July 2015
The Information Resource for Commercial, Sign & Digital Printing
Direct Mail
Best
Practices
Pages 10 and 31
Yes, Virginia,
You Do Need MIS
Page 14
Is Graphic Arts
The ‘Holy Grail’
of Production Inkjet?
Page 16
Should You Care
What Employees Think?
Page 24
§Software’s Critical Role in Mailing Operations
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Customer Impressions:
The Kodak Prosper 6000C
Press at Japs-Olson
MyPRINTResource.com/12013430
§Should You Offer Social Media Marketing?
MyPRINTResource.com/12079565
§Plant Safety: Own It – or Else You May Pay Dearly
MyPRINTResource.com/12070306
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Table of Contents | July 2015
Features
10 Direct Mail
Best Practices
Despite the
exponential growth
in digital channels,
direct mail does not
have one proverbial
foot in the ground.
By Heidi Tolliver-Walker
14 Yes Virginia, You Do Need MIS
In today’s competitive business environment,
a management information system (MIS) is as
necessary to survival and success as the quality
of the image you output on your printing device.
By Joann Whitcher
On the Cover
Standard Group customer Lilly
Pulitzer segments consumers
to provide them with the
most relevant and targeted
experience, with the goal of
driving retention and sales.
16 Is Graphic Arts the ‘Holy Grail’
of Production Inkjet?
Think back to 2005; more importantly, think
ahead to 2025. Personalized catalogs may be in
inkjet’s not-too-distant future.
By Mark Vruno
Columns
20 Digital Original
By John Giles
21
Association Insights
Departments
4 Editorial: Presing On
6
Printing News
27 Classifieds/Supplier Directory
30 Ad Index
32 New Products
By Julie Shaffer, PIA
22 Money Talk
By Stuart Margolis
24 Human Resources
By Debra Thompson
26 Sales Clinic
By David M. Fellman
34 Johnson’s World
By Steve Johnson
Quick Printing (ISSN 0191-4588) (USPS:500-850) Volume 38, Number 10, is published monthly by Cygnus Business Media Inc., 1233 Janesville Ave., P.O. Box 803,
Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. Periodicals postage paid at Fort Atkinson, WI 53538, and additional mailing offices. Printed in USA. Throughout this issue, trademarked
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MyPRINTResource.com
Quick Printing | July 2015
3
Pressing On
A Vocabulary Lesson
for Employees
Why workers, especially those under 30,
should choose their words wisely.
www.MyPRINTResource.com
GROUP PUBLISHER
Kelley Holmes
kelley@quickprinting.com | 800-616-2252 x6104
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Denise M. Gustavson
Denise.Gustavson@cygnus.com | 800-616-2252 x6218
Editor
Mark Vruno | mark@quickprinting.com | 800-616-2252 x6225
By Mark Vruno
Senior Consultant
Bob Hall | browndawg@aol.com
ords matter, as we know full well in the world of
print and typography on paper. Back when I sold
sheetfed printing, a sales manager once shared a
piece of solid advice that I believe to be true: “You
can say anything to anybody. It’s all in how you say it.”
When an employee responds apathetically with whatever, I don’t care or that’s dumb, what’s a manager to do?
Attribute such comments to immaturity or ignorance?
This trio is among my least “favorite” words and phrases on my personal you-know-what list. Faith in humanity has led me to
conclude that the vast majority of younger people who use them (my own
children included) do not really know what these terms mean—let alone
how bad they can sound.
So I ask you, workers under 30, do you truly intend on coming off so
uncaring and sounding so flippant and disrespectful? Is the bad attitude
because so many of you were victims of parental corporate downsizing
as children? Proceed cautiously: Politeness, manners, and positivity have
their place. Bosses and managers often are put off by such apparent
indifference. I’m guessing their subordinates who use such language are
not identified as having high potential on the fast track to career advancement. Is it any secret, really, that negative attitudes in the workplace are
destructive to morale, productivity and, in turn, profits?
Are mindless YouTube videos to blame? It’s ironic that in our so-called
social media world, so many younger people, through no fault of their
own, actually are anti-social when it comes to face-to-face interpersonal
communication. Some of them simply don’t know how to talk to others; a
skill many of their older counterparts take for granted.
And if you think older workers don’t pose a competitive threat, think
again. According to research from Boston College’s Center on Aging &
Work, workers 55 and older are just as likely to be promoted as younger
workers. They also:
§§can serve as mentors to younger workers.
§§are respected.
§§are more reliable than younger workers.
§§adapt well to new technology.
§§are eager for training.
§§work well with younger supervisors.
§§have great loyalty to the company.
§§are flexible.
§§and are interested in being promoted.
I fear I’m preaching to the proverbial choir here, but perhaps this column
will go viral online. At the very least, photocopy this page a few times and
scatter copies on your lunchroom tables. You never know who may pick up
one—and maybe learn something.
And for those who think I’m over-reacting, don’t even …
Senior Contributing Columnist
Tom Crouser | tom@crouser.com
David Fellman | dmf@davefellman.com
John Giles | john@johngiles.com
W
Find this article at
MyPRINTResource.com/12081688
4
Quick Printing | July 2015
Contributing Columnist
David Claerbaut | drdc46@yahoo.com
Nancy DeDiemar | nancy91762@gmail.com
Mitch Evans | mitch@mitchevansconsulting.com
Steve Johnson | steve@copresco.com
Stuart Margolis | bPfaff@margolisbecker.com
Joe Rickard | jrickard@intellectives.com
Debra Thompson | debra@tgassociates.com
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CEO Paul Bonaiuto
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News of the Printing Industry at a Glance
Xerox Pursues Legal
Actions in Response
to Supplies Thefts
Recent investigations conducted by Xerox uncovered
stolen supplies and equipment on the black market.
Xerox closely monitors the ordering and distribution of
supplies to help combat against stolen supplies. Recent
efforts include:
§§The termination of a three-year supply theft ring that led
to the recovery of more than one million dollars in stolen
consumables. A Missouri woman is being prosecuted at
the federal level for stealing supplies from her office and
shipping them to vendors in two other states.
§§The detection of metered supplies found for sale in the
open market in New Jersey. An employee of a rigging
company allegedly sold more than $60,000 in stolen
property and has been indicted on felony theft charges.
§§The conviction of a Kentucky man who sold contracted
supplies on a personal eBay account. He was sentenced
to five years and ordered to pay restitution.
Xerox has assembled a worldwide team spanning brand
protection, corporate security, and legal departments to
combat theft activities.
MyPRINTResource.com/10008702
PPC Membership Surges
The Paperboard Packaging Council
(PPC) has seen a surge in new membership since the beginning of 2015, with
six new converter members and six new
supplier members. They include:
The new converter member are: Master Packaging,
Inc.; MinMor Industries, LLC; Preferred Printing & Packaging, Inc.; Rondo-Pak; Sandusky Packaging Corp. and
Vogel Carton, LLC.
The new supplier members are: Cellmark Inc.; CSi Industries Automation, Inc.; HB Fuller; manroland Sheetfed,
GmbH; Tamarak Products, Inc. and Valco Melton.
MyPRINTResource.com/12075760
CNG’s Spicers Paper
Acquires Performance Paper
Central National-Gottesman Inc.
(CNG) announced that its US Spicers
Paper division is acquiring the
business of Performance Paper LLC,
bolstering its West Coast sales force and increasing its
market share in Southern California. Performance Paper,
a division of CellMark, has been servicing the commercial
print community in Southern California and Las Vegas for
more than two decades.
Performance Paper represents the ninth acquisition of
a regional paper merchant since 2010 for CNG’s North
American Distribution Division, and the second on the
West Coast for the company. In February, CNG added
Spicers Canada to its distribution division.
MyPRINTResource.com/10234240
6
Quick Printing | July 2015
NC Digital Print Firm Honored with 4
Awards for Printing Excellence
DocuSource of North Carolina, LLC has received four 2015
PICA Awards from the Printing Industry of the Carolinas.
This was the 12th consecutive year that DocuSource was
recognized for printing
excellence throughout
North and South Carolina. DocuSource won two
Best of Category Awards and two Special Judges Awards.
Only one Best of Category may be given in each category.
This year, the PICA Awards attracted more than 560
entries from 48 printing companies. A panel of judges
with extensive experience was brought in to examine
the work. The judging criteria included: registration,
crossovers, clarity and neatness, sharpness of halftones
and line drawings, richness and tonal qualities of color,
paper and ink selection, ink coverage, difficulty of printing, effective contrast or softness, finishing, bindery, and
overall visual impact.
The PICA Awards have been a symbol of printing excellence in North and South Carolina since 1966.
MyPRINTResource.com/10162601
1st Install of Linoprint CV
Digital Press from Heidelberg
Trade printer B&S Printing, Doraville,
GA, is the first US installation of a
Linoprint CV digital press with a fifth
unit for clear or white toner, new vacuum-fed paper trays
able to accommodate paper up to 27.5” in length, and a
booklet finisher.
The Linoprint CV is B&S’s third digital press, accounting
for 50 percent more capacity available to its growing digital business. The new digital press replaces another manufacturer’s device that had developed significant “print
quality issues,” according to plant manager Tim Brock.
Thus equipped, the busy trade printer is proceeding
to build a market among new and existing customers for
applications well suited to CV’s larger format size and fifth
unit finishing options.
MyPRINTResource.com/10005802
QuadTech, ColorConsulting
Partner in Packaging
QuadTech, Inc. and ColorConsulting S.r.l. announced a
formal partnership that will
combine their years of expertise in color quality and
waste reduction, along with their knowledge of the
package printing and converting industry. The agreement will leverage the two companies’ understanding of
prepress and pressroom workflows, and enhance printers’ efficiency by automating the exchange of color data
within those workflows.
MyPRINTResource.com/10161269
MyPRINTResource.com
For more information, visit MyPRINTResource.com/10004963
News of the Printing Industry at a Glance
New TAGA Board of Directors
The Technical Association of Graphic
Arts (TAGA) has
announced the 2015
incoming officers
and members of the Board of Directors. Quick Printing
congratulates: President—David Niles, Senior Print and
Converting Scientist, Sappi Fine Paper
New officers include:
§§Executive Vice President—Dr. Liam O’Hara, Associate
Professor, Department of Graphic Communications,
Clemson University
§§Immediate Past President—Dr. Don Duncan, Director
of Research, Wikoff Color Corporation
§§Vice President, Marketing—Udi Arieli, Sr. Director of
Product Management, EFI
§§Vice President, Membership—Tim Payne, Director of
Printing and Technical Services,
Gateway Packaging Company
§§Vice President, Education—Dr. Yu-Ju (Mandy) Wu,
Assistant Professor, Department of Technology and
Environmental Design, Appalachian State University
New Board members include:
§§Paul Cousineau, Vice President, Prepress, Continuous
Improvement and IT Operations, Dow Jones and
New York Post
§§Bruce Leigh Myers, Ph.D., Resident Assistant
Professor, School of Media Sciences, Rochester
Institute of Technology
§§Dawn Nye, Production Print Solutions and Services
Marketing Manager, Konica Minolta Business
Solutions USA
§§Brenda Pang, Executive Director, Advanced Printing
Technology Centre (APTEC)
§§Birgit Plautz, Manager of Technical Services, GMG
Americas and Head of Global Support, GMG GmbH
& Co. KG
§§Don Schroeder, Director of Solutions Development and
Director of the National Technology Center, FUJIFILM
North America Corporation
§§Hart Swisher, Chief Research and Innovation Director,
Hammer Packaging Corporation
§§Wandee Poolpol, End Use Manager for Graphic Arts,
Eckart America Corporation
MyPRINTResource.com/10220012
Hadley Printing Purchases
3rd Komori Press
Aerosmith Lead Singer Steven Tyler Visits
Hub Folding Box for Press Check
Hadley Printing,
a third generation
full-service commercial
printing company located in New England,
has purchased its third Komori press to accommodate
the business growth the company is experiencing. The
company chose the five-color Lithrone G40 with coater
(GL540C) for its advanced technology, exceptional print
quality, and ease of use.
“Komori is always improving its technology, but to ensure we made the right decision when it was time for a
new press, we did our due diligence. We looked at three
other manufacturers. Komori had the best package with
the type of advanced technology that immediately translates into efficiencies,” said Chris Desrosiers, president
at Hadley Printing. “We plan to double our run times
with this press and reduce our makeready by 50 percent.
In an operation as busy as ours, where everything is
based on volume, we know this press will support our
growth by getting quality work out the door quickly.”
Hadley Printing is most impressed with the fact an
operator can control so much of the GL540C’s processes straight from the console. Mentioned specifically
were the KHS-AI system, intelligent software with a
self-learning function to adjust register and color matching within 20 sheets of print start up, and the PDC-SX
print density control capability that controls densities
and automatically adjusts register.
MyPRINTResource.com/10006278
Hub Folding Box Company,
Mansfield, MA, hosted rock-androll singer Steven Tyler of the
band Aerosmith. Tyler watched
a press approval on Hub’s new
multicolor KBA Rapida 106 press
for his daughter Chelsea’s band,
Kaneholler,and its latest CD entitled Vol. 3, the group’s third EP.
MyPRINTResource.com/10006232
8
Quick Printing | July 2015
Fujifilm Installs 5,000th XMF Workflow
FUJIFILM North America’s Graphic Systems Division announced the 5,000th
installation of the its XMF Workflow
at commercial printer Christmas City
Printing, Bethlehem, PA. “The streamline process that XMF Workflow gives
us is 10 times faster than our previous
workflow,” said VP Chris Sicinsk. “With
integrated imposition, unlimited clients
(users), and also having the 3D proofing
tool, our jobs are in and out of our shop faster than ever.”
Additionally, Christmas City Printing has increased
their productivity with the Xerox Color 1000 press.
“Acquiring the [Xerox] 1000 through Fujifilm was a
huge competitive advantage for our digital department,”
Sicinski added.
MyPRINTResource.com/10013527
MyPRINTResource.com
GFI, Fuji Extend Preferred
Dealer Relationship
GFI Innovations and FUJIFILM North America’s
Graphic Systems Division
have announced a continuation of their preferred dealer
agreement. It furthers their strategic relationship featuring offset inks in the United States and Canada while
reinforcing GFI’s commitment to its dealer network.
“Fujifilm’s preferred dealer status with GFI Innovations gives us the opportunity to offer offset printers
state-of-the-art pressroom solutions with the on-going
support of GFI,” said Curt Carby, business development
manager, CTP and Pressroom Products for Fujifilm GSD.
“We have enjoyed a fabulous relationship with Fujifilm
since 2005. I’m sure some people remember the coastto-coast road tour our companies combined to do back
in 2008 and 2009,” recalled John Borkovec, GFI’s VP of
Sales and Marketing. “We are very pleased with this
preferred agreement and look forward to continued success with Fujifilm.”
MyPRINTResource.com/10005523
PEOPLE IN NEWS
STEVEN ANTONI has joined
Spencermetrics LLC to lead business
development. He was previously sales
manager at Avanti Systems Ltd. and at
Press-Sense Ltd., and most recently as VP
of sales and marketing at CSS Group.
GORD SARAY joined
Cober Evolving
Solutions, Ontario, Canada, as sales
director. He has 20 years of experience
in various capacities in the paper, wideformat, and graphic arts industry, where
he held senior management roles with
Domtar and PaperlinX.
GMG has appointed ERIC DALTON Director of Sales,
Cloud Solutions, GMG Americas. In addition, as
Regional Sales Director he will be responsible for all
GMG sales activities in the New York and Philadelphia
metro areas.
Screen Americas has announced the appointment of
MARK SCHLIMME to the position of Director of Marketing. Schlimme will be responsible for all marketing initiatives promoting Screen’s portfolio of inkjet print solutions.
S2K Graphics added PHILIP HITE to its management
team. With more than 25 years of experience in the
printing and logistics industries, Hite will be leading
S2K Graphics’ business accounts as its director of
national sales.
MyPRINTResource.com
Media Center
§§Video: What Does the USPS Rate Change Mean for
Your Business? MyPRINTResource.com/12079249
§§Whitepaper: Improve Quality & Efficiency with
Process-free Plates from Kodak,
MyPRINTResource.com/12064776
Social Media
MyPRINTResource Facebook Likes: 1,399
LinkedIn Discussion Group Members:
Quick Printing: 3,945, Printing News: 12,646;
Wide-Format Imaging: 6,814; MyPRINTResource: 1,096
Twitter Followers:
Quick Printing: 5,368; Printing News: 18,200;
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MyPRINTResource.com Top Tweets
§§@XeroxProduction: The @QuickPrinting Readers’
Choice ballot is now open! Vote for your favorite
#digitalprint technology: xerox.bz/1MmHacH
§§@PrintChampion: Interesting update On-Demand
Book Printing bit.ly/1G5KiLw #print
§§@integratedprint: RT @QuickPrinting: Joe Gass @
jag28269 of Heritage Printing and his team have
reinvented themselves. #PLS15 #print
§§@johnfoleyjr: @PrintingNews @DailyPrinting @
PIASD @QuickPrinting Thx for the tweets during my
session! I love reading them afterwards. You all rock!
Most Read ON MyPRINTResource.com
§§QP TOP 100: At the Top of Their Quick Print Game
MyPRINTResource.com/12067328
§§WIDE FORMAT: If You Build It, They May Come ...
MyPRINTResource.com/12061835
§§How to Grow Your Print Business by Double-digit
Percentages, Annually MyPRINTResource.com/12053168
§§The Current State of Catalogs
MyPRINTResource.com/12061084
§§How to Think Like a Marketer
MyPRINTResource.com/12056276
§§Go Green, Move Further into the Black
MyPRINTResource.com/12059910
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MyPRINTResource.com/12058049
§§Johnson’s World: A Short Talk with a Printer
MyPRINTResource.com/12069866
§§PRINT SALES: Turn Technology into a Talking Point
MyPRINTResource.com/12062139
§§Opening Doors with Customer Events
MyPRINTResource.com/12058822
§§Cashing In? Don’t Talk to the Buyer, Yet
MyPRINTResource.com/12069829
§§Association Insights: Epicomm Leading Indicators
MyPRINTResource.com/12073800
§§At Least Fifty Shades of Short-run POD
MyPRINTResource.com/ 2056807
Quick Printing | July 2015
9
Direct Mail
Best Practices
Despite the exponential growth in digital
channels, direct mail does not have one
proverbial foot in the ground.
By Heidi Tolliver-Walker
T
o quote Mark Twain, “Reports
of my death have been greatly
exaggerated.” Despite the
exponential growth in digital
channels, direct mail does not have
one foot in the ground.
In fact, while direct mail must
share the budget with more
marketing channels these days, investment in direct mail is actually
on the rise. According to the Winterberry Group, marketers spent
2.7 percent more on direct mail in
2014 than 2013. This is more than
double the group’s forecast of 1.1
percent. In terms of actual dollars,
the Winterberry Group’s projected
direct mail spending was $45.7
billion in 2014, up from $44.5 billion in 2013.
Not only are direct mail volumes
up, but marketers are creating higher value, more complex campaigns.
We are seeing greater use of targeting and personalization, high-end
finishing, personalized mapping,
and tighter, more effective integration with other channels.
“I believe there has been a
resurrection of direct mail,” noted
Paul Strack, president of CustomXM (North Little Rock, AR),
which specializes in direct mailings. “We’ve had better success
with some of our direct mail recently than we have in quite some
time. Part of it, I believe, is that
there isn’t as much volume in the
mailbox, so well-designed pieces
will be more effective.”
What are the top things you need
to make sure your clients direct
mail is seen and acted on? Here are
seven best practices followed by
the most successful mailers.
10
Quick Printing | July 2015
Best Practice #1: Know Your Customer
Top mailers know their customers.
Even if they are not personalizing
to individual recipients, they are
investing in their lists, segmenting their mailings, and creating
customer “personas” to which
they tailor their messaging. Even
if they are not personalizing down
to the individual, they are sending
highly targeted, highly relevant
communications.
A great example of the power
of targeting comes from Stanley
Steemer. It went from ad hoc direct
mailings to a strategic deployment
of highly segmented communications nine times per year. Working
with its marketing agency Baesman, it mined its database, created
profiles, and has started deploying
10 to 20 different segmented versions for each mailing. The results?
A 33 percent increase in bookings
from direct mail.
This takes work. To make it
happen, Stanley Steemer had to be
committed to breaking down the
silos where data was hidden and
integrating its email and direct
mail channels so that they work
well together. It also had to commit to excellent content, consistent
branding across channels, and improved tracking and measurement.
The Standard Group, a print management and marketing logistics
company located in Reading, PA,
is also doing high-level direct mail
for its clients. This includes resort
wear and beach clothing retailer
Lilly Pulitzer (see images above
and at right). Lilly Pulitzer does
name personalization on many of its
direct mail postcards, and it leverages consumer analytics to guide
decision-making behind the scenes.
Among these decisions is strategic segmentation. Lilly Pulitzer
segments consumers to provide
them with the most relevant and
targeted experience, with the goal
of driving retention and sales. For
MyPRINTResource.com
pieces each day. Mail is
personal, engaging, and
commands attention.”
Best Practice #2:
Be Consistent
example, top consumers
receive direct mail that offers
exclusive first looks and invitations
to local in-store events, along with
reminders about upcoming promotions. For consumers in the “lower
spend” category, the message is
reinforced via email.
“Lilly Pulitzer understands its
consumers very well,” explained
Thanh Nguyen, CMO for The
Standard Group. “The company
segments her experience accordingly, talks to her about things she
cares about, and communicates via
her channel of choice.”
For Lilly Pulitzer, direct mail
achieves a great return. “There is
too much noise with digital,” said
Nguyen. “Email alone is competing
with thousands of others as well as
the spam filter. Mail successfully
breaks through the noise because
you only get so many direct mail
MyPRINTResource.com
While direct mail has
power of its own, top
mailers know that
it has more power
when used consistently
over time.
CustomXM just completed a
project for the Arkansas Funeral Directors Association, which wanted
to promote its annual conference
and membership drive. CustomXM
used a consistent, progressive multichannel approach to get attention
and better-than-expected results.
There are approximately 300
funeral homes in Arkansas, and
the association hoped to raise its
membership to 150. To make this
happen, CustomXM used three
mail drops and three email blasts
over a five-week period.
The first mail drop was an AFDA
Membership and Conference
brochure and registration form.
The back of the mailing included
the incentive and offer. The second
mailing (to nonresponders) was
a follow-up reminder saying that
the offer had been extended. The
third and final drop was a play on
words regarding cremation services, which are often overlooked
by funeral homes as a profit center,
asking if [Name] Funeral Home’s
profits were “turning to ashes.”
For all mailings, the mail dropped
on Fridays. Follow-up emails were
sent the following Wednesdays.
Membership acquisi-
tion exceeded expectations, and the
AFDA conference was the largest
on record. What made the campaign
work so well?
§§The list was highly targeted.
§§The association understood
the needs and motivators of
its audience.
§§The mailing had a clear,
succinct message.
§§There was a strong call to action.
§§The campaign used repeated
exposure of the message over time.
“You’ve seen all the stats,” said
Strack. “People are bombarded
with thousands of messages every
day. It takes three to four exposures before someone notices you.
Part of our job was to figure how
many times we could touch them
in the target window without being obnoxious.”
Another best practice, noted
Strack, was keeping a consistent
look and feel between the direct
mail and email. “You don’t want
something different from channel
to channel because you’re reinforcing that image,” he said. “Recipients may throw the direct mail in
the trash. They may hit the delete
on the email. But after they see the
same branding and message three
or four times, it resonates.”
Best Practice #3:
Combine Channels
Marketing campaigns that combine
print with other channels, whether
email, social media, mobile, or other channel, are more effective than
print alone. Multichannel not only
reinforces the message, but it also
enables marketers to take
advantage of the best that
each channel has to offer.
IWCO Direct (Chanhassen, MN), a leading
provider of direct
marketing solutions,
regularly combines
channels to boost
response and conversion rates. While
the company is not
at liberty to discuss
specific campaigns,
Wes Sparling,
vice president of
Quick Printing | July 2015
11
marketing strategy, notes that in one campaign he
managed, an email was sent approximately one week
prior to the deployment of the direct mail, teasing the
upcoming mail piece with a “watch your mail box”
message. “This provided a lift of just under 20 percent
in response over the control (direct mail without the
pre-email),” he says.
Sparling also worked with a client to coordinate an
email, television, and direct mail campaign, with supporting display and SEM (pay-per-click and SEO) during
a defined campaign window. Testing revealed display
advertising had a positive impact of more than 20 percent on direct mail response.
CustomXM is also a strong proponent of the multichannel approach. When its client, Garver Engineering,
wanted to improve its trade show presence and increase engagement with targets and prospects on social
media, CustomXM used a combination of email blasts,
personalized postcards, and social media. All drove
people to personalized websites where they could enter
an iPad giveaway. Printed cards with a generic URL
and QR Code were distributed at the show, allowing attendees to register while visiting the company’s booth.
Overall, the campaign drove a 29 percent response rate
and increased traffic to their booth by 10 to 50 percent
from the previous year.
These results are not unusual. The trick for printers
is to help their clients understand which channels are
the most effective for specific types of campaigns. This
requires patience, consistency, and testing.
Best Practice #4: Track and Refine Timing
With mail tracking services, best practices mailers are
tracking when mail pieces drop to either time follow-up
touches or simply get to know the rhythm of the
Post Office so they can hit their target windows.
12
Quick Printing | July 2015
Especially for retailers, mailing windows are critical.
If the mailer arrives too early, people will sit on it. If it
arrives too late, the retailer will miss the window for
the promotion or sale. So The Standard Group uses mail
tracking to gather insight into patterns within the USPS
delivery system so it can fine-tune mail drops to meet
these critical windows.
“By following the patterns, we can anticipate that
certain areas of the country might be problematic due
to postal consolidation or even an increase mailings,”
said Nguyen. “Knowing this, we can be proactive in figuring out ways to work around it. In certain ZIP Codes,
for example, we might send mailings ahead of time or
send those mailings First Class.”
Best Practice #5: Use Standout Elements
Increasingly, marketers are moving away from standard
sized postcards and mailers to oversized cards, dimensional mail, and mailers with unusual elements such as
accordion-style fold-outs. This helps mailings to stand out.
Companies like Red Paper Plane specialize in dimensional mailers, including pop-up cubes, pop-up houses,
“exploding pages,” telescoping mailers, and a variety of
other formats that command attention the moment the
mailbox is opened.
Working with the Marshfield, MO branch of Metropolitan Bank, RPP client Revel Advertising (Springfield,
MO) created an invitation to a new branch opening
utilizing RPP’s pop-up house format. Even without
personalized elements, the effect was so powerful
that people came to the opening in droves, even
though the mid-winter weather was brutal and the
ground was covered with more than a foot of snow.
“People were bringing the invitation to the event
because they thought it was cool,” recalled Chris
Jarratt, creative director for Revel Advertising. “One
individual even became upset because he thought
someone stole it off his desk!”
Even if your clients aren’t using dimensional mail,
oversized mailings can do the trick, too. While CustomXM still sends direct mail letters, for example, it is
placing more focus on oversized postcards these days.
“We recommend 6x9, 4.25 x 11, and 6x11-inch formats,”
advised Strack. “They are more expensive, but they
really stand out.”
At The Standard Group, designers make use of these
elements too, but for Lilly Pulitzer, they also emphasize the role of unique stocks. Lilly consumers really
appreciate the graphic design the company is known
for, so The Standard Group uses a thicker, textured
MyPRINTResource.com
TOP TIPS FROM OUR EXPERTS
Interactive Print: Working Harder, Smarter
The future of direct marketing is coming to the US. At GRAPH
EXPO 15, watch for UK developer Documobi Ltd., which
is enabling print to become a digital interface between
brands and customers through data-driven, personalized
mobile content within a branded environment. Its one-yearold, proprietary Intelligent Print Recognition (iPR) makes
every brand exposure an opportunity, says the firm. Now
anything printed can connect a smartphone user directly to a
customer’s brand, via the mobile-optimized web.
Brands, through their service providers, now can create
an interactive and long-term relationship with customers
through their mobile phone or tablet device: a high priority for
marketers in our increasingly mobile tech world.
Documobi contends that other technologies, such as QR
codes, NFC tags, watermarks, and augmented reality, are
not able to cope with all these consumer touch points in
print—nor do they have the integrated backend capability
necessary to create dynamically personalized messaging
direct to a consumer’s mobile in real-time, driven from the
brand’s customer relationship management (CRM) system.
Requiring no codes, tags or markers of any kind, iPR collects
and analyzes user data when a recipient responds to a call
to action and scans the piece with the brand app.
“We now have venture-capital funding and a published US
Patent, so we want to use GRAPH EXPO 15 as our launchpad
into the US,” said CEO Peter Lancaster.“We have an amazing
product that integrates with XMPie, GMC, EFI DirectSmile,
and MindFire to give print a unique mobile front end.
“Our patent covers the embedding and linking of
usergenerated content into printed media via phones,
tablets, and wearable devices,” Lancaster explained.
“This means print and packaging can now contain, for
example, user video reviews of the product —like a
TripAdvisor for the product—accessed by scanning the
print with the brand app. Using a cross-media system, our
technology allows the user to receive totally customized
and personalized mobile experiences on their phones, based
on time, location, preferences, and history from any printed
media, whenever it was printed.”
Packaging, POS, advertising, floor graphics, fabrics, and
even vehicle wraps can deliver a unique customer experience
of rich content, product information, or special offers and
discounts; using simple factors like current location and
time, or more complex, user-specifics such as demographics,
known preferences and purchasing behavior.
By using Documobi customers don’t just connect;
they engage. Interacting with a brand, on their
terms, provides valuable insight and creates upselling and cross-selling opportunities, engendering
loyalty and “stickier,” more profitable relationships.
QP and MPR readers can download the Documobi
iPR app on Apple or Android devices and/or
download the example PDF and scan on-screen at
www.documobi.com. —Reported by Mark Vruno
MyPRINTResource.com
“signature” stock for all of their communications.
“When the piece arrives in the mailbox, it stands out
immediately,” noted Nguyen. “Not just because of the
design, but because of the tactile nature of the piece.”
The result is so striking that many consumers are
posting images of the direct mailers on social media.
“The card might say, ‘We love you, Heidi. Come back for
a free gift,’” said Nguyen. “They are posting them on
Twitter and Facebook.”
Best Practice #6: Add Interactivity.
Print is powerful, but additional elements such as QR
Codes, AR, NFC, and other technologies enable interactivity and add a new dimension to direct mail. For
example, QR Codes are highly effective for downloadable coupons, embedded personalized URLs (so people
can scan the code rather than typing it in by hand), and
sending people to personalized maps of event openings.
“We are big fans of adding technology for print
activity,” said Nguyen. “Plus, you can personalize and
track them.”
For its own holiday promotion, The Standard Group
added a personalized QR Code with embedded personalized URL that allowed recipients to scan the code
rather than typing in the URL by hand. “I’m a fan of any
mechanism that helps to reduce the barrier to entry and
to increase success for our clients,” he added. “Lengthy
personalized URLs can be an issue. By using personalized QR Codes, we eliminate this problem and connect
with users on their mobile device.”
The Standard Group is also looking into NFC, IR, AR,
USB web keys, and LCD panels for video embedded
within the printed piece. “We are also looking at i-Beacons in the retail environment,” Nguyen said. “When
people walk in the door, it triggers the iBeacon. Even if
the app is turned off, the offer will show up as long as
the person has their Bluetooth turned on. It encourages
traffic in-store and folks to buy more.”
Best Practice #7: Automate to Improve
Integration and Cost Efficiencies
Not all direct mail campaigns can be deployed from
automated solutions, but especially when working
with larger clients, many can be. The ability to create a
centralized, customized web portal where direct mail
campaigns draw on a centralized repository of assets,
including templates, helps to maintain the cost efficiencies critical to helping print maintain its
place in the budget.
Take the example of Gannet
Publishing. Gannett, a client
of MSP/Blue Sky ETO, has 80
regional newspapers, each with
different content, and frequent
changes are dictated by local and
regional events. Too much time
was being spent managing this
Continued on page 31
Quick Printing | July 2015
13
Yes Virginia,
You Do Need a MIS
By Joann Whitcher
I
n today’s competitive business
environment, a management
information system (MIS) is
as necessary to survival and
success as the quality of the image
you output on your printing device.
Nor does the size and type of
your shop give you a pass—whether your shop is a five-person
wide-format operation, a 15-person
digital print enterprise, or a 70-person offset-digital facility offering
a cacophony of services—running
MIS software is a must.
“Commercial printers, whether
they’re digital, litho, sign, or any
other should invest in MIS software
to streamline their workflow,” said
Shawn Brown, business development manager, P.M.I.S, developers
of E-Pro Print. “It is a tool that gives
them control to better manage their
operations as well as a helping
hand in boosting revenue. MIS is
made to reduce the workload and
increase productivity in every department of the business.”
Stephen McWilliam, EVP for
Avanti, agrees. “Implemented
properly, it becomes the ‘system of
14
Wide-Format Imaging | July 2015
record’ for everything: estimating,
customer service, finance, and
production. The key value-add of a
print MIS system like Avanti Slingshot is that it will give you your
true cost and profit on every single
job,” he said.
“Understanding of your costs is
absolutely key to competing and
winning in a market that gets more
competitive every day,” added
McWilliam. “I am still amazed by
the number of shops which don’t
have an intimate understanding of
their costs. How can you make any
decisions if you don’t know your
costs down to the penny?”
There are a host of different reasons a printer would value an investment in MIS, noted Lee Ward,
sales director with Tharstern Ltd.
These include the ability to:
§§Process more work with same or
less staff
§§Understand costs and profit at
estimating stage
§§Generate more estimates with
less skilled staff
§§Eradicate data duplication
§§Have less touchpoints on a
job within administrative and
prepress functions
§§Capture production costs at time
of implementation
§§Up to the minute business
performance stats/KPI’s
§§Integrate low value Web2Ppint
orders for automatic job creation
§§Calculate ganged efficiencies
by grouping/ganging/batching
similar jobs
§§Make progress chasing more
efficient for CSR’s with up-to-date
status alerts
§§Automate reporting within the
business or customer report
Delivering on these capabilities,
Tharstern’s line of Primo MIS solution streamline the workflow and
enhance business performance,
noted Ward.
Investment in MIS is fundamentally
about control and visibility, remarked
Nick Benkovich, director, Portfolio
Product Management at EFI.
“MIS allows you to centralize
control of your business, and to
understand where all the costs associated with your business come
from,” he said.
If you don’t have a handle where
the true costs of your business are,
down to a job or customer level,
then you can’t accurately track or
analyze the profitability of that
job. Whatever the product line, you
need to understand at a detail level
where your profit lays, you need to
have real data, said Benkovich.
“One of our customers, a $12 million operation involved in both digital and offset printing, was considering selling the digital press
because it wasn’t running as much
as the offset press,” explained
Benkovich. “When he tracked
where the costs were going to the
job, it was 7 to 1 offset vs. digital
in terms of the number of jobs, but
the profit was split 50-50.
“At a raw level, all the labor
components that went into the
offset—blankets, plates, etc., were
not contributing to the profit of the
business but were contributing
to the cost of the business,” said
Benkovich. “Being able to measure
it with their MIS, they found their
digital customers weren’t spending
a lot with them, but the work they
were doing was extremely profit-
MyPRINTResource.com
able and that they have to nurture
those customers, that business.”
Cost of a MIS
The cost of a MIS depends on the
size of system in terms of users
and the functionality required.
Systems can range from several
thousand dollars up to a million.
Traditionally, printers spend
between two to four percent of their
annualized revenue, reported Benkovich. “We have $10,000 PrintSmith
systems for the quick copy shop
customer, up to the Monarch, for
large plant production with annual
revenues in the tens of millions.
A typical 10-user system with
modules to manage sales, production, fulfillment, and integrations
to both Web2Print, JDF, and JMF
would be a $60k 1st year investment
all in, including Professional Services for the implementation project, said Ward. Additional annual
fees cost around $10k per year.
Print MIS like Avanti Slingshot
are modular by design so the
investment depends on what
modules are purchased and what
level of automation the print shop
is looking for, McWilliam said.
“However, a good rule of thumb
is a print shop should expect to
invest the cost of 1/2 a headcount
per year into their system—and, in
return, expect to save two headcount, thanks to the efficiencies
that the Print MIS system drives,”
he added.
Return On Investment
“The payback from a MIS varies
from company to company and
depends on how much the investment is, how many jobs are
printed each day, what kind of
profit margins are applied, along
with other minor variables,” Brown
commented. “Companies usually
see an immediate ROI as soon as
they start using the system, which
eventually pays for itself.”
The ROI is also dependent on the
customer’s engagement. “We can
provide all the tools to do the analysis—what products, customers,
pieces of equipment are profitable;
compare two workers, but unless
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they really use it, they won’t see
the ROI,” Benkovich said.
Companies investing in MIS
move from older, home grown
technology, using something like
an Xcel document that required
intensive labor to maintain, to a system where
all the data is automatically generated
and centralized in one
place. They are able to
repurpose that labor
for revenue generating
activities rather than
administrative tasks.
“We also provide a
locally deployed MIS
offering; a SAS offering
which we host through
our site,” said Benkovich. Customers use a
web browser to access
the system. A rapidly increasing
number of our customers are using
the SAS, especially the franchise-based firms.”
The SAS allows them to get into
a full-featured MIS with a monthly
investment, he adds. “They don’t
need to make a significant capital
investment; they are just paying a
couple of hundred dollars a month.
“To properly implement a system,
you need at least one person (and
ideally two people for back-up) to be
trained on everything,” said McWilliam. Other folks in the shop only
need to be trained on the elements
that they are accountable for (i.e. estimating,
scheduling/production
planning, billing).”
While training
can be off or on site,
P.M.I.S. also holds
remote programs to
keep training cost
effective. The training period can vary,
depending upon how
many people are to be
trained, what kind of
presses and finishing equipment the
company holds, etc.
“Anyone and everyone within the
company should get trained to use
the system, regardless if it’s an
estimator, the press operators, all
the way through to the delivery
people and even the accountants,”
said Brown.
For EFI MIS solutions, which are
now in double digits, training can
be accomplished in a week or may
take multiple years, especially if
customers expand their system
and add components.
EFI is not just training customers
how to use the MIS technology, it
also looks to help customers understand best practices. “If you ask a
lot of printers why they do things
a certain way, their answer is ‘because we’ve always have done it
that way,’” noted Benkovich.
“We give them the opportunity
to learn, based on our experience
with hundreds of MIS installations;
here’s why they are saving money,”
he added.
The customers that take it on
board really see significant benefits.
EFI also offers fee-based consulting services with existing MIS customer to further increase their ROI
with the MIS installed years before.
“We are doing more and more
of these consultations,” said
Benkovich.
“If you ask a
lot of printers
why they
do things a
certain way,
their answer
is ‘because
we’ve always
have done it
that way,’”
Training Times
Again this can depend on size
and complexity of the project; the
range can be as diverse as three
days to six months to years.
“Some business’ want the system built for them which naturally
takes more of the MIS vendor’s
time, while others want to be
involved in the build, which takes
more of their time but less of the
MIS vendor,” said Ward.
Looking at a typical example of
a 10-user system with modules to
manage sales, production, fulfillment, and integrations to both
Web2Print, JDF, and JMF, the
Professional Service days required
would be between 15 to 30 days,
depending on the project approach,
explained Ward.
Avanti, which does all of its
training on site, finds training
times range from six days to 30
days, spread over the two to six
months that it takes to implement.
Find this article at
MyPRINTResource.com/12070922
Wide-Format Imaging | July 2015
15
Is Graphic Arts
the ‘Holy Grail’ of
Production Inkjet?
Think back to 2005; more importantly, think
ahead to 2025. Personalized catalogs may be in
inkjet’s not-too-distant future. By Mark Vruno
W
hat is in store for inkjet
printing as the now triennial drupa 2016 tradeshow
is set to open less than 11
months from now? Progressive, forward-thinking commercial printers
are better off setting their sights on
drupa 2025, advised Marco Boer,
VP of IT Strategies. That’s because
production inkjet is coming to the
graphic arts space.
The HP T300 Inkjet Web Press.
It is not a matter of if but rather
how soon, he told 150 attendees at
HP’s inaugural Jetcomm production inkjet web press user community conference this past March. The graphic arts segment is “the big theme for the next
10 years,” said Boer.
Twenty-seven percent annual growth is expected on the digital print side
of the graphic arts segment, according to IT Strategies’ projections. “This is
the ‘Holy Grail,’” Boer continued, “and it will happen.” The ability to print on
coated offset substrates, for example, simply is a matter of time, he said, as is
heavier ink coverage on inkjet output. “And there are continuing increases in
print quality and productivity, to the point where the offset quality level will be
matched equally by inkjet,” he contends.
For HP alone, inkjet web printing volume has grown to some 90 billion pages
over the past seven years, reported Boer.“There are now 10 different platforms
from HP, and they are not sitting still,” he said, adding that, industry-wide,
more than $1 billion was invested last year in non-consumer inkjet research
and development. “The technology is getting wider and faster, with improved
quality levels. It stated at 200 feet per minute [fpm] and will get to 3,000 fpm!”
HP’s Aurelio Maruggi said, “This is the best time to be a printer.” Maruggi,
who led the Inkjet High-Speed Production Solutions (IHPS) division for eight
years as VP and GM before moving on to a role within HP’s new Office and
Versatility division, also noted: “Our customers now are adding approximately four billion pages every month, which means totals are effectively doubling every 18 months.”
Looking at the overall digital printscape, InfoTrends’ 2013-2018 Global
Production Printing & Copying Market Forecast reported that, within the next
three years, production color inkjet volume will exceed that produced by toner.
In 2012 production color inkjet accounted for 31 percent of the total production
digital color volume, which is all the more impressive when you consider that
there was barely any production color inkjet volume prior to 2008. By 2018, InfoTrends believes that production color inkjet will account for 59 percent—and
16
Wide-Format Imaging | July 2015
this is happening while color toner
also is growing at a healthy rate.
Highly Variable Direct Mail
Kodak sees a trend toward highly
variable direct mail in North America
“above and beyond the ‘pleasing
color’ associated with transactional
printing,” said Will Mansfield. The
OEM’s internal reorganization is
proof of inkjet’s growth, according
to Mansfield, who directs worldwide
sales and marketing of presses for
Kodak’s Enterprise Inkjet Systems
Division. “We’ve also restructured
how regions report,” he explained.
“There is now complete vertical integration, for speed and flexibility, for
the design, buildng, marketing, sales,
and repair of these devices.”
Look how far we have come, Mansfield said: “In 2008 it was known
as the ‘inkjet drupa,’ you’ll recall.”
Kodak showed a technical demonstration of its Stream technology in
Dusseldorf seven years ago. Since
then, inkjet has been driven by two
major factors, he believes:
§§Over the past six years, transaction printing has shifted from the
electrophotographic (EP) imprinting
of offset shells on toner devices
to achieving acceptable color in a
single pass through an inkjet press:
white paper in, color document
out. “This still represents the lion’s
share of pages produced on inkjet
systems,” Mansfield said, “but bills
and statements are decreasing, as
we know.” (In fact, cost-cutting
measures overseas among insurance and credit card clients have
resulted in a decrease in color transaction work, in Kodak’s experience,)
§§For the past two to three years,
growth has come from commercial
print applications for direct mail, as
The new narrow-web Xerox
Rialto 900 Inkjet Press is
an entry-level option for
commercial print firms.
MyPRINTResource.com
more marketers embrace “Big Data
to sell stuff,” he added.
To his second point, Mansfield
pointed out that commercial print
firms are “competing against data
centers that have expertise in data
and experience in inkjet. But what
the printers have are relationships
with the customers,” adding that
they can learn VDP and get up to
speed on the inkjet learning curve.
“The real challenge is to be trustworthy and competent in managing
data.” Some print firms, including
NJ-based Sandy Alexander, are
beginning to take customer data and
security very seriously.
Mansfield is bullish on future inkjet
applications beyond book, transpromo, and direct mail printing. He foresees variable-data/image catalogs
and cover wraps on the horizon for
commercial printers, “and not only
B-to-B catalogs. Low quantities are
being done on EP devices,” he said.
He also envisions more in the way
of hybrid printing with inkjet heads
mounted on offset presses: personalized applications such as coupons,
geocoded maps, and unique offers.
a combination of paper, ink, and
machine optimization all work in
tandem. The manufacturer rolled out
its latest generation Prosper 6000C
inkjet web press in mid-2014; the
“C” stands for Commercial as the
press is ideally suited for commercial
print applications requiring high ink
laydowns. “The 6000C features our
Stream inkjet technology and an
Head to the Web
From Inkjet’s Age quarterly last
November, read editor Denise
Gustavson’s comprehensive
reportage: “2015 Production
Inkjet Market Trends”
MyPRINTResource.com/12014244
What's In Your Magnet?
Commercial Print Relevance
Dustin Graupman, VP and GM of Xerox’s continuous-feed inkjet business,
goes even further, suggesting that
personalized posters and brochures,
including hybrids with toner-printed
covers and inkjet-printed interior
pages, also may emerge in the notso-distant future as inkjet technology continues to be leveraged. “We
are on the verge of seeing more and
more substrates come to market
and, hence, new inkjet products will
follow.” Substrate latitude is one
component of the technology’s evolution, he added.
Every type of printing technology
has its “enabling applications that
justify [the print providers’] investment,” Graupman continued. This
next stage of inkjet’s maturation and
evolution is where it really will become fun for print service providers,
he explained. “They get to creatively
use the technology, and their end
customers need to add data to make
it more powerful.”
In terms of inkjet system quality,
Kodak’s Mansfield contends that
MyPRINTResource.com
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• Pleasant and responsive customer service and technical support
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For more information, visit MyPRINTResource.com/10006517
Wide-Format Imaging | July 2015
17
The Screen Truepress Jet
520 Inkjet Web Press.
inter-station drying approach that ‘freezes’ the ink immediately after printing, providing [for] more contrast,”
he continued. It also is the industry’s fastest full-color
inkjet press.
Mansfield reported that the Prosper 6000 has run at 650
feet per minute (fpm) with high ink coverage on heavier
glossy and silk stock. “Plus, it can run at 1,000 fpm on
coated stock with moderate coverage,” he added, “with
[an] exceptional non-show-through” end result due to the
aforementioned drying technique. “It’s not wet on wet, so
the water doesn’t show through.” Duty cycle is 90 million
A4 top quality pages per month.
Paper and Ink
Furthermore, Kodak is working closely with Kruger Inc., a
Canadian paper mill, to create a line of lightweight coated
paper for its Prosper line of presses, Mansfield revealed.
“We started trials on our ‘Kruger LWC’ in early 2015 in
Asia, Europe, and North America,” he noted, “and expect
to be running live work soon.”
At HP’s first Jetcomm user group meeting, a panel of
three paper people from Appleton Coated, International
Paper, and Mitsubishi Paper discussed inkjet substrates,
admitting that high-gloss coated papers have been challenging for the technology. Ink coverage ultimately is what
dictates whether an uncoated, inkjet-coated, or optimized
sheet should be used on a given print job. Generally,
15 percent coverage or less can be run on an untreated
sheet. One of Appleton’s most popular products is a matte
finished stock, which has become the standard for books
printed on inkjet presses.
While inkjet still only represents between five and 15
percent of overall mill volumes, they agreed that the
price of coated inkjet paper has and will continue to come
down. If volumes are high enough, paper can be treated
inline at the mill, which is a highly cost-effective method.
Most economical, of course, is printing on coated offset
stocks; while this scenario still is futuristic, it may not be
that far off, they said.
In Eau Claire, WI, Documation president and COO
Martin Aalsma is using ink management technology to
prevent paper curl on the personalized. high-coverage
direct mail pieces that the firm produces on its two HP
T230 Inkjet Web Presses. “We had drying issues,” Aalsma
explained to the Jetcomm attendees. “Water and ink
wetting agents were absorbing too fast and pigments
were not adhering properly, causing ink ruboff, offsetting
problems, and tackiness,” not to mention paper cockling
from excessive moisture.
Documation’s solution uses Alwan’s color optimizer to
identify variables and save up to 30 percent on ink cost
and usage. Aalsma and his team also work with paper
vendors and manufacturers, including International Paper,
18
Wide-Format Imaging | July 2015
Midland Paper, Mondi, and Mitsubishi Paper,
to test different surface treatments and profile
stocks. They’ve found that varying the press
speeds can improve performance in some cases.
Inkjet Installs
In Freedom, PA, a Screen Truepress Jet520S color
inkjet web is helping direct-mail firm MSP make the toner
transition. “We spent four years researching high-speed
variable color inkjet printing before we bought this press,”
recalled COO Douglas Wright. “We looked at different
continuous-feed digital presses from many vendors. The
Screen inkjet printing system was found to be the best application for us in terms of overall cost and maintenance. It
offers high uptime, and it’s extremely user friendly. Screen
didn’t over-engineer this press.”
The $65 million organization chose the Truepress
Jet520S in a dual-engine duplex configuration. Its top
printing speed of 420 feet per minute enables fast
throughput and efficient production of high print volumes.
The press went live in May 2014, ramping up to an average of eight to 10 million linear feet per month. “With the
flexibility to print full variable color on every form, we are
seeing increased volume,” Wright said.
During his Jetcomm presentation, Boer stressed that
inkjet now is a proven technology. “The print head technology is reliable. This was a fear early on, but that argument is closed,” he asserted. HP’s Maruggi applauded
inkjet web early adopters in attendance, including print/
marketing firms such as ANRO Inc. and Hudson Printing.
“This was an unproven technology at the time, and these
partners shared our vision,” he praised, retrospectively.
Thirteen months ago, Japs-Olson installed the world’s
first Kodak Prosper 6000C Press in its Minnesota facility. The venerable, 108-year-old firm is a big believer in
reinvesting in its business, president Michael Murphy told
attendees at the PIA Print Leadership Summit in May.
“Wait and see is waiting to die,” he added. “We have
reinvested 8 percent to 10 percent over the past 15 years.”
Interestingly, Japs-Olson’s post-recession reinvestment
percentages are on the higher end. Also, “we are doing 50
percent more versioning since the Great Recession—at 20
percent less volume,” Murphy noted. Japs-Olson has been
a Kodak customer for 19 years.
Marketing firm Wilen Direct, Deerfield Beach, FL, also
is expanding its high-volume, four-color imaging and
personalization capabilities with the Prosper 6000C inkjet
web press. Wilen expects its investment to satisfy increasing demand for quick turnaround and high-quality color,
variable direct mail solutions across various formats and
substrates. It also will provide clients with a more efficient
page inventory and a wider array of size and substrate
options at record speeds and at much higher quality. “Our
clients live by mail and it’s our duty to provide them with
the best solutions to help them compete,” said president
Darrin Wilen. The installation is expected to be complete
by summer’s end.
Find this article at MyPRINTResource.com/12082353
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Digital Original
Have Your Website
Work for You
How do you identify printing leads
that come in through the Internet?
By John Giles
A
website can be an important
part of a printer’s marketing
strategy, but a printer must
realize that a website is just
a lead generator, not a sales closer.
A website will get a printer better
leads and identify people who are
ready to buy, but it is the printer
who has to move quickly and turn
the inquiry into a sale.
Many prospects will pre-shop
a printer online to educate themselves about the products and
services the printer offers before
they contact the seller to buy or
ask questions. When they do call,
the printer has a very small window to make the sale. The printer
must have a procedure in place to
act quickly to a question or inquiry.
Studies show that the faster a
company gets back to a prospect,
the higher the chance of closing
the sale.
Hot lead or tire kicker? Have a
way to identify what leads come
from the website. Web inquiries
can be tracked with “more information” forms on various pages, a
special telephone number on the
website to call for questions and
estimates, and a special identified
email address. A web inquiry is an
important as a phone call or email.
John Giles is a senior
consultant for CPrint
International (cprint.com).
He helps printers prosper and
understand how to sell the
technology services. Giles is
the author of 12 Secrets for
Digital Success and The DTP PriceList.
He can be reached at 954-224-1942 or
john@cprint.com. To order his books,
visit www.crouser.com.
20
Quick Printing | July 2015
Typically an inbound sales
lead inquiry from the website
is nothing more than a question.
Being responsive to prospects inquiry means you are providing complete answers to their questions in
the least time possible and hopefully, before your competitor does.
Put someone in charge of inquiries. Assign someone to monitor the website inquiries. Typically
a customer service representative
monitors the questions several
times a day. The emails and telephone calls generated by the web
should be routed to someone who
can immediately respond to the
person and let them know their
questions will be answered. Hot
leads can go to a sales person who
can then get an appointment.
The human touch. Respond by
telephone rather than email. A real
person responding to a website
visitor’s questions will have a
higher impact than an email. Most
people have been jaded by auto
response emails and want to know
that a real person is responding
to their specific issue. People buy
from people and nothing ever
replaces a personal conversation.
Your inquiry forms should ask for
both a contact telephone number
and an email address.
Act quickly. Respond to the
initial inquiry or question quickly.
People expect the same immediacy
from a website as they do an email
or telephone call. While it may take
time to get answers or estimates,
making the initial contact quickly
will make a great impression on
the prospect. A verbal message of
“we got your question and we’re
getting it to the right person to
answer it” is a good way to start to
build a relationship.
Keep all leads. Enter all inquiries into a customer relationship
management system as they are
received so they can be added to
other marketing activities. For the
website to be an effective sales
tool, all inbound sales leads from
the website must be followed
up. Once in the system, it will be
easier to build a relationship with
the new prospect with additional
marketing materials and contact
on a regular basis.
Set goals and measure the
results of your webpage. The
primary purpose of the website
is to get leads so you will want
to know if it is working. You will
want to monitor how many sales
leads are received through the
website each week; how long does
it take for a CSR to respond to each
inquiry; what percentage of the
website sales leads are converted
into qualified prospects; and what
percentage of the inbound sales
leads are converted into customers. If the website is not generating inquiries and questions, you
may have to edit your message.
Don’t confuse marketing and
selling. Good marketing can help
make the printing product easier
to sell and turn a sales person into
an order taker. Yet in B2B transactions, some form of convincing
from a sales person is usually
needed to complete the selling process. Don’t let the website make
you forget to leave out the personal
selling and asking for the order.
Find this article at
MyPRINTResource.com/12080339
MyPRINTResource.com
Association Insights
New Sales and Lean Courses
added to the Valuable offerings
of PIA’s Integrated Learning Center
By Julie Shaffer
T
he Integrated Learning Center
is a one-stop, easy-to-access
source of high-level training
that is relevant to the specific
needs of the industry. Choose from
an expanding library of quality expert-led, industry-specific courses.
Training includes Lean, Production,
Sales and Marketing, and Environmental, Health and Safety concerns,
along with other dedicated topics.
All of this training is offered on a
convenient online platform with 24hour access.
Important Shifts Affecting
the Salesperson and the
Selling Process
It’s no secret that the role of a salesperson has changed. The Internet
provides your customers with an
infinite number of options making it
impossible to compete on price alone.
Customers are 57 percent through
their buying process before they seek
engagement with suppliers. Your
customers expect more; to seal the
deal, they want top-notch customer
service and value-added benefits.
More Information
New courses are constantly being
added! Learn about the Integrated
Learning Center, the value of membership through Printing Industries of
America’s Affiliate Organizations, important industry events and training
opportunities available through the
PIA, and more by visiting Booth #3802
at GRAPH EXPO 15, September 13-16
in Chicago IL.
MyPRINTResource.com
The sad truth is, there’s a lot of
poor customer service out there.
What did you do the last time you
had a negative experience with a
company? Many salespeople just
aren’t aware of how their attitudes
affect customers. Here’s a look at
how customers respond to poor
service from sales consultant, Leslie Groene.
Like a consultant, salespeople
need to focus on improving their
client’s business performance,
which means they need to have the
understanding and have experience
to help their clients solve problems.
They’re not selling a product or service; instead they’re selling value.
Once you’ve taken the time to
understand your client’s needs, recognize and respond to objections,
and recommend additional services
and products that are important to
the success of their business, you’re
on your way to selling more print.
If you want to learn more about
refining your sales, check out the
expanding series of Web-based
courses from Leslie Groene, Groene
Consulting, on Printing Industries
of America’s Integrated Learning
Center. The latest courses, “The
Keys to Consultative Selling,” “Escaping the Price Driven Sale,” and
“Cross Selling and Up Selling,” will
give you more insights into these
important shifts affecting salespeople and the selling process.
7 Tools that Can Lead to
Better Processes
According to quality pros, with
seven key foundational tools you can
troubleshoot virtually any quality
issue. These tools are the topic of
the latest continuous improvement
course on the Integrated Learning
Center, “Seven Basic Tools for Process Improvement.” Developed by
John Compton, a Printing Industries
of America consultant specializing
in operational excellence and Lean
manufacturing, this 75-minute online
training course helps you systematically collect data, define key metrics
to avoid confusion, identify where
process improvement efforts will
be most beneficial, monitor process
performance, and determine the root
cause of problems.
Members through Printing
Industries of America’s Affiliate
Organizations save significantly on
this and the library of self-paced
online training courses through the
Continued on page 25
Quick Printing | July 2015
21
Money Talk
Board of Advisors
What Can it Offer to You?
F
or many small business owners and CEOs it is lonely at the
top. Running the business and
serving as its top executive
has it pros and cons. Good leaders
surround themselves with strong
team members who add value to
their own inherent strengths and
the strengths of the company. So,
why investigate a Board of Advisors from “the outside”? If utilized
correctly, it can serve as a powerful advantage.
Difference Between a
Board of Directors and
Board of Advisors
Boards of Directors and Boards
of Advisors are different. A board
of directors serves two roles—to
legally represent the interests of
Stuart Margolis
Margolis Partners has long
been recognized as the
financial expert for familyowned businesses with a
specialty in the printing,
packaging and allied graphic
communications industries. The firm
is noted for its expertise in enabling
companies to optimize profits. Proudly, it is
the purveyor of the industry’s Value-Added
Principles of Management, and compiles
the annual Printing Industries of America
Ratios, the printing industry’s premier
financial benchmarking.
22
Quick Printing | July 2015
By Stuart Margolis
shareholders (especially in public
companies) and to serve as advisors
to the CEO. The directors (in their
advisory capacity) bring a range
of perspectives and skills to major
business decisions. Most small
businesses don’t use such a board
because they don’t want or need
the legal control.
Alternately, Board of Advisors
do not have legal or managerial
control at all. They are established
by the CEO or owner to serve as
a sounding board, or safe harbor
group of advisors to bounce ideas
by, play devil’s advocate and give
alternative perspectives on decisions. The process itself can hold
you accountable not in a boss to
employee relationship but in a peer
to peer relationship. In short, they
can help you make better, more
effective, lower risk decisions about
your business.
Establishing the Board
of Advisors
What is the profile of a Board of Advisor member? For each company
it differs and within a company the
Board of Advisors can change (and
should change) over time.
Start with a blank sheet of paper
and write down members of your
circle of influence and circle of
trust. Cast a broad net. They do
not need to be friends or people
you know well, just people you
have met who you respect. These
individuals are not necessarily in
your same line of business and as
a matter of fact, most may and will
not be.
Also, write a short list of the
skills or functions you would love
to have on call. Typical skills/functions include: attorneys, CPA/financial consultants, marketing and
sales people, bankers, IT/technology gurus, and successful business
people or even people who are
doing or started something that
you want to do.
Try to match your circles of
trust and influence members with
some of the skills and functions
you wrote down. In the end, there
doesn’t have to be a perfect match.
As you think through creation of
the group you will naturally think
about strengths, weaknesses and
values that each candidate brings
to the table.
Don’t worry about putting people
out. Most love to be asked.
Structuring the Board
of Advisor Role
Traditional Boards of Advisors
Boards of Advisors can exist in various forms. The most traditional is a
group of advisors that meets annually or quarterly. You can have fun
at a lunch, dinner or cocktail hour
but make sure you are respectful
of time and purpose. The purpose
of meetings is to discuss your business, serve as a sounding board for
new ideas, and review options. It
is always good to have an agenda,
begin/end time for the meeting and
method for extracting opinion from
everyone. Remember to foot the bill
for dinner.
Ad Hoc Board of Advisors
Another structured Board of
Advisors role is the “ad hoc” role.
An Ad Hoc Board of Advisors is a
group set up for a specific reason, decision, or set of decisions.
Examples might include venturing
into a new niche/business area,
expanding operations, etc. Ad Hoc
Boards are finished serving when
decisions are made pertaining to
MyPRINTResource.com
the topic at hand. While most Board of Advisor members are voluntary, some might require a fee. Fee based
seats are typically seen in “ad hoc” situations when you
are tackling a specific hurdle requiring a specific set
of skills (EG services of a paid advisor in a major real
estate transaction, etc.)
Less Formal Boards of Advisors
Less formally, you can set up a Board of Advisors to be
on hand for phone calls/emails. Let candidates know
that there will be no meetings to attend or tasks to complete. All you are looking for are individuals whom you
can call or email occasionally to ask specific questions
about their area of expertise. One-to-one advice from
experts and people from the outside will help keep your
ideas fresh, and force you to think through decision from
various perspectives.
Developing an Effective Board of Advisors
So how do you know what expertise is best for you?
And where do you find the committed “experts” to
fulfill those needs?
§§Assess your needs. What are your knowledge gap areas? Where do you have a need for change/innovation?
What topics take you out of your comfort zone? Topics
that you find yourself “circling back to” are great for
Advisors. Advisors can offer a mix of opinions and per-
•
•
•
•
•
•
In short, they can help you
make better, more effective,
lower risk decisions about
your business.
spectives in a safe harbor environment of trust.
§§Focus on your Goals and where you want to go with
your business. What support do you need to get there?
What feedback would you like from others?
§§Remember that your Advisory Group is Unique. No
one can know it all, so a carefully selected Advisory
Board can supplement your expertise with their career
knowledge and life experiences.
§§Getting Started. If you’re not convinced you can pull
together a group, call us. We’ve helped plenty of companies form Advisory Boards. If need be, we can serve
as a facilitator too. There’s no time like the present.
Operating in a vacuum limits your perspective and can
deny you valuable opportunities. Bringing the outside in
can change the way you look at your day-to- day work
functions, help make big picture decisions and give you
the focus needed to build a successful company.
Find this article at MyPRINTResource.com/12080338
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MyPRINTResource.com
Quick Printing | July 2015
23
Human Resources
Why Should I Care
What My Employees Think?
Recent studies show that the younger generations coming into the
workforce want to be heard more than any other previous generation.
By Debra Thompson
W
ell, as the owner or person
in charge, it’s quite simple.
You don’t have to care. You
have the title and power
to run your organization however
you see fit and your employees can
choose to follow or eventually go
elsewhere.
However, many recent studies are
showing that the younger generations coming into the workforce
want to be heard more than any
other previous generation. Their
need for feedback and input is
higher than ever before. Employees
can be a source of critical business
intelligence, yet a study of over
100,000 US employees reveals that
many are afraid to share their voice.
A benchmark study conducted by
DecisionWise Management Team
found that over 34 percent of employees do not speak up for fear of
retribution. Paul Warner, Ph.D., and
VP of Employee Engagement at DecisionWise writes, “These perceptions typically stem from a culture
that stifles the free expression of
ideas, and from leaders who contribute to or create that culture.”
Further analysis of the employee
survey data showed several factors
leading to a culture where individuals are afraid to share their voice.
Debra Thompson is President
of TG & Associates, a
consulting firm specializing in
“The Human Side of Business”
specifically for the graphic
industry. Her company
provides virtual HR services
and customized recruiting. Read more
on her website, www.tgassociates.com.
Thompson can be reached toll-free at
877/842-7762 or email her at
Debra@TGassociates.com.
24
Quick Printing | July 2015
Below are the top concerns.
§§Constant negative feedback from
supervisors and leaders
§§Leaders perceived as a dissenting
voice (shooting-down new ideas or
ignoring feedback)
§§Fear (real or feigned) of demotion
or loss of job
James Detert, Ethan Burris and
David Harrison reported in an
article in the Harvard Business
Review (HBR) that, “In the 2009
Cornell National Social Survey more
respondents reported withholding
information about problems or ideas
for improvement due to a sense of
futility (26 percent) than a fear of
personal consequences (20 percent).
In another study it was found that
futility was 1.8 times more common
than fear as a reason for withholding ideas from direct supervisors.”
When the HBR asked people
why it seems futile to speak up,
they most commonly point to their
boss’s personality style—being so
conflict-averse that he or she won’t
engage others on the topic the subordinate has raised. In other cases,
the sense of futility derives from the
perception that bosses don’t even
want to hear from employees.
No matter what the reason, the
fear of speaking up is extremely
detrimental to organizations, often
causing an escalation of dissatisfaction among employees leading to
absenteeism, non-productive work
behaviors, low team participation,
and eventually reduced performance and turnover. Another note
to point out is that with the labor
market still so strained, an employee feels safer becoming a “yes”
person, rather than rock the boat
and lose their job.
The end result is that many leaders create a culture of “yes.” And I
don’t mean yes, I’m eager to do and
be an engaging teammate. They
will say “yes” meaning I will say
whatever you want me to say, because there is no upside to having a
difference of opinion.
I wrote an article for QP in September 2008 titled “The Cost of
Conflict.” In that article I went into
detail about conflict and how it is
inappropriate to say that conflict is
all good or all bad. The key in determining good from bad conflict is
whether it is functional or dysfunctional. When there are numerous
decisions to be made daily, conflict
is inevitable. Business success requires that we be able to recognize
conflict when it arises, be able to
distinguish which way it is heading, then decide if it is going to add
value to the group or situation or
if it is going to be a hindrance and
disruptive.
There are levels of conflict which
can indicate which way the situation is going. They begin with #1
and elevate to #6 listed below.
§§Minor disagreements or
misunderstandings
§§Open questioning or
challenging of others
§§Assertive verbal attacks
§§Threats and ultimatums
§§Aggressive physical attacks
§§Overt efforts to destroy the
other party
The most common factor in the
escalation of conflict is “ego.” Ego
is a defense mechanism and its
role is to protect the image you
have of yourself. It will fight to
protect that image whenever it
seems threatened. Oftentimes the
MyPRINTResource.com
Association Insights
Continued from page 21
New Sales and Lean Courses added to the Valuable
offerings of PIA’s Integrated Learning Center
higher your role in the business, the
ego becomes even more inflated
and the defense mechanism even
more exaggerated. Allowing your
emotions to dictate your actions in
response to an overinflated ego is a
true recipe for destruction.
As we all know all too well, times
are changing, especially in the way
we communicate. For a myriad of
reasons, I strongly recommend that
you take a serious look at your management style and evaluate what
kind of culture you have created
or are creating. I also think there
is value in having a third party
involved to help you get a clearer
picture of what is really going on.
Find this article at
MyPRINTResource.com/12080345
Integrated Learning Center. Start improving your processes today at
www.printing.org/ilearning.
More Lean Resources from the Integrated Learning Center:
Introduction to Lean Manufacturing taught by John Compton
Covering the fundamental principles of Lean manufacturing with
definitions and examples, this course lays out the benefits of implementing a Lean improvement approach.
5S and Teams taught by John Compton Covering the fundamental
principles of Lean manufacturing with definitions and examples,
this course lays out the benefits of implementing a Lean improvement approach.
Makeready Reduction taught by Kevin Cooper and Malcolm Keif
Defines how to cut makeready time through the single-minute exchange of die (SMED) system, a vital component of Lean production,
including a 10-step process for reducing makeready time.
Standard Work and Total Productive Maintenance taught by Kevin Cooper This course focuses on Standard Work and how to apply
it in your facility as well as Total Productive Maintenance, demonstrating how to get your equipment productivity up to new heights.
Visual Management and Kanbans taught by Malcolm Keif This
course introduces visual management principles for printing and
provides instruction on flow and kanbans, an important tool for
managing inventory and replenishment.
Find this article at MyPRINTResource.com/12080354
For more information, visit MyPRINTResource.com/12080260
MyPRINTResource.com
Quick Printing | July 2015
25
Sales Clinic
The Future Of Print(ing Sales)
By Dave Fellman
T
he future of print and
the future of the printing
industry are obviously
related, but I think it’s
important to separate the two
in order to consider your future
as a printing salesperson. The
future of print is partly technical
and partly sociological. On the
technical side, we’ve seem amazing
changes in the scope of what printing
machines can do. On the sociological
side, we’ve seen a lot of what we used
to print migrate to different “substrates.” I think the future of the printing industry, and
your future as a printing salesperson, have a lot to do with
mastering those “substrates.”
What Is Printing?
What is printing anyway? Here’s a fairly representative
definition from one of the many online dictionaries:
Printing is the skill, process, or business of producing
books, newspapers, etc., by impression from movable
types, plates, etc.
I’d like to suggest an even more basic definition: Printing
is a process for putting color on paper or other substrates.
Let’s expand on that definition. The color can be monotone, halftone or continuous tone. It can be ink or toner. It
can also be words, images, or both. As for paper and other
substrates, printers have always described what they do
as “putting ink on paper.” Obviously that has expanded to
toner, but it has also expanded to clear film and vinyl and
plastic and fabric. Large format printing in particular has
always been about “other substrates.”
But here’s the main point I’m hoping to make today. A
web page is a substrate. An e-mail is a substrate. A text
message is a substrate. A Facebook post is a substrate.
Anyplace words and/or images appear provides opportunity for the printing industry and its salespeople.
Why Is Printing?
It’s not very good grammar, but “why is printing?” is still
an important part of this discussion. From my perspective,
there are two types of printing in the world, promotional
and operational. Promotional printing is used to promote
companies and their products and services—brochures,
Dave Fellman is the president of David Fellman &
Associates, Cary, NC, a sales and marketing consulting
firm serving numerous segments of the graphic arts
industry. Contact him by phone at 919/363-4068 or by
e-mail at dmf@davefellman.com. Visit his website at
www.davefellman.com.
26
Quick Printing | July 2015
catalogs, mailers, etc. Operational printing includes forms,
labels, manuals, internal documents, etc.
In the “old days” we used to print all of this on paper.
These days, a lot of it is “printed” and viewed on electronic substrates. But there is still a need for assistance with
the printing, and there has always been a need for assistance with the overall business strategy that the printing
is part of. And that takes us to the transition from Print
Provider to Marketing Services Provider, which is a very
real avenue to a healthy future for the printing industry.
Can You Sell It?
I know lots of printing salespeople who aren’t convinced
that they can sell marketing services. “I know printing
and paper and ink,” one recently told me. “I don’t know
anything about marketing.”
“That’s not true,” I told
But here’s the main
him. “You know more than
you think. And you can
point I’m hoping
learn more if you set your
to make today.
mind to it.”
A web page is a
That’s really the key.
Some salespeople will look
substrate. An e-mail
at this as a sales challenge,
is a substrate.
to continue to get a share
of a diminishing market for
A text message
ink/toner on paper. Others
is a substrate. A
will see it as a learning
challenge, to equip themFacebook post is a
selves to share in an even
substrate. Anyplace
larger market. Some will
accept that it’s just another
words and/or images
learning challenge, because
appear provides
after all, no one was born
opportunity for the
knowing enough about
print to sell it effectively.
printing industry
You had to learn print, now
and its salespeople.
you have to learn marketing. Or do you?
I think that depends on how much of a future you want
in the printing industry. I’m 64 years old. If I were a
print-only salesperson, I could probably run out the string
to retirement without investing much in learning about
marketing (assuming that I’m doing all right with what I
have.) If you are younger, you really have to face the fact
that your ability to earn a living selling print-only will
diminish every year. There’s going to be less print in the
future than there has been in the past. That writing is
already on the wall.
So my advice is to start learning how to be a marketing
consultant, not just a print consultant. And now would be
a good time to start!
Find this article at MyPRINTResource.com/12080336
MyPRINTResource.com
Classified Section
BAGS AND BOXES
BOOK PRINTING
BUSINESS CARDS
Book Printing
in 2 days
Boxes4BusinessCards
- fast turnaround
- trade discount
, too!
ISBNs
ct
perfe
BANNERS
Various Sizes Available
FREE Shipping!
COLOR PRINTING
PFR
ha
co
il
bo
un
d
PrintingForresale.com
BUSINESS CARD SLITTERS
Business Card Slitters
& Handi-Scor / Creaser
Full Bleed Gutter Cut Models
& 10-up & 12-up Models
Gutter Cut for
FULL BLEED
Business
Cards
1-800-877-6004
For more information visit,
MyPRINTResource.com/10314932
For more information visit,
MyPRINTResource.com/10893811
Quick Printing Classifieds are
sold per word for line ad listings
or by the inch for display ads.
Deadline is the 2nd of the month,
two months preceding cover
date of publication. Send order
to Quick Printing Magazine
Classified, 1233 Janesville Ave.,
P.O. Box 803, Fort Atkinson,
WI 53538 or e-mail kimberly@
quickprinting.com. Please type
or print clearly. For further
information, call 800-616-2252,
ext 6103. Line Classifieds are
$2.75 per word per ad per month
($30 minimum). Phone numbers
are considered to be one word.
No commission on classified
rates. Display Classified rates
per inch: 1 time $150, 3 times
$140, 6 times $115, 12 times
$105. Publisher’s choice of
color: $105 additional.
www.Boxes4BusinessCards.com
d
48HourBooks.com
800-231-0521
For more information visit,
MyPRINTResource.com/10003764
BUY DIRECT & SAVE!
boun
ver
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For more information visit,
MyPRINTResource.com/10111781
Paying too much for your business card boxes?
Handi-Scor
Creasing/Scoring
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Free
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Ground, to the contiguous United States.
1.866.998.0911
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wiTh
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wiTh
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For more information visit,
MyPRINTResource.com/10111779
Free Shipping
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For more information visit,
MyPRINTResource.com/10170661
COMMERCIAL PRINTING
TO ADVERTISE
in the classified section contact
Kimberly@quickprinting.com
(800) 616-2252, ext. 6103
Software with powerful
web to print modules.
Power your profits. Print Simplified.
Learn more today.
navINK.com • 1-844-4navINK (628465)
For more information visit,
MyPRINTResource.com/10067843
MyPRINTResource.com
Quick Printing | July 2015
27
Classified Section
COMMERCIAL PRINTING
Low Price Leader
The Largest Selection of Offset & Digital Printing In The Market Today!
Your single source for business identity products.
Business Cards | Envelopes | Forms | Marketing
Navitor.com • 866-628-6868
For more information visit,
MyPRINTResource.com/10067843
COMPUTER ESTIMATING
$12.33
$25.77
$65.66
3.5x2 - 14pt C2S - 4/4 color
UV 2 side – Qty:1000
4x6 - 14pt C2S - 4/4 color
UV 1 side – Qty:250
7 Product Color Options – 1 Color Imprint
28 Imprint Color Options – Qty: 300
Business Cards
Postcards
$22.05
Pens
$7.93
Vinyl Banners
Yard Signs
3’x5’ – 13oz Matte Vinyl - 4/0 color
Welded Hem & Grommets/2ft
18x24 – 4mm Coroplast
4/0 color – With H-Wire
$177.62
Roll Labels
For more information visit,
MyPRINTResource.com/10064803
2x3 – White Poly - 4/0 color
Gloss Laminate – Qty: 250
*Prices subject to change without any notice
1-2 Day Turnaround Standard on our popular products
With 3 Locations Nationwide
We Can Ship Anywhere In The Continental US Standard Ground 1-2 Day
www.zooprinting.com
800.807.1907
For more information visit, MyPRINTResource.com/10008754
COPIES WHOLESALE
DIGITAL PRINTING – WHOLESALE PRICING
For more information visit,
MyPRINTResource.com/10008012
ENVELOPES
The Ultimate ONLINE
Source for Wholesale
Printed Envelopes
n
1-800-827-2679
or email
customerservice@a1copyandmailing.com
Mention this ad for more savings!
Digital / Offset / Full Bindery / Mailing
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n Proof
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For more information visit,
MyPRINTResource.com/10426816
FOLDERS
For more information visit, MyPRINTResource.com/10003448
TO ADVERTISE
in the classified section contact
Kimberly@quickprinting.com (800) 616-2252, ext. 6103
Contact us for The Best Folder Experience in the industry!
Navitor.com • 877-294-5028
For more information visit,
MyPRINTResource.com/10067843
28
Quick Printing | July 2015
MyPRINTResource.com
FRAMES
NOTEPADS
Notepads, 1 to 4 color
Easiest way to display graphics!
ANY QUANTITY, SMALL OR LARGE
Any Size
1 minimum
Low Cost
Manufacturing
Specializing in note pads and cut
sheets to the Distributor for 40 years!
High Speed Automated Equipment
For a quote
For more information visit,
MyPRINTResource.com/10003895
Centrally located in the Chicago Suburbs
TO ADVERTISE
Pole stands and A Frames made ANY
size or height with ANY of our frames
1-800-915-2828
sales@fastchangeframes.com
fastchangeframes.com
Call 800.345.4644 or Email
sales@mgimidwest.com
For more information visit,
MyPRINTResource.com/11612088
For more information visit,
MyPRINTResource.com/10003764
OFFSET PRESS SUPPLIES
Safe-DE-Sock
Sock Cutter
LABELS
ACRO LABELS
I
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C.
• 1 to 8 Color Labels
• 4-Color Process
• Instant Quotes
• Digital Printing
All Shapes,
Sizes, & Stocks,
for Every Application
Ask About Our Short Run
Digital Press Capabilities
NO Plates Needed!
• Removable and Permanent Pressure Sensitive Labels
• Shipping Labels • Laminating • Barcodes • UL and CSA
Recognized • Consecutive and Serial Numbering
• Labels for Computer, Thermal and Laser Printers
• Piggyback • Rolls, Fan Folded, Cut Singles and More!
1-800-35-LABEL
Rush Service Available
2530 Wyandotte Rd. Willow Grove, PA 19090
www.acrolabels.com
email: sales@acrolabels.com
For more information visit,
MyPRINTResource.com/10003571
l
Safe for Hands & Rollers
l Extremely FAST
The NEW Safe-DE-Sock
Cutter zips through old
dampening covers making
the removal EASY, SAFE
and VERY FAST! Safe for
hands & rubber rollers. The
cutter can also be used to
safely cut open shipping
containers with no chance of
the contents being accidently
cut. Safe-DE-Sock Cutter is
FREE with every full roll of
Graphic premium dampening material
for a limited time.
Made in the USA.
Graphic Arts Supply
sales@graphicartssupply.com
1-800-637-5448
MAILING
For more information visit,
MyPRINTResource.com/10005621
PRINTING
Paying too much
for your mailing software?
Time for
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§ Double-Window Envelopes
Switch ‘n’ Save today at:
try.smartsoftusa.com/sa5
For more information visit,
MyPRINTResource.com/10004777
MyPRINTResource.com
RAFFLE TICKETS
1-800-356-7241 • EnvelopeMart.com
For more information visit,
MyPRINTResource.com/10426816
in the classified section contact
Kimberly@quickprinting.com
(800) 616-2252, ext. 6103
Supplier Directory
COPIES WHOLESALE
A-1 COPY & MAILING SERVICES, 771A Dearborn Park Lane, Worthington,
Ohio 43085. Black & white copies, Full
color copies, GBC bind, Plastic coil Bind
and much more. 800-827-2679
Fax: 614-846-4512 E-mail: customerservice@a1copy and mailing.com.
MyPRINTResource.com/10003448
MANUFACTURERS
BOBST NORTH AMERICA INC. Renowned for technology and product
range, we are the world leader in die
cutters, folder-gluers, and all types of
foil stamping and embossing presses.
146 Harrison Avenue, Roseland, NJ
07068. 888-226-8800 or visit www.
bobst.com.
MyPRINTResource.com/10004147
PRESENTATION FOLDERS
EVERGREEN MANUFACTURING
CO., 405 Cambridge Ave., Syracuse, NY
13208. 800-721-4175, fax: 315-454-4177.
We specialize in presentation folders,
report covers, door hangers, hotel key
holders and portfolios. Our products
are manufactured to standard or custom specifications and are decorated
using offset printing, embossing, foil
stamping, or a combination of these
techniques. Film lamination in glossy
or matte finishes is available. Call for
our free sample kit or e-mail us at info@
evergreenfolders.com.
MyPRINTresource.com/10071224
Quick Printing | July 2015
29
Classified Section
STOCK & SECURITY PAPER
For more information visit, MyPRINTResource.com/10067868
TAGS
TAG STRINGING
For more information visit,
MyPRINTResource.com/10006471
WEBSITES/ECOMMERCE
For more information visit,
MyPRINTResource.com/12080260
For more information visit, MyPRINTResource.com/10071704
Advertiser Directory
Advertiser.......................................... PG#
Advertiser.......................................... PG#
Advertiser.......................................... PG#
Canon USA............................................ 35
MyPRINTResource.com/10004298
www.usa.canon.com/enablingcreativity
Graphic Arts Show
Company GRAPH EXPO...................... 19
www.graphexpo.com
Crouser & Associates, Inc................... 31
MyPRINTResource.com/10004688
www.crouser.com/shop | 304-965-7100
Intec Printing Solutions...................... 23
MyPRINTResource.com/10184576
www.intecprinters.com
Visual Communications
Group VCG............................................ 25
MyPRINTResource.com/12080260
www.webtools4print.com
Domtar.................................................5, 7
MyPRINTResource.com/10004963
www.egpaper.com or www.domtar.com
Magnum Magnetics............................. 17
MyPRINTResource.com/10006517
www.magnummagnetics.com
800-258-0991
Fellman, Dave...................................... 31
MyPRINTResource.com/10004781
www.davefellman.com | 800-325-9634
30
Quick Printing | July 2015
Xante....................................................... 2
MyPRINTResource.com/10008689
www.xante.com | 251.473.6502
Signs 365............................................... 36
MyPRINTResource.com/10449454
www.Signs365.com | 800.265.8830
MyPRINTResource.com
Continued from page 13
Direct Mail Best Practices
process, so MSP/Blue Sky ETO developed a content
management solution.
Content, including mailing templates, are managed
centrally. The approval process is automated. Weekly
mail files are automatically extracted and processed
within minutes using the latest (approved) version of
each letter or postcard template. At any time, Gannett can review a detailed production dashboard with
real-time views showing mailing status, postage costs,
and even an individual customer’s letter.
§§Today, mailings are processed, qualified, printed
and mailed in just three days — a 50 percent drop
in cycle time.
§§The time to manage these weekly mailings has
fallen by 80 percent.
§§Monthly administrative time has fallen from
40 hours to eight.
§§The entire program, which used to require a group
of managers, is now handled by one person.
Think such solutions are only for large companies?
Blue Sky ETO customer VetCentric (Glen Burnie, MD)
created a prescription re-order system with pre-filled
direct mail templates including:
§§Vet clinic’s name and contact information
§§Pet’s name
For more information, visit MyPRINTResource.com/10004688
MyPRINTResource.com
§§Pet’s species (cat or dog)
§§Pet owner’s name
§§Prescription due for refill
§§Prescription discount
§§Discount expiration date
VetClinic received a 14 percent response rate (much
higher than for the generic reminder letters the company previously sent), reduced labor from eight to 10 hours
per week to 15 minutes, and saved more than $9,000 in
postage per year.
As marketers’ budgets are increasingly under pressure and direct mail competes with so many other
channels, these types of demonstrable cost savings are
critical to maintaining print’s place in the mix.
Whether mailed from an automated system or not,
direct mail remains the foundation of a marketing
program. But best practices have to be followed. Know
your customer, encourage your clients to invest in longterm, multi-touch campaigns, tap the value of multiple
channels, and use mail tracking to predict and refine
the timing of your customers’ drops. Add interactivity
where important. This may add to the cost of direct
mail, but it’s money well spent.
Find this article at MyPRINTResource.com/12073774
For more information, visit MyPRINTResource.com/10004781
Quick Printing | July 2015
31
New Products
InSite Prepress Portal 7
Kodak has launched KODAK INSITE Prepress Portal
System 7 built on HTML5. By
removing the requirement for
the JAVA Platform, a third
party plugin, KODAK INSITE Prepress Portal 7 now delivers new features
including HTML5 system diagnostics and a redesigned HTML5-based Smart
Review user interface.
KODAK INSITE Prepress Portal 7 helps print service providers extend
workflow automation capabilities while reducing turnaround time and cost
by delivering simple, real-time access and collaboration with customers. It
is equipped to securely integrate with KODAK PRINERGY Workflow and to
support enhanced control over the prepress process. This enables customers,
prepress operators and service representatives to submit jobs, track progress,
collaborate on changes and review and approve work—anywhere, anytime.
KODAK INSITE Prepress Portal 7 gives the customer additional freedom by
providing a real-time and user-friendly experience with the new HTML5-based
Smart Review. The system automatically track all activities – including job submissions, change requests and approvals or rejections – and alerts customers
and prepress staff of issues for quicker correction and page updates. The removal of the JAVA Platform requirement is a significant enhancement, allowing
customers to engage with a secure, streamlined platform for managing proofs
with reduced technical support. The HTML5 platform delivers a consistent
interface across the widest range of platforms and Web browser environments.
MyPRINTResource.com/10005105
Neenah Packaging Solutions Swatchbook
Packaging papers are nothing new
to Neenah Paper. What is new is
that Neenah has just released a
new swatchbook that brings all of
its packaging papers together in
one place. The Neenah Packaging
Solutions swatchbook makes the
selection of creative packaging
papers easy by putting a comprehensive range of ready-made color and finish options right at your fingertips.
And if you don’t find what you need, ask about a custom-made paper contoured
precisely to your specifications. The new swatchbook encompasses both the
ready-made and custom-made programs.
The ready-made section is divided into four categories: hangtags, bags,
boxes, and labels, making it easier for users to narrow their selections from
the more than 180 colors and 30 finishes. Each category has its own waterfall of available papers, providing more detailed information about colors,
finishes, weights, and post consumer content. The wide selection of unique
papers offers durability and strength, as well as properties like wet strength
and superior foldability, and they are perfectly suited for most printing and
converting processes.
The custom-made program offers features like special basis weights ranging
from 20 pound Bond up to 160 pound Double Thick Cover, custom sheet sizes,
beater dyed colors in any hue, and special textures and finishes. These options
are not exclusive to high-volume customers. Neenah Paper also manufactures
custom colors, unique finishes and special basis weights in small quantities,
with minimums as low as 2,000 pounds.
Neenah Paper manufactures packaging papers in a wide range of options to
accommodate any packaging application.
MyPRINTResource.com/10170422
32
Quick Printing | July 2015
13 mil Fusion Polyester Cover
Fusion Digital Paper has introduced
13 mil Fusion Polyester Cover, a
digital solution for durable menu and
outdoor signage applications. It runs
static free on high heat toner production digital equipment. This feature
avoids the usual static electricity
problems common
with top coated
digital polyester
films. This product prints like paper,
yet has the durability of a synthetic
product.
Print finishing processes are also
just like paper in that it can be
immediately run on the second side
or jogged, stacked, punched, and
cut directly after digitally printing.
It is also foldable. So not only is this
a rigid, durable polyester product,
but also when creased and boned
provides a finished product with a
layflat fold.
MyPRINTResource.com/12078821
Web to Print Offering
PrintJob has launched a new version
of its Web to Print software. After 15
years of experience PrintJob decided it was time to rethink the whole
concept of web to print. Now a fully
fledged SaaS company with transparent pricing and instant system setup
for clients wanting a free trial. PrintJob believes that the software should
be the focus and not how good
someone is selling it to you. PrintJob
has now put 24 hour support within
the application so that clients can feel
confident they are in good hands and
making the most of it. As well as adding more stock management we have
also added a interept pdf function
which creates pdf templaes automatically. Printjob is thus using the latest
technologies and coding practices to
make the software virtually bug free,
totally reliant, fast, exciting with a
beautiful design to boot.
MyPRINTResource.com/12077917
MyPRINTResource.com
iQueue Workflow Software Version 10.2
Xante has announced the upcoming release of
iQueue 10.2 Adobe PostScript Workflow Software. The latest installment in the
iQueue series has several new capabilities. They include:
§§Even better spot color accuracy, increasing the potential spot colors from
60,000 to over 200,000 possible spot color matches.
§§Improved Spot Color Creator that converts images to spot colors for accurate
spot color matching. Users also now have the ability to export the EPS converted images.
§§Variable Data sorting features that automatically sort envelopes by ZIP, city,
state or any other variable data field.
§§Ability to output PDF proof for any print job for job approval, emailing or filing.
A variety of other enhancements are contained throughout Version 10.2, most
of which were designed by our iQueue users group. Customers always make
the best designers.
iQueue version 10.2 is a free update to all iQueue users.
MyPRINTResource.com/10008689
Graphic Green Shrink Cotton
Due to the incredible response to its
new Stretch Linen product, Graphic Arts Supply has announced the
availability of a new cotton shrink
dampening material.
The new Graphic Green Shrink
Cotton dampening material is an
ideal alternative product for Jomac
Greensleeves, Uni-Damp, Seamol and
A-Tex dampening material. BaseLine, Inc. acquired Jomac in 1999 and
added the Jomac name to a list of
their brand names. Jomac dampening
material has not been available since
Base-Line, Inc. ceased operations.
The Jomac Greensleeves dampening material was made from synthetic fibers. The new cover is made from
cotton fibers. Cotton fibers are much
more effective in holding water versus synthetic fibers. Cotton covers
similar to Jomac A-Tex, Uni-Damp
and Seamol do not shrink. The new
Graphic Green Shrink Cotton material does shrink for a much better fit
to the roller plus the added benefit
of being made of cotton for superior
water control. The new material is
ideal for covering water ductor and
form rollers that are designed to use
a thicker type cover.
The new Graphic Green Shrink Cotton material is now available through
local graphic arts consumable dealers. Jomac products were packaged
in 25 yard rolls, but the new Graphic
material is packaged in 25 meter rolls
that contain an additional 2.34 yards
of material.
MyPRINTResource.com/10005621
MyPRINTResource.com
ArtArena
INXSpec Perfect
Color System for
Monobloc Decorators
INX International Ink Co. has
unveiled the new INXSpec Brand
Color Perfection System.
INXSpec is a brand management program that duplicates
perfect color to deliver consistent
results time after time. Working
in tandem with INX MDO Base
System thermoset impact extruded metal decorating inks, it
achieves brand color consistency
with incredibly accurate dispensing solutions (+/- 0.001 lbs. – 0.5
grams) in only four steps.
Announcing a brand new media
sharing service called ArtArena
where anyone can buy, sell and
share
their media with
fellow
ArtArena
members and guests. More than
just a stock photography site, the
website and app gives contributors 70 percent commission on
everything they sell. In addition,
contributors have the freedom to
price their own art. They can match
ArtArena’s 99 cent stock photo
price, or choose a price of their own.
It’s up to the contributor.
ArtArena’s media library boasts
millions of high resolution stock
images, with six million costing just
99 cents in any size.
With an ArtArena account, users
each receive 2 gigs of personal
space where they can store images privately, sharing only with
family and friends if they choose,
or they can keep them public.
Content contributors will have a
full bio page that they can link to
their own website, in turn helping
to gain new customers every day.
The app is easily accessible from
most handheld devices, so anyone
with a smartphone can share or
purchase photos and videos, taking
full advantage of the site’s features
and functions while on the go—any
time, anywhere.
The process for perfectly blended brand color inks begins with
phase one—Initial Color Measurement—and continues through
Formulate & Dispense, Mix & Decorate and Verify & Produce Cans.
The first step of Initial Color
Measurement begins with matching the customer’s standard and
creating color data to generate
a formula. Once completed, the
Formulate & Dispense stage is
where color data is saved and
dispensed, blended and proofed
in 50-100 gram amounts via an AccuBlend dispensing system. The
Mix & Decorate mode involves
verifies the color shade and draw
down matches to the formula, and
the final stage confirms the color
match and allows for production
to begin.
INXSpec works with MDO Base
System thermoset impact extruded metal decorating inks, which
offer significant benefits including
short dwell times and improved
transfer, ink flow and scratch
resistance. Available in eight
base colors, they also have a wide
range of secondary and permanent colors.
MyPRINTResource.com/12078342
MyPRINTResource.com/10008768
Quick Printing | July 2015
33
Johnson’s World
The Fight of the Century
What can we learn from the so-called “fight of the century?”
By Steve Johnson
D
o you follow boxing? Even if
you don’t, you could hardly
escape all of the hype that
surrounded the championship bout in Las Vegas last May
between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and
Manny Pacquiao.
The fight, rumored and hoped
for for many years, was an athletic
disappointment when it finally
took place.
Very few of us are professional
boxers or fight promotors, so what
can we learn from the so-called
“fight of the century?” There are
lessons for us all. In Johnson’s
World there are always lessons.
Leo Durocher’s old saw that “nice
guys finish last” is not universally
true, but it does remind us that
being a good guy in and of itself is
no guarantee of success.
Manny Pacquiao is the consummate nice guy. A congressman in his native Philippines, he
also serves in his nation’s army
reserves. A Rotarian who knows
the value of giving back to society,
he spent his hours after the fight
of the century volunteering at a
Nevada orphanage.
Floyd Mayweather, by contrast, is
the fighter people love to hate, with
his penchant for bombastic statements and a history of domestic
violence. He revels in his nickname
“Money” and flaunts a mouthguard
stuffed with hundred-dollar bills.
The fight of the century took
place on Mayweather’s home turf,
but you would never know it to listen to the crowd cheering Pacquiao
and booing Mayweather. Clearly
PacMan was the audience favorite.
Steve Johnson is president of
Copresco in Carol Stream, IL,
a pioneer in digital printing
technology and print on
demand. Contact him at
MyPRINTResource.com/
10362516.
34
Quick Printing | July 2015
Or maybe not. Fans cheered
Pacquiao but bet their
money on Mayweather, and he delivered.
As Arthur Miller’s
character Willie
Loman demonstrated in Death of
a Salesman, being
popular is not
enough. You still
have to deliver.
After the fight
of the century it
was revealed that
Pacquiao had a torn
rotator cuff. Apparently he had been injured
during training.
None of us can be at our peak
every day, but still we must play on.
There are times when we must just
suck it up and move forward as best
we can. A world-class bout with an
undefeated champion is not one of
those times. If you are going to take
on giants, make sure you are ready
and standing tall.
Don’t get into the ring with a
champion if you aren’t at your best.
It is hard enough to win when you
are on top of your game. Don’t stack
the odds against yourself, and certainly don’t do it when you will be
fighting the fight of the century.
Speaking of the “fight of the
century,” it wasn’t. The whole
didn’t equal the sum of the parts.
A boxing match between the two
greatest fighters in the world: how
could it not be the match of the
century?
For starters, this match should
have taken place in 2009. Both
fighters, while great, are now well
past their prime. These guys are at
the ends of their careers.
In the case of Mayweather, his
biggest interest was in protecting
his professional record of zero losses. That meant he would inevitably
stick with his proven defensive
style, of which he is an undisputed
master. Good for his win/loss record, but it doesn’t make for a very
exciting match.
At first blush, it was the fight of
the century. After careful examination of the facts, there was no way
it could have been any such thing.
Hype surrounds us. Don’t automatically buy into it, especially if
you are being asked to invest.
There is one last very important
point. Floyd Mayweather isn’t
called “Money” for nothing. He’s
the highest paid athlete in the
world. But he didn’t get anything
for winning the fight.
Both he and Manny Pacquiao
earned literally hundreds of millions
of dollars, but the split was agreed
upon before the first punch was
ever thrown. That’s right: There
was no financial incentive for either
one to win the match.
Know your objectives. Have a
great fight, or make a fortune. Try
to do both, but keep your top priority uppermost in your mind.
Laugh or cry, it is your choice. But
do it all the way to the bank.
Find this article at
MyPRINTResource.com/12080076
MyPRINTResource.com
PRODUCTION SOLUTIONS
“
We are well positioned to have a healthy and
strong business for the next several decades.
The Canon relationship has helped us to
evolve into the company that we are.
”
RICK SANDS
President of The Fenway Group
UNLEASH
THE FULL POWER
OF PRINT.
Today’s world of print is constantly changing, creating new
demands every time a customer walks through the door.
Fortunately, you have more to offer your clients than ink on
paper. You provide vision and creativity. And now, you can
have the tools to help realize that power for your clients.
Fueled by your ingenuity, we develop solutions that allow you
to take on more work, more customers and bring more of your
creativity to a project. So as you plan for the future, get more
than a return on your investment—expect to see a return on
your ideas.
Go beyond printing at:
usa.canon.com/enablingcreativity
©2014 Canon USA, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Canon is a registered trademark of Canon Inc. in the United States and may also be registered trademarks or trademarks in other countries.
For more information, visit MyPRINTResource.com/10004298
NOW OFFERING
ALUMINUM
Contour cutting and double-sided printing
available on 0.04" or 0.08" aluminum.
Digitally produced in full color
www.Signs365.com | 1.800.265.8830
For more information, visit MyPRINTResource.com/10449454