August 2013
'Reliability' is Their Middle Name
To service its customers in the industrial and manufacturing sector, Allied Reliability Group depends on its in-plant to provide hundreds of thousands of training manuals, training certificates, course catalogs, brochures, posters and other materials each year. The company's network of 200+ employees turns to Production Specialist Cindy Ley, the in-plant's sole employee, for these products, and she, in turn, relies on her shop's Ricoh Pro C901 digital color press.
A PRINT Extravaganza
The PRINT 13 trade show emphasizes the trend toward the Great Diversification Movement. The printing industry is enduring some violent changes from a technology standpoint. With the decade-long trend toward shorter runs continuing, digital printing—especially inkjet—stepping up its game, and electronic alternatives continuing to harvest market share, diversification is on the lips of many printers as they prepare to trek to Chicago for the quadrennial Fall classic.
A True Blue Printer
It was his first job in printing. The sole press operator for a classified ad magazine publisher, Paul Bethel was alone in the pressroom on that fateful day in 1983, running an old five-unit Harris web press.
From the Editor: Rise of the Trolls
You may have heard something about "patent trolls"—shell companies that exist only to enforce their patents and seek money from alleged infringers. But you probably thought only high-tech companies were being targeted by these guys, right? Hardly. They're coming after printers too.
Gustavus Goes Wide
Prior to October, wide-format printing at Gustavus Adolphus College was the domain of the Media Services department. There, student workers, using an Epson Stylus Pro 11880, printed the posters and other items needed by faculty and students, working mostly in the evenings.
New Print Strategy Saves District Time and Money
As Print Shop Manager for Richland School District, Rachelle Palmer knew there was room for improvement in the way her Richland, Wash., district was handling printing. "The current system was just not keeping up with increasing volumes and the changing needs of the staff," remarks Palmer.
One Sweet Shop
You can't avoid chocolate in Hershey, Pa. Even the streetlights are shaped like Hershey's Kisses in this erstwhile company town about 14 miles east of Harrisburg. Named for local hero Milton S. Hershey, who opened his chocolate factory there in 1904, the town grew up around chocolate, flourishing thanks to Milton Hershey's passionate investment in the community.
PRINT 13 Courts In-plants Again
Suddenly it’s cool to be an in-plant. Over the past couple of years, graphic arts trade shows have made an extra effort to attract in-plant managers, and next month’s PRINT 13 show will continue that trend. The seminar program at the Chicago show (September 8-12) will feature a whole track just for in-plants, and several lunches and receptions will provide managers with additional opportunities to get informed, network and eat.
PRINT 13 Product Preview
Here's a look at some of the new printing and binding equipment and software that will be shown at PRINT 13, taking place in Chicago, September 8-12.
Ricoh Investment Bolsters Avanti’s Position
A popular choice by in-plants seeking print management information systems (MIS), Toronto-based Avanti Computer Systems has long stood out as one of the few remaining print MIS vendors not acquired by EFI. With EFI’s May acquisition of privately held printLEADER, the company now controls about 70 percent of the Print MIS market, according to EFI’s own data.
The Cloud and Mobile Demystified
More and more businesses are adopting cloud-based and mobile technologies to perform their business functions. These technologies can help streamline processes, save your company money and reduce the amount of on-site IT staffing you need.
University of Houston In-plant Wins Big
It’s nice to win awards for the quality of your printing, but even nicer when you beat commercial printers in the process. Out of the 14 entries submitted by University of Houston Printing and Postal Services in the Graphic Excellence Awards competition, sponsored by the Printing Industries of the Gulf Coast (PIGC), six were picked as Best in Category winners.
University of West Georgia Wins Print Center Award
The Publications and Printing team from the University of West Georgia (UWG) has been honored with the In-Plant Printing and Mailing Association’s 2013 Print Center Award. This award recognizes an in-house publishing operation that excels in efficient management practices in furthering the objectives of its parent organization.
