ACUP+ Conference Wraps Up Today
Bob Neubauer, editor-in-chief of In-plant Impressions, spoke about both the history of ACUP and trends higher-ed in-plants are seeing based on IPI survey data.
This week in Rochester, New York, more than 80 higher-ed in-plant managers from 52 institutions have been gathered for the Association of College & University Printers (ACUP) conference. The group is celebrating its 60th anniversary.
Several educational sessions over the past three days have focused on wide-format printing, a popular service among higher-ed in-plants that continues to grow. (90% of college and university in-plants now provide wide-format printing, according to recent IPI research.) Topics have ranged from Wide Format 101 for beginners to advanced sessions about complex wide-format projects in which experienced managers shared best practices. Other sessions covered wide-format substrates and hardware, event signage printed for Athletics, and installing vehicle wraps, wall graphics and window graphics. Roundtable discussions have also focused on wide-format topics.
IPI Editor Bob Neubauer gave the opening keynote on Monday on the 60-year history of ACUP. His often humorous session featured tales from early ACUP conferences, video interviews with ACUP old timers Joe Goss and Harv Dahl, and photos and videos from past gatherings. Neubauer also gave Tuesday morning’s keynote on trends among higher-ed in-plants using data from a recent IPI survey.
The conference was a packed house with more than 80 in-plant managers in attendance.
A session on workplace expansion and renovations brought former University of Nebraska Director John Yerger out of retirement to relate how he prepared his facility for its inkjet press. He and speakers Laura Lockett (Sacramento State) and Deb Johnson (Hillsdale College) related stories of the hoops they had to jump through when renovating their shops, including discussions with IT, Facilities, and senior management.
“There are so many moving parts to this,” said Lockett.
A session on sticker production featured speakers from Oregon State University, which has found stickers to be a gold mine, generating between 10% and 15% of the in-plant’s revenue. OSU’s Luke Lindquist provided many useful details on the different methods the in-plant uses to print and cut stickers, from roll-to-roll UV inkjet to a dedicated label printer and pre-cut labels.
In an ACUP session on garment printing, managers from San Jose State University, Oregon State University, and Rochester Institute of Technology shared their methods.
A session on garment printing featured three managers from San Jose State University, OSU, and Rochester Institute of Technology sharing the different methods they use to create T-shirts, from heat transfers and dye-sublimation to full out screen printing, as is done at RIT, which brings in about $300,000 a year from this business.
“We’re busy all the time in the screen printing room,” said RIT Manager Mary Ellen Gauntlett.
Three managers (Lockett, Lisa Scott from Yale, and Donna Horbelt from University of California, Davis) offered a very insightful session on best practices with many useful tips on pricing, equipment replacement, MIS implementation, and improving the morale of your team. Scott noted that she keeps a detailed spreadsheet that shows the expected life of each piece of equipment, so she knows well in advance when it needs to be replaced, and can prepare her management.
On Wednesday morning, Rich Little (University of Alaska, Anchorage) gave a car wrapping demo that captured everyone’s attention.
Today, after the ACUP+ Membership Meeting and a hands-on session about vehicle wraps, attendees will tour Rochester Institute of Technology’s printing operation. This evening, the awards dinner will honor 36 winners of ACUP Awards. Also, one manager will be inducted into the ACUP+ Hall of Fame, and the ACUP+ Achiever of the Year Award will be presented.
Watch for a full report on ACUP+ 2024 in the weeks ahead.
Bob has served as editor of In-plant Impressions since October of 1994. Prior to that he served for three years as managing editor of Printing Impressions, a commercial printing publication. Mr. Neubauer is very active in the U.S. in-plant industry. He attends all the major in-plant conferences and has visited more than 170 in-plant operations around the world. He has given presentations to numerous in-plant groups in the U.S., Canada and Australia, including the Association of College and University Printers and the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association. He also coordinates the annual In-Print contest, co-sponsored by IPMA and In-plant Impressions.
