The Future Is Looking Up: Highlighting Students in Print
We hear plenty of grim predictions about the future of print. But if you look at what the industry’s fresh talent is producing these days, the future is looking brighter and brighter. Recent studies say that students prefer print, but did you know many print and graphic arts students are producing outstanding, high-quality printed materials as well? Today’s students tell us a lot about where our industry is heading. That’s why it’s invigorating to see the amazingly creative craftsmanship they’re producing. Their contributions deserve to showcased! Take a look at some of these outstanding student-produced Premier Print Award winners. Examples of Student Entries in the Z-1 Category Examples of Past Entries in the Z-2 Category Distinguish YOUR Work The creators of these award-winning pieces entered the Premier Print Awards competition. This prestigious print event offers more than 100 print categories, and we also have special categories reserved just for student entries. Why are students entering the 2014 Premier Print Awards? Students can enter the competition at discounted rates. Winners receive valuable, industry-wide recognition. The online entry system is easy to use. Here’s a blog and a video to tell you more about it! Categories are designed for High School Students (Z-1) and Post-Secondary Students (Z-2). Enter as an individual or as a student group. Learn more about the 2014 Premier Print Awards at www.printing.org/PPA. The early-bird deadline is 4.18.14. Final entries are due by 5.16.14. More Opportunities for Students Entering this competitive job market can be intimidating. But there are many ways students can network and show their talents, such as: Attending industry trade shows Working in student-run print shops available at some schools Creating an online portfolio or blog Entering print competitions Volunteer to create pieces for a nonprofit or other business Do you have a great idea for students looking to gain recognition for their work? Let us know...
read moreThe Future Is Looking Up: Highlighting Students in Print
We hear plenty of grim predictions about the future of print. But if you look at what the industry’s fresh talent is producing these days, the future is looking brighter and brighter. Recent studies say that students prefer print, but did you know many print and graphic arts students are producing outstanding, high-quality printed materials as well? Today’s students tell us a lot about where our industry is heading. That’s why it’s invigorating to see the amazingly creative craftsmanship they’re producing. Their contributions deserve to showcased! Take a look at some of these outstanding student-produced Premier Print Award winners. Examples of Student Entries in the Z-1 Category Examples of Past Entries in the Z-2 Category Distinguish YOUR Work The creators of these award-winning pieces entered the Premier Print Awards competition. This prestigious print event offers more than 100 print categories, and we also have special categories reserved just for student entries. Why are students entering the 2014 Premier Print Awards? Students can enter the competition at discounted rates. Winners receive valuable, industry-wide recognition. The online entry system is easy to use. Here’s a blog and a video to tell you more about it! Categories are designed for High School Students (Z-1) and Post-Secondary Students (Z-2). Enter as an individual or as a student group. Learn more about the 2014 Premier Print Awards at www.printing.org/PPA. The early-bird deadline is 4.18.14. Final entries are due by 5.16.14. More Opportunities for Students Entering this competitive job market can be intimidating. But there are many ways students can network and show their talents, such as: Attending industry trade shows Working in student-run print shops available at some schools Creating an online portfolio or blog Entering print competitions Volunteer to create pieces for a nonprofit or other business Do you have a great idea for students looking to gain recognition for their work? Let us know...
read moreRYOBI MHI Graphic Technology Debuts Full Press Lineup at Open House in Japan
HIROSHIMA, JAPAN—March 26, 2014—Newly formed RYOBI MHI Graphic Technology spotlighted its full portfolio of sheetfed offset press technology at an open house earlier this month at its Japan headquarters. The event drew more than 300…
read moreHow Printers Are Getting Their Differentiation Back
This article is adapted from the article “Differentiation Is Back!” by Paul V. Reilly, Partner, New Direction Partners, published in the 2014 FORECAST Part 1: Trends and Tactics. Reilly is a featured presenter at the 2014 Print Leadership Summit, June 2–3. Technology can be like a double-edged sword. We use technology to increase print quality and differentiate our company. Then, as competitors eventually acquire these same technologies, differentiation decreases, and we’re left right back where we began. You could say that technology is so good, it’s bad! So the question is: How can printers today distinguish their company when they’re using the same technology that is available and comparable to their competitors’? The solution is customization. You may have heard of Proprietary Customer Interface Technology (PCIT). Our industry has developed this new customization tool to solve the technical differentiation problem. Here Paul V. Reilly of New Direction Partners explains how adopting PCIT can help you multiply your sales. What is PCIT? PCIT is a computer application that facilitates the interaction between the printer and customer—what some might refer to it as “Web-to-print on steroids.” But PCIT is much more than Web-to-print, providing a high level of customization for each customer’s individual needs. PCIT is usually a combination of acquired and custom code, but it always includes custom code. This allows a company to differentiate itself from a competitor who has similar software. PCIT fully integrates the flow of data between the printer and customer, whether data is stored on the customer’s or printer’s servers. PCIT, similar to all solution sales, transfers risk held by a customer in a transactional sale to the printer. Examples include delivery time and accuracy, versions, proofing, etc. The image shows a schematic of how PCIT works. How can PCIT help increase profits? When commercial printers achieve 50% or more in sales processed through PCIT (often referred to as “programmed sales”), overall top-line growth becomes positive. This is pure mathematics. Programmed sales grow 10–15% per year, and such growth overcomes traditional transactional commercial sales, which are decreasing 5–10% per year. Firms with a majority of their sales as programmed sales have approximately 2% of employment dedicated to customer development, and their most recent hires are programmers (not factory personnel). Such a level of commitment is required to write software code for customer “on boarding” (the process of writing code for new customers) and to manage continual customer requests for enhancements. What effect does PCIT have on retaining customers? Most advanced users of PCIT are fully integrated in the back end of production and accounting. The success in utilizing PCIT derives from enjoying a high level of customer “stickiness.” This printer/customer integration makes it difficult for print buyers to move the business to a competitor for price—the incumbent is so far ahead with customization, the competitor can’t match the product offering. Price is difficult to measure. Printers may not experience higher pricing, but profits increase throughout the customer life cycle as efficiencies develop and users of PCIT move up the learning curve. In fact, upon achieving 50% or more in programmed sales, PICTs usually carry the benefit of Printing Industries of America Ratios profit-leader-level profits. Is there any evidence of success rates of PCIT users? Travel North America and the globe touring printing plants and...
read moreHow Printers Are Getting Their Differentiation Back
This article is adapted from the article “Differentiation Is Back!” by Paul V. Reilly, Partner, New Direction Partners, published in the 2014 FORECAST Part 1: Trends and Tactics. Reilly is a featured presenter at the 2014 Print Leadership Summit, June 2–3. Technology can be like a double-edged sword. We use technology to increase print quality and differentiate our company. Then, as competitors eventually acquire these same technologies, differentiation decreases, and we’re left right back where we began. You could say that technology is so good, it’s bad! So the question is: How can printers today distinguish their company when they’re using the same technology that is available and comparable to their competitors’? The solution is customization. You may have heard of Proprietary Customer Interface Technology (PCIT). Our industry has developed this new customization tool to solve the technical differentiation problem. Here Paul V. Reilly of New Direction Partners explains how adopting PCIT can help you multiply your sales. What is PCIT? PCIT is a computer application that facilitates the interaction between the printer and customer—what some might refer to it as “Web-to-print on steroids.” But PCIT is much more than Web-to-print, providing a high level of customization for each customer’s individual needs. PCIT is usually a combination of acquired and custom code, but it always includes custom code. This allows a company to differentiate itself from a competitor who has similar software. PCIT fully integrates the flow of data between the printer and customer, whether data is stored on the customer’s or printer’s servers. PCIT, similar to all solution sales, transfers risk held by a customer in a transactional sale to the printer. Examples include delivery time and accuracy, versions, proofing, etc. The image shows a schematic of how PCIT works. How can PCIT help increase profits? When commercial printers achieve 50% or more in sales processed through PCIT (often referred to as “programmed sales”), overall top-line growth becomes positive. This is pure mathematics. Programmed sales grow 10–15% per year, and such growth overcomes traditional transactional commercial sales, which are decreasing 5–10% per year. Firms with a majority of their sales as programmed sales have approximately 2% of employment dedicated to customer development, and their most recent hires are programmers (not factory personnel). Such a level of commitment is required to write software code for customer “on boarding” (the process of writing code for new customers) and to manage continual customer requests for enhancements. What effect does PCIT have on retaining customers? Most advanced users of PCIT are fully integrated in the back end of production and accounting. The success in utilizing PCIT derives from enjoying a high level of customer “stickiness.” This printer/customer integration makes it difficult for print buyers to move the business to a competitor for price—the incumbent is so far ahead with customization, the competitor can’t match the product offering. Price is difficult to measure. Printers may not experience higher pricing, but profits increase throughout the customer life cycle as efficiencies develop and users of PCIT move up the learning curve. In fact, upon achieving 50% or more in programmed sales, PICTs usually carry the benefit of Printing Industries of America Ratios profit-leader-level profits. Is there any evidence of success rates of PCIT users? Travel North America and the globe touring printing plants and...
read morePromotional Products, A Powerful Part of Brand Reinforcement
This blog post was contributed by ASI. For more information on the ASI Buying Program or any of the Buying Programs at Printing Industries of America, visit www.printing.org/buyingpower. Promotional Products: An Affair to Remember Promotional products are globally recognized as a powerful part of brand reinforcement, and advertisers can’t get enough. A Love Story: The Advertiser & the Promotional Product Did you know that 86% of those who own promotional products remember the advertiser? On average, people in the U.S. own 10 promo products. Whether it’s a calendar, a reusable bag, or coffee mug, logos and brand messages are memorable because they are visible. The Perfect Match: The Advertiser and the Distributor How well do promotional products work? In 2013, the industry earned $20.5 billion. So, where do promotional products come from, and who’s profiting from them? When advertisers need products for a special promotion, they seek out distributors to generate ideas and place orders with suppliers. The First Date: Getting Started as a Distributor Becoming a distributor can be as easy and profitable. Let’s do the math: The average order from a single end-buyer is $1,061. Five orders per year will bring in $5,305. The average small distributor services 94 clients per year, bringing that total up to $498,670 a year. You don’t have to quit your day job. Many business owners sell promotional products in addition to their primary business. You can earn more money from existing customers. For instance, printers can upsell high-end products like embroidered jackets and engraved awards, to their customers, along with their regular orders. Intrigued? Happily Ever After ASI® can help launch your business with robust sourcing tools, free education, catalogs, websites, trade shows, and more! You don’t need a lot of capital or additional staff. You simply sign up, learn, and sell. Big things come in small packages. If you’re not convinced, check your desk, closet, or vehicle and discover how many of these products you actually own. Visit www.printing.org/asi to learn...
read morePromotional Products, A Powerful Part of Brand Reinforcement
This blog post was contributed by ASI. For more information on the ASI Buying Power Program or any of the Buying Power Programs at Printing Industries of America, visit www.printing.org/buyingpower. Promotional Products: An Affair to Remember Promotional products are globally recognized as a powerful part of brand reinforcement, and advertisers can’t get enough. A Love Story: The Advertiser & the Promotional Product Did you know that 86% of those who own promotional products remember the advertiser? On average, people in the U.S. own 10 promo products. Whether it’s a calendar, a reusable bag, or coffee mug, logos and brand messages are memorable because they are visible. The Perfect Match: The Advertiser and the Distributor How well do promotional products work? In 2013, the industry earned $20.5 billion. So, where do promotional products come from, and who’s profiting from them? When advertisers need products for a special promotion, they seek out distributors to generate ideas and place orders with suppliers. The First Date: Getting Started as a Distributor Becoming a distributor can be as easy and profitable. Let’s do the math: The average order from a single end-buyer is $1,061. Five orders per year will bring in $5,305. The average small distributor services 94 clients per year, bringing that total up to $498,670 a year. You don’t have to quit your day job. Many business owners sell promotional products in addition to their primary business. You can earn more money from existing customers. For instance, printers can upsell high-end products like embroidered jackets and engraved awards, to their customers, along with their regular orders. Intrigued? Happily Ever After ASI® can help launch your business with robust sourcing tools, free education, catalogs, websites, trade shows, and more! You don’t need a lot of capital or additional staff. You simply sign up, learn, and sell. Big things come in small packages. If you’re not convinced, check your desk, closet, or vehicle and discover how many of these products you actually own. Visit www.printing.org/asi to learn...
read morePromotional Products, A Powerful Part of Brand Reinforcement
This blog post was contributed by ASI. For more information on the ASI Buying Program or any of the Buying Programs at Printing Industries of America, visit www.printing.org/buyingpower. Promotional Products: An Affair to Remember Promotional products are globally recognized as a powerful part of brand reinforcement, and advertisers can’t get enough. A Love Story: The Advertiser & the Promotional Product Did you know that 86% of those who own promotional products remember the advertiser? On average, people in the U.S. own 10 promo products. Whether it’s a calendar, a reusable bag, or coffee mug, logos and brand messages are memorable because they are visible. The Perfect Match: The Advertiser and the Distributor How well do promotional products work? In 2013, the industry earned $20.5 billion. So, where do promotional products come from, and who’s profiting from them? When advertisers need products for a special promotion, they seek out distributors to generate ideas and place orders with suppliers. The First Date: Getting Started as a Distributor Becoming a distributor can be as easy and profitable. Let’s do the math: The average order from a single end-buyer is $1,061. Five orders per year will bring in $5,305. The average small distributor services 94 clients per year, bringing that total up to $498,670 a year. You don’t have to quit your day job. Many business owners sell promotional products in addition to their primary business. You can earn more money from existing customers. For instance, printers can upsell high-end products like embroidered jackets and engraved awards, to their customers, along with their regular orders. Intrigued? Happily Ever After ASI® can help launch your business with robust sourcing tools, free education, catalogs, websites, trade shows, and more! You don’t need a lot of capital or additional staff. You simply sign up, learn, and sell. Big things come in small packages. If you’re not convinced, check your desk, closet, or vehicle and discover how many of these products you actually own. Visit www.printing.org/asi to learn...
read moreWhy Gen Y Is More Print-Friendly Than You Think
Millenials. The Digital Generation. Gen Y. There are different monikers for this generation, but the general characterization is of a younger person attached to their smartphone or other mobile device like a virtual umbilical cord. This is the generation that considers print about as useful a communication form as carrier pigeons, right? The latest studies are indicating that this isn’t always the case. In fact, one current update from the Value of Print reports that “A recent study finds the new digital generation—teens, ages 12 to 17—generally have more favorable attitudes toward print, radio, and TV ads, than online ads. (Print in the Mix, U.S. Teens Prefer Offline Ads to Online.) Actually, if you—or your customers—assume younger generations communicate solely on an electronic interface, it may be a surprise to learn that a significant number of college-age students today are choosing print for academic reading! Misconceptions There are a number of misconceptions around how Gen Y students consume print material. In 2010 experts even predicted that eText (digital textbook) usage would rise more than 16%. However, this increase didn’t happen. (The Hays Daily News, Students Prefer Print). In one study, “Student Reading Practices in Print and Electronic Media,” by Nancy M. Foasberg, set to be published in the journal College & Research Libraries in September 2014, researchers tracked the reading habits of the College of New York students. What they found was not a group of digital-addicted zombies but rather scholars who crave the tangible effectiveness printed textbooks afford. Key findings of the study: Although students used electronic media for non-academic reading, many rely on paper for academics. As it turns out, students like the interactivity that print allows—taking notes and highlighting on the page. Several students in the study expressed that they disliked the embedded links in eTexts because they were distracting. Some students use digital textbooks because their schools offer eBook deals. However those who have eBooks end up printing them out and cancelling out any money they may have saved. By the Numbers For another way to see what medium students prefer, just look at the numbers. In a recent article from Brown University, eBook sales account for less than 0.5% of their bookstore revenue. Although the school expects the eventual transition to digital textbooks, according to Steven Souza, the bookstore’s director, “Students [currently] seem to have zero interest in [eTexts].” The students there cite their preference for printed books on factors like the ease and familiarity. One student commented, “I like flipping though a textbook.” This Is Your Brain on Print Why do students seem to prefer print for academic reading? The Foasberg study claims there are scientific reasons behind their choice. Print may actually have an effect on the brain that makes it a more effective medium for learning. In the study, students who read printed materials before an exam scored an average of 10% higher. Is a brain on print really different from a brain on digital? Another author of the study, Ferris Jabr, provided this interesting explanation: “Research indicates the brain treats words as physical objects which have a placement on a page but are fleeting on screen. Measures of brain activity are high when a student writes letters by hand, but not when they are typed. Text provides us with both...
read moreWhy Gen Y Is More Print-Friendly Than You Think
Millenials. The Digital Generation. Gen Y. There are different monikers for this generation, but the general characterization is of a younger person attached to their smartphone or other mobile device like a virtual umbilical cord. This is the generation that considers print about as useful a communication form as carrier pigeons, right? The latest studies are indicating that this isn’t always the case. In fact, one current update from the Value of Print reports that “A recent study finds the new digital generation—teens, ages 12 to 17—generally have more favorable attitudes toward print, radio, and TV ads, than online ads. (Print in the Mix, U.S. Teens Prefer Offline Ads to Online.) Actually, if you—or your customers—assume younger generations communicate solely on an electronic interface, it may be a surprise to learn that a significant number of college-age students today are choosing print for academic reading! Misconceptions There are a number of misconceptions around how Gen Y students consume print material. In 2010 experts even predicted that eText (digital textbook) usage would rise more than 16%. However, this increase didn’t happen. (The Hays Daily News, Students Prefer Print). In one study, “Student Reading Practices in Print and Electronic Media,” by Nancy M. Foasberg, set to be published in the journal College & Research Libraries in September 2014, researchers tracked the reading habits of the College of New York students. What they found was not a group of digital-addicted zombies but rather scholars who crave the tangible effectiveness printed textbooks afford. Key findings of the study: Although students used electronic media for non-academic reading, many rely on paper for academics. As it turns out, students like the interactivity that print allows—taking notes and highlighting on the page. Several students in the study expressed that they disliked the embedded links in eTexts because they were distracting. Some students use digital textbooks because their schools offer eBook deals. However those who have eBooks end up printing them out and cancelling out any money they may have saved. By the Numbers For another way to see what medium students prefer, just look at the numbers. In a recent article from Brown University, eBook sales account for less than 0.5% of their bookstore revenue. Although the school expects the eventual transition to digital textbooks, according to Steven Souza, the bookstore’s director, “Students [currently] seem to have zero interest in [eTexts].” The students there cite their preference for printed books on factors like the ease and familiarity. One student commented, “I like flipping though a textbook.” This Is Your Brain on Print Why do students seem to prefer print for academic reading? The Foasberg study claims there are scientific reasons behind their choice. Print may actually have an effect on the brain that makes it a more effective medium for learning. In the study, students who read printed materials before an exam scored an average of 10% higher. Is a brain on print really different from a brain on digital? Another author of the study, Ferris Jabr, provided this interesting explanation: “Research indicates the brain treats words as physical objects which have a placement on a page but are fleeting on screen. Measures of brain activity are high when a student writes letters by hand, but not when they are typed. Text provides us with both...
read more