Magazines
Announce Campaign for Print
The leaders of five major magazine companies intend to
dispel the rumors that print is dying with a new publicity campaign titled "Magazines:
The Power of Print." The ads
will appear in May issues of nearly 100 titles and continue for seven months
thereafter. Backed by Magazine Publishers of America, this $90 million campaign
aims to excite advertisers, shareholders, and industry influencers to reconsider
the importance of print. PGAMA and Printing Industries of America fully support
this campaign, because an increased awareness surrounding the importance
of print begins a domino effect. Greater attentiveness and participation
from the public could result in higher volume print runs, which translate
into an increase in production for commercial printers.
Please reference this campaign as part of your own sales strategy to clients.
In addition, don't forget to utilize "The
Fine Print" PR
Toolkit. This toolkit is home to economic statistics, environmental facts,
FAQs for printers, and press releases and letters to the editor to help defuse
negative publicity. You can find the toolkit and a bevy of other useful facts
at www.printing.org/valueofprint.
Expand
Your W2P Business Model
One
of the most striking development in our world is the explosive growth of
the web-to-print model. Some print firms realized that costs could be downsized
by using the Internet as a template-driven channel which buyers would use
to send standardized projects; e.g., limited or no stock selection, CMYK
only, limited selection of formats, standard quantities. This resulted in
the total elimination of the traditional order entry, copy checking, proofing
alteration cycle that had preceded printing; and turned all projects into
gang runs in CMYK with only plate changes between forms. The process finished
with an automated shipping and billing (usually credit card in advance) transaction.
Printing in this way was "good enough" for most buyers, and was also
incredibly cheap. Understandably, established printers began to use web-to-print
sources as a buy out. However, not all web-to-print sources are trade-only, and
those that sell both wholesale and retail usually do not maintain a very large
pricing difference between the two channels. Consequently, the traditional web-to-print
business model has eroded. Firms that are experiencing this reality can concentrate
on creating enough value for their clients in hand-holding and file creation
to keep the relationship strong. Additionally, they may move toward short run
and one-to-one digital, labels, and other areas in which web-to-print doesn't
operate.
Evaluate
Email to Improve Productivity
We all know inefficient email correspondence
can suck up productivity. Just think of the last time you lost minutes
off your life scrolling down a lengthy email chain forwarded to your
attention only to find a stupid request like, “What do you think?” at
the end. Since email has the potential to be bad or good, MIT’s
Michael Schrage believes it should be part of job performance evaluation.
Schrage suggests that evaluating email not only assesses how well individuals
are communicating, but can also indicate how well they are getting their
work done. Schrage's guidelines for an email audit include these three
steps:
1-Ask employees to produce three email exchanges to show
how sent/received messages helped accomplish a task
2-Refuse to accept emails that simply attach a report without providing some
explanation or take-aways
3-Counsel employees who only comment on previous emails without offering
their own ideas and solutions
To make this process even more valuable,
a company should develop a “best practices” guide from the
most successful email writers.
From "Why Email Writing Should be Part of Your Job Evaluation" by
Sean Silverthorne, first published on bnet.com.
Cool
Tools for Designers
Designrfix is a website that provides multiple
tips and tools for designers from designers. From
business card and logo designs, and color tools to website
designs and everything in between, there's a wealth of inspirational
material here for creatives. The site also offers the opportunity
to share tips to help "design junkies who want to evolve
the art through thoughtful exchange of technique & inspiration." Check
it out at http://designrfix.com/.
Apple
Releases Aperture 3
Apple has introduced Aperture 3, the next
major release of its powerful photo editing and management
software. Aperture 3 offers more than 200 new features including
Faces, Places, and Brushes. Aperture 3 is available through
your Association Online Store. downloadable 30-day trial
version is available at www.apple.com/aperture/trial.
Don't forget, you can order Apple products at a discount
through the Association Member Advantage Discount programs!
Order for yourself or on behalf of friends and family at
http://www.printing.org/page/3534.
Tech
Tip of the Week: Freeware Fonts
Joe Marin, Senior Analyst, Digital Technologies,
offers this tip on Freeware fonts:
Freeware fonts are readily available for
download from the Internet. But beware, these fonts may create
havoc due to their licensing restrictions. Some OpenType
and TrueType fonts that contain only fonts can include restrictions
such as:
- Font embedding that only allows viewing and printing
of the document
- Font embedding that allows viewing, printing, and editing
of the document
- Font embedding that allows viewing, printing, editing,
and installing onto a hard drive
- No embedding allowed in PDF files
Fonts that do not allow embedding in a PDF file should not
be used in a print production workflow. To test a font for
embedding restrictions, activate the font on your system.
Then create an InDesign document using that font. Finally,
export the page and try to create a PDF. If the PDF is created
without any warnings, then the font can be embedded.
Member
News
Welcome new member
GlobalTranz, a logistics
company that has helped over 10,000 companies significantly
reduce their freight expenses. The company's clients range
from businesses which have 2-3 shipments/month to large
companies with freight budgets over $2 million/year. GlobalTranz
has developed three levels of Freight Savings Programs
specifically for PGAMA which will reduce members’ freight
expenses 10% - 30%. Contact Dave Gerlach at
262-925-8632 or dgerlach@globaltranz.com to
obtain a FREE Freight Savings Analysis Report to determine
your company’s
expected savings with the PGAMA/GlobalTranz Freight Savings
Program.
Coyne
Textile Services is now offering discount services
and rentals of shop towels, uniforms, mat rugs, dust mops,
roll towels and other related products to fellow PGAMA members.
For more info, contact Michael Dinsmoor, General Manager
at michael.dinsmoor@coynetextileservices.com or
call 617-792-2661/800-343-0566.
Upcoming
Events
| March 15-17 |
National Environmental,
Health and Safety Conference: Printing for A sustainable
Future-at
the Sheraton Indianapolis, Indianapolis,
IN. The
one conference for the graphic communications industry
that intersects the needs of safety, environmental
and human resources. Today's workplace requires
multitasking -- and this conference provides you
with the tools and information to accomplish this
goal! Plan now to attend! More info and registration
at http://www.nehsconference.org/nehs10_site/index.html. |
| March 17 |
Webinar:-Get
A Bigger Piece of the Pie Using Social Media, 1:00-2:00pm.
Discover how being involved in social media can be
a leverage component of the multi-channel communications
you offer clients. Tune in to learn:
· The importance
of social media in your marketing strategy
· What
tools you should be focused on and how to use them
· How social
media can be a part of your multi-channel communication
strategy for your clients
This webinar is geared for entry level
to intermediate levels of social media expertise. It will likely
provide great ideas for advanced users. Cost for members
is $49 per connection, non-members pay $99 per connection.
Call PGAMA to sign up or register online at www.pgama.com. |
| March 24 |
Pricing Teleconference,
9:30-10:30am. All PGAMA members are invited to participate
in "Winning
The Pricing Game," a teleconference on pricing
sponsored by member firm MargolisBecker and featuring
guest speaker Paul Reilly. This FREE event is geared
to owners, top management, sales executives and estimators
with an interest in assessing the realities of pricing
decisions in this highly competitive marketplace. Topics
to be covered include: · Formulating
strategy by customer type · Price estimates
vs. actual amounts charged · Using Whales
Charts · Establishing Break Even on a
Cash Basis · Price Police. PRE-REGISTRATION
IS REQUIRED. Email Debbie@pgama.com for
the registration form. |
| March 24 |
Special
Event: 5th Annual Excellence in Print Awards Gala,
5:30-9:30pm at Martin's Crosswinds in Greenbelt,
MD. Come see the big winners of PGAMA's annual
printing competition, plus enjoy the open bar,
great food, and entertainment.
An essential networking
opportunity! TICKETS NOW
ON SALE: $65
each/$600 for a table of 10. Call PGAMA to reserve
seats, 410-310-0900.877-319-0900 or email Carol@pgama.com. |
| March 25 |
Webinar:
Real World of Lean for Print Managers,
2:00-3:00pm. Over 95%
of the total time it takes to process a printing order
and manufacture a printed product is non-value-added.
Lean focuses on identifying and eliminating all kinds
of waste and non-value-added activities with the goals
of slashing costs, faster throughput, improved financial
performance, and higher customer satisfaction. Tune
in to this webinar and learn:
· What Lean Manufacturing is and how
it is applied to the printing industry
· Management’s essential role in
the Lean process
· Eight sources of waste in printing
companies hidden plant
· The difference between “living
Lean” and simply using Lean tools
· Management strategies for sustaining
Lean successes
· And more
Member cost for this presentation is $99 per connection.
Non-members pay $199 per connection. To sign up, go
to http://www.printing.org/node/5951. |
| March 25 |
Production
Club of Baltimore Paper Show, 5:30-8:30pm
at Martin's West. See
the latest innovations in paper, media, and all
things production. Vendor space still available.
Contact JoAnn at
the Production Club of Baltimore. For more info
visit http://productionclubofbaltimore.org/calendar. |
| April 12-13 |
Seminar:
Total Immersion Digital Color, at
Printing Industries of America in Sewickley,
PA. This
brand new workshop designed to supply you with
a comprehensive look at what it takes to produce
reliable, high-quality digital output. The instruction
will provide two intense days of hands-on training
to get you totally immersed—and
totally knowledgeable—on the subject of
digital color and press optimization. Apply
the troubleshooting, benchmarking, and maintenance
skills you learn at Total Immersion: Optimizing
Color from Your Digital Press to improve color
output and consistency, increase production
speed while maintaining quality, and build and
ensure customer satisfaction. Cost is $595 for
members$1095 for non-members. Register online
at http://www.printing.org/node/5965. |
|
