Graphic Arts Magazine articles

Green marketing strategies for printers

gail@gnana.an (Gail Nickel-Kailing) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:52:58 +0000

It was 2007 when “green” went mainstream; and in the past several years, it has captured the public consciousness. There were 2,400 trademark applications for terms and phrases with “green” in them and 900 more with “eco.” The number increased in 2008; there were 32 per cent more applications for trademarks containing “green” and 98 per cent more containing “eco.”

While many companies are touting their green credentials – in response to public pressure – some are venturing into “greenwashing” without true sustainable practices in place.

For the record - Scott McDougall

kread@graphicartsmag.com (Kristen Read) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:48:56 +0000

This month I interviewed Scott McDougall, president of North American environmental marketing firm TerraChoice, to find out how the print industry is stacking up environmentally and discover his tips on how consumers can avoid greenwashing.

Historically, the printing industry has not always been known for its eco-friendliness. Are you seeing that turn around these days or do we have a lot of work left ahead of us?

2010 investment trends for large-format inkjet printers

dksdlfajsfj@aneon.ca (Peter Dulis) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:46:44 +0000

As the wide-format printing industry recovers this year, technological advances in print head technology, print equipment and inks will help to drive the market forward.

As Alcan’s Masters said, “Digital printing is king.” As a direct result of our current economic situation, companies have shifted away from analog to digital technologies in order to accommodate short run jobs.

Apple’s new iPad – game changer?

af3@aneon.ca (Tim Mitra) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:44:40 +0000

Apple announced the iPad recently. It is a hybrid of an iPod Touch, Amazon Kindle and a Mac. At long last, we have our beloved Newton and a graphic tablet all rolled into one.

Ryerson’s Colloquium 2010

george@graphicartsmag.com (Valerie Chen and Ruth Tupe) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:42:26 +0000

As a technology and information-based society, the multimedia mix surrounds us — all the touch points of technology that we interact with every day. We are all interconnected through the Internet, cellular phones, text messages, email, online chatting, blogs and forums.

Featured markets: Eco-friendly priners and recycling solutions

kread@graphicartsmag.com (Kristen Read) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:34:50 +0000

Your monthly buyer’s guide to the latest print industry products This month: Eco-Friendly Printers and Recycling Solutions Eco-Friendly Printers

With dozens of different types of printers on the market today, it can be hard to determine which one suits your company best. Are you a business that shares in the growing concern for the well being of the environment? The following products might be worth taking a look at as they are some of the leaders in terms of their reduced environmental impact.

Judging by the package

george@graphicartsmag.com (Dean Bellefleur) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:33:51 +0000

Brand owners communicate with the consumer via packaging. Rest assured – the consumer judges the product by the package. Print quality, novelty and imagery trigger latent desires of want that ultimately build brand empires. Think of Kodak, Campbell Soup, Birks and Coca-Cola, to mention just a few of the iconic brands.

Breathe new life into your offset press

ejlvkjekj@aneon.ca (Andrea Mahoney) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:31:41 +0000

There is automation software available that runs as a quiet companion alongside your offset press. This software will breathe new life into your press and actually comes with a money back guarantee for its Return on Investment (ROI) in less than six months. It also guarantees compliance with Process Standard Offset (PSO) certification requirements for the pressroom after a few days in production. This software is easy to install and will not affect the way you work; it will silently watch press production and report when it has moved from your set standards.

The greenest thing

dsfken@aneon.ca (Johnathon Anderson) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:29:44 +0000

I often find myself trying to be more “green” in my own home. I carpool and recycle and conserve wherever I can. However, recently there has been a lot of focus put on the total impact of an action rather than one specific part of it. To give you an example, a car such as a Mini Cooper may have a lower environmental footprint through the lifetime of the car, including assembly and disposal, than a hybrid or electric. The creation and disposal of the lithium battery in these cars can be incredibly taxing on the environment. While the emissions during the lifetime of these cars are lower, the overall carbon footprint is greater than the Mini.

Braille standards soon to become commonplace

normrmrmrmmrmrm@graphicartsmag.com (Norm Beange) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:27:43 +0000

All medicinal products must comply with the Braille requirements in Europe by October 2010. The requirements in Europe are already migrating here. Some large pharmaceutical companies have begun to incorporate Braille on their packaged products. Although there isn’t any current North American legislation on the use of Braille in packaging, the writing is on the wall. It will either become law or pharmaceutical companies (and others) that produce and market consumer products will begin to incorporate it on their own. Given these factors, the new standards provide a foundation for printers to have available when the application presents itself.

Evolution of print and beyond

yhuje@aneon.ca (Myrna Penny) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:24:18 +0000

On January 20, 2010, Xerox hosted the Digital Imaging Association at its research centre. The feature presenter was Laureen Chudzinski, director, business development strategies for InfoTrends.

Reuse

natalia@graphicartsmag.com (Natalia Gilewicz) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:23:41 +0000

I’d like to begin by shamelessly congratulating my two amazing friends on their recent engagement. Todd Cober (Cober Printing) and Magda Stolarczyk (Spicers) are GCM class of 2005 and 2006 respectively. They are both amazing individuals that this industry is lucky to have. More importantly, they are lucky to have each other. Love you both and congratulations!

View from the publisher - March 2010

joe@graphicartsmag.com (Joe Mulcahy) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:18:29 +0000

As of press time we are more than half way through the Vancouver Olympics and we have already earned more medals than the total number received in Turin four years ago. We may not own the podium, but we are doing well and moving forward in the right direction. The men’s hockey team played a disappointing battle against team USA, but I wouldn’t count them out just yet. It would be great to see both the men’s and women’s Canadian hockey teams achieve a medal.

My customer asked me... "What is poo paper?"

diaskdjfsd@laksjdflaksdjflaksjdflakjsdfalsdfkj.net (Diana Brown) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:10:54 +0000

Ahhh, yes. The original recycled paper! Poo Paper manufacturing is a fantastic use of natural resources to create a practical product that’s made from… poo! Organizations from all over the world, such as The Great Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company and Creative Paper Wales, make paper from the fibrous materials left in elephant, sheep, horse, cow, panda, reindeer, rhino and even wombat poo. Due to the digestive systems of these animals, up to 60 per cent of the food consumed (including grasses, leaves, bamboo and fruits) exits the animal undigested, leaving fibres that make great paper.

My customer asked me... "Can I make money from social networks?"

natalia@graphicartsmag.com (Natalia Gilewicz) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:07:57 +0000

Personally, I have been involved in this space for some time, choosing to complete my Masters of Management Science on the topic. The reason I became interested in social networks is the same reason that many are still skeptical about them; I wanted to identify their use and, more importantly, their value.