IPGeNews_030113
IPG Tours Hershey's In-plant with IPMA Members
In February, a dozen members of the In-Plant Printing & Mailing Association's Harrisburg chapter got together for a lunch meeting. IPG Editor Bob Neubauer joined them, and talked with managers from The Hershey Co., Messiah College, Wellspan Health and the Pennsylvania School Boards Association.
A Clickable World
University of Mississippi Printing and Graphic Services was chosen by Ricoh to test its Clickable Paper technology, which lets users take a picture of a printed page and get a choice of multiple links to follow for additional information.
A Fascination with Print
As a child, Charles Kerr moved around a lot. A real lot. "By the time I was 13, I'd liv
A Virginia Turnaround Tale
As early as 1923, The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University recognized the benefit of having an in-house printing facility. However, several years ago, the shop found itself in a financial hole.
Across the Nation
Commercial printer equipment installations and other news from Printing Impressions’ March 2013 edition, featuring Mele Printing.
Add Value, Secure Your Future
In-plants have introduced scores of new services in just the past two years, ranging from new types of printed products, like vehicle wraps, foil security printing, magnets and envelopes, to data management services, such as mail list cleansing, transactional scanning and records management.
Bayou Shop Goes Digital
Tight budgets in Louisiana and the need for more on-demand printing have compelled the Office of State Printing to slim down and digitize. The slimming down came in October when staff reductions brought the Baton Rouge operation down to 20 full-time employees plus five student workers. The transition from offset to digital technologies followed closely after.
Bits and Pieces: Print Requiem For Mark Smith
It's been more than a month since he passed away, yet I still expect to see our technology editor, Mark Smith, pop his head over the partition wall to make an irreverent observation about someone or something. Mark was pretty damn intelligent. He knew our editing and publishing systems inside and out. I treated him like a human search engine, as if he had the answer to everything. More often than not, he either had the answer or could supply it in short order after a little research.
Borderline Victory: DI Press Brings Work In-house
It's a familiar story: an organization needs the space occupied by its in-plant, so the in-plant is sent packing. Most of the time no studies are done on whether this is a cost-effective plan; an administrator just makes the call, leaving the in-plant's customers to deal with the aftermath as best they can.
Chinese Printing Industry: Primed to Be Largest Market
China has become a country with a huge printing market and it is still growing. Its transformation into a world-class manufacturing industry with world-class printers is still evolving. As the cultural and creative areas of Chinese society start booming, the printing industry will have a new opportunity. More affluent Chinese will demand top-quality products of all kinds, and the packaging market will take the lead in creating a huge incentive for companies striving to reach these "well off" Chinese consumers.
Congress Needs to Act on USPS Reform –Michelson
The USPS has certainly played a starring role in creating many of the problems it faces. But it also deserves credit for being proactive in finding solutions, despite being hamstrung with retiree pre-funding requirements and inflexible union labor contracts. Now is the time for all hands on deck in Congress to throw the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) a much-needed lifeline.
Dana on Marketing Messages: A-Marketing We Will Go
I'll be writing about specific ways that companies in our industry can market their services to people who need them. Mostly, I'll focus on corporate end users: the buyers, designers and marketers who have a hand in choosing print along with other media to promote their businesses. Marketing to consumers is, as they say, a whole different kettle of fish.
Digital Overhaul at UT Austin
After sending out an RFP last year, Document Solutions at The University of Texas at Austin added seven new Canon digital printers, plus a wide-format device.
Dscoop Delivers the Message
More than 2,000 enthusiastic HP users packed the auditorium at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center in Nashville, TN last month for the opening of the eighth annual Dscoop conference. The three-day meeting included scores of educational sessions geared toward HP users, as well as an exhibit area with nearly 100 partners showing equipment and software designed to work with HP equipment.
Dscoop8 Draws Impressive Crowd
More than 2,000 enthusiastic HP users packed the auditorium at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center in Nashville last month for the opening of the eighth annual Dscoop conference, a gathering of graphic arts business owners and technical professionals who use HP equipment. The three-day meeting included scores of educational sessions geared toward HP users, as well as an exhibit area with nearly 100 partners showing equipment and software designed to work with HP equipment.
EarthColor Signs LOI to Purchase Landa Presses
As a Landa technology fan, Cheryl Kahanec, executive vice president of EarthDigital, was impressed and excited when she was approached by two of Landa's executives in late 2011. EarthColor signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to purchase an unspecified number of Landa Nanographic Printing presses.
Farquharson/Tedesco on Business Development: Make 'Wicked Easy' Sales Calls
Rookie salespeople buy lists. Savvy, veteran salespeople look around them and generate leads from the opportunities that they come across on a day-to-day basis. The result of this sales curiosity is returned phone calls, appointments and orders earned on the basis of a good idea, and not the lowest price. Oh, and they get a free cup of coffee out of it to boot. Eventually.
Franklin University Brings Printing In-house
When Robert Donahue started as director of purchasing at Franklin University, one of his goals was to revamp the mailing services operation and cut costs. His success there got him thinking about other ways to save money for the 111-year-old private university, based in Columbus, Ohio. In particular, he wondered how much the university was spending to outsource printing and whether the school could save money by getting equipment and printing that work in-house.
From the Editor: Networking in Nashville
For years I've been hearing about the Dscoop conference, an annual meeting of HP users. In-plants with HP Indigo presses have praised Dscoop's relevant sessions, its impressive vendor show and the opportunity it provides to swap ideas with fellow HP users. Last month I finally got a chance to attend the conference, held at Nashville's Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center (not my favorite place; more on that in a minute).
Hot Products for In-plants
Here's a look at some software, printing and bindery products for the in-plant industry.
Integrated Marketing Successes: Crossing the Channel
We've assembled a small cadre of case studies that drive home the point that the printed piece need not be viewed as a one-dimensional tool, but as a jumping-off point that stirs the creative juices and engages the end user in new and exciting ways. While we're at it, we'll illustrate the role that printers and marketing services providers (MSPs) are playing in the integrated marketing solutions heirarchy.
Justifying Your In-plant’s Value
You know your in-plant provides a valuable, cost-saving service for your organization. But that won’t stop management from questioning the benefit of retaining you when budgets are tight. To help you prove your value in these difficult times, In-plant Graphics is hosting a 60-minute webinar on March 27, that will will feature advice from three in-plant experts
Postal Promotions: Mailers Discounting Mobile
Last fall, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) announced its 2013 Mailing Service Promotions calendar. Much to the delight of on-the-go consumers, a number of the promotions incorporate discounts for the use of mobile-based technologies. Tom Foti, manager of direct mail and periodicals for the USPS, provided some insight for each promotion, with an extended look at the mobile-based offerings.
Printing Ponzi Scammer Faces Music in California
A Minnesota man convicted of running a Ponzi scheme based around a phony commercial printing company that bilked investors in eight states out of more than $150 million now must face new charges in California. Gerard Cellette, 48, spent the investors' money on luxury cars, trips on private jets and a number of homes, including some fitted with bowling alleys, the United Press International (UPI) reported reported.
Supplier News
Commercial printing industry supplier company and personnel news from Printing Impressions’ March 2013 edition, featuring Vecoplan LLC; MGI Digital Graphic Technology and Advanced Print Technologies; Plockmatic International AB and Morgana Systems Ltd.; X-Rite Inc.; Mohawk Fine Papers; and Heidelberg.
