Blogs

The CDC announced new recommendations for vaccinated people in the continuing effort to control the spread of COVID-19.

Running a successful enterprise presents challenges and complexity. The need to simplify and focus has never been greater.

I recently cleared everything from my desk and found 10 ideas worthy of mention.

The 2021 Inkjet Summit kicked off yesterday afternoon, punctuating strong evidence of a resurgent post-pandemic printing industry.

Thanks to the introduction of inkjet, printers can unlock higher margins, less inventory, and shorter turnaround times.

Inkjet web presses have seen a much faster adoption rate than sheetfed inkjet presses. Why is that?

Leveraging data to inform direct marketing campaigns (both direct mail and digital) is more important than ever.

We are in uncharted territory, much as we were in previous economic downturns, but now is a good time to cleanse customer data.

What will be so different in this ever-changing world, and how can marketers better prepare ourselves for the new world?

Trying to achieve a shared visual appearance between products printed on different media with different printers can be challenging.

If you’ve been in the printing industry for any length of time, you’ve probably heard about G7. But what makes it so important?

You can use a test image that includes a color bar, but there are benefits in creating your own custom test image too.

There are some savings to be had with the postal service announcement of the promotions for 2022.

On the heels of last week’s House action on postal reform, the Senate this week got into the game by introducing companion legislation.

There’s never been more publicity surround USPS and – in recent times – the postal rate increase stakes have never been higher, all leading to the fact that Congress must act now to bring both short-term fiscal sanity and long-term operational viability to the nation’s postal system.

The next step Congress can take to help revive this sector is passage of the bipartisan “Hospitality and Commerce Jobs Act of 2021.”

Western Michigan University’s Graphic and Printing Science programs are some of the most needed but “under-the-radar” programs.

Cal Poly is adding something new to virtual learning with the help of “Introduction to Graphic Communication.”

When you run wide and grand format inkjet equipment, it’s imperative that you perform a nozzle check each morning.

This guide will help you prioritize your business’ specific needs so you can find the right wide-format printer.

As the wide-format inkjet segment has evolved, there have been plenty of examples of both strong and weak brand loyalty for OEMs.

We’re in an exciting new era when it comes to embellishment services. Are these new developments really that big of a deal? Absolutely.

With contract printing, you can benefit from certain capabilities without housing them. Here is a low-risk approach to success.

Print creates strong connections, and one method of intensifying engagement with printed pieces is by adding embellishments.

A recent report identifies five key reasons to invest in tools to automate workflow.

Taking advantage of many of the available technological capabilities requires transforming digital and production workflows.

Look at the workflow solutions you have and then look at the emerging solutions that can help you become more efficient.

The printing industry is shifting toward inkjet printing. As such, more companies should evaluate the benefits of insourcing.

Lack of information can cause designers to miss out on exploiting new technologies or create unnecessary expense.

Slowing down and following a "Best Practices" method to paper trials and qualification will save you time and ink costs by focusing on ink and paper surface compatibility. As your cost for a better inkjet paper and print quality go up, your ink usage should go down. But only if there are best practices in place.

The centerpiece was the virtual debut of a new, dry-toner digital press: the SX30000, a B2-format, continuous-feed device from Xeikon.

The imagePRESS C850 offers print speeds of up to 85 letter-size images per minute, duplex, long-sheet printing, and can handle heavier, coated or textured stock. The imagePRESS C850 also features in-line finishing options including creasing and trimming. PRINTING United Booth 7016.

Xerox recently unveiled the Iridesse. Now that the glitter has settled, there are a few questions to explore about its possibilities.

The last couple of times we discussed how paper and then finishing can enhance your direct mail ROI, now let’s look at coatings.

The new, high-gloss printable laminate film from Nobelus offers scratch-resistance and can be used for gluing, foil stamping, UV coating and more. It is intended for direct mail, magazines, folding cartons and other applications. PRINTING United Booth 10141.

We have seen lots of advances in adhesives for bookbinding over the years, with PUR (polyurethane reactive) adhesive being the last major game changer. But there is now a revived interest in protein-based adhesives.

This holiday season marketers are leveraging augmented reality to drive both consumer engagement and purchases; some include print.

Marketers are targeting smartphone owners through mobile marketing techniques such as QR codes, blending print with digital.

Barbara Pellow shares a story of a PSP that used Clickable Paper to deliver an omni-channel experience to a professional sports team.

Getting involved early enough in customers’ brochure planning process gives print providers an opportunity to serve as advisors.

Paper stock is a great tool to create direct mail that enhances your ROI, and come up with a strategy to get attention.

At the beginning of 2019, buyers of publication grades will be paying about 25% more for paper than they did just 18 months earlier.

HP’s Indigo 12000 HD system is increasingly being used for applications such as professional and wedding photo prints. The system’s high-definition writing head doubles print resolution and outperforms the quality of most offset printing. PRINTING United Booth 6407.

What follows is an interview with Rosemarie Breske Garvey, VP at Blooming Color in Lombard, Ill. Blooming Color is doing some pretty spectacular work beyond traditional four-color printing and I wanted to learn more.

Dscoop is part tradeshow and part education event, with an agenda that included A-List keynotes and mentalist Lior Suchard as emcee. The sessions were the expected array of customer success stories, successful selling solutions and product reviews, but there were also a variety of sessions covering finishing, packaging and 3D printing.

Heidelberg’s Speedmaster XL 106-5 press is the machine of choice for a Canadian sheetfed printer: Its integrated LED drying technology gives companies additional product options, as well as a way to access higher-margin printing opportunities. PRINTING United Booth 10143.

Citing the need to increase capacity and gain a competitive advantage, the perfecting press from RMGT was the perfect choice for a growing business. This and other solutions from the company will be represented in Dallas. PRINTING United Booth 9551.

OK, I digress from my usual finishing tech. discussion this week. Although I’m on the digital finishing side, I spent enough time in the high-volume offset world to become quite familiar with publication, periodical and catalog production.

Don Piontek shares some of the diverse finishing applications and systems he’s come across in his career.

During a recent trade show, Don Piontek looked for the newest finishing technology and he found innovations in mechanical binding.

In the search for new finishing developments, Don Piontek received a LinkedIn press release alert on something called “Vpaper.”