleaning and Organizing: 5S for Printers Set of all 3 workbooks MicroLessons Downloads Common Sheetfed Pressroom Procedures: A Quick-Reference Guide (PDF) Common Web Pressroom Procedures: A Quick-Reference Guide (PDF) Sheetfed Pressroom Safety: A Quick-Reference Guide (PDF) Troubleshooting Ink Problems on Your Flexographic Press (PDF) Troubleshooting Ink Problems on Your Gravure Press (PDF) Troubleshooting Ink Problems on Your Offset Lithographic Press (PDF) Troubleshooting Ink Problems on Your Screen Printing Press (PDF) Web Pressroom Safety: A Quick-Reference Guide (PDF) Webinar Archives 10 Mailing Mistakes to Avoid Improving Pressroom Plant Conditions to Optimize Production Lean Manufacturing Principles: What Printers Need to Know to Streamline Operations and Remain Competitive Management and Human Resources Best Practices of the 2010 Best Workplaces in the Americas Competing for Print’s Thriving Future Graphic Arts Training Essentials: Best Teaching Practices for Graphic Arts Trainers Sustainability Studies in Print MicroLessons Downloads 8 Tips for Change: Management Lessons from Economic Downturns—PDF Effective Communication Techniques between Employees and Customers EPUB PDF Webinar Archives Complying with the New ADAAA and GINA Regulations: A How-To Session New NLRB Organizing Rights Poster: How Printers Can Respond Security Concerns for Printers and Their Customers: SAS 70/SSAE 16 Audits Sales and Marketing Hot Topics: How to Become a Selling Expert (PDF) Social Media Field Guide Book EPUB MicroLessons Downloads LinkedIn 101: Get the Most Out of Your Network EPUB PDF 11+ Tips to Effective Self-Promotion Planning for Printers (PDF) Grapevine 2.0: Monitor and Protect Your Brand Online EPUB PDF QR Codes: Getting in on the Ground Floor EPUB PDF Sales & Customer Service in a Customer-Driven Landscape (PDF) Webinar Archives Monitoring Your Online Reputation Using Social Media Tools One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Picking the Right Marketing Mix for Your Company QR Codes: Your Roadmap from Print to Web Using LinkedIn As a Sales Prospecting Tool Augmented Reality: Extending the Value of Print Spanish Titles Guía práctica para impresión automatizada Book PDF Print Talk (Spanish Edition) Book PDF Design Concerns MicroLessons Downloads Designer’s Cheat Sheet for Print (PDF) Typography 101: How to Talk About and Select Type (PDF) Typography 102: Using Type in Design (PDF) Looking for practical holiday gifts for staff that will enhance their skill sets and knowledge? Our publications show your team you’re making an investment in their future. You can take advantage of this year-end sale to give the gift of continued learning and self-improvement. Order Your Titles...
read moreIntroducing the 2012 TAGA Conference!
In the video below, Dr. Mark Bohan explains some of the topics and sessions attendees of the 2012 TAGA Conference will be exploring. TAGA ‘s annual technical conference is the only international conference for the graphic arts that features technical papers on research straight from the laboratory, studies from the pressroom, and software and systems engineering papers. If your responsibilities include staying on top of graphic arts technology in order to help direct your company’s future, strategically or tactically, then TAGA ‘s Annual Technical Conference should be your top educational priority each and every year! Also new for this year is the opportunity to adopt a student! It’s a great opportunity to invest in the future of our industry and give a student an outstanding learning...
read moreVisiting the Mimeo.com Facilities
After visiting the Mimeo.com facility in Memphis, Tennessee, I’m more excited than ever about the Automation Solutions Network meeting there on January 31, 2012. Chuck Gehman, Vice President of Product Platforms at Mimeo.com and a speaker at the 2012 Automation Solutions Network meeting, gave me a tour. It truly is an amazing and highly automated facility. One question I had was, “How does Mimeo.com process all of their orders?” The solution: Mimeo.com has colored bins and these bins correspond to the delivery date. Along with their bin system, they also produce an automated job ticket with the first page of the finished product. There’s a lot to see at Mimeo.com’s building, so if you want to learn how to grow your business with automation while continuously improving your operations, register for the Automation Solutions Network meeting that’s taking place at Mimeo.com in Tennessee....
read moreThoughts From a Premier Print Award Winner
Every year we have the Premier Print Awards and this year’s Silver Award Winner was C.J. Graphics. We asked Jay Mandarino, President and Founder C.J. Group of Companies, Toronto, Canada, to share some of this thoughts with us. It was a great honour and privilege to receive the Silver Award and three Bennies at the recent Premier Print Awards hosted by the Printing Industries of America. To be acknowledged by one’s peers is at once gratifying and humbling. My companies, The C.J. Group of Companies, located in Toronto, Canada and its experienced staff have, repeatedly, been assisted by the Printing Industries of America’s dedicated team of scientists and technologists. My staff and I are constantly augmenting the technological advancements of the printing industry both in Canada and worldwide. Many of the thousands of awards that C.J. Graphics has won have been due to the development of proprietary systems, equipment, processes and computer programs to accomplish that which has never been attempted before. Our state-of-the-art prepress, press, bindery and digital divisions enjoy challenges that very often produce opportunities for both our customers and ourselves. We thrive on unusual requests and impossible deadlines. We are also dedicated to the promotion of innovative business practices that minimize our impact on our environment. We are committed to sustainability and we are working hard to become a resource and advocate for a better world. I have been involved in many aspects of the printing industry all my life and have been a dedicated supporter of the Printing Industries of America and its many accomplishments therefore, receiving these Awards was both moving and deeply appreciated. Thank...
read moreDr. Mark Bohan Answers Your Color Management Questions
Here’s our first video in a series of Color Management Q&As. We’ve collected a number of questions from the community and we’re excited to put our staff at work to answer them. We have more on the way, but if there’s a question you’d like answered add it in the comments below. If you want to learn more about color managemenet, be sure to check out the Color Management Conference coming up this December 3-6 in Phoenix,...
read moreThe Featured Book of the Month:Setup Reduction for Printers: A Practical Guide for Reducing Makeready Time in Print Manufacturing
The latest featured book of the month, Setup Reduction for Printers: A Practical Guide for Reducing Makeready Time in Print Manufacturing, is geared towards helping you ready to learn how to increase value to your customers. This title provides you with a method to help you do just that by reducing setup times. Malcolm Keif and Kevin Cooper outline a ten-step process that can reduce setup times by 50% or more by focusing on reducing internal makeready tasks and moving those to external tasks. Get a Discount When Ordering a “Lean Bundle” Authors Malcolm G. Keif and Kevin Cooper were also the authors of the best-selling titles Lean Printing: Pathway to Success and Lean Printing: Cultural Imperatives for Success. Purchase this new book of the month on its own—or get it along with these two popular titles as a set by December 31 to take advantage of discounted bundle pricing! Book of the Month Special “Lean Bundle” Set Setup Reduction for Printers: A Practical Guide for Reducing Makeready Time in Print Manufacturing Lean Printing: Pathway to Success Lean Printing: Cultural Imperatives for Success Interested in the book of the month? Have a question about the book? Let us know in the comments below. ...
read moreApplying for a Graphic Communication Scholarship has Gotten Easier
We’ve been working hard with the Print and Graphic Scholarship Foundation (PGSF) to make the scholarship application process as streamlined as possible. We know prospective college students are busy people so the easier the better, right? With that in mind, you’ll be pleased to know that the PGSF application is completely online and a breeze to fill out! The new application process is pretty slick. Once you log into printing.org, you’ll be able to save a draft of your application as you complete the steps. Need to take a break to walk the dogs? Need to check a few facts before moving on with your essay? No problem whatsoever. You can start or stop the application whenever you’d like. Obtaining a referral from a professor or mentor has also been improved. Once the primary application is finished, you’ll receive a URL to send to your referral. All they’ll need to do is click the link and they’ll be taken to a page asking them for the applicant’s name, email address, and the usual referral questions. Once they’ve finished filling out the referral form, an email will be sent to us with the information as well as the applicant to let them know that their referral came through. One thing that hasn’t changed is that transcripts must still be mailed in. With privacy concerns there’s no great way to transfer that data digitally. We’re excited to offer a streamlined process and we hope prospective students in the graphic communication field take advantage of this new feature. If you have any questions about the application, you can leave a comment on this blog post or email Bernie Eckert, PGSF Administrator at beckert@printing.org. The application can be found here and applicants have until April 1, 2012 to apply for a...
read moreJust How Well is the Printing Industry Performing Financially?
The following report was compiled and written by MargolisBecker and Printing Industries of America’s Ratios Study Program. The Great Recession of 2007–2009 was a dramatic departure from the relatively mild recessions of the past two decades. The sluggish economy and slowing print markets picked up steam and reversed their trends in 2010. As reported, the industry incurred an average profit for 2010 of 1.4% for all printers participating the in the 2011–12 Ratios Survey. This is an increase of 2.8% from last year’s average loss of 1.4% and ends the three prior years of consecutive decreases. Looking back over the last 90 year history of the Ratio Studies, an astute business person could predict the reversal of the industries recessionary trends, as it has always happened. But with the ever changing environment, even the veteran industry leaders have expressed concern over the recovery. The Ratios report should start to alleviate some of their concerns. At this rate, the industry showed approximately $2.1 billion in total profits over the course of the year, quite the opposite from 2009’s approximate $1.9 billion in total losses. In 2010 38% of printers participating in the Ratio Study posted a financial loss for the year, down from the 55% who reported losses in 2009. The industry’s profit leaders, printers in the top 25% of profitability, saw their profits also rise significantly over the year, increasing to 9.5% from 7.0% the previous year. Considering the conditions of the economy and the overall industry results, these top performers should consider themselves fortunate. For more information on the Ratios and to order the volume that best matches your company’s business go to www.printing.org/page/6529. For further information or questions please contact Ed Gleeson at egleeson@printing.org or leave a comment on this...
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