Printing Industries of America - News and Updates

Did you get your copy of Take This Job and Stuff It!

tvinski@printing.org — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 20:34:18 +0000

If you are just getting into mail for the first time, are producing documents with highly personalized content, or want to squeeze more productivity from your existing equipment, then Take This Job and Stuff It! is the book for you. Written by Mike Porter, President and CEO of Print/Mail Consultants, and published by Port Mist Publishing, this book covers the entire document workflow and is organized into categories such as quality, productivity, and cost control.

Learn about the author’s first-hand experience in the area of print and mail.
Mike Porter takes his decades of document print and mail experience and fills this book with tips and hints that will help you create marketing pieces, bills, statements, letters, or other documents with quality and efficiency. Porter states, “Most of my suggestions can be implemented with little or no capital investment, but they can make a big difference in your ability to attract and retain customers—and keep you from making expensive mistakes!”

The book covers the entire document workflow and is organized into categories such as quality, productivity, and cost control. The first section is set up to guide you in training operations managers and supervisors that may be new to business or to gain a more in-depth understanding of the disciplines of printing and mailing. The second section is to be considered as a strategic call to action for improvements in operations and business objectives. Chapters include:

Print/Mail Operations—Quality
Print/Mail Operations—Productivity
Print/Mail Operations—Cost Control
The High Speed Inserting Environment
Outsourcing Vendors
Operations Management Has a Unique Perspective
The Importance of Including Operations in the Plan
Keeping Up on Industry Trends and Technological Developments
How to Become a Critical Component of the Communication Team

Drawn from his experience in the service bureau business, consulting, and working for companies like Xerox and Bowe Bell + Howell, the ideas Porter presents are workable and proven effective. “Anyone who produces personalized documents should have a copy in their office,” Porter says.

Get more information and place your order.
Take This Job and Stuff It! A Practical Guide for Document Operations Managers, 144 pages, (Item No. 1945, ISBN 978-0-9816237-0-2) is available to Printing Industries of America members for $20 and to nonmembers for $25.

This and all of Printing Industries Press’s 200-plus publications are available online at www.printing.org/store or by phone (412-259-1770 or toll-free 800-910-4283 x770), fax (412-749-9891), or mail (Printing Industries of America, Attn. Member Central, 200 Deer Run Road, Sewickley, PA 15143).

Michael H. Bruno Award 2010 Awarded to Bernard Pineaux

mschroeder@printing.org — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:09:11 +0000

Presented at the 62nd Annual Technical Conference of the
Technical Association of the Graphic Arts
San Diego, California USA
March 16, 2010

About TAGA and The Michael H. Bruno Award

The Technical Association of the Graphic Arts is an international organization of technologists, scientists, technical and production personnel in the printing and allied industries, and students in accredited graphic arts programs. It was established in 1948 as a forum for reporting on new research and technology in the graphic arts. It has a long history of distinguished annual conferences at which technical papers on graphic arts subjects are presented by leading technical and scientific men and women who have contributed measurably to the progress of printing technology and graphic science throughout the world.

The Board of Directors of TAGA hereby singles out a professional with a distinguished career to receive the 2010 TAGA Michael H. Bruno Award in appreciation of his dedicated services and contributions to the advancement of graphic arts internationally. This award is named for the late Michael H. Bruno. Printing was his vocation for his entire working life. He was a kind and gentle man who was passionate about printing and the people who produced it. Michael was well respected and had an incredible knowledge of the industry. In his own words, “I had the good fortune to be where the action was during the most active period since printing was invented.”

Bernard Pineaux receives the 2010 Michael H. Bruno Award

This year, TAGA honors Bernard Pineaux with the Michael H. Bruno Award in recognition of his dedication to graphic arts education and research.

Bernard Pineaux studied printing engineering at EFPG, the French engineering school of paper and printing, located in Grenoble, France, and connected to the Grenoble Institute of Technology. After obtaining his engineering degree in printing and converting in 1986, he obtained a scholarship to complete a Master’s degree in printing technology at Rochester Institute of Technology. This is where he was first in contact with TAGA.

After one year of military service in 1988, he joined a large French business forms printing company, Danel, as the technical manager of one of its plants, located in Blois. In 1991, he became its production manager as well.

Bernard was hired by EFPG in 1993. He started teaching while preparing a Ph.D dealing with dampening solutions in offset lithography. This gave him the opportunity to work in Germany with IFRA, Hartmann Druckfarben, and FOGRA and to work in Canada with the Quebec Graphic Communications Institute. Bernard obtained his Ph.D in process engineering from the Grenoble Institute of Technology in 1997.

Bernard has been teaching for 17 years, giving courses on printing processes and management to engineering students. He also has been giving seminars and courses to various companies (printers and suppliers) and to teachers in graphic communications, mostly in France and Quebec.

From 1998 to 2004, Bernard was in charge of the printing and converting departments at EFPG. He also led the project which enabled EFPG and its laboratory to obtain an ISO 9001 certification in 2005, thus becoming one of the rare engineering schools owning such a certification. Bernard was named head of studies in 2004, then deputy director in 2007.

EFPG became one of the 6 engineering schools of the new Grenoble Institute of Technology in 2008 and changed its name to Grenoble INP-Pagora, the International School of Paper, Print Media and biomaterials. Bernard was elected as its first director. His objectives are to strengthen the position and attractiveness of Pagora by implementing an integrated (quality, safety and environment) management system, by building new industrial, research and academic partnerships, by improving pedagogy, by developing continuous education and international exchanges and by diversifying revenues.

Bernard has been a member of TAGA since 1994. He helped in implementing the French TAGA student chapter at EFPG in 1994 and has been advising the chapter since then. In 2001 and 2004, Bernard was elected to the TAGA board of directors where he chaired the student and student chapter committees. He was also involved in five TAGA papers and one paper in the Journal of Graphic Technology.

Book of the Month: Glossary of Graphic Communications, 4th Edition

tcastillo@printing.org — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:38:08 +0000

The book-of-the-month for August, Glossary of Graphic Communications, Fourth Edition, revised by Joe Deemer, will help you to become familiar with all the terms you need to know to be successful in the printing and graphic communications industry. In addition to 3,500-plus terms from its previous iteration, the Glossary of Graphic Communications, Fourth Edition provides the latest, up-to-date terms and definitions on everything from Environmental, to Internet Technology, and Web-to-print.

Order today and get your discount.
When purchasing this book by September 1, 2010, you will get a $15 discount. To receive your discount, enter the discount code GLOSS during checkout.

Get insider information of the Glossary—check out a section of the Glossary and the interview with editor, Joe Deemer.
Check out one section of the Glossary of Graphic Communications. Click here to view the ‘N’ section.

Get behind the scenes information from reading the interview with Printing Industries of America Editor Joe Deemer, who revised the Glossary. Interviewed by Printing Industries Social Media Expert, Dan Tallarico, Joe gives you the background information into the planning and revision of this fourth edition.

To order your copy, contact a Member Central Representative at 800-910-4283, ext. 770 or membercentral@printing.org.

To learn more about the Glossary of Graphic Communications, click here.

Converge Conference 2010 Website Launched

mschroeder@printing.org — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:02:13 +0000

Check out all the latest details www.printing.org/converge

Protect Yourself From Cybercrime

mschroeder@printing.org — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:49:29 +0000

Cybercrime is one of the fastest growing crime in America, where attacks can potentially wipe-out entire small and medium-sized companies given their limited resources. Learn how to protect you and your company by attending the webinar, Cybercrime: New Risks in Light of Changing Technology, on August 5, 2010.Participants will benefit from sessions that include real-life, case studies and examples that underline the importance of staying on top of the latest security and risk management tactics, including Cyber-liability insurance.

Industry and Academic Leaders Join TAGA Board of Directors

mschroeder@printing.org — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 19:00:03 +0000

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, July 12, 2010—The Technical Association of the Graphics Arts (TAGA), the only global professional technical association for the graphic arts industries, today announces the results of its recent board election.

With more than 300 individual members worldwide and 15 active student chapters at leading institutions, TAGA serves the CTO, CIO, and R&D management personnel of printers, publishers, and premedia companies, as well as engineers and scientists employed by graphic arts systems and equipment providers, ink manufacturers, and paper manufacturers.

With the industry’s best permanent set of technical papers and abstracts, TAGA focuses on graphic arts systems, software, and computer technology developments, as well as the more traditional areas of press, ink, and paper engineering applications. The association also provides guidance and support to its fifteen active student chapters around the world.

Board Elections are held each year to coincide with the organization’s Annual Technical Conference, held recently in San Diego, California. As a result, the association is proud to welcome several new officers who assume their duties this month:

Vice President, Technical Papers: Alexandra Pekarovicova from Western Michigan University
- I have been annually attended the TAGA conference for more than ten years, and I found it to be a great research resource. The annual conference is a great opportunity for learning, networking, and finding new friends and collaborators. As an author or coauthor, I have published every year at the TAGA conference. It will be a great honor for me to serve on the board and in the Technical Papers selection committee to use my knowledge and skills and to give back to TAGA.
Vice President, Membership and Publicity: John Sweeney from FineEye Color Solutions
- TAGA is, first and foremost, a global membership of like-minded individuals, dedicated to advancing the science and technology of the printing and graphic arts industries. I am honored to serve on the TAGA board of directors and look forward to building the TAGA membership and promoting TAGA.
Vice President, Education: Martin Habekost from Ryerson University
- I am impressed with the level of the presentation and the quality of research taking part in this industry. I am particularly impressed by student publications being shown. The students are the future of our industry. The production of the student publication brings out the many different talents that are present in the student chapters, and students finally understand what their professors have been talking about all along. Having an active student chapter wakes in them the desire to explore the Graphic Arts more through research projects and go beyond just getting an education so they can succeed in the job market.

In addition, several new and returning board members have been elected to terms expiring in 2013:

Don Duncan, Wikoff Color Corp., Inc.
Chuck Gehman, Mimeo.com
David Niles, Sappi Fine Paper North America
Wandee Poolpol, Eckart America Corporation

Several prominent industry leaders were appointed to fill vacancies within the Board. Each of the appointees stood in the TAGA election and each was nominated by the board based on receiving the highest number of votes.

Hal Stratton, manroland, Inc.
Liam O’Hara, Clemson University
Yung-Cheng Hsieh, the National Taiwan University of the Arts

“It is with great pleasure that I welcome this outstanding new class of TAGA officers and board members. This group represents a great diversity of roles and views from the industry and academia and will help guide the organization to great success in the upcoming years,” said Bjorn Kruse, President, TAGA.

The TAGA board will continue to play an essential role in helping the organization meet its overarching objective of providing a worldwide forum for sharing and disseminating theoretical, functional, and practical information on current and emerging technologies for graphic arts print production and related processes.

Contact information for the board members can be found here: http://www.printing.org/page/3771. For questions or comments, contact Jessica Meyers at jmeyers@printing.org or (800) 910-4283 ext. 706.

Make Your Move to Digital a Success

tvinski@printing.org — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:54:57 +0000

On July 22, attend the webinar Making Your Move to Digital a Success and learn what it takes to acquire, operate, and maintain a profitable digital press operation.

We Would Love to Know More about You

mschroeder@printing.org — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:22:23 +0000

We want to know what your interest are—Printing Industries Press have developed a survey to help better understand what topics you are interested in and what format you would like to receive your resources. Not only will you get a discount code for $10 off of your next bookstore purchase and be registered in to a drawing to win one book from the bookstore, but taking the survey will help us to better cater to your needs. Take our survey today!

Time is running out! Nominate an outstanding woman for the Naomi Berber Memorial Award.

mschroeder@printing.org — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:59:41 +0000

Nominations are now being accepted and are free for the Naomi Berber Memorial Award. Send in your nominations for an outstanding woman in the graphic communications field by July 2, 2010 to Chrystal Senay at csenay@printing.org.

Learn About Unemployment Insurance Costs from the Experts!

tvinski@printing.org — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:07:09 +0000

On June 22, Printing Industries of America will be sponsoring the webinar Controlling Unemployment Insurance Costs. This webinar will give you an inside look into the soaring Unemployment Insurance (UI) costs and how you can manage them. The webinar will be presented by expert Ronald Adler, President and CEO of Laurdan Associates Inc. Ronald is a nationally recognized expert in unemployment insurance issues and co-developed Employment-Labor Law Audit™ (ELLA®), the leading HR auditing and employment practices risk-assessment tool.

IRS Releases 2011 Deduction Limits for HSAs

tvinski@printing.org — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:11:43 +0000

The Treasury and IRS have released the 2011 inflation-adjusted amounts for health savings accounts under Code Sec. 223(g). After the application of cost-of-living adjustment rules under Code Sec. 223(g), there is no change in the amounts from 2010. Therefore, for calendar year 2011, the annual limitation on deductions under Code Sec. 223(b)(2) for an individual with self-only coverage under a high-deductible plan remains $3,050 ($6,150 for an individual with family coverage).

A "high-deductible health plan" is defined under Code Sec. 223(c)(2)(A) as a health plan with an annual deductible that is not less than $1,200 for self-only coverage or $2,400 for family coverage and annual out-of-pocket expenses (deductibles, co-payments and other amounts, but not premiums) that do not exceed $5,950 for self-only coverage or $11,900 for family coverage.

Source: Rev. Proc. 2010-22, I.R.B. 2010-23

“American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act” Provides Business Tax Relief Provision

tvinski@printing.org — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 13:42:14 +0000

Last week congress acted to address jobs and the economy as the House passed the “American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act” (H.R. 4213), which included several business tax relief provisions.

Included were a one-year extension of the Research & Development credit, refundable AMT credits for printing companies making a 2010 investment in capital equipment for use in domestic facilities, and a one-year extension of a tax provision that provides eligible small printers with a wage credit for activated military reservists. Also included was multi-employer pension plan funding relief that would allow an optional use of 30-year amortization periods, optional longer recovery periods for plans in endangered or critical status, and alternative default schedule for plans in endangered or critical status. The Senate must pass its version of a jobs bill before President Obama is able to sign the legislation into law; passage is expected following the Memorial Day recess period.

Calling all Nominations for the Naomi Berber Memorial Award and the Frederick D. Kagy Education Award of Excellence

tvinski@printing.org — Thu, 27 May 2010 14:09:57 +0000

Naomi Berber Memorial Award is the graphic communications industry’s only award specifically honoring women. Berber Award recipients join over thirty years of outstanding women from the graphic communications industry, such as Diane Romano, Sue Baylin, Laura Gale, and Betty Maul. An engraved plaque is presented to the recipient to commemorate her accomplishments. Nominations must be postmarked, faxed, or emailed by July 2, 2010.

The Frederick D. Kagy Education Award of Excellence recognizes an exemplary middle school, high school, or community college graphic communications program. Nominations must be postmarked, faxed, or emailed by July 16, 2010.

IRS Announces 2011 HSA Limits

tvinski@printing.org — Thu, 27 May 2010 14:08:40 +0000

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced the 2011 inflation adjusted amounts for health savings accounts (HSAs) in Revenue Procedure 2010-22.

Annual contribution limits for calendar year 2011 are unchanged from 2010 amounts:

Deductions for an individual with self-only coverage under a high deductible health plan: $3,050
Deductions for an individual with family coverage under a high deductible health plan: $6,150

High deductible health plans (for calendar year 2011): A “high deductible health plan” is defined as a health plan with an annual deductible that is not less than $1,200 for self-only coverage or $2,400 for family coverage, and the annual out-of-pocket expenses (deductibles, copayments, and other amounts, but not premiums) do not exceed $5,950 for self-only coverage or $11,900 for family coverage.

IRS Issues Notice on Small Business Tax Credit for Health Care

tvinski@printing.org — Fri, 21 May 2010 15:03:57 +0000

On May 17, 2010 the Treasury Department released more details on the ways certain very small businesses can take a tax credit from the new health care law.Notice 2010-44 provides various guidelines, illustrated by more than a dozen examples on the small employer tax credit. Issues covered include: seasonal worker exclusion, exclusion of owners family member who work at firm to determine FTE and average wages, vision and dental plans are included in the tax credit eligibility but only if the firm is paying 50% or more of the premium, exclusions of tax credit if employer is paying less than 50% of premium for family coverage, but more than 50% for single (for example), state-level tax credits or subsides will not reduced the federal tax credit, and explains the tax credit phase out if over 10 FTEs (up to 25) and average wages over $25K (up to $50K). The tax credit may be claim for all of 2010. The notice also requests public comment on issues that should be addressed in future guidance.

Canadian Forest Industry and Environmental Groups Sign Conservation Agreement

tvinski@printing.org — Thu, 20 May 2010 19:25:39 +0000

On Wednesday, May 19, 2010, twenty-one of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) member companies and nine environmental organizations unveiled the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement. The Agreement will conserve significant areas of Canada's Boreal Forest, managing it in a more responsible manner

What does this mean for printers?
Canopy, ForestEthics, and Greenpeace will be suspending their “Do Not Buy” campaigns against participating FPAC member companies and their customers while the agreement is being implemented. There have been some well-known “Do Not Buy” campaigns against highly visible brands such as Sears/Lands End, Victoria’s Secret, and Kimberly-Clark due to their paper purchasing practices for the production of catalogs, direct mail, and other paper products. The suspension of these campaigns translates into relief for the end users of the products.

This is good news for the printing industry, as the “Do Not Buy” campaigns impact their businesses directly. This agreement will allow print customers to feel more secure that they will not come under attack for using paper from the participating FPAC members.

The Dead Tree Edition, a blog offering comments related to the production and distribution of publications stated the following after the announcement:

It’s surprising enough that the former enemies signed a deal involving forestry practices and conservation for an area of the Canadian boreal forest larger than Texas.

Even more stunning is that radical environmental groups like Greenpeace and ForestEthics signed an agreement that calls for “policies and investments that improve the competitiveness of the Canadian forest sector” and “improved prosperity of the Canadian forest sector and the communities that depend on it.”

The agreement also recognizes the legitimacy of the industry-backed Sustainable Forestry Initiative in addition to the rival Forest Stewardship Council.

To learn more about the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement visit www.canadianborealforestagreement.com.

This environmental update has been provided by Printing Industries of America. For more information about Printing Industries of America’s sustainability tools and resources, visit www.printing.org/ehs or call 800-910-4283.

OSHA Targets Amputations

tvinski@printing.org — Thu, 06 May 2010 15:11:21 +0000

The most recent incident at a printing company in California where a guillotine operator cut off his hand is a gruesome reminder that working with printing equipment requires a special focus on safety. Unfortunately, the printing industry has earned a dubious distinction and is now considered one of the most hazardous industries to work in as it pertains to amputations.

As a result, OSHA has initiated a special program targeted directly at printing operations and has been aggressively inspecting and issuing citations in the thousands of dollars. Since 2008 Printing Industries of America has seen a dramatic increase in the number of members reporting that they have been inspected under the special amputation prevention inspection program and many of them are receiving citations for violations.

Under the inspection program, each of OSHA’s Regional Offices develops a list of targeted companies in their area including printing companies. Once the list is developed, OSHA conducts random inspections of the companies on the list. The inspections are focused on machine guarding, lockout/tagout, and safe work practices. Understand that once OSHA starts an inspection, they can and will look for other possible violations and with 250 newly trained inspectors being recently released, there will be more inspections.

To help prepare its members to pass an inspection under the new amputation prevention program, Printing Industries of America has developed a toolkit that will enable printing operations to adopt and implement a prevention program suited to meet OSHA’s regulations and protect its employees from serious injury. The guideline, “What You Need To Know For Safe Equipment Operation” was designed and produced to assist the printer in evaluating their production operation and help reduce the overall amputation injuries associated with equipment operations.

The guidance publication enables members to:

Increase awareness and understanding by supervisors and equipment operators of amputation hazards and controls specific to their workplace
Establish an amputation prevention program specific to the printing industry with a focus on the common circumstances and activities that have lead to amputations.
Develop site specific amputation prevention training material using the power point presentation, workbooks, and fact sheet as a basis.

Get your copy of What You Need To Know For Safe Equipment Operation today.

Alert: OSHA Steps Up Enforcements

tvinski@printing.org — Tue, 18 May 2010 17:54:47 +0000

OSHA has announced three enforcement efforts that impose increased obligations on employers and result in increased penalties for violations. They include:

1. Rescinding the Enhanced Enforcement Program (EEP) and replacing it with the Severe Violator Enforcement Program (SVEP). OSHA has replaced the EEP with the SVEP to increase its enforcement efforts against employers who have demonstrated an “indifference” to workplace safety obligations including situations that result in fatalities or catastrophic events and industries that expose employees to the most severe hazards, including those identified as “high-emphasis hazards”. Due to the persistent high level of amputations, the printing industry has been classified as a high hazard industry and any printer receiving a citation could be subject to the SVEP.

Under the SVEP, OSHA will conduct follow-up and nationwide inspections to at companies with more than one location, issue press releases, and will seek enhanced settlement agreements including requiring the employer to hire an independent safety and health consultant, applying settlement agreements company-wide, if there is more than one location, imposing corrective actions if violations cannot be fixed in a short period, require employers to report work-related injuries and illnesses on a quarterly basis, and require employers to report for a specific time period any serious injury or illness requiring medical attention, and to consent to inspections based on that data.

2. OSHA is altering its penalty classification and assessment scheme, which will result in increased fines for violations. They will be expanding the time frame they use to consider an employer’s history of violations and issuing repeat citations from three to five years, increasing the minimum fines for serious violations, and limit area directors to only allowing a 30% maximum penalty reduction for employers during an informal conference. The old policy was to allow area directors to reduce the penalty by up to 50% and now, to obtain any penalty reduction beyond this 30%, area directors will have to obtain approval from regional administrators. As a result of the changes, OSHA predicts that the average penalty for a serious violation will increase from $1,000 to $3,000 to $4,000.

3. OSHA plans to initiate a rulemaking for an injury and illness prevention program. Under the rule, OSHA would require employers to create a plan for identifying and remedying risks associated with hazards and OSHA violations. The rule would contain three distinct parts requiring employers to plan, prevent, and protect employees from workplace injuries and illnesses. Under the rule, OSHA would require employers to create a plan for identifying and remedying risks associated with hazards and OSHA violations.

Printing Industries of America can help. Contact our Environmental, Health and Safety Department at 800-910-4283, ext. 792 to determine if your company is at risk.

Additional information regarding OSHA and the printing industry can be found at www.printing.org/osha.

Tools and Resources
How to Prepare for the New Aggressive OSHA Inspections Webinar Archive (free to members)
OSHA Primer (free to members)
How to Avoid OSHA’s Combustible Dust Citation
OSHA Targets Amputations
What You Need to Know for Safe Equipment Operation

Last Call for Nominations for the Education Awards of Excellence!

tvinski@printing.org — Tue, 18 May 2010 14:49:54 +0000

This is your last chance to nominate an academic educator or industry trainer in the graphic communications field for the 2010 Education Awards of Excellence. All nominations are free and are due Friday, May 21.

Price Reduction: Archived Webinars Prices Now Reduced!

tvinski@printing.org — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:08:14 +0000

Printing Industries Press has just lowered the prices on all of our archived webinar products recorded from 2006 through 2009. Members, you can now access these select webinar recordings for just $25; nonmembers, you pay just $75 for each recording. Visit www.printing.org/store

Your VDP Love Story

tvinski@printing.org — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:20:43 +0000

You first fell in love when you realized the true profit potential of variable-data printing (VDP).

You saw how VDP brought a new level of value to your clients. Your customer’s campaigns had more impact, increased response rates, and were more targeted.

Now it’s time for you to plan your company’s future with variable data. It’s important to realize that every company has a different approach based on the wants and needs of their customers. But just like in any relationship, the fundamental issues with VDP are all the same.

Discover what you need to develop a solid strategy and take your company’s relationship with VDP to the next level at Printing Industries of America’s VDP Training Programs this June.

Answer the Questions Below to Discover How to Keep Your VDP Love Alive

Is Your VDP Romance Fairly New?
If you answered yes, then VDP Boot Camp is right for you. Build on your VDP relationship today by visiting www.printing.org/vdpbootcamp.

Have You Been in a Long Term Relationship with VDP?
If you answered yes, then Total Immersion: VDP is the program for you. Keep the VDP love alive by visiting www.printing.org/vdpimmersion.

For more information contact Joe Marin at 412-259-1731 or jmarin@printing.org.

Automation Solutions Network Formalizes Organization and Names Committee Members

tvinski@printing.org — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:21:58 +0000

Pittsburgh, PA, April 26, 2010 - The Automation Solutions Network (previously the JDF User Group) comes to agreement to formalize its organization and name the committee members. The change reflects the various interest areas within membership; commercial, web, digital, and in-house printers using JDF-enabled automation to boost profitability as well as vendors and technologist that help provide the solutions printers demand. “The Automation Solutions Network isn’t just for one slice of the printing industry”, says, Ray Hartman, “while there are some issues unique to, say web printing, most printers find they share similar experiences when managing automation projects at their companies. Ultimately, the Automation Solutions Network is discovering what it means to be a printer in the 21st century, and the new structure will help us keep the balance necessary to represent the diverse interests within the Automation Solutions Network membership.”
The positions on the Automation Solutions Network Steering Committee, and the representatives filling those positions are:

Steering Committee Chair: Mark Bohan, Vice President, Technology and Research, Printing Industries of America

Vice Chair: Ray Hartman, Independent Consultant

Membership & Marketing Officer: Mark Wilton, President, Wilton & Partners Consulting, Inc.

Steering Committee Members:

Technology Representative: Brandon Iskey, Computational Research Scientist, Printing Industries of America
Printer Representative (Digital Printing): Dave Zamorski, Chief Operating Officer, Associate Graphic Services
Printer Representative (General Commercial): Rick Riegger, Color Control Manager, Japs-Olson Company
Printer Representative (In-house Printing): Tom Coker, Senior Manager of Premedia, Communicorp, Inc
Printer Representative (Web Printing): Christy Miners, Director of Prepress and Technology, Democrat Printing & Lithographing Co
CIP4 Liaison: Jim Harvey, Executive Director, CIP4 Organization

The Automation Solutions Network a joint partnership between Printing Industries of America & CIP4 was established as an open forum for users and vendors to discuss their automation issues and experiences, with a solutions-oriented focus. The Automation Solutions Network has established itself as the premiere event to exchange ideas and solutions for JDF workflows. It focuses on the development and practical implementation of JDF-enabled systems and cross-vendor implementations. The group welcomes a wide range of users of JDF-enabled systems as well as the suppliers of those systems.

The Automation Solutions Network meetings allow printers to exchange and share ideas with their peers and vendor members. This rare opportunity to communicate with vendors in a private setting benefits the entire printing community.

The next Automation Solutions Network meeting is being hosted by Ampersand Printing, and the meeting will be held June 15-16, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario.

The group welcomes a wide range of users of automation systems as well as the suppliers of those systems. All interested parties are welcome to become members. To become a member and register for the next meeting, please visit www.printing.org/automation, call 412-259-1706, or email automation@printing.org.

Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) at Printing Industries (link)

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About Printing Industries of America: Printing Industries of America is the world’s largest graphic arts trade association, representing an industry with more than one million employees. It serves the interests of more than 10,000 member companies. Together with its nationwide affiliate network, Printing Industries delivers products and services that enhance the growth, efficiency, and profitability of its members and the graphic communications industry through advocacy, education, research, and technical information.

About CIP4: CIP4 brings together vendors, consultants, and end-users in the print communications, graphic arts industry, and associated sectors, covering a variety of equipment, software, peripherals, and processes. Members participate in focused working groups to define the Job Definition Format (JDF), PrintTalk, and other standards relevant to process automation; to study user requirements; to test product interoperability; and to develop a range of JDF software development tools. Information on CIP4, including membership details, is available from the organization’s website: www.cip4.org. “CIP4” and “JDF” are registered trademarks of the CIP4 Organization.

About JDF: The Job Definition Format (JDF) is the industry specification designed to facilitate process automation and the integration of different applications and systems in and around the graphic arts industry. JDF also enables the integration of business management and job planning applications into the production workflow. JDF is based on the W3C’s Extensible Markup Language (XML), ensuring maximum interoperability between different platforms and ready interaction with Internet systems. More information is available at http://www.cip4.org.

Feingold Award Deadline Extended

tvinski@printing.org — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 19:50:13 +0000

Sewickley, PA, April 20, 2010—The Binding Industries Association (BIA), the world’s largest association for trade binderies, graphic finisher, custom loose-leaf manufacturers, and suppliers to those industries, is pleased to announce the deadline for the 2010 awards has been extended to April 30th, 2010.

The Feingold Award began in 1992 as a tribute to Bill Feingold of Charles Leonard Inc., to honor products and processes that break new ground in the graphic finishing and custom loose-leaf manufacturing industries.

Entries are eligible from suppliers, domestic or international, for technology that helps advance trade binderies, graphic finishers, and custom loose-leaf manufacturers. The award is given to the company whose product or process is deemed most unique or innovative by a panel of experts.

“It’s crucial to recognize quality and outstanding achievements from the supplier community” says BIA Board member Patricia Traynor, Finish On Demand “Suppliers bring life to projects, help with tough challenges, and advance the industry in which we work.”

The top supplier winners will be honored at the 2010 BIA Mid Management Conference May 17-19 at the Baltimore Hilton, Baltimore, Maryland, considered by many to be the preeminent conference for the binding industry.

For more information on the 2010 Feingold Award, visit www.feingoldaward.com, download a Call for Entries brochure, or contact Justin Goldstein at 412-259-1806 or jgoldstein@printing.org.

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About BIA:The Binding Industries Association (BIA), a special interest group of the Printing Industries of America, represents trade binderies, loose-leaf manufacturers, and suppliers to those industries. The BIA is the definitive organization for the binding industry and helps its members maintain a competitive advantage and respond to today’s changing environment. Whether you’re a veteran or new to the industry, the most cost-effective way to gain knowledge, visibility, and access is by becoming a BIA member. For more information, visit www.bindingindustries.com or call 412-259-1806.

About Printing Industries of America: Printing Industries of America is the world's largest graphic arts trade association, representing an industry with more than one million employees. It serves the interests of more than 10,000 member companies. Together with its nationwide affiliate network, Printing Industries delivers products and services that enhance the growth, efficiency, and profitability of its members and the graphic communications industry through advocacy, education, research, and technical information.

BIA to hold Plant Tours on May 19th

tvinski@printing.org — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 20:04:27 +0000

The Binding Industries Association’s Mid-Management Conference, May 17-19, in Baltimore, Maryland will feature many dynamic speakers, as well as in-depth plant tours.

Attendees will have the opportunity to take an inside look at three companies, including Bindagraphics Incorporated, K & W finishing, Inc., and Advantage Book Binding, Inc on Wednesday May 19th.

This annual meeting brings together attendees from trade binderies, graphic finishing, information packaging, custom loose-leaf manufacturing, and the suppliers to those industries.

Speakers of interest include Ken Lerman and Linda Bishop. Lerman brings positive next steps to businesses desiring to improve their level of performance, sustain growth, and increase profits. While, Bishop will discuss ways in which attendees can sell more of their product and succeed in any situation. To sign up immediately please visit www.printing.org/biaconference

Breaking News for Area Printers

admin — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:45:20 +0000

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A major industry event will be taking place right in your back yard—the 2010 Offset & Beyond Conference, May 17–19 in Baltimore, Maryland.

This conference focuses on the business of printing—both the core, offset, and what lies beyond. Attendees will discover ways to drive down costs and increase revenue.

If you are in the business of offset printing and/or digital printing, then this is the conference for you.

Bonus! Because of the location of this year’s event, travel costs will be greatly reduced for you and your team members.

Learn more about the 2010 Offset & Beyond Conference—taking place right in your back yard by visiting www.printing.org/offsetandbeyond.

Two Easy Ways to Register

Call 800-910-4283, ext. 770
Download the Registration Form, complete it, and fax it to 412-741-2311

For questions regarding the conference, contact Laurie Reynolds at 412-259-1802 or lreynolds@printing.org.

Send in your Teacher’s Programs application before the April 23 deadline.

tvinski@printing.org — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:37:20 +0000

As a graphic communications educator, you know how critical it is to stay current with today’s technology, industry trends, and teaching methods. That is why Printing Industries of America partners with the Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC) to offer the Teacher’s Update and Teacher’s Conference, two invaluable opportunities for graphic arts teachers. The funding application deadline for both the Teacher’s Update and Teacher’s Conference is April 23. Don’t hesitate—send in your funding applications today!

Learn How to Maximize Press Time

tvinski@printing.org — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:22:06 +0000

Did you know that while it’s accepted that preventive equipment maintenance should be scheduled regularly, companies are often reluctant to give up press time to do so? Though this may seem to be a daunting task, it is not to be overlooked. Learn how you can effectively accomplish Total Production Maintenance (TPM) by attending the webinar, Maximize Press Time with Pit-Stop Maintenance, on April 15, 2010.

Jim Andersen to Receive the Harry V. Quadracci VISION Award

dtallarico@printing.org — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 18:17:34 +0000

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania April 6, 2010— Printing Industries of America has announced that Jim Andersen, president and CEO of IWCO Direct, will be presented with the 2010 Harry V. Quadracci VISION Award for his leadership in the direct mail marketing industry.

The annual award, which is presented to one printing industry executive who has reached an unsurpassed level of excellence and achievement, will be presented during the Offset & Beyond Conference, May 17–19, 2010 at the Baltimore Hilton in Baltimore, Maryland.

Andersen joined Chanhassen, Minnesota-based IWCO Direct in 1999 and during the past decade has transformed the regional print and mail service provider into a top national integrated direct marketing solutions provider with locations across the country.

Andersen most recently guided the company through the successful acquisition of the U.S. operations of Transcontinental Direct. The transaction closed earlier in April and further strengthened the company’s exceptional ability to execute and deliver highly effective direct marketing campaigns with a national footprint.

The president and CEO of IWCO Direct was a key advocate in the decade-long struggle to enact postal reform, which was finally achieved at the end of 2006. He met with politicians and sat down with key leaders of other industries to reform a 30-year-old business practice and protect the interest of their common goal: a viable, enduring U.S. Postal Service (USPS).

IWCO Direct, led by Andersen, was one of 25 companies that joined forces with 25 associations to form the Mail Moves America (MMA) coalition in late 2006. This coalition touted the economic benefits of direct mail marketing and, through their efforts, convinced legislators that “Do Not Mail” legislation was unnecessary.

In addition to winning the Harry V. Quadracci VISION Award, Jim was named to the 2008 Printing Impressions/RIT Printing Industry Hall of Fame induction class. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from American University in Washington, DC, and serves on the boards of Minnesota Business Partnership, Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota, and IWCO Direct Holdings, Inc.

Prior to IWCO Direct, Jim spent 13 years with Banta Corporation, including three as the president of Banta Information Services Group and Global Turnkey. In this key leadership position, he had oversight of 13 facilities, including five overseas operations, with gross sales exceeding $330 million.

Past recipients of this prestigious honor include Edward Barr, Sun Chemical Corporation; Thomas Brinkman, Sr., Metroweb Corporation; Ken Field, Sr., Continental Web Press; John Frautschi, Webcrafters, Inc.; Michael Keene, The John Roberts Co.; Remi Marcoux, Transcontinental Direct USA, Inc.; Roger Perry, Perry Judds; Thomas Quadracci, Quad/Graphics, Inc.; F. Edward Treis, Arandell Corporation; and Jerry Williamson, Williamson Printing Corporation. We are now honored to include Jim Andersen on this esteemed list.

About the Harry V. Quadracci VISION Award
The Harry V. Quadracci VISION Award is conferred to that web offset printing industry executive who has reached an unsurpassed level of excellence and achievement in the industry. This award is dedicated to the spirit of those industry pioneers whose hard work and determination have created a growing and ever-changing industry.

New Titles Now Available at Printing Industries Press

mschroeder@printing.org — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 13:33:14 +0000

Printing Industries Press has added several new titles to our catalog. Whether you are looking for an economics report, the latest webinar recording, or even the 2010 Forecast, we have it all for you.

Check out our newest book titles:

Or our latest webinar recordings:

Questions and Ordering Information
To place your order online, visit the Printing Industries Press online bookstore at www.printing.org/store. To speak with a Member Central Representative, call 800-910-4283 ext. 770, or 412-259-1770 or email membercentral@printing.org.

Printing Industries of America Proudly Supports "Positively Print" Program

mschroeder@printing.org — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:19:12 +0000

A Campaign to Showcase the Value and Effectiveness of Print in the Media Mix

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, April 6, 2010--A new print advocacy program, aptly named "Positively Print," designed to promote the power of print in the media mix, has been announced by The Print Council and Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC) with the support of GASC co-owners--NAPL, NPES, and Printing Industries of America.

The "Positively Print" program will recognize companies involved in the print production process that market, through their company-branded promotional activities, the value and effectiveness of printed products to corporate marketing executives, advertising agency personnel, print buyers, media specialists, buying influencers, and the business public. "Positively Print" submissions selected for recognition by a panel of industry experts will be announced on October 2, 2010 at the annual EXECUTIVE OUTLOOK Conference, held the day before GRAPH EXPO opens, October 3-6, 2010, in Chicago's McCormick Place.

"Print is a vital component of any successful integrated marketing campaign," stated Printing Industries of America President Michael Makin. "The print promotions recognized in this "Positively Print" program will highlight the unique attributes this effective form of media has to offer."

The program is intended to encourage companies involved in print to devote part of their ongoing advertising and promotional campaigns to a generic advocacy of print as a communications media. While the focus of program submissions must be on print--primarily directed at those who select media or create campaigns--eligible entries may be a part of corporate or product advertising produced in any media, preferably print, but may include TV commercials, Web advertising, and various other e-formats.

The "Positively Print" program, created as an extension of the EXECUTIVE OUTLOOK Conference, will be administered by William Lamparter, President of PrintCom Consulting Group who chairs the Conference for GASC.

Entries to the "Positively Print" program may be nominated by anyone, including print suppliers, who can enter their own campaigns or submit those created by others, as well as advertising agencies and public relations firms.

The "Positively Print" program submission deadline is August 2, 2010. No fee is required for participation and entry forms can be downloaded online at www.positivelyprint.org.

For more information contact William Lamparter, PrintCom Consulting Group, at 704-843-5350 or email PositivelyPrint@aol.com.