The Big Picture - September 2011 by ST Media Group

09.11

www.bigpicture.net

Investing in Proficiency Education & Training PLUS: 路 Previewing SGIA Expo 路 Sourcing Media 路 Customer Profiling

Photography by Howard Schatz ÂŠ Schatz Ornstein 2011

TRUE-TO-LIFE COLOR FROm ThE LEadER In SOLVEnT PRInTInG The Epson Stylus® Pro GS6000 produces the industry’s widest color gamut – with eight individual colors – for unparalleled output quality at the fastest print speeds in its class. Its profit-focused design sets new standards in overall reliability, easy maintenance and a reduced total cost of ownership. And, while its all-new ink technology is compatible with virtually any solvent-based media, it has less impact on both the environment and worker health. Learn more about the way solvent printing should be at proimaging.epson.com

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*MSRP, before rebates. Please check with an Epson Professional Imaging Authorized Reseller for actual price, as dealer prices may vary. Epson, Epson Stylus and Epson UltraChrome are registered trademarks and Epson Exceed Your Vision is a registered logomark of Seiko Epson Corporation. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks. ©2011 Epson America, Inc.

ith

in this issue

SEPTEMBER 2011 Volume 16 Number 9

COLUMNS 4 InSight

he calculus T of ethics.

18 Graphics On the Go

he benefits T of customer profiling.

20 Business & Management

Very superstitious.

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES 22 Training and Education’s ROI One of the best ways to ensure your shop is efficiently producing quality work is to reinforce the critical areas of training and education. We’ve scoured the marketplace for learning opportunities from manufacturers and suppliers, associations, tradeshows, colleges, and more, and present them here for your perusal.

26 SGIA Expo 2011: An Industry Convergence Billed as “a convergence of innovative ideas, education, and market development,” the 2011 edition of the SGIA Expo will take place October 19-21 in New Orleans. Here’s why you should set your sights on The Big Easy and what you can expect at the event.

28 Pelican Graphics: All the World’s a Stage In New Orleans, Pelican Graphics has developed a strategic niche: branded, graphicadorned stages, allowing the company to produce high-profile jobs where their product is visually shouting out a message while the show goes on.

32 Hitting the Media Bull’s-Eye Media can affect every bullet point when it comes to satisfying all facets of your client’s extensive job checklist. This month, we provide a roster of the most commonly used media in wide format: rollfed vinyl, paper, films, and self-adhesives.

ON THE COVER: The input of knowledge leads to output of thought. Cover design by Laura Mohr.

THE BIG PICTURE september 2011

6 Wide Angle

weet waves, S dude.

8 Up Front

ews + N noteworthy.

36 R+D

he latest T tech, products, and supplies.

48 Job Log

ompetitive C motivation.

Mimaki_CreatPrnt_F_BP0911_Layout 1 8/2/11 5:21 PM Page 1

Creative print solutions. Components for growth now lie in the ability to offer creative and customized applications – from indoor/outdoor signage to fashions to vehicle wraps to promotional items. Mimaki’s full range of competitively priced printers, cutters, software and ink options produce clear, eye-catching images on an ever expanding variety of media. Let Mimaki broaden your service portfolio by giving you that distinctive edge to capture new business markets. Grow your business with:

Grow your business with:

• Posters • Window clings • POP & POS displays • Vehicle wraps • Labels, stickers, decals

• Promotional products • Electronic covers • Trophies & plaques • ID cards

A versatile grand format with the same super features as the JV33-260, but a whole lot faster. The JV34-260’s newly developed dual print heads, in a staggered arrangement, are the key to this printer’s significantly faster imaging speed – up to 323 sqft/hr (at 540 x 720 dpi).

A versatile tabletop sized, multi-tasking UV LED flatbed printer that is ideal for one-offs, short run production and direct printing on actual items.

An integrated print/cut system that simultaneously prints and then contour cuts custom shapes without any in-between steps. u Auto media clamp & crop mark detection features. u 4 versatile CJV30 sizes: 24”, 40”, 54”, 64”. u Uninterrupted Ink Supply System with solvent inks.

u Prints on heat-sensitive and non-coated materials up to 2" thick; 11.8" x 16.5" max. u Uses eco-friendly, low VOC UV inks. u White ink under and over-print along with clear ink capability.

Focused on solutions.

ATL

Grow your business with:

• Indoor & outdoor signage • Soft signage • Dye-sub transfers • Tradeshow graphics • Banners & murals

u Super-wide 103” maximum print width. u Automatic Media Feeder & take-up rollers stabilize media tension for optimum control. u Configurable for solvent or dye-sub inks. u Optional: Mimaki bulk ink system – Eight 2L ink packs for lower ink costs.

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BOS

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CHI

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www.mimakiusa.com Visit our booths and learn more...

EXPO Booth 745 | New Orleans • Oct. 19-21

insight by Gregory Sharpless

www.bigpicture.net Gregory Sharpless Editor/Associate Publisher gregory.sharpless@stmediagroup.com

The Calculus of Ethics I took Advanced Math in high school only because I was considering college, and because my tennis coach was the teacher. I certainly was no numbers whiz, having scraped by with a “B” in my former math classes. The class comprised two separate sections: the first half of the course, trigonometry; and calculus, which made up the second half. The first half kicked my butt. I simply could not get it. I didn’t get even a passing grade on any test. In the second half of the course, we moved to calculus and I assumed I’d really be hurting. The first assignment, though, appeared to be simple. “I must be missing something, this is too easy,” I said to myself. So I did another set of questions, and they seemed easy as well. I reasoned this was just the first chapter and things would get more difficult. But they didn’t. The entire chapter was like that, and the chapter after that, and the next. I was routinely getting an A on my homework. Other students in the class were asking for my help. I was loving math. Until, that is, my coach took me aside and asked if my older brother was doing my homework for me. At first I thought he was joking but, no: “It’s not possible you could do so badly in the first part of this course and so well in this part,” he said. “I know you don’t want to hurt your GPA but you should be doing your own homework.” I was devastated by the accusation. I had never cheated at anything. Now, my principles and ethics were being questioned. I proved the accusation wrong, of course, when we took our first test and I aced it (as well as the ones after that). I ended up with a solid A+ in the course’s second half, giving me a B- overall, much to his amazement. Just a kid back then, I didn’t know how to handle my coach’s accusations. Today, I know that when someone questions another’s ethics without any proof, it’s generally because that someone has no ethics of their own. When they come up with unlikely or unrealistic scenarios, it’s because, somewhere along the way, they have squandered their own personal and/or professional ethics. A shop owner recently confided to me that he had questioned one of his employee’s ethics. The employee’s manager had come to him with some concern, bolstered by a comment from another worker. As it turned out, the employee in question was fine – the other staffer had a personal grudge and had concocted the entire story. The owner not only apologized to the employee, but he put the story-making staffer on a 90-day review “to get his act straightened out.” In business and in our personal lives, profits and goals are important. But ethics must rank up there, too. For most of us, in the end our legacy will be about the kind of person we were, not just how successful our companies were.

Britney Grimmelsman Associate Editor britney.grimmelsman@stmediagroup.com Laura Mohr Art Director laura.mohr@stmediagroup.com Marty McGhie, Craig Miller, Jared Smith Columnists Linda Volz Production Supervisor linda.volz@stmediagroup.com Lou Arneberg - Midwest US Ben Stauss - Western US, Western Canada, Asia Lisa Zurick - Eastern US, Eastern Canada, Europe Business Development Managers Rick Bachelder, Kathy Boydstun, Terry Corman, Scott Crosby, Brandon Gabriel, Michael Garcia, Kirk Green, Robert Kissel, Craig Miller, Greg Root, Jared Smith, Mark Taylor Editorial Advisory Board

Tedd Swormstedt President Steve Duccilli Group Publisher Christine Baloga Audience Development Director Kari Freudenberger Director, Online Media Subscription Services (847) 763-4938 tbp@halldata.com bigpicture.net/subscribe bigpicture.net/renew Single Copies/Back Issues Debbie Reed debbie.reed@stmediagroup.com

THE BIG PICTURE (ISSN 1082-9660) is published 12 times annually by ST Media Group International Inc., 11262 Cornell Park Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45242-1812. Telephone: (513) 421-2050, Fax: (513) 362-0317. No charge for subscriptions to qualified individuals. Annual rate for subscriptions to non-qualified individuals in the U.S.A.: $42 USD. Annual rate for subscriptions in Canada: $70 USD (includes GST & postage); all other countries: $92 (Int’l mail) payable in U.S. funds. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2011, by ST Media Group International Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. Periodicals Postage Paid at Cincinnati, OH and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Big Picture, P.O. Box 1060, Skokie, IL 60076. Change of address: Send old address label along with new address to The Big Picture, P.O. Box 1060, Skokie, IL 60076.

THE BIG PICTURE SEPTEMBER 2011

11262 Cornell Park Drive Cincinnati, OH 45242 tel (513) 421-2050 fax (513) 421-5144

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wide angle

Sweet Waves, Dude A professional photographer specializing in surfing and water photography, Sean Davey (seandavey.com) spends his Hawaiian winters photographing world-renowned surfers, while focusing on turtles, dolphins, and fish during the summer months. Davey made the leap from successful freelance magazine photographer – landing 120 covers during his career – to an artist who prints and markets his own work. Relying on his Epson Stylus Pro 9900 44-inch printer, Davey outputs his images onto Epson Signature Worthy Exhibition Canvas Gloss and has found that “the bigger the canvas, the happier the client.” He considers social media, especially Facebook and Google+, his number-one marketing tool: “I was hesitant at first to use social media and felt weird about putting my work out there, but now I just see it as the new way to do business.” Shown: Single Fin Surfer. 6

THE BIG PICTURE SEPTEMBER 2011

www.bigpicture.net

upfront upfront

5 Colca Hands, Carol Hayman

1 Baseball Code, Jill Bedgood 2 Cattle and Live Oaks with Austin Sunset, Donna Bland 3 Untitled, Chrys Grummert 4 Arriba Mi Gente, Nancy Edith Guevara 5 Today Might Be Your Lucky Day, Becky Joye 6 Fluid Intelligence, Jack King 7 Hang Town, Jenny Meyer 8 Cowboy, Will Russell 9 Dare to Dream, Deborah Moss Willhite

THE BIG PICTURE SEPTEMBER 2011

Art for the Masses Digital printing has certainly broadened fine art’s reach in the past decades, enabling the so-called “common man” to more easily acquire an artist’s creation. But, most would agree, stumbling across that artwork still requires some legwork, particularly for those consumers who don’t frequent art galleries or museums. In Austin, Texas, however, the motoring citizenry will now have the opportunity to view 10 works of art on a daily basis. Reagan Outdoor Advertising (reaganoutdoor. com) has collaborated with the Austin Visual Arts Association and ABI Digital Solutions (abidigitalsolutions.com) for the Austin Art Boards competition – a juried contest that awards winning local artists with billboard space to display their work. This year, the competition received 100 entries from artists throughout the Central Texas area, from which 10 winning artworks were chosen (see list at left and above). The artists’ winning artworks were photographed using a 24-megapixel camera and then provided as digital fi les to ABI Digital Solutions, which regularly partners with Reagan Outdoor. ABI executed the output on its EFI Vutek 5330 printer, onto black-back 10.5-ounce vinyl. All output was completed in three days, and was then handed back to Reagan for the installation work. “It is always fun and exciting to work on a unique project like the Austin Art Boards. The whole idea for this competition is just great, and we are proud to be a part of it,” says Damon Henrichs, ABI Digital’s chief marketing manager. In addition to the billboard displays – which will remain installed for the life of the vinyl – the work of the Austin Art Boards winners and honorable mentions were displayed at the Flatbed art gallery in Austin through early August. Reagan Outdoor also hosted an invite-only reception to honor the winners, and video interviews with the winning artists were posted online at austinartboards.org. “This has been an exciting opportunity to bring together the extraordinary artistic talent across our community and put it on display for all of Austin to see and enjoy,” says Billy Reagan, president of Reagan Outdoor Advertising. Reagan Outdoor donated space and installation, and paid for the print work.

upfront

“Your employees have an effect on the leads you generate, the funding you receive from investors, the relationships you build with vendors, and the employees you hire in the future. Imagine the implications should an employee’s blog state negative aspects of their job, a tweet about how unorganized your office is, or a photo on Facebook showing employees acting unprofessional.” – KAILA STRONG, FROM “WOULD YOUR BRAND PASS A SOCIAL MEDIA BACKGROUND CHECK?” VERTICAL MEASURES (VERTICALMEASURES.COM)

THE BIG PICTURE SEPTEMBER 2011

Wrapping the Rental Wrap Media Group (wrapmediagroup.com) of Boca Raton, Florida, has partnered with Budget Rent a Car of Atlanta, to wrap 25 rental vehicles with eye-catching advertisements for Sheets Brand Energy Strips. Consumers renting these sponsored cars receive a significant discount on their rental fees from Budget. “Like many other entrepreneurial ventures, this was conceived on a cocktail napkin in a restaurant. We’ve developed a new and unique way for brands to interact with their consumer audiences,” says David Berke, COO of Wrap Media Group. Along with the wrap-marketing options, the sponsored rental vehicles will also bring other branding opportunities, such as the ability to add short codes for text messaging campaigns, QR codes, and coupons or product samples that will be placed in participating vehicles. The marketing collateral will also be reflected within the rental facilities. “The ability to integrate wrapped vehicles, product placement, and online interaction into one solution is unparalleled,” says Berke. “We recently began an aggressive marketing campaign and this concept was the perfect fit,” says Warren Struhl, CEO of PureBrands, the owner of Sheets Brand Energy Strips. “Not only will renters be getting a discounted rental rate and be exposed to our brand, these vehicles will also be seen by thousands of people traveling on roadways and at restaurants, shopping malls, attractions, parks, beachfronts, and other popular destinations.” To wrap the vehicles, Wrap Media Group contracts and supervises 3M-certified providers to handle printing, installation, and removal: “By taking this approach, Wrap Media Group is able to oﬀer our advertising clients a large network of printers and installers that can be activated quickly to handle large volume, while still maintaining the highest quality work,” says Matt Custage, vice president of Wrap Media Group. The sponsored rental vehicles are booked online via the Budget Atlanta website for the initial campaign that will run from August to November 2011.

Get the free mobile app at

http:/ / gettag.mobi

upfront

Flipping for Digital Man In winning Fespa Digital’s “Digital Man Competition,” London-based Blink Giant Media (blinkgiantmedia.com) went above and beyond, literally, the expectations of the competition. The Digital Man campaign encouraged a “digital revolution” by challenging entrants to photograph or film themselves wearing a Digital Man mask – the Digital Man being Fespa’s cool, sunglass-wearing icon for digital print – while adjacent to an impressive wide-format print, and to upload the footage to the Digital Man social-media outlets. Blink chose London’s renowned Alfa Laval Building, a high-rise tower, for its industrial-looking wrap. But then the company took its fi lmed entry to the next level by having Seth Allen of Flying Arts completing acrobatic stunts and gracefully defying gravity as he rappelled down the wrapped building’s sides. As of this writing, the video had received more than 600 views on YouTube. Credit to Point Access for filming, and to Adam Brown, editor. Check out the video online at bigpicture.net.

Small-Business Employment, by Geography

For most of the country, small-businesses’ job growth was up for the month of July, according to the Intuit Small Business Employment Index (intuit.com). Only the East South Central region showed a drop (-0.1%). The data reflects employment from approximately 68,000 small-business employers using Intuit Online Payroll. 12

THE BIG PICTURE SEPTEMBER 2011

Panoply Finance Launched Panoply Finance, a sister company of Global Imaging and Global Garage, has launched. The new business specializes in financing programs for wide- and grand-format printers. “We only lease in the wide- and grand-format industry and really understand the value and life cycle of grandformat equipment. This allows us to recommend the best lease structure for our customers based on their needs and long-term goals,” says Christene Mallory, Panoply’s director of financial services. In a press release, Panoply Finance (panoplyfinance.com) notes it has partnerships with banks throughout the US and “offers competitive rates, quick turnaround, and flexible packages such as lease consolidation. The company takes steps to match the right lender with each business and offers promotions and special funding programs throughout the year.” Mallory adds: “This business necessitates large cash outlays and by offering 100-percent financing with minimal up front cash, we can ease that burden, saving capital for other operational needs and enabling our customers to remain competitive with upgraded technology.” In addition, Global Imaging announced that it has launched Grand Format Success (grandformatsuccess. com), an online portal that unifies the company’s brands: Global Imaging, Global Garage, Panoply Finance, and Panoply Supplies. “We have always been able to provide a complete array of products and services as well as the experience and knowledge to assess our customers’ whole business and offer solutions tailored to their specific business challenges. Now they can find all of these offerings in one centralized place,” says Tara Lamb, president of Global Imaging.

September 11-14, 2011 McCormick Place South | Chicago, IL USA

New Technology Introductions Live Demonstrations Education Opportunities Networking

Wide Format Printers & Imagers

EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY

www.graphexpo.com

Wide, Super Wide & Grande Format Inkjet Printers | Flatbed Printers High-Speed High-Resolution Roll-to-Roll Printers | Computer Imaging Hardware RFID, Tag & Label Printers | Substrates, Consumables & Supplies 1899 Preston White Drive, Reston, VA 20191 USA T 703.264.7200 | F 703.620.9187 | graphexpo@gasc.org

upfront

$2.1 Billion

The amount of money US consumers will spend on nothing this year. In 2011, consumers are projected to spend $2.1 billion on “virtual goods” – outfits for an avatar in Second Life, barns and crops in Farmville, etc. Source: “Inside Virtual Goods: The US Virtual Goods Market 20102011,” by Justin Smith and Charles Hudson (insidevirtualgoods.com)

What’s Happening Online? More and more print shops are taking to socialmedia sites to show off their latest projects. Check out Fontana, California’s Premier Wraps (premierwraps.net) and Kansas City-based shop Wrap It Up (wrapitupvehiclewraps.com) recent Twitter posts. Snap a shot of the QR codes with your smart phone to see images of the projects, or type in the URLs. Follow @bigpicturemag for the latest wide-format news on Twitter. @PremierWraps “One of the coolest wraps we’ve ever done. I’m so proud to say this job came out of our shop. This car was yellow...” http://fb.me/ 14M3PoBHa @WrapItUpLLC “French fries to alternative fuel... veggie oil does it all.” Biodiesel Dodge Ram for University of Kansas Biodiesel Initiative: http:// t.co/75ZvL9E

THE BIG PICTURE SEPTEMBER 2011

Creating a Training Edge Training and education are critical to the successful print provider (see this month’s feature article, which begins on p. 22). For Coloredge New York • Los Angeles (coloredge. com), training can begin as soon as someone is hired. In March 2010 the company, part of Merisel Inc., developed its Visual Communications Management Training (VCMT) Program, and it has become a way to ensure Coloredge continues to garner some of the best and brightest. The VMCT program was created to help recent college graduates develop leadership skills, by exposing them to all aspects of the industry, and to learn how the company runs by developing key management abilities. Graduates with exceptional academic and extra-curricular performance are brought into Coloredge and, in the course of six months – during which they’re regarded as traditional fulltime employees – are comprehensively trained in all aspects and departments, including sales, manufacturing, project management, creative services, and corporate finance. The trainees are involved in a variety of situations to understand the decisions that shape a business. “Through hands-on experience, trainees are constantly learning from every department. In addition to the training schedule, they’re encouraged to make meaningful contributions through various projects,” says Coloredge chairman and CEO Donald R. Uzzi. “Some projects come about through immediate business needs and others come from observations of the trainees about how to do something better. At every point, the trainees are given all the support and guidance they need to benefit from the program.” During 2010, six VCMT trainees were welcomed into Coloredge’s New York oﬃce and three into the company’s Burbank oﬃce. Through the duration of the program, the trainees did everything from meeting with clients on sales calls to operating machinery in the manufacturing facilities. Then, as their time in the training period neared an end, Coloredge management assessed each VCMT trainee to decide where they could bring real value to the organization. “The VCMT program is a way to infuse new blood, talent, and ideas into a very stagnant industry,” says Uzzi. “The program has proven itself to be very successful. The past trainees have meshed well into existing roles or have created entirely new roles to improve company operations. The program has exceeded its highest expectation and will continue to be a platform to bringing new ideas and processes that significantly strengthen our company and client proposition.” In the first six months of 2011, Coloredge New York • Los Angeles welcomed 13 new VCMTs across the country.

EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY

September 11-14, 2011 McCormick Place South • Chicago, IL USA

FACT SHEET

What is GRAPH EXPO 2011? GRAPH EXPO 2011 is the year’s largest and most inclusive exhibition of offset and digital technologies, products and services for the commercial and package printing, publishing, mailing and transactional industries in the Americas—Canada, North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean—fully customized to ‘speak’ directly to today’s graphic communications industry professionals.

Why is GRAPH EXPO customized for 11 key industry segments?

How many exhibits will be at GRAPH EXPO 2011, and who will be exhibiting?

Because the printing industry no longer is “one size fits all.”

More than 400 exhibitors will fill the expansive McCormick Place South with the year’s global premiere of the hottest new presses, the latest innovations in related equipment, unique new applications and new product introductions.

• The graphic communications industry understands that the most effective communications today are individualized and personalized. • Printing is no longer solely about ink on paper. GRAPH EXPO 2011 is about graphic communications in the broadest sense and the integral role it plays in today’s social media: everything from ultra-personalized trans-promo, to short run books and bound documents, to unique media such as building wraps…even new ways that mailings are processed.

Unique applications and ‘live’ demonstrations will make new profit possibilities come to life for buyers seeking to expand their services to appeal to new customer market segments.

• Graphic communications professionals are expanding their businesses with new solutions and services to meet their customers’ unique challenges and goals. • The GRAPH EXPO 2011 experience will be individualized and customized for each attendee to best serve his or her needs.

What distinguishes GRAPH EXPO 2011 from among ALL other print industry trade shows? GRAPH EXPO 2011 does not stop when the ink dries—it’s about the entire process for getting a printed message into a consumer’s view, or hand, to generate a response. GRAPH EXPO 2011 is a world-class event that reaches far beyond traditional commercial printing by featuring live running applications of the hottest new technologies. Here, attendees will see and explore everything from wide format printing, to advanced trans-promo and trans-educational applications, to revolutionary mailing equipment—and a host of other innovations.

Who will come to GRAPH EXPO 2011?

Innovation in every show floor section & pavilion! The show floor will feature 9 distinct sections of special interest to attendees spotlighting today’s— and tomorrow’s—most in-demand and emerging products and services: • Prepress/Software/Workflow • Press/Finishing • News Print • PackPrint

• Future Print • Mailing & Fulfillment Center • Marketing Pavilion • GREENspace • Education Main Street

Buyers of printing-related equipment, products and services from around the globe will come to GRAPH EXPO 2011: • Commercial Printers • Book Printers & Publishers • In-Plant Printers • Wide Format Printers & Imagers • Transactional Printers • Newspaper Printers & Publishers • Digital Print Imaging/ • Creative Services Quick & Instant Printers • Marketing Pros/Advertising • Package & Specialty Printers • Media/Print Buyers • Mailing & Fulfillment Pros • Photo Imagers

GRAPH EXPO 2011 attendees will also:

Representing key components of the graphic communications industry, 80% of attendees are decision-makers and key influencers.

• Discover new profit opportunities.

• Gain the latest updates on ‘green’ initiatives. • Learn new methods for improving production quality, speed and cost. • Exchange best practices to improve their company’s efficiency and profitability.

Graphic Arts Show Company, Inc. • 1899 Preston White Drive, Reston, VA 20191 USA T 703.264.7200 • F 703.620.9187 • E-mail: graphexpo@gasc.org • www.graphexpo.com

editorial board

Meet Our Advisory Group The following 12 leaders from the digital-graphics arena comprise our Editorial Advisory Board, providing us with expertise and feedback, helping ensure that The Big Picture continues to cover the most critical subjects of interest to print providers. Rick Bachelder President, Filmet, Tarentum, PA Filmet (filmet.com) has invested heavily in digital printing. The company, which specializes in prototypes, medium- to long-production print runs of banners, interior décor, and more, employs 80 people at its 65,000square-foot facility.

Kathy Boydstun President, Fusion Imaging, Kaysville, UT Fusion Imaging (fusionimaging.com) is the resulting company from ProGrafix International’s acquisition of Impact Imaging in 2005. Under Kathy’s leadership, Fusion has become proficient in large-format graphic production, as well as project consulting, installation, lighting, and event-marketing graphic applications.

Terry Corman

Principal, New Business Development, LAgraphico, Burbank, CA LAgraphico (lagraphico.com) is a graphic-solutions provider with more than 25 years of experience. Its current capabilities include creative, pre-media, litho oﬀset, grand-format, and display. The company is FSC-certified and employs more than 200.

Michael Garcia President, OAI Inc., Tampa, FL Michael Garcia is the founder of OAI (oaicorp.com), which designs and prints outdoor, vehicle, environmental, and stadium graphics. Named a U.S. Chamber Small Business Blue Ribbon Award Winner, OAI is the largest largeformat imaging company in the Southeast. Michael is a member of the Outdoor Advertising Association of America.

Kirk Green

Craig Miller President/CEO, Pictographics, Las Vegas, NV Craig Miller, along with wife Susan and daughter Christy Stevens, run Pictographics (pictographics.net). Now in its 15th year, the company produces graphics for events, trade shows, garments, interior decorating, and architectural installations at its 20,000-square-foot headquarters.

Greg Root President, SuperGraphics, Seattle, WA Seattle-based SuperGraphics (supergraphics.com) designed the world’s first computer-generated bus wrap in 1993. Since then, it’s expanded into every area of large-format graphics, utilizing technologies ranging from grandformat inkjet and screen printing to electrostatic. Greg oversees manufacturing plants in the US and Canada, as well as an international sales force.

Jared Smith President, bluemedia, Tempe, AZ Bluemedia (bluemedia.com) is a leading provider of design and printing for use in vehicle, large-format, and environmental graphic applications for b-to-b and b-to-c organizations. Jared co-founded bluemedia in 2000 after launching several other marketing-related businesses, most notably The Golf Tournament Group (TGTG) in 1998.

CEO, Firehouse, Indianapolis, IN Terry Corman bought Indianapolis-based Firehouse in (fire-house.net) 1989. The company had been founded 19 years earlier as a fullservice commercial color lab, but under his guidance, has expanded its reputation as a major digital “print-for-pay” provider.

President/CEO, Ferrari Color, Salt Lake City, UT Based in Salt Lake City, Ferrari Color (ferraricolor.com) oﬀers high-quality large- and grand-format photo, inkjet, fabric, and UV printing. Overseeing operations of this 130-employee organization, Kirk is past president of the Association of Imaging Executives (AIE).

Scott Crosby

Robert Kissel

Mark Taylor

President, KDM P.O.P. Solutions, Cincinnati, OH KDM P.O.P. Solutions Group (kdmpop.com) is a second-generation, family-owned company that specializes in P-O-P through its oﬀerings of digital, screen, and litho (in short as well as long runs). KDM executes much of its printing for advertising agencies, retail, petroleum companies, and the fast-food industry, and also provides services to print brokers.

COO/Sr. Vice President, GFX Int’l, Grayslake, IL GFX International (gfxi.com) is a marketing-at-retail design and production firm. Oﬀering large- and grand-format digital printing, screen printing, and litho, GFX also provides project-management services, creative and imaging work, finishing, and fulfillment. Mark’s responsibilities include production planning, large-format digital production, screen printing, and fulfillment and logistics operations.

Partner, Holland & Crosby Ltd., Mississauga, ON, Canada Holland & Crosby (holland andcrosby.com) oﬀers P-O-S and promotion solutions to clients from its oﬃces in Ontario, where it’s invested in state-of-the-art digital equipment (including the first Inca Onset in North America).

Brandon Gabriel

THE BIG PICTURE SEPTEMBER 2011

C ch OM al M le O ng N es an

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SaVE T hE DaT E! January 23-25, 2012 | Phoenix | Arizona Grand Resort

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graphics graphicson onthe thego go

The Benefits of Customer Profiling By Jared Smith

ot all buyers are the same. Our own shop’s clients vary greatly. So greatly, in fact, that it’s worth taking a look to see just where these differences come into play – in order to see how they should be sold to, what they should be sold, what they should be charged, and how their expectations should be handled. Of course, it’s no secret that knowing your customer is an advantage. It’s similar to the advantage you gain by knowing who you’re playing against in poker. Knowing the particular style, the habits, and the tendencies of your opponent in poker can make a huge difference. If you fi nd yourself in a situation where your experience playing against this opponent gives you insight on what their next move might be, you can capitalize on this by altering your play. The same strategy holds true when it comes to knowing your client and/or client type. Yes, I’m talking about stereotyping or profi ling. Let’s take a look at four different types of customers who purchase vehicle wraps – entrepreneurs, very large clients, motorsports clients, and service fleets – and discuss insights that might help you with each type.

The entrepreneur Most of you should be able to relate to this type of customer. At bluemedia, we find that these customers feel the purchase is more personal, because they’ll be paying for the wrap “out of their own pocket.” They may be very cost conscious, especially if they are a start up or they’re buying this wrap with their last marketing dollar. But make sure you don’t confuse this buyer with the

JARED SMITH is president of bluemedia (bluemedia.com), a leading provider of design and printing for use in vehicle, large-format, and environmental applications, in Tempe, Arizona.

THE BIG PICTURE SEPTEMBER 2011

entrepreneur who is wildly successful with low overhead, high revenues, and great profitability. How do you fi nd out? Very simple – what type of vehicle are you wrapping for them? An H1 that matches their boat? Or a 1999 Chevy Express van that currently has door magnets? Is this their only vehicle, or do they have eight others previously wrapped? Go to their website. Do they have a great product with good market share, or a crazy idea that you think might not even work at all? Respect your ability to develop some type of an opinion on who you’re dealing with, and then tweak your responses to fit that opinion. When I say “responses” in this context, I’m referring to every interaction you have with that client. The price point you choose is a response; the design you propose is a response; the way you speak to that client is a response; and so on. If you’ve done your homework, you’ll do well on the most important thing you’re graded on: your response.

The game changer So you have an opportunity with a huge client – it’s time to consider a few things. I like to begin with: Why are they coming to us? Are they coming to us because we’re the only option within 200 miles of the need? Are they coming to us as a referral from someone we did a great job for? Did we cold-call them into submission and they’re only giving us this opportunity to stop the voicemails? Or did they reach out to us as the best solution for their need based on their own research of available options? It’s extremely important to ask yourself these questions and form an opinion about why they’re in communication with your shop. The answer to this question should help you in tailoring your response to overcome any objections specific to this particular opportunity. For example, if you are indeed their only option based on location or other factors, you might be able to charge a small premium – like the gas station that sits in the middle of nowhere. And if this is an opportunity based on their research, you might discount slightly to ensure you would be competitive on a large quantity. >42

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Very Superstitious By Craig Miller

hen we think of superstitious behavior, we tend to imagine actions like avoiding the 13th floor of a hotel, refusing to walk under a ladder, or stressing for seven years over the mirror you carelessly broke. Most of us believe these to be nothing more than silly notions. We are business people. We live in a fact-based world. We make business decisions and formulate business practices based on real-life experience, reason, and knowledge. For the most part, I would say we base our business operations on reality and truth, void of superstition. It’s also true, however, that most of us are occasionally guilty of letting superstition rear its ugly head within our business strategies. Superstitions negatively influence our behavior and company practices and erode our ability to think rationally. Worse, we’re rarely aware of these misapprehensions and when our illogical behavior is pointed out, we continue to defend our superstitious decision making. Superstitions originated by employees, colleagues, vendors, and customers can cause damaging consequences that wreak havoc in a company’s eﬀectiveness and profitability. Here, I’ll describe two examples – one involving my personal superstition, the other involving superstitions of my employees.

Conquering irrational fear As we all know, large- and grand-format digital printing is a very competitive business. If we intentionally or accidentally do something a client doesn’t like, we fear they’ll punish us by taking their business to a competitor. One of the first, and perhaps the most nerve-wrenching, interactions

CRAIG MILLER is a principal shareholder in Las Vegas-based Pictographics, (pictographics.net) where he is also director of military and law-enforcement projects, the company’s defense-contracting division.

THE BIG PICTURE SEPTEMBER 2011

we have with a new client is oﬀering them a quote. In the quote, we must balance competitive pressure with a desire for profitability. I was a firm believer that competitive payment terms were a very important element in ensuring a successful conclusion to this interaction. My personal superstition was this: Customers would not tolerate a sizable deposit required before we would begin a job, and they expected at least 30 days to pay their bill on approved credit. I truly believed you could only get away with a deposit and COD terms with small and new companies. The “blue chip” companies would be oﬀended by these practices. The bigger and more prestigious the company and its potential for serious work, the greater my fear became. But then came the recession. During the recession, our cash flow was, to put it mildly, less than optimal. For really big projects, we sometimes did not have the cash flow to pay our expenses before the customers’ checks hit our bank. So, we had no choice. My partners instituted a new company policy and against my better judgment, I went along. We began requiring 50 percent down, and in some cases, balance on completion. I know many of you might be saying, “What took you so long?” But I felt certain that the big customers we so desperately needed would never walk in the door and our current customer base would walk right out! Surprisingly, they did not. To my knowledge, we have yet to lose a single customer or job over this stricter policy. Deposits helped us survive the recession and we’ve kept deposits a standard operating process even though we can again live without them.

Laying employee superstition to rest Just as I am not immune to superstitious thinking, I have witnessed even the smartest and experienced employees fall victim to irrational superstitions. For instance, in the late 1990s we had two very talented and experienced installers on the payroll. I made them a proposal: “Instead of installing vehicle graphics vertically, why don’t we install them horizontally? If we use 60-inch vinyl, we can do the side of almost every vehicle in two panels. Plus, we can hide the one overlap seam in a >43

Textile printing

Backlit displays

WIDE FORMAT. WIDER CHOICE. Complete Solutions Whether you’re a sign and display professional or a commercial printer looking for a new revenue stream, Agfa delivers integrated and complete solutions to fit every need – POP, signage, display graphics, vehicle wraps and more. Extensive Opportunities Choices range from a complete line of entry level to high volume industrial inkjet printers, the widest assortment of rigid and flexible media, inks and toners, and finishing equipment for all production needs. Why Choose Agfa? From prepress to pressroom, digital imaging to wide format to packaging, Agfa’s comprehensive product portfolio provides best in class solutions which help customers increase productivity, streamline workflow and achieve higher profits. Agfa enables businesses to deliver more powerful messages. Contact us at: 800 526-5441 x 2473 www.agfa.com/graphics www.pitman.com

Billboards

Fashion store displays

Training and In lean times, the shop that can turn around the highest-quality job and do so most efficiently is the one that will continue to get the business. And one of the best ways to ensure your shop is producing quality, efficient work is to reinforce the critical areas of training and education – re-instituting the basics of a continuous learning process throughout the operation. After all, it’s not too late to teach an old dog the latest tricks, or to remind some newbies on your staff about some triedand-true methods. All across the industry, the various players – manufacturers and suppliers, associations, tradeshows – seem to be recognizing the importance of training and education. So, not coincidentally, the timing is perfect for the smart print provider to hit the classroom, even if it’s a virtual one. The mix of educational opportunities that are available has rarely been better.

Education via manufacturers and suppliers Let’s first look at what manufacturers and suppliers are providing in the way of training and education. As you might suspect, some of what’s oﬀered here is company- and product-centric, but many companies are now partnering with other manufacturers, suppliers, and end users to provide existing 22

THE BIG PICTURE SEPTEMBER 2011

and prospective customers with a broader range of knowledge and expertise. The list of companies that follows is by no means comprehensive, but is a good sampling across the board of what’s available to print providers. Avery Dennison (averygraphics.com) has partnered with Mutoh to produce Car Wrap Training sessions throughout the US and Canada; Justin Pate is teaching all of the classes. The twoday workshops are designed to focus on all of the critical steps needed to improve the quality and speed of car wrap installations, and an optional third day can be added for a Car Wrap Certification Program. The certification consists of a two-part test system including written and hands-on portions; once certified, the business is listed on carwraps.net. The Color Management Group (colormanagement.com) oﬀers its new Color & Graphics Forum on its website, comprising manufacturer/product-specific topics, as well as more general color-management discussions. The group also provides color-competency testing; one-on-one WebEx online/remote technical support and training; on-site training and installation services; and much more. Its “Color Without Chaos” seminar is

a one-day, in-house training opp that demonstrates how color management can be used effectively. At the three-day CorelDraw Unleashed Boot Camp (unleash.com) workshops, “campers” learn the ins and outs of CorelDraw and Corel PhotoPaint. The camps are held in Cave Creek, Arizona; remaining workshops in 2011 include October 20-22 and December 8-10. Cyrious Software (cyrious.com) hosts CyrCon, an annual conference for users of Cyrious products. The event includes product-specific training, user-led roundtable discussions, expert-user speakers, and sessions on new product features and enhancements. The next conference is scheduled for October 17-18, 2011, in New Orleans, concurrent with the SGIA Expo. The company also offers StartUp daily webinars as well as a daily webinar series. The EFI Connect conference brings EFI (efi.com) users together to testdrive products, discuss industry trends, attend keynote addresses, and network with peers. More than 120 breakout sessions were offered in 2011 at the annual conference held in Las Vegas, and the conference featured exhibits from EFI and other industry

d Education’s ROI Hitting the classroom can be a critical business maneuver right now.

suppliers. The 2012 event will take place April 10-13, at the Wynn in Vegas. The company also offers operator training courses onsite at its Meredith, New Hampshire, training facility. Vutek-oriented courses include “Printer Theory and Repair,” “Operator Certification,” and “Color Management.” Web-based training courses are also available. Its Color Academy Training Course, via Chromaticity, covers configuration, settings, licensing, spot-on color, linearization, and more. Also available is the company’s EFI-fogra. cert training. EFI’s Fiery Global University program is a consolidation of eLearning courses, webinars, and technical classroom training designed to make it easy for partners and customers to develop expertise on Fiery solutions. EskoWorld 2012, the global EskoArtwork (esko.com) user event, will be held June 17-20, 2012, in New Orleans. A collaborative effort between EskoArtwork and the EskoArtwork User Group International (EUGI), the event comprises training sessions, roundtable discussions, seminars, and hands-on labs. In addition, the company offers Web-based training for its i-cut Suite preflight and layout (via Webex). Esko

also provides finishing-system training for Kongsberg system owners. The Extensis DAM Learning Center (damlearningcenter.com) brings together information sharing, best practices, and industry expert insights on digital asset management into a central location. The site oﬀers an array of articles, webinars, tips and tricks, tools, and case examples. Earlier this year, HP (hp.com) opened its 60,000-square-foot Graphic Arts Experience Center in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta, Georgia. The new center will host educational workshops on marketing, print business management, and other subjects. The Experience Center will offer various training opportunities, including HP Capture “Ignite Your Growth” business-development programs, designed to help print providers learn ways to launch new marketing campaigns, expand their reach to new markets, and better connect with their customers. At HP’s Web-based Learning Center (hp.com/go/learningcenter), visitors can access various online classes that center around the graphic arts. Some of the class titles include: “Print Marketing Materials In-house on a WideFormat Printer,” “What Makes a Good

Small-Business Video?” “Creating Marketing Materials That Align With Your Business Goals,” and others. For LearnToWrapCars.com, car-wrap installer Justin Pate has created two new vehicle-graphic installation DVDs for the “Techniques and Tips” training series. The DVDs – titled “Advanced Wrapping” and “Speedwrapping” – are geared for the intermediate and professional installer. “Advanced Wrapping” covers, in detail, how to wrap the more complex aspects of vehicles. Pate addresses: cutting perfect corners, door handles, mirrors, wheel wells, antennae, rubber molding, bumpers, and problem solving. “Speedwrapping” is geared to help the entire shop. Pate shows how all three aspects of the wrap process – design, production, and installation – work together to ensure low installation times, few mistakes, and higher profits. LexJet’s (lexjet.com) Complimentary Assessment Program (CAP) is designed to standardize and streamline the printing process in order to maximize eﬃciency and increase profit margins. A LexJet professional conducts a thorough needs assessment of each participating print shop’s processes, finances, service requirement, and overall business objectives, and www.bigpicture.net

training & education provide cost- and time-saving recommendations based on the evaluation. Lowen Corporation’s (lowencertified.com) Lowen Certified training and certification program is aimed at vehicle wraps and related digital graphics. At the company’s Training and Certification Center in Hutchinson, Kansas, installers can pursue any of five designations: Vehicle Wrap Installation Professional, Fleet Graphics Installation Professional, Rough Wall Installation Professional, On Premise Graphics Installer, and Lowen Certified Expert Installer. The certification status is portable, meaning that the certification stays with the individual, not the company. Mactac’s Application Nation (theapplicationnation.com) is an online resource and virtual community for graphics installers working with vehicle wraps, cut vinyl, and wall and building graphics. Members can visit the website to ask questions of industry experts, read about installation tips, peruse the resource library, and download ICC profi les. Mactac also oﬀers Application Nation training sessions across the country. The hands-on events typically cover techniques on vehicle and vinyl preparation, printing, measuring, squeegeeing, repositioning, fi nishing, removal, and more. On the roster for 2011 are Charlotte, Cincinnati, and Milwaukee. Earlier this year, the company added certification status, creating the Application Nation Authorized Installer program, which provides certification for and visibility to professional installers who adhere to industry standard processes and systems for vehicle and architectural applications. Mutoh (mutohcarwraps.com) oﬀers its Mutoh Business Builder program for its customers with registered printers. Once registered, users can access: unlimited streaming videos on design 24

THE BIG PICTURE SEPTEMBER 2011

and install; live webinars; reduced rates for install training; discounted templates and designs; and much more. At present, Business Builders are available for Color/Color Management and Vehicle Wraps; its website lists upcoming Business Builders for Sign Shop Basics, Soft Signage, and Awards as well. In addition, Mutoh has teamed up with Avery to produce Car Wrap Training sessions throughout the US and Canada. Justin Pate is teaching all of the classes. The two-day workshops are designed to focus on all of the critical steps needed to improve the quality and speed of car wrap installations. An optional third day can be added for a Car Wrap Certification Program. Nazdar Consulting Services (nazdarconsulting.com) oﬀers a number of training and consulting programs and initiatives, including Chromatix Color Control training, G7 Certification, Lean Sigma classes, Environmental Health & Safety, and more. Chromatix Color Control aims to help businesses reduce labor costs, add capacity in peak production periods, and produce high-quality, repeatable color with every print. Lean Sigma focuses on reducing waste and variation in the manufacturing process. Its sister division, Nazdar Source One (sourceoneonline.com), recently wrapped up its Passport to Performance educational tour comprising open-house events around the country. Neschen Americas’ (neschenamericas.com) recently opened Training and Education Center is designed to train students on the entire Seal and Neschen brand portfolio, from product selection to final delivery. The center is located near the company’s Elkridge, Maryland, headquarters and includes a workroom, conference room, and expandable classroom; it’s equipped with laminators, laminates, media, and wide-format printers. Course options for print service providers include:

InDisplay In Depth, where students learn about the integration of Neschen inkjet media, Expolinc hardware, and Seal laminating films in creating comprehensive display products; Application Training in Finishing; Textile Printing and Material Selection; and Environmentally Responsible Media Solutions, which covers the “conVerd presented by Neschen” media portfolio. There are also course options for hands on and classroom style sales training for Neschen Americas’ authorized reseller network. Nik Software (niksoftware.com) oﬀers live training via webinar on all Nik products, in “Fundamental” and “Master” class levels, as well as special sessions on a variety of topics. Recorded on-demand training is also available. Roland Academy (rolanddga.com) oﬀers end-user and dealer workshops for each of its product lines, featuring hands-on instruction by industry experts. The Born to Wrap Workshop, in conjunction with Digital EFX Wraps, is a two-day workshop that covers a vehicle-graphics job from design to installation. Attendees will learn tips on fi le setup and design, color matching and workflow, printing, cutting and laminating, job estimation, sales, and advertising; and preparation, application, and removal techniques. Available in September (Irvine, California) and November (Lexington, North Carolina). The Digital Printing Boot Camp Workshop is an intensive three-day, hands-on workshop teaching “10 core applications of every digital print shop.” Each student will create all 10 applications during the class. Students will learn how to troubleshoot, meet customer expectations, reduce/control inventory, optimize printing and finishing processes, schedule workflow, and more. Roland reports it is planning a Boot Camp for Q4 2011; plans for 2012 are not yet finalized.

The company also offers an online webinar series; in 2011, the topics included: “Printer Maintenance for the SolJet Pro III,” “MetazaStudio Workflow for Printing on Oversized Objects,” “Creating Profi les for Roland VersaWorks,” and others. 3M (3m.com) offers its Advanced Installation Training for vehicle wraps: three-day, in-depth hands-on training, discussion, and demonstrations. Held several times a year in St. Paul, Minnesota, these training opps are done by 3M Preferred Graphics Installers from 3M Technical Service. Other 3M training opportunities include two- to five-day vehicle-graphics training in conjunction with Lowen Corporation (Kansas); and a Graphics Training Seminar with 3M Preferred Graphics Installers (dates and locales to be announced). 3M also offers separate certification programs: 3M Certified Graphics Installation Company, 3M Preferred Graphics Installer, and 3M Endorsed Vehicle Graphics Installer. And its 3M Graphics Video Library includes a number of instructional videos. The online videos cover five major topics including: vehicle and fleet graphics; wall and architectural graphics; cut graphics; general installation; and 3M innovation. X-Rite (xrite.com) offers several training options. Its national seminars include its Fundamentals of Color and Appearance (FOCA) events, which comprise one-day seminars instructing how to evaluate and approve colors. Held at various locales and dates around the country, the seminars are geared toward pre-media and digital pressroom personnel as well as manufacturing specifiers, quality-control and assurance professionals, lab technicians, parts suppliers, and others. Onsite training is also available for all aspects of workflow, including input devices, monitor calibration, file preparation and handling, application setup,

RIPs, printers, and color management. G7 Master Qualification is also available through onsite training. Hands-on classroom training at X-Rite’s Grand Rapids, Michigan, facilities (and elsewhere), include “Integrated Color Management,” “Introduction to Color Management,” and “Onyx Workflow Workshop,” plus “Fundamentals of Color and Appearance,” “Mastering IntelliTrax,” and others. X-Rite’s other options include: e-Learning opportunities (“Color Control Freak” – an 18-module online course that takes the participant through each step of a color-managed workflow, “Color iQC,” “Display Profi ling,” and others); online live seminars in one-on-one or group format; Media Profi ling services; and more. Sister company Pantone (pantone. com) oﬀers its “Color Immersion Seminar: A Deep Dive into Color Management,” a one-day event featuring end-to-end color management training.

At the tradeshow You’re already going to a tradeshow, so why not add an educational component to your itinerary? Look for events that provide for training before or after show floor hours, or simply ensure that you book enough days at the event. Some associations hosting tradeshows also oﬀer webinars through their websites as well as workshops and seminars at various locales across the country. Graph Expo (graphexpo.com) will take place September 11-14, 2011, in Chicago’s McCormick Place. The event features more than 50 educational seminars covering 11 distinct sectors within the print marketplace, including print providers working in wide format. See our August issue, page 36, for a complete preview. Graphics of the Americas (graphicsoftheamericas.com), March 1-3, 2012, will take place in South Beach (Miami), Florida; it’s held in conjunction

with Fespa Americas, which is focused upon screenprinting and wide-format digital printing. The 2012 conference schedule has yet to be announced, but the 2011 event in Orlando offered more than 80 educational sessions across 12 tracks, including: Wide Format, Digital Printing, Production, Prepress, and others, plus a Global Business Forum. Sixteen additional sessions were offered in Spanish. The ISA International Sign Expo (signexpo.org) is scheduled for March 21-24, 2012, in Orlando. The show’s 2011 seminar series offered interactive forums; hands-on workshops; and seminars that cover digital imaging, legislative regulations, technical industry application, and management, sales, and marketing strategies. ISA also offers an International Sign Academy program via the association’s website (signs.org). The Sign Academy offers webinars and onsite seminars on topics including installation and service, production and fabrication, design, sales and marketing, and project management. Taking place June 12-14 at the Javits Center in New York, the 2012 OnDemand Expo (ondemandexpo.com) is geared for print professionals, publishers, and others. The 2011 edition of its conference offerings included tracks with sessions designed for printers, publishers, and marketers. The 2012 Expo launches a host of new initiatives including a Drupa Zone, pavilions focused on upstart print technologies, and PhotoPublishing Pavilion, and returns the Wide Format Pavilion for its second year. Attendees at PDN’s PhotoPlus Expo (photoplusexpo.com) can choose from a variety of seminars and hands-on workshops covering the digital-imaging industry. PMA 2011 will be held October 27-29 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. >46 www.bigpicture.net

Photos courtesy of New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau.

By Britney Grimmelsman

An Industry Convergence:

SGIA Expo 2011

New Orleans plays host to the industry’s latest innovative ideas, education, and market developments.

THE BIG PICTURE september 2011

With its assortment of educational seminars, array of strategic networking opportunities, and expanded roster of sales-free Expert Zones on the show floor, SGIA Expo is marketing its 2011 event as “a convergence of innovative ideas, education, and market development.” Last year’s Vegas-based Expo set an association record for total registrants, and the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association is expecting this year’s extravaganza in New Orleans to be on track for similar numbers – some 17,000 attendees are projected to hit The Big Easy when SGIA Expo 2011 takes place October 19-21 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Event organizers anticipate more than 500 exhibitors to be showcasing their wares on the 225,000-square-foot show floor (see page 28 for a list of exhibitors, current as of this writing). There is, SGIA reports, a reason for the industry to be optimistic. According to post-show survey results from the 2010 SGIA Expo, nearly 85 percent of attendees either made a purchase from an exhibitor at the expo or planned to make a purchase within 12 months. “These strong purchasing plans indicate a turning point for the community. Imagers are investing in the latest technologies to create new opportunities for business growth and strengthening their futures,” says SGIA’s Susan Veoni.

Becoming an expert Expanding your company’s repertoire with the latest technologies presented on the show floor may be your top priority at SGIA. But the expo also presents you and your staff with a panoply of educational opportunities – approximately 30 seminars in all to help you expand your knowledge base. Educational seminar tracks include: Graphics & Sign; Garment Decoration; Industrial Imaging; Graphics Installers; and Business Management. Here’s just a sampling of the specific educational seminar opportunities you’ll find:

• “Sales Management: Tools and Evaluation Techniques;” • “Value-Added Services for Graphics Producers;” • “Marketing Tools 101;” • “Opportunities in White and Metallic Jetable Inks;” • “Sustainability and the Environment;” • “Charting the Rise of UV LED Curing Technologies;” • “Maximizing Profitability in Sign & Graphics Shops;” • “Achieve Greater Success in Graphics Installation Projects;” • “The Top 10 Mistakes Printers Make with Customers and How to Avoid Them;” and • “Workflow Management Panel.” Registration fee for individual seminars is $45 each for non-members (SGIA members receive a discount); discount packages are available for multiple sessions. Also: On the eve of SGIA, the expo will host its annual Business Development Conference, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. The half-day event will offer tools “to take your company to a new level by discovering the core competencies of your business and increasing competitiveness through value-added services,” SGIA reports. Leading the conference are: David Fellman (David Fellman Associates), Brian Hart and Clayton Marsh (Hart Consulting Services), and Barbra Bannon (Cranky Creative). “This event is an absolute must for any company seeking to take advantage of new market realities, differentiate themselves in crowded markets, and manage their sales efforts to increase profitability potential,” says Dan Marx, SGIA’s vice president, markets and technologies. This year’s keynoter, Gene Marks, will discuss “Politics, the Economy, and the Specialty Imaging Industry – How Today’s Current Events Impact Tomorrow’s Profits,” during the Keynote Breakfast, Thursday, October 20, at 8:30 a.m. Marks is a bestselling author, business-management columnist for The New York Times and

SGIA Expo Basics Show hours are: • Wednesday, October 19: 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. • Thursday, October 20: 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. • Friday, October 21: 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Entrance into the Expo is free if registered before October 18; it’s $35 after that. To receive discounted rates on hotels, contact SGIA’s official housing partner Travel Planners via the SGIA website (sgia.org). Of note: SGIA has been notified that other companies have been contacting attendees to reserve hotel rooms for the Expo; Travel Planners is the only official housing partner for this event.

Forbes, and a regular guest on CNBC, MSNBC, and others.

Knowledge sans sales Looking to learn, but don’t like sales pitches that often accompany the gathering of that knowledge? The show’s “Expert Advice Zones” are specially purposed expo-floor areas devoid of hard-sell tactics, allowing for a hands-on experience in a nopressure environment. “SGIA created the industry’s first Expert Advice Zone back in 2007. Four years later, they’re bigger and better than ever with two new zones debuting [Narrow Format and

Industrial Imaging zones] at the 2011 Expo,” says Veoni. “The demonstration areas provide a sales-free learning experience and are designed to fit the unique needs of the diverse sectors of the SGIA community.” New to this year’s event, the Industrial Imaging Zone offers the latest high-tech products for producing printed electronics, automotive parts, and more. Also making its debut is the Narrow Format Zone, which will demonstrate the use of narrow-format output for marketing, labels, small P-O-P displays, nameplates, and more. Returning zones include: The Digital Apparel Production Zone, which www.bigpicture.net

SGIA Exhibitors A W T World Trade #2501 Aberdeen Fabrics #2024 Ace Printing Solutions #1157 Achilles USA #2831 Action Illustrated #3029 AdMax Shanghai #112 Advanced Display Materials #2405 Advanced Greig Laminators #2015 Advanced Innovative Technologies

Catalina Graphic Films #2419 CET Color #1359 Cham Paper Group Switzerland #2932 Chemica US Corp. #2204 Chemical Consultants #2547 Chemque #2525 Chewbarka Tags #2409 Chimigraf #1465 Chromaline Screen Print Products

#3239

#2025

Advantage Sign Supply #2325 AGAM Group #2305 Agfa Graphics #935, #945 Alizarin Coating #3120 All American Mfg. & Supply #3001 American Biltrite #1431 American Ink Jet Corp. #2455 American Ultraviolet #1319 AnaJet #1345 Anatol Equipment Mfg. #249 Anderson Group America #2701 Annin Flagmakers #557 ArjoWiggins #2657 Asphalt Art USA #144 AT Inks #1325 Aurora Specialty Textiles #1832 Axiom America #3209 BBC Industries/Black Body #3213 Beaver Paper & Graphic Media #2645 Beijing Innovation Technology #2931 BelQuette #3137 Better Life Technology #3147 The Big Picture Magazine #2353 Brother International Corp. #3113 Brown Manufacturing Group #2145 Bruin Plastics Co. #2018 C&L Squeegees #2723 Caldera Graphics #635 Calsak Plastics #2915 Camie-Campbell #2603

Clear Focus Imaging #1655 ClingZ #2913 Coherent #353 Colex Imaging #823 Colorado Timberline #128 Color-Dec North America #2925 Colter & Peterson #2205 Conde Systems #1745 Contex Americas #1450 Continental Grafix #144 Contra Vision #1351 ConVerd #307 CoolEmblem #2105 Corel Corp. #1958 Coroplast #2919 CRC Information Systems #1613 Creative Banner Assemblies #134 Crusader Paper Co. #1725 Curbell Plastics #1919 Cylix #1259 Cyrious Software #724, #2719 D & K Group #113 Daehantrans Korea #334 DAF Products #1454 David Fellman & Associates #2833 DaVinci Technologies #1719 Demak America #3335 Development Associates #2019 Digifab Systems #2619

Digital Apparel Production Zone #3125

Digital Art Solutions #2844 Digital Signage Zone #2159 Digitex Printing Technologies #3435 Dilli #1835 Direct Color Systems #2037 Displaymax (Malaysia) #551 Diversified Printing Techniques #2120 DMPS #1665 Doctoruv.com #2834 Douthitt Corp. #2735 Dreamscape #759 Drytac Corp. #1631 Dubuit of America #1526 Duo Display USA #116 DuPont Nonwovens – Graphics #2033 Duraco #2107 Durst Image Technology US #901 Dynamesh #2319 E I T Instrument Markets #2836 E L Hatton Sales #1956 E&T Plastics Mfg. #2403 Easiway Systems #3145 Eastsign International #1531 Edward Segal #331 EFI #701 EnCore Products #319 Epilog Laser #2411 Epson #1201 ErgoSoft US #3053 EskoArtwork #2433 Estimator Corp. #104 FasteNation #2801 FastSigns #2009 Fimor North America #410 Fisher Textiles #1509 Flexcon #2837 Flexmag Industries #1931 Foster Keencut #718

4Ever Products #202 Franmar Chemical #101 FujiFilm North America #425 Gandy Digital #1819 Gans Ink and Supply #3121 GBC #2335 GCC America #1829 General Formulations #1801 Geneva Capital #2453 Geo Knight & Co. #1844 Gerber Innovations #2663 Gerber Scientific Products #1401 Gilman Brothers Co. #648 GPE Ardenghi #2504 Graphic Finishing Partners #2828 Graphic Parts International #2502 Graphic Screen Fashion #239 Graphic Solutions Group #2345 Graphics One #3201 Great Dane Graphics #3126 Gregory #325 Grimco #1601 Hangzhou Hongze New Material #761 Hangzhou Wansheng Mesh #2914 Hartman Plastics #2639 Hendrick Mfg. #2651 Heraeus Noblelight/AMBA Lamps #2527

Herculite Products #312 Hewlett-Packard #919 Heytex Bramsche #106 Hiker USA #1737 Hilord Chemical #401 Hirsch International #3157 HIX #3019 Hop Industries #649 Hopkins Riley Screen Printing Machinery #3219 Huntsman Textile Effects #2921 i-cut #140

i-Group Technologies #3336 Ilford #1559 Image Access #1358 ImageOne Impact #2331 Impact Advertising #2032 Imprintables Warehouse #744 Imprintor #313 Industrial Fabrics Corp. #3200 Industrial Imaging & Printed Electronic Zone #158 Ink Mill Corp. #2155 InkCups Now #2601 InkTec America #2625, #2729 Innova Art #1558 Inpro BV #1054 Insta Graphic Systems #509 InteliCoat Technologies #129 Inteplast Group #255 Interchange Equipment #345 International Coatings #509 Inventory Sales Co. #332 Inx Digital International #733 Island Clean Air #1753 ITNH #957 ITW Trans Tech #445 Jack Richeson & Co. #2835 Jalema Inc/Filing Systems Div. #1818 Jelight Company #858 Jin Kwang Chemical #2725 Johnson Plastics #953 Joto #2827 J-Teck USA #1209 Kammann USA #152 Kapco Graphic Products #656 Kaspar Papir #3152 KIP America #2845 KK Label #765 Klieverik #1927 KNF Neuberger #2628 Kor-Chem #2702

Pelican Graphics: All the World’s a Stage Launched in 2001, New Orleans’ own Pelican Graphics (pelicanusa.com) served as a typical print provider producing banners and signs, t-shirts and embroidery, and vehicle wraps and lettering. Meanwhile, owner Dolph Federico worked on the side, organizing festivals and constantly struggling with how to better brand the events. After an “ah-ha” moment in 2006, Federico created sister company Pelican Events, a brand-management and outdoor event producer, which combined forces with the graphics shop to more effectively market its resources. Through the combination, Pelican stumbled upon an extremely specialized niche – branded, graphicadorned stages – and almost instantly saw its business grow. By developing a strategic niche, Federico has been able to not only survive in his business during an economic storm, but thrive. His company has become a go-to source for outdoor stages that enables clients to silently carry a visual message while the show goes on. “Since Katrina, the competition has been fierce. It seems like there are hundreds more mom-and-pop stores that operate out of their garages now,” says Federico. “Everybody wanted to be in business for themselves and the price of decent printers became very affordable.

THE BIG PICTURE september 2011

“Now, we specialize in the branded stages. We own three Stageline units [mobile hydraulic stages] and have begun to develop a national client base. Our experience in graphics and stage construction has really merged into a deep pool of knowledge,” he says. Along with stages, Pelican also provides Ultra-Silent MQ Power diesel generators and a full inventory of cabling to power any size event. Along with its impressive tool chest of event supplies, Pelican’s extensive client list acts as a testament to its ability to serve a diverse clientele and land high-profile jobs. The US Department of Homeland Security, Continental and Delta Airlines, UPS, Fed Ex, Hard Rock Café, NASCAR, Honda, and Toyota are just a few names to decorate Pelican’s portfolio. One of Pelican’s latest undertakings: New Orleans on Tap, a beer festival at New Orlean’s City Park. “We have a great relationship with the New Orleans distributor for Abita Beer, Crescent Crown Distributing. We do a lot of work for them, including signs, banners, vehicle wraps, T-shirts, and posters – we print many products they need to market their brands,” says Federico. “Abita Beer had seen several of our other branded stages and reached out to us just days before the event. We worked quickly to get a design approved,

Kornit Digital #501 Kuroki Industrial #2753 Laird Plastics #1733 Lawson Screen & Digital Products #201

Ledco #2301 Leister #2526 Liberty Carton #1850 Lintec of America #426 LogoJet USA #3024 Mactac/Morgan Adhesives #2211 Magnum Magnetics #859 MagX America #2020 Main Tape Company #722 Marabu North America #1453 Margola Corp. #3020 Master Magnetics #1427 Meech Static Eliminators USA #3010 Memcon North America #2830 Mesa Distributors #2505 MicroGreen Polymers #1260 Microtec Technology #2818 Miller Weldmaster #335 Mimaki USA #745 Mitsubishi Plastics Composites America #2132 Mockridge Doming Systems #2900 MultiCam #1845 Mutoh America #2133 N Glantz & Son #2430 Narrow Format Zone #1959 National Azon #2852 Natura Media #1419 Nazdar Inks & Coatings #609 Nazdar SourceOne #609 Neo Tech Industries #2808 Neschen Americas InDisplay #726 Neschen Americas Seal & Neschen Brand #723 New Force Magnetics #465

Next Wave Media Solutions #3035 Nicomatic-North America #2300 Nippon Carbide Industries #2911 Nite Industrial #2825 Norcote International #348 North Island Graphics Media #122 Novus Imaging #1756 Oce Display Graphics Systems #1519 OKI Data Americas #411 OmniPrint International #3105 Onyx Graphics #1909 Oracal USA #1309 Orbus Exhibit & Display #1153 Owosso Graphic Arts #1754 OYO Instruments #2557 Pace Industries #1256 Pacific Coast Fabrics #957 Pad Print Machinery of Vermont #1645

Palram Americas #1721 Panel Processing #310 Partner Printing #2101 PDAA Graphics Application Zone #2859

Photo Tex Group #2333 Photo USA Corp. #211 Piedmont Plastics #2302 Pierce Equipment & Supply #2545 Plaskolite #204 PMI Split Tape #2126 Polytype America #1445 Practix Mfg. #2747 Premier Digital #2711 Prestige Scheduler/Pivotal Z #328 Presto Tape #963 Primera Technology #321 PrinterEvolution #1756 Printer’s Edge #644 Prism Inks #124 Proell #1820

Professional Marketing Services

Shanghai New Iron Chain Bolting

#3101

#2607

Proveer #1901 PTCF #111 Quality Media & Laminating Solutions

Ship-Paq #1255 ShopWorks #2745 SignComp #631 Signtific Media International #155 Signwarehouse.com #3118 Simona America #420 Sinclair Equipment #139 SMI Technology #2427 Soyang Technologies #1253 Spartanics #329 Specialty Materials #3122 Spectra Jet #401 Splash of Color #2031 Sprayway #2512 SS Light #2620 Stahls’ ID Direct #1245 StopStatic.com #200 SubliVie #3027 Summa #1015, #1409 Sunraise #142 Tara Materials #2210 TCS Technologies #424 TeamEPS #1459 Teckwin #1701 Tecre Co. #3237 Testrite Visual Products #3009 Tex Visions #100 TFCN #107 The Global Display Solution #2826 3A Composites USA #2311 3M Commercial Graphics #1437 3P InkJet Textiles Corp. #1915 Top Value Fabrics #619 Transfer Express #1245 Transilwrap #2805 Triangle #733 Triangle Ink #2021 Tricel Honeycomb #2111

#1937

R Tape Corp. #1809 RealTimeDesigner #1962 RedGiant #2124 Reece Supply #145 Regal Graphics #623 Reprographic Technology #2650 RH Solutions #2901 Richmond Graphic Products #519 Ritrama #2633 Rochling Engineering Plastics #1052 Roland DGA #1945 Rollem Corp. of America #1425 Rollsroller #1652 Royal Sovereign International #2551 S Walter Packaging #2618 SA International #2811 SaatiPrint USA #663 SABIC Polymershapes #1713 Sakurai USA #3202 Sam-Ink/Budget Inks #245 Saw Trax #2815 Sawgrass Technologies #3045 Screen Printed Apparel Training Zone #3319 Screen Systems #2819 Screen USA #2511 Sefar #2401 Seiko Instruments USA #2245 Sensient Imaging Technologies #2255 SGIA #1101 SGIA/ASI Photo Booth #1210 Shanghai Gold-Up Screen Printing #2510

Shanghai NAR Industrial #2521

then RIP’ed, printed, and finished the entire project in a single shift.” To allow for uninterrupted sound, Pelican outputs onto Ultraflex Strip Mesh Plus using its two Mimaki JV3 printers with Mimaki SS2 inks. “On the mesh material we double print to increase opacity. It’s more costly, but the results are far better than most of what everyone else in New Orleans is producing.” After the print completion, Pelican uses its Consew sewing machine to hem and double stitch the edges, and one-inch nylon webbing and brass grommets about every two inches to complete the finishing process. The shop also looks to its Banner Cyclone to hem its projects. Pelican’s installation crew installs about four to five stages a week, so this install was no challenge to the experienced team, which took only 20 minutes to get the job done. All of Pelican’s stage graphics feature a 4 x 40-foot main graphic along with two 6 x 16-foot side graphics.

Trotec Laser #1261 Tubelite Company #1731 TW Graphics #1865 UL (Underwriters Laboratories) #330 Ultraflex Systems #419 Union Technology International #1354

United Industries #627 United Visual Products #1952 Universal Laser Systems #1530 Universal Woods/Unisub #1853 US Paper Counters #1954 USTech #2425 Value Vinyls #545 Vision Engraving & Routing Systems #2528

Visual Magnetics #653 Vycom #2201 Vytek #301 W M Plastics #3313 Wasatch Computer Technology #1053 Western Quartz Products #1826 WS (China) #2529 Xcel Products #645 Xpedx #2119 XpresScreen #2605, #2704 Yongan Screen Printing Supplies #2648 YRC #1111

Yupo Corporation America #1429 Zatec #215 Zhejiang Huifeng New Materials #2208

Zund America #1235

Exhibitor list courtesy of SGIA and accurate as of press time. For the latest list, visit sgia.org.

will offer a firsthand look at digital garment decoration technologies and tricks and new trends to prevent errors and improve accuracy; the PDAA Graphics Application Zone, which will feature live demonstrations of vinyl installations to a variety of objects and surfaces; the Digital Signage Zone, which will offers tips on diversifying your business with this latest trends; and the Screen Printed Apparel Training Zone, where attendees can check out demonstrations of the latest garment special-effect techniques.

Networking opps Adding to the show experience are the opportunities for attendees to engage with industry peers. SGIA’s Networking Happy Hour offers individual receptions for specific industry segments on Wednesday, October 19, from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. The free receptions are invitation-only; industry segments include: PDAA, Latin American, Garment Decoration, Canadian, and Printed Electronics and Industrial Imaging communities. The Thursday >44 www.bigpicture.net

Media Source Bright,

See 3M r othe ions at t 7 solu A #143 SGI

COOL

The 3M™ Flexible Light Mat Series 3635-1000 for custom configurations and slimmer light boxes. Check out these “cool” features: • Exceptional heat management – Provides long LED life and optimum light output. • Consistent color and light output – Light reflecting film properties produce consistent color and light output. • Fast and easy – Peel, stick and wire up to 36 sq. ft. in under 10 minutes.

3Mgraphics.com/lighting 800-328-3908

EZ as...

1. Print 2. Magnetize 3. Display

Put an end to your past hassles associated with printing on flexible magnetic products with smarter ideas from Flexmag. EZ Printing

On inkjet, commercial digital, flexo, offset and screen printers

EZ Magnetizing

Choose from our wide range of post-printing magnetizers

EZ Display, Instantly

Ideal for posters, signs, business cards, displays, calendars and much more Learn more about EZ Flexmag solutions today Call 800.543.4426 or visit www.flexmag.com

Media Source New! PVSee™ and DecoVue™

From the Leading Producer of Perforated Window Graphics Films

Our first unperforated window film!

PVSee™ – Gloss clear PVC for POP, retail and other window signage Perfect for backlit graphics

See us at SGIA Expo in New Orleans Oct. 19-21, 2011 – Booth #1655

DecoVue™ – Clear perforated

window film for architectural and visual merchandising applications For a softer, translucent effect

Tel: 1-800-307-7990 ◆ 707-544-7990 headoffice@clearfocus.com ◆ www.clearfocus.com

ExpErIEncE MArdI GrAS In n’AwlInS wIth northErn lIGhtS Visit Booth #1832 at SGIA!

what’s behind your work? Variety Versatility. Value.

TOTAL ENCORE FOAMBOARD PRODUCT SOLUTIONS White Black-on-Black ® Heat-Activated SingleStep ® Pressure Sensitive Acid Free Cotton Rag Colors PilloCore ® MightyCore ® MightyPrint ®

BOOTH #0319

SGIA

NEW ORLEANS October 19 – 21

Made in America with Pride

auroratextile.com

800.864.0303

that we’ve only listed primary producers, manufacturers, and converters of media for the wide-format inkjet market; we have not listed distributors/ dealers who are only selling another company’s branded media. And, this list does not include specialty media (see October issue) or rigid media (see August issue).

Hitting the Media Bull’s-Eye

Imagin RoughRap WW100, Mactac

Advantage Distribution advantagedistribution.com Advantage branded vinyl, eco-friendly media, and paper.

More than 125 sources of vinyl, paper, films, and self-adhesives. Media can affect every bullet point when it comes to satisfying all facets of your client’s extensive job checklist. Whether that client is demanding an eco-friendly output, an outdoor banner in the dessert, or a NASCARworthy wrap, your media selection can make or break your ability to meet his or her needs. Hit the proverbial bull’s-eye when it comes to nailing down the perfect media for a project and you’re sure to keep your clients coming back for more. Miss the target, however, and 32

THE BIG PICTURE september 2011

you risk not only losing that particular job but also your client. The challenge: With such an extensive range of media options available, the center spot on the media-option board can sometimes seem pixel-sized, and very far away. To help increase the target size and enable you to better center your media mark, we’ve compiled a roster of manufacturers and private-label distributors of the most commonly used media in wide-format: rollfed vinyl, paper, films, and self-adhesives. Note

Advantage Sign Supply advantagesignsupply.com Optima Opti-Jet media for aqueous and Opti-Solve for solvent printers. AdventureCam Photo adventurecamphoto.com Proof Line paper, vinyl, and films, including self-adhesives and banner. Agfa agfagraphics.com Synaps UV-curable synthetic paper. Ahlstrom ahlstrom.com Chantaffiche papers for banners and billboards. Alameda Supplies alamedasupplies.com Alameda wide-format inkjet paper, banner, and film. American Permalight americanpermalight.com Photoluminescent printable substrates. Arkwright Advanced Coating arkwright.com Paper, film, and vinyl for aqueous, solvent, latex, and UV-curable printers. Arlon arlon.com Cast films, calendered films, window films, banner material.

Avery Graphics averygraphics.com Supercast, Supreme Wrapping Film, High Performance Calendered, Intermediate Calendered, Promo Calendered, Specialty Films, and Eco Friendly Films; Street Graphics film. Axon Graphix perfectproof.com PerfectProof paper and film for aqueous printers. Bandanna Banner bandannabanner.com Bandanna Extreme Digital vinyl for solvent printers. Bayer Films Americas bayerus.com Makrofol polycarbonate and Baycol polycarbonate-blend films. BF Inkjet Media bfinkjet.com SignMaster vinyl and CapStone and TruPalette Artweave papers; MuralMaster textured synthetic. Big Systems bigsys.com ValuJet, BigJet, and WetJet media for aqueous printers, and BigSol solvent/ mild-solvent and UV media; SeraMark removable wall-graphic print media. Bruin Plastics bruinplastics.com Screen Tex, DPC (double-polished vinyl film), and VCM (vinyl-coated mesh).

Clear Focus Imaging clearfocus.com DecoVue, PVSee, ClassicVue, ImageVue, SuperVue, ReflectVue, PosterVue (solvent, UV-curable); and JetVue and ImageJetVue (aqueous). ColorGate colorgate.com CG Screenfilm for aqueous and solvent, and CG Isoproof 200 paper. Contra Vision contravision.com XR, ORS, Backlite, Stripes, and Performance Perforated one-way viewable film for solvent or UV-curable. Converd converd.com Green OP, GreenLight Plus!-DPI, and EnviroScape Mural Plus!-DPI sustainable media. Cooley Group cooleygroup.com CoolFlex frontlit and backlit, CoolMesh, DreamScape self adhesive, and Enviroflex. Creative Banner Assemblies creativebanner.com Titan banner media for UV-curable and solvent printers. Custom Extrusion Technologies cetfilms.com Claritex polycarbonate film for solvents.

CalComp Graphic Solutions calcompgs.com Artisan line includes backlit film, PSA, and vinyl for aqueous and solvents. Canon USA usa.canon.com Canon wide-format media, including film, paper, and vinyl. Catalina Graphic Films catalinagraphicfilms.com Mojave digital media.

Dietzgen dietzgen.com Magellan Bead aqueous media; solvent media; coated/uncoated papers. Digital Art Supplies digitalartsupplies.com DAS adhesive-back vinyl, backlit. Digital Media Warehouse digitalmediawarehouse.com Rhinojet vinyl, self adhesives, paper, and banner materials. Dotworks dotworks.com Spotlight Backlight, Scrim Vinyl, Jet Maxx papers, and other media. DreamScape/Roysons dreamscapedirect.com Dreamscape glassTex window film, Bling metallic media, Terralon PVCfree wall covering. Drytac drytac.com Bannerfab, Eclipse film, EarthSmart Premium Bond, PandaPrint bamboo fiber, Tri-Print self-adhesive, Polypropylene, more. DuPont graphics.dupont.com Tyvek, Tyvek Vivia, Melinex, Teldar, and Myla. Eastsign eastsign.com Vinyl, films, and papers for solvent, UV, and water-based inkjets. Epson epson.com Epson signage media for advertising, banner, and P-O-P applications; paper and film for aqueous printers.

DFP206 ARLON DaVinci Technologies davinci-technologies.com Vinyl, backlit, films, paper, and banner for aqueous, solvent, and UV.

FDC Graphic Films fdcfilms.com Cast or calendered PVC, perforated, and reflective films for solvent, ecosolvent, and UV-curable inkjets.

www.bigpicture.net

media Fellers fellers.com Product lines for aqueous, UV, latex, and solvent printers. Flexcon flexcon.com FlexMark, FlexMount, FlexStat, BusMark, BusArt, RailMark, LiteCal, SeeThru-Sign, DigiPro pressure-sensitive films, WindowDeco, and more. Fujicopian USA fujicopianusa.com FixFilm-IJ static-cling film for aqueous. Gavrieli Plastics gavrieli.com Gavrieli-Jet paper, banner material, and film for wide-format printers. GBC gbc.com SurePrint and SurePrint Direct media for solvent and eco-solvents. General Formulations generalformulations.com Concept, Traffic Graffic, Ultra Tack, TransMark, WallMark, MotoMark, and MetroMark (outdoor), more. GMI gmintl.com GMI Mojave media for solvent and mild-solvent inks, including banner, vinyl, film, floor, backlit, and carpet and window media. Graphics One graphicsone.com GO Premier and Go EcoMax media, including paper, film, more.

Gregory gregory1.com Gregory Trendfilm. Grimco grimco.com BriteLine Duration media. Harman Inkjet harman-inkjet.com OpalJet Display Media; CrystalJet and CrystalJet Elite inkjet media. Hawk Mountain Paper hawkmtnartpapers.com Merlin, Sparrowhawk, Sharpwing, Kestrel, and Condor for aqueous printers. Herculite herculite.com Bantex digital media for solvent and UV printers. Hewlett-Packard hp.com HP paper, film, backlit, banner, selfadhesive media, and more. Hexis USA hexisusa.com HX vinyl and Stat PVC, SupTac vinyl; Carbon Cast film, wall-graphic vinyl; Naturally line of green media. IJ Technologies ijtechnologies.com DuraGraphix, UltraGraphix, Imago, Premier Edition, and SolGraphix Black Diamond adhesive-backed media. Infiniti Digital infiniti-dt.com Orasign vinyl, paper, and film. InkJet Set inkjetset.com InkJet Set pressure-sensitive vinyls, perf, static-cling, and more.

Supreme Wrapping AVERY 34

THE BIG PICTURE september 2011

Inkpress Paper inkpresspaper.com Inkpress film, vinyl, and paper, including Inkpress Eco Matte for pigment.

InkTec USA Inktec-usa.com InkTec papers (including synthetic), films, vinyl, backlit, and PET. Ink2Image ink2image.com i2i papers for aqueous. InteliCoat Technologies magicinkjet.com A variety of media for aqueous, solvent, mild-solvent, and UV-curable printers. Media range from paper and banner to self-adhesives and films. Inx Digital triangleinx.com Polyethylene Ecos PosterFlex and FlexiLite. iVivid ivivid.net iVivid vinyl, backlit, and film for aqueous, solvent, and mild-solvent. Japan Pulp and Paper USA jpusa.com Wide-format glossy, resin, and matte paper and film for aqueous. Kanzaki Specialty Papers kanzakiusa.com KS paper and film for aqueous. Kapco Graphic Products kapco.com Kapcolor banner material, water-based inkjet and solvent media, mounting films, and PSA laminates. LexJet lexjet.com LexJet and Sunset films, self-adhesive, banner, paper; Platinum Exhibit Film; Valeron Banner Film; Absolute and Aqualight Backlit; more. LG Hausys lgvizuon.com Xign, USB, and UGS banner; CAL vinyl; pressure-sensitive media; films.

Liberty Photo libertyphotoproducts.com Liberty Signature Series media line includes banner, vinyl, film, and paper.

Oracal USA oracal.com Orajet vinyl, film, perforated window media, and more for solvent printers, including: Orajet 3105HT PVC Film, and Orajet 3675 Perforated Window Film; Carbon Fiber cast media.

Lintec of America lintecofamerica.com L-AG Mother Green films, Printerior wall media, Wincos and Mistlass optically clear window film, and more. Lockfast lockfast.com Opaljet media for solvents, Opaljet translucent media, more. MacDermid Autotype macdermidautotype.com SigmaGraf films for aqueous and UV-curable printing, and FootPrint floor-graphics systems. Mactac mactac.com Imagin series of self-adhesive and vinyl for aqueous, solvent, and UV. Mehler Texnologies mehler-texnologies.com Valmex Backlit, Frontlit, Truck, and Blockout media. Metamark metamark.co.uk Metamark Digital Media includes vinyl, polyester, and one-way vision film. Distributed by Splash of Color (splashofcolor.com) and NuSign (nuflex.com) in the US. Milano Digital milanoinc.com Milano Digital products include film, banners, and vinyl. Mitsubishi Imaging mitsubishiimaging.com DiamondJet paper and vinyl; Pictorico media (pictorico.com). Mutoh mutohmedia.com Vinyl and banner media.

Outdoor Sign Supply outdoorsign.net Banner material and self-adhesives.

EnviroScape Mural CONVERD Nazdar Source One sourceoneonline.com ImageStar paper, vinyl, self-adhesive, and film for aqueous, solvent, mild-solvent, and UV-curable printers. Neschen Americas neschenbrands.com Neschen SolvoPrint and PrintLux; InDisplay by Neschen films, paper, and banner; conVerd by Neschen, 100% recyclable banner, print board, and photo paper. Next Wave Media Solutions nextwavems.com Aqueous media lines include BanJet, PermaJet, and DuraJet; also paper and polypropylene for solvent inkjets. NuSign Supply nu-flex.com Nu-Flex banner, backlit, perforated vinyl, and more for wide-format. OcĂŠ North America oceusa.com OcĂŠ Pro-Select, Display Graphics Inkjet, Options, and Solvent Inkjet Media for aqueous and solvent printers. Ilford America ilford.com OmniJet inkjet media, plus Galerie Graphic self-adhesive vinyls, as well as films, papers.

Pace Industries/Primex Plastics pace-industries-inc.com BioGraph.ics agri-based polymer and PS-Absolve. Parrot Digigraphic parrotcolor.com Parrot film, vinyl, and paper. Photo Tex phototexgroup.com Photo Tex and Photo Tex(S) self-adhesive, peel-and-stick polyester fabric. PlaLight America plalight.com PlaLight-Ad printable reflective material for solvent and water-based inks. Plastiprint plastiprint.com ProCling Green, plus Eclipse, SuperCling, PlastiCling, and PlastiView. PoliSigns polisigns.com Vinyls and papers for water-based inks; vinyls for solvent/eco-solvent. PPG Industries teslin.com Teslin IJWP for inkjet is waterproof. Premier Imaging premierimagingproducts.com Premier Display film, paper, and vinyl for aqueous; polypropylene for solvent. Quality Media & Laminating qmls.com A variety of vinyl and film for solvent and aqueous printers. >45 www.bigpicture.net

rr++dd

Fisher Textiles’ GF 901 Glossy Canvas

GF 3155 DIAMOND MESH

Fisher Textiles has added GF 901 Glossy Canvas to its line of Grand Format fabrics for latex, solvent, and UV printing. GF 901 Glossy is 11.25 oz/sq yd, and is available in 104 in. It is 65% polyester, 35% cotton, and features two acrylic latex primer basecoats and a glossy solvent inkjet-receptive topcoat. Suggested applications include fine-art reproductions, wall murals, and upscale retail signage. In 25- or 50-yd rolls. The company also has supplemented its line of Grand Format fabrics for dye-sublimation printing with a new GF 3155 Diamond Mesh (FR). GF 3155 Diamond Mesh is a warp knit fabric with a slight sheen that is lightweight, 1.8 oz/sq yd, and 100% polyester. It is FR and passes the NFPA 701 small scale 1996 version and is available 122-in. wide. Designed for translucent printing that requires the image to be visible from both sides; suggested applications include various apparel, home furnishings, and tradeshow applications. And finally, Fisher Textiles revived its Crazy 8 Billiard Cloth by adding a new and improved coating back for dye-sublimation and UV printing. Designed for custom-printed pool tables, Crazy 8 features an anti-friction coating for consistent “English” and a 40-gram laminated backing to help control ball speed; it’s also stain resistant. Oﬀered in 65-in. widths. Also available is unbacked Crazy Cloth, for poker and other gaming tables; also 65-in. wide. FISHER TEXTILES fishertextiles.com

Mactac Adds Ultra-Wide PermaGard Mactac Graphic Products has announced the addition of PermaGard PG7285XL, a 79-in. extra-wide laminate, to its PermaColor line of pressure-sensitive overlaminates. Along with a roll-width increase, the 2.5-mil laminate oﬀers a variety of upgrades including a solventbased permanent acrylic adhesive, a change in the liner color from yellow, and a matte finish to reduce glare and improve readability. Intended for use over UV, solvent, eco-solvent, and latex wide-format print, PermaGard PG7285XL is designed for interior and exterior signage, murals, P-O-P displays, and wideformat graphics requiring protection from UV light, weather, and scuﬃng. MACTAC mactac.com

THE BIG PICTURE SEPTEMBER 2011

Corel’s CorelDraw Graphics Suite X5 Limited Edition CorelDraw Graphics Suite X5 Limited Edition is now available. The graphics collection combines four creative and design tools: • CorelDraw Graphics Suite X5, including Corel PhotoPaint, the image-editing application for retouching and enhancing photos; • Corel Painter 11; • A Wacom Intuos 4 small pen tablet, with pen-tip sensor technology and 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity; and • More than $200 of high-quality Fotolia stock images of the buyer’s choice. Price: $649 ($349 for upgrade). Also available is CorelDraw Graphics Suite X5 Small Business Edition, which includes CorelDraw X5, Corel PhotoPaint X5, Corel PowerTrace X5, Corel Capture X5, Corel Connect, and supporting applications such as PhotoZoom Pro 2 and Swish miniMax2. Price: $899.

Omni-Flute

Gatorfoam Exterior From 3A Composites

Graphics One has launched the GO Rio Pro 54, a 54-inch dye-sublimation transfer printer. Specifically designed for the dye-sublimation market, the water-based, 4-color Rio Pro 54 features: Intelligent Interweaving printing technology to eliminate banding; top speeds of 400 sq ft/hr; high-definition print resolutions of up to 1440 dpi; an integrated media takeup system; and a Wasatch SoftRIP for Rio. Price: $11,995, includes 500 ml CMYK GO Xtreme Inks (optimized for a variety of fabrics including polyester, cotton, nylon, silk), one roll of Xtreme HR 96 media, and one GO uFill bulk-ink system with cassettes.

Gatorfoam Exterior, a new offering in the Gatorboard product line for exterior graphic displays and signage designed to stand up to the elements, has been introduced by 3A Composites USA. Like standard Gatorfoam, the new Exterior product consists of polystyrene foam bonded between two layers of wood-fiber veneer laminate, producing a lightweight, warp-resistant substrate that is smooth and offers superior dent- and scratch-resistance, 3A reports. To enhance its weather performance, it’s manufactured with a specially formulated adhesive to improve bond strength and moisture resistance. Gatorfoam Exterior accepts direct digital printing, screenprinting, and paint; it can be saw-cut or routed. It’s available in Bright White color in 48 x 96-in. sheets in 1- and 1.5-in. thicknesses. In addition, 3A Composites’ Omni-Flute graphic display boards are now available in five new colors: Red, Dark Green, Dark Blue, Light Blue, and Gray. Designed for short-term signage and P-O-P displays, the boards accept direct digital printing and screenprinting applications as well as paint. Recyclable, Omni-Flute can be die-cut and knife-cut and accepts repositionable vinyl graphics. The new Omni-Flute colors are available in standard 48 x 96-in. sheets in 4-mm thicknesses. They’re also available in cut-to-order sizes with a minimum sheet size of 18 x 18 in. and a maximum sheet size of 104 x 144 in.

GRAPHICS ONE

3A COMPOSITES USA

graphicsone.com

graphicdisplayusa.com

COREL corel.com

Graphics One Launches GO Rio Pro Dye-Sub Printer

www.bigpicture.net

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SeeFile 5 Makes its Debut SeeFile Software has introduced the fifth generation of its Web-based digital asset management (DAM) solution. New SeeFile 5 features include: smart fi lters based on dates, approval and comments to improve production; easy navigation in diﬀerent folders and collections; quick annotations on images and multipage PDFs to improve collaboration and reviewing; approval of projects and jobs; ability to invite guests by e-mail to preview content; and transfer large fi les without the need to install a client application. Price: From $699 to $6795, depending on number of users. For users who don’t have a Mac to act as the server, SeeFile provides bundles with Mac Mini hardware. Cloud-based service is also available (in North America). SEEFILE seefile.com

ImageOne’s Corrugated Plastic Mounting Bracket ImageOne Impact has introduced a new mounting bracket specifically designed for 3-6 mm corrugated plastic substrates. Made from recycled plastic and completely recyclable, the Corrugated Plastic Mounting Bracket features a flexible hinge that can adapt to various surfaces and holes designed for various mounting options including screws, bolts, and/or straps. Applications include poles, posts, and walls. The bracket comes in single packs and bulk packs of 24-brackets. IMAGEONE IMPACT image1impact.com

THE BIG PICTURE SEPTEMBER 2011

New Upgrade for HP Scitex XP2300 HP has introduced a new upgrade package for the HP Scitex XP2300 printer. The Scitex XP2300 now oﬀers new billboard print modes for printing directly on inexpensive banner materials, which could previously be used only with solvent technologies. With these print modes, designed for HP Specialty Billboard Scitex Inks, customers can achieve a glossy or matte finish using one ink and reduce the time spent switching inks between print jobs, HP reports. Users installing the upgrade also begin receiving support through HP Scitex Print Care, a set of tools and services designed to anticipate technical issues, enable remote diagnosis, and provide performance information. The upgrade package is scheduled to be available in mid-September. In addition, HP has announced a free software application for the HP Designjet Z3200 Photo Printer series that enables users to generate large-format photo negatives for the production of high-quality, black-and-white silver-halide photo prints. The Large Format Photo Negative software package includes a paper preset for the HP Designjet Z3200 series that allows users to print a digital negative from a fi lm, scanned, or digital-capture fi le onto a transparent substrate; once printed, the large-format photo negatives can be used as masters to produce high-quality, black-andwhite fine-art prints through a contact process. The final print size is the same as that of the transparency, allowing a 35mm negative to be blown up as large as a 44-in. print. The solution can be used with any silver-halide papers, including fi xed or variable grade, and can be used to produce large-format prints from 35 mm images, enhance images from old or damaged negatives, or archive digital fi les physically on fi lm and paper. HP hp.com

ad index

September 2011

Agfa Graphics 21 www.agfa.com Aurora Specialty Textiles 31 www.auroratextile.com Bordeaux Digital Print Ink Ltd. OBC www.c-m-y-k.com Clear Focus Imaging Inc. 31 www.clearfocus.com EnCore Products 31 www.encoreproducts.com Epson America IFC, 1 www.epson.com EskoArtwork 41 www.esko.com Flexcon 19 www.flexcon.com Flexmag Industries 30 www.flexmag.com Graphic Arts Show Co. 13, 15 www.graphexpo.com Inx Digital 11 www.triangleinx.com Lintec of America 30 www.lintecofamerica.com

Marabu North America 39 www.marabu-northamerica.com Mimaki USA, Inc. 3 www.mimakiusa.com Mutoh America Inc. 9 www.mutoh.com Panel Processing 40 www.panel.com Pregis Corp. 43 www.pregis.com Seiko Instruments USA IBC www.seiko-i.com SGIA Insert www.sgia.org Signage & Graphics Summit 17 www.signageandgraphics.com ST Book Store 30 www.bookstore.stmediagroup.com 3M Commercial Graphics 30 www.3mgraphics.com Ultraflex Systems 31, 41 www.ultraflexx.com Visual Magnetics 5 www.visualmagnetics.com

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QUICK SHOTS

Nazdar launches Lyson 213 Series inks: Nazdar has released

New Ultraflex SuperPrint Economy Banner Ultraflex has launched SuperPrint Economy, a frontlit banner material for UV, latex, and solvent printing. Its lightweight 8-oz structure is fi reretardant and designed for indoor and short-term outdoor applications as well as P-O-P posters, exhibition graphics, and short-term banners. Available in matte and gloss finishes. Standard widths are: 38, 54, 63, and 126 in.; it’s also available in various widths on cores specific for the HP Turbojet. And for billboard applications, Ultraflex oﬀers Billboard 420, a 192 in. x 420-ft version of SuperPrint Economy. ULTRAFLEX ultraflexx.com

Lyson 213 Series ink for use in Roland AJ-1000i and Roland AJ-740i printers. The cartridges are 100% compatible and color-matched, and install just like OEM cartridges, Nazdar reports. Nazdar supplies Lyson 213 in 1000-ml cartridges. nazdar.com

Oracal mobile app: Oracal has released a mobile app for MaciOS, including the iPhone, iPad, and the iPod, that allows for finding the location of the nearest Oracal distributor, following the Oracal Twitter feed, and browsing the calendar of events. oracal.com

Marabu’s new website: Marabu North America has introduced its new website, marabu-northamerica. com, coinciding with this year’s official name change from Clearstar LP and the acquisition of Autoroll Print Technologies. The website fully integrates the Marabu brand and is designed to provide customers with a knowledge base about the company and the printing industry, as well as an opportunity to research printing solutions. marabu-northamerica.com

OKI proColor Financing debuts: OKI Data Americas has established OKI proColor Financing, a financial-services program to support OKI’s proColor dealer network. Through this program, OKI proColor Financing provides financing solutions to facilitate more convenient access to the company’s OKI proColor series of printers. okidata.com

Retroreflectivity Compliance Kit from Avery: The new Avery Dennison Minimum Retroreflectivity Compliance Kit is designed to evaluate if an existing sign meets new federally established standards for “retroreflectivity,” the standard for measuring sign brightness. The kit contains calibration sign standards and comparison panel standards. reflectives.averydennison.com

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graphics on the go <18 Either way, when it comes to large clients you always need to keep in mind that your proposal is going to land on the same desk as multi-million dollar proposals. So spend the eﬀort. Make sure it presents well and that there are zero mistakes. This type of client can be a game changer for your company, so respect these opportunities without leaving any money on the table.

High octane Motorsports clients, one of my personal favorites, present very intriguing opportunities. Granted, they’re not always profitable or favorable, but they’re definitely cool. I’ll admit that I’ve sometimes been guilty of pricing a job to the point where it wasn’t profitable just because I wanted that vehicle in our portfolio. And these projects can help you land profitable ones – plus it provides bragging rights. Motorsports clients run the gamut in our shop; we service every type of vehicle and customer – from Formula 1 to the client whose 8-year-old son races go carts. You have to be mindful of these differences. There are good budgets for race haulers with huge sponsors, but the same is not necessarily true for the local guy with a dirt-track car. Think about where the money is coming from. Speaking of money, make sure you’re firm on whatever terms you award. For instance, if you require a deposit, don’t start work without it. I’m not saying that motorsports clients don’t pay their bills, but many times you’ll be dealing with someone who’s far removed from the person who does pay the bills. The truck driver is not always the best communicator to the accounts-payable office that’s located 14 states away. So be clear and steadfast in your expectations for payment, and handle those details with the correct person in advance so there are no surprises for you or the client. Delaying the race team over some type of payment miscommunication will ensure you never get that job again. Tip: Many times, these motorsports projects are very short on turn-around time because, to these clients, the “decals” are not as important as getting the car “race ready” – tweaking the motor and suspension etc. We often get two days or less to complete these projects due to lastminute sponsor deals getting signed or the ridiculously tight testing schedule of the vehicle. The more accommodating you can be to their needs, the better chance you have at really hitting if off with motorsports clients. Know their race schedule, their team, the driver of the car, and the truck. This type of client feels much more comfortable having their work done with someone who understands their world. So get up to speed and tailor your approach for a custom fit.

Service fleets With service fleets, it’s all business. These clients have a schedule to keep. They need their vans back on the road as 42

THE BIG PICTURE SEPTEMBER 2011

soon as possible and cannot put up with delays. The price point needs to be sharp and the communication must be constant and proactive. If you’re reading this and saying, “This is true for all client types,” you’re correct – but you’re missing the point. The game here is to understand the differences, even minute differences, in how common attributes rank differently in order of importance to different buyer types. For a client that has eight HVAC service trucks, it’s extremely important to convey confidence and deliver as promised because this client has set up six service calls for its trucks, all starting the morning after you said it would be ready. So I suggest you call that client at 3 p.m. on the day of the install and let them know everything is on schedule as promised. We also take special care to immediately inspect these vehicles when they arrive, looking for any item that needs to be addressed. These items include: the correct unit number was delivered; pre-existing damage that needs to be noted; the correct year, make, and model as quoted and produced; external surprises such as ladder racks, vents, or equipment not disclosed or accounted for. If any of these items exist, they should get addressed very early in the day so the fleet manager can take appropriate actions. Be proactive and help them keep their fleet working. Ask when the next appointment is. Get each driver’s phone number and a backup number. Ask about DOT graphic requirements. Know this client and their schedule and, in return, they will know you as a great solutions provider for them. The most important single lesson here is to put yourself in their shoes. Try to envision what their office looks like. Think about what else they have to do today. What else are they responsible for? If you were them, what would you be concerned about and in what order? See the deal from their view. If you know they’ve been burned on inferior materials in the past, send the warranty document with your quote. If you know they’re spending their last dollar on this marketing effort, send stats on the ROI of the vehicle-wrap medium. If you suspect that the buyer is extremely busy, stress how your team will own this project to completion and ask how they’d like to receive progress updates.

Don’t be their partner The concept of customer profi ling is very easy to master and can return huge results. Study your clients. If you worry about their concerns while staying steadfast to your sound business model, your concerns will be solved. Don’t be their partner. Instead, be their expert and be available to serve. True experts not only know their own business, but they understand the diﬀerences in their clients – and they provide specific solutions that address those diﬀerences in a manner that capitalizes.

inside output <20 natural crease or piece of trim. We can eliminate those vertical welts caused by the overlapping panels because this way there will be no noticeable overlaps. The graphics will look like they are painted on and, to my knowledge, no one else is doing it. This will give us an advantage over our competition.” Our two world-class installers, with a combined 25 years of experience, were adamant in their professional opinion: It simply could not be done and if we tried it, it would be a disaster. Given the length of panels we would have to produce, they believed, we would ruin too many panels in printing and laminating. A 5 x 45-foot piece of sticky-back vinyl for a tour bus would be impossible to work with. It would take too much time, be too diﬃcult to line up the long panels, and more panels would get destroyed during install. They felt – and passionately so – that I would be making their job a nightmare and would cost our company money in increased labor and ruined materials. I took their expert opinion under advisement, and then asked the prepress and print department to produce a bus wrap in only seven panels. The output consisted of two 5 x 45-foot panels for each side, two 5 x 10-foot panels for the back, and one panel for under the front windshield. The same bus, using their preferred method, would have required 20 5 x 10-foot vertical side panels for the sides and back, plus short verticals for the front. In short, seven panels versus 22. When our guys groaned with disapproval, I reminded them that the company was assuming all the risk. If my idea failed, we would just have to reprint the bus and pay them to do the install a second time. They were getting paid regardless. It was my idea; any consequences were all on me. So we did it. The installation went oﬀ without a hitch. The long panels printed fi ne, a testament to our prepress and print departments. The seven panels took

significantly less time to line up and install than the 22 would have. The fi nished product was a significant step forward in our vehicle-graphics oﬀering. We went on to do hundreds of vehicles with the horizontal method and I think the longest side panels we have done to date were for 55-foot trailers.

Living in the real world As managers and owners, we can firmly hold onto beliefs that are not supported by reality. Our employees can resist innovation because they adhere to erroneous beliefs. But, these superstitious beliefs will always topple when put to the test of reality.

Green Power.

Falconboard™ is the stronger, flatter and greener alternative to foamboard. With striking printability and versatility, Falconboard is the perfect choice for screen or digital direct printing, as a mounting medium, or for custom displays and POS. Its unique hexacomb design allows superior toughness with less inner core density. So cutting is easier, for cleaner, more accurate, more attractive die-cuts. Best of all, it’s from Pregis Hexacomb,® the global product quality and service leader in high performance, engineered, 100% paper solutions for over three decades. Falconboard’s unparalleled strength and sustainability make it your preferred alternative to foam board and other paper-based options.

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SGIA Expo Online Conversation If you’d like to follow the latest happenings regarding SGIA Expo and its exhibitors, or voice out about seminar topics or new products then the SGIA social-media sites are for you: • Twitter: @SGIAExpo and #sgiaexpo • Blogger: SGIA.org/wordpress • Linkedin: SGIA

<29 Night Awards Party honors the best-of-the-best in the industry, while allowing attendees to connect with colleagues, new business contacts, and new prospective customers over dinner and cocktails. SGIA will be joined by other organizations representing diﬀerent industry segments, allowing attendees to network with companies from a wide-array of specialties. The following groups plan to hold events during the expo in New Orleans to explore new business opportunities: FastSigns, Signarama, the Professional Decal Application Alliance (PDAA), Profit and Education in Reprographics (PEiR), ReproMax, United Application Standards Group (UASG), the Ad Specialty Institute (ASI), and the Western Reprographics Association (WRA). “Much of SGIA’s recent growth has been from companies new to specialty imaging. The relative ease of implementing digital imaging technology is bringing new companies into the community,” says Michael Robertson, SGIA’s president and CEO. “Many of these new community participants are lithographers adding wide-format capability, reprographers and sign makers expanding their markets, as well as companies from the manufacturing sector adding or changing industrial imaging applications in their manufacturing process.” 44

THE BIG PICTURE SEPTEMBER 2011

Awarding excellence During the expo, SGIA oﬀers several prestigious awards to the top work and products in the industry. Its Golden Image Awards Competition recognizes innovative output in the digital and screenprinting marketplace. Each entry is judged based on its perceived value to the digital-imaging community by a team of digital-imaging professionals during the expo. All entries will be showcased in the gallery October 19-20, 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., and on October 21 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Every entrant will be considered for “Best in Show” (digital and screen printing categories), and for “Best in Creativity” (digital printing only). The entry deadline for the Golden Image Awards is October 7. SGIA printer members receive one free entry, and additional entries are $30 each. Learn more about the competition and enter online here: sgia.org/members/ events/goldenimage_competition. Last year’s honors were given to select winning entries, including: • Best in Show - Graphic: Solutions Unlimited (entry title: High Shine); • Best in Show - Garment: Tarun Print Tech (entry title: Michael Jackson); and • People’s Choice: Brilliant Graphics Group (entry title: Eric Drury Sculpture). The association also awards “Prod-

uct of the Year” recognition, for quality digital equipment and supplies in the specialty-imaging marketplace. Competition entrants must be SGIA member exhibitors with products currently available. “Winners represent the best consumables and output devices that oﬀer faster, higher quality output for the wide-format digital market,” says Robertson. Student work is also honored at the show, via the Tom Frecska Student Printing Competition. Acknowledging students’ innovative imaging work from secondary and post-secondary schools, the competition honors the former editor of Screen Printing magazine, Tom Frecska, who passed away in 2009. The competition, sponsored by the Academy of Screen Printing Technology, includes 24 categories and two divisions: secondary and post-secondary schools. Students can enter as individuals or teams; all work must be produced within the 20102011 school year. First-place winners will be recognized in each category. One entry from each division will be honored with the Best in Show award and receive an ASPT Achievement Award as well as a $500 graphic-arts education scholarship. Britney Grimmelsman is associate editor of The Big Picture magazine.

media <35 QuĂŠ Media que-media.com Magnate eco-solvent media; Majestic, Monarch, and Motif media for aqueous. R Tape rtape.com VinylEfx self-adhesive metallized vinyl for solvent, mild-solvent, plus UV-curable printers; Claritex polycarbonate film for UV and latex printers. Rayven rayven.com Vinyl, film, and paper for wide-format.

Sihl Digital Imaging sihlusa.com Aqueous, latex, UV-curable, and solvent inkjet media, as well as a line of green media. Snyder Manufacturing snyderman.com Weatherspan and Advertex banner and blackout media. Sonoma Graphic Products sgpweb.com Banner, films, and papers for aqueous, solvent, UV, and latex printers.

Read & Co. readandcompany.com Read media for water-based, solvent, and mild-solvent printers. Rite-Media rite-media.com Rite-Media paper, vinyl, backlit, banner, and reflective media. Ritrama ritrama-us.com RI-Print and RI-Wrap vinyl for solvent and aqueous printers. Rock of Ages roausa.com Coated media for solvent and eco-solvents; water-resistant outdoor media; indoor media; silver metallic film. Roland DGA rolanddga.com Banner, paper, vinyl, and film for aqueous, solvent, and mild-solvent printers. Royal Sovereign royalsovereign.com Film and paper. SID Signs sidsigns.com OneSign vinyl and banner.

TriVantage trivantage.com Brite Awn polyester, Bantex, more. Ultraflex Systems ultraflexx.com Media lines for solvent, UV-curable, and latex printing including BioFlex, SuperPrint, SuperSmooth, Vulite, Jetflex, Normandy, Ultrabanner, UltraBlockout, Ultima Supreme, Ultralon, Ultravision, Ultramesh, and SuperPrint Economy. Universal Products u-p.com Solutions vinyl, banner, and film for solvent, mild-solvent, and UV-curable. US Banner Corp. usbanner.com Crown vinyl for solvent inks.

Solvent Glossy Paper ROLAND Splash of Color splashofcolor.com Banner media for aqueous inks. Stafford Textiles staftex.com Grandform for large-format solvent. Tekra tekra.com DuraView vinyl and polyester for solvent; JetView for UV. 3M 3mgraphics.com 3M Banner, 3M Wall Decorating Film, Controltac, Scotchcal, Scotchprint, and Scotchlite banner, self-adhesive, film, reflective, perforated media, Flexible Light Mat, and more.

Transilwrap transilwrap.com SignGold Transalloy (including biodegradeable), signgold.com MXM and Teslin synthetic paper, and Quick-Sign gold vinyl film for latex and Transvy vinyl, as well static-Clingz solvent. cling, and polyester.

Utopia Digital Technologies udtfilms.com Its digital print platforms are sold by OEMs, dealers, and distributors including Effex for aqueous, KromaPlex for solvent, KromaPlex for UV, more. Valloy valloy.com Topaz PET banner and paper for aqueous and mild-solvent printers. Value Vinyls valuevinyls.com FreedomMedia; Opaque Ultra-Smooth PET; Ad-Flex; EcoLogic UV and Solvent recyclable banner; GrandFlex mesh; Rio mesh. Xcel Products goecomedia.com EcoMedia Blockout, a banner material for UV printers; TerraSkin XP is a pulp-free paper comprising 80% stone (calcium carbonate) and a 20% PE (polyethylene) non-toxic resin.

www.bigpicture.net

training & education <25 PMA 2012 (pmai.org) will oﬀer dozens of educational sessions at its Digital Imaging Marketing Association (DIMA) Conference at Bally’s in Las Vegas, January 8-9. Topics will include retail strategy, sales and marketing, photo publishing, social media, new technology, and more. In addition, a corresponding tradeshow, PMA@CES, will take place January 10-13, at the Venetian, held concurrently with the Consumer Electronics Show; educational sessions will be available at PMA@CES as well.

features advice from industry experts, an array of technology to review and try, and various practitioners and experts on hand to help attendees better understand the intricacies of color management. The event takes place December 3-6, 2011, in Phoenix. PIA also oﬀers various workshops and webinars; in 2011, webinar topics included: “How to Profi le and Calibrate Your Display for Soft Proofing,” “Picking the Right Marketing Mix for Your Company,” “Lean Manufacturing Principles,” and others.

At the 2011 SGIA Expo (sgia.org), October 19-21 in New Orleans, attendees can take advantage of dozens of educational oﬀerings. See pg 26 for a complete preview. In addition, on the eve of SGIA, the expo will host its annual Business Development event.

Dscoop (dscoop.org), the Digital Solutions Cooperative, is a user-driven community of HP Graphic Arts press owners and their sales, marketing, and production teams. The organization’s yearly conference brings together Indigo and other HP users from around the world. Next year’s Dscoop conference will take place March 22-24 in Washington DC.

Conferences and associations Industry associations oﬀer a plethora of training and education events, generally focused upon their members’ particular market niche; for these types of events, you typically must be a member of the association to attend. Conferences without association ties are open events. The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing, and Converting Technologies (NPES, npes.org) will feature its annual conference in Palm Beach, Florida, October 17-19, 2011; educational sessions to be announced. In addition, it joins forces with the NAPL and PIA to create the Vision 3 Summit, which will take place February 19-22, 2012, on Marco Island, Florida. Geared toward graphic-communications executives, Vision 3 is designed to “provide industry executives with strategic and actionable business advice based on the latest industry trend analysis.” Hosted by the Printing Industries of America (PIA, printing.org), the Color Management Conference 2011 46

THE BIG PICTURE SEPTEMBER 2011

IDEAlliance (idealliance.org) oﬀers various webinars and conferences throughout the year. Its 2011 G7 Summit takes place September 11-14, on the floor of the Graph Expo show. In addition, it has partnered with PrintPlanet (printplanet.com) to produce a series of free live, monthly educational sessions titled “Print IdeasOnline” – topics to include Digital Print Engines, Color Management, Workflow, Business Growth, and Variable Data Management. All webinars will be recorded and archived in the IdeasOnline Webinar Library for those unable to attend live sessions. IDEAlliance also oﬀers downloads of various best-practices standards and papers on color management. The Information Management Institute (imiconf.com) sponsors a number of conferences throughout the year, both in the US and Europe. Its 2011 US conference titles included: Inkjet Academy: Theory of Inkjet Technology, Annual Thermal Printing

Conference, Annual Inkjet Printing Conference, and others. Its Security Printing Conference takes place November 16-18 in Hollywood, Florida. The institute also offers webcasts of some of its former programs. The 2012 Kodak GUA North American Conference (gua2011.com) for Kodak users takes place January 16-20 in New Orleans. The conference includes three days of educational sessions, user panels, roundtable discussions, and hands-on demonstrations, as well as networking with industry peers, Kodak management, and Kodak Solution partners. In-depth GUA University classes are also offered. The National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL, napl.org) holds it 2011 Owners Conference in September in Chicago. Aimed at owners and general managers of small digital, commercial, and quick-print operations, the event features two days of educational sessions. Sessions include: “12 Ways to Build Your Wide-Format Business,” “Print and Mobile: Understanding QR Codes,” “Building a Digital Workflow,” “Business Valuations,” and others. The annual conference of the Picture Archive Council of America (PACA, pacaoffice.org) takes place October 21-23, 2011, in New York. Focusing on critical issues facing the stock-image industry, the event will include three sessions in partnership with Microstock Diaries: “Social Media & ROI,” “Buyer Profiling,” and “Ingestion 2.0.” The Visual Connections Expo (visualconnections.com) runs immediately prior to the PACA event. Premedia Training Solutions by IPA (prepresstraining.com) offers several course tracks geared toward the graphics industry, including: PDF Workflow, Imaging, Layout, Imposition, File Prep & Basics, Color Management, and others. Courses are

available via an annual, monthly, or single-course subscription. Sign Biz, Inc. (signbiz.com) oﬀers personalized sign-technologies training, comprising two weeks of home instruction, 48 hours of formalized training at the Sign Biz Technical Training Center in Dana Point, California, and 32 hours of on-the-job training at Sign Biz store locations. Aspects covered include marketing, design, EDS, sign technologies, products, sign codes, and more. A Certificate of Sign Arts is awarded upon completion of Advanced Sign Studies. Following graduation, additional equipment set-up and training takes place on-site at the new shop. Each week, webinars, seminars, and video education are delivered under the Sign Biz ELATEd umbrella (e-Learning Alliance for Training and Education). Sign Biz hosts three-day international conventions each year featuring 22 to 30 educational components. The Signage and Graphics Summit (signageandgraphics.com) brings together top-tier executives from high-volume digital printing, sign, and screenprinting companies for discussions on best practices, new technologies, and business strategies. The 2012 event will be held at the Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix, January 23-25. The event is owned by ST Media Group, parent company to The Big Picture magazine. The 2012 SGS adds new program components designed to provide new educational programming, and generate additional networking opportunities, including “SGS Match” meetings that will allow sponsors to meet privately with select attendees in provided suites during the conference. The Signage Foundation’s (thesignagefoundation.org) 2011 National Signage Research and Education Conference will take place October 12-13 in Cincinnati. Held in collaboration with

the University of Cincinnati’s College of Business and College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning, the event is aimed at sign manufacturers and end users as well as educators, planners, and regulators. The conference will oﬀer two days of presentations, studio projects, and breakout sessions. Xplor’s Document University (xduonline.org) is a year-round program from Xplor International (xplor. org) and oﬀers instructional classes, webinars, online conferences, socialnetworking opportunities, podcasts, virtual vendor and user technology forums, plus an industry certification program, all primarily geared toward document production.

And more educational resources Various colleges and universities across the country have course and degree offerings for print and graphics, and some offer one-time seminars and even online opportunities. The College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois (cod.edu) offers certificates and degrees in Print Production and Digital Prepress Production; all classes are held on site. The Print Production option allows students to gain an understanding of the production workflow for digital fi les from layout to the final printed piece. The Digital Prepress Production option includes page composition, electronic illustration, image enhancement, color correction, and website preparation. The University Printing and Imaging Management Department at Ferris State University (graphicarts.ferris. edu) in Big Rapids, Michigan, offers an associate’s degree in Printing & Imaging Technology as well as bachelor degrees in Printing Management and New Media Printing and Publishing. The Graphic Communication Institute at California Polytechnic State University (grci.calpoly.edu) will create custom-

ized training programs and workshops to address a company’s needs. Pittsburg State University’s (pittstate. edu/git) Department of Graphics and Imaging Technologies in Pittsburg, Kansas, offers bachelor’s degrees in Applied Science and Technology (digital and print media) as well as Science in Technology (Graphic Communications Management and Commercial Graphics); it also offers a Master of Science degree with an emphasis on Print Management. The School of Print Media at the Rochester Institute of Technology (cias.rit.edu) in Rochester, New York, offers the following programs: Graduate Print Media; Printing Minor; and New Media Publishing. The Sonoco Institute at Clemson University’s Department of Graphics Communications (clemson.edu/sonoco_institute) offers seminars on “Paperboard Packaging” and “Expanded Color Gamut” later this year at Clemson. Earlier seminars included “G7 and Process Color” and “Printed Electronics 101.” The Institute indicates it will be offering a series on online courses on packaging, and also makes available custom, onsite training programs. This past spring, Clemson’s Graphics Communications Department (graphics.clemson.edu) offered a webinar series on “Mailing, Fulfi llment, and Marketing Services.” Waukesha County Technical College (wctc.edu), based in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, offers several workshops and seminars geared toward printing and publishing throughout the year, including: “Photoshop Basics,” “Image Adjustment,” “Retouching Techniques,” and “Compositing and Layer Masks.” In addition, its Printing & Graphics Department offers certificates and degrees in various programs, including Print & Digital Media; Printing; Digital Production; and others. www.bigpicture.net

job log

Competitive Motivation “We had to create graphics that would stand out on a tight budget so that our client, a small company, could compete against huge franchises with sizeable marketing dollars.”

THE BIG PICTURE SEPTEMBER 2011

The Client Perfectly Fit The Players Graphic Innovations (graphicin.com), Catalyst Inc. (catalystb2b.com) Tools & Supplies Seiko Instruments ColorPainter W-64S; Flexcon SeeThru-Sign perf window fi lm, WallDeco fabric fi lm, and BusArt overlam; Seal 600 MD laminator The Job Perfectly Fit, a Rhode Island private fitness center, faced stiff competition from workout facilities that were better-known, well-funded, and offered lower fees. Adding to its stress: The fitness center’s storefront location was considered less than ideal by patrons who typically sought workout privacy – many members complained about feeling “a fishbowl effect” because they were surrounded by windows. Perfectly Fit teamed up with b-to-b marketer Catalyst and Rhode Island’s own Graphic Innovations to develop a plan to not only distinguish the facility from its larger competitors, but to design graphics to address the aforementioned lack of privacy, as well as an uninspiring atmosphere and discomfort from sunlight coming through the windows. Production “Perfectly Fit members all reported that the purpose of a gym is to meet goals,” says Brian Odell, Catalyst president. Catalyst reflected this by producing images of swimming, marathon running, hiking, and other activities – sourced from Shutterstock – for the interior walls and windows. The interior graphics carried single-word inspirational messages: “be,” “do,” “push,” “live,” etc. In-shop, Graphic Innovations added bleeds, adjusted for size, and completed in-house color testing. Once PDF and hard-copy proofs were approved, Graphic Innovations turned to its Seiko ColorPainter W64-S printer to output onto Flexcon SeeThru-Sign STSWBF2 (60/40 perf) for the window graphics, and onto Flexcon Walldeco 6770 for the graphics that would adorn the interior walls. A Flexcon BusArt OV 5055 overlaminate was added for the window graphics, using the shop’s Seal 600 MD laminator. In all, Graphic Innovations output a total of 18 graphics, ranging in size from 8.25 x 49.75 to 48 x 58.75 inches. Two installers completed the job in four hours, never having to close down the facility during operating hours.

#1 In Fleet Graphics 3X Faster 720 x720 dpi Use Any Media 8 Rich Colors

Also available in 104” width for large banner printing

If you’re serious about competing in the fleet graphics market, then give your company the ColorPainter H advantage. Three times faster than standard inkjet printers, lower ink prices, and built to last for years make Seiko I Infotech’s ColorPainter H-74s and H-104s printers the best printers for high volume PVC printing. They offer amazing 8 color imaging, media flexibility, unmatched outdoor durability and low running costs. Join the Thousands of Successful ColorPainter Owners Today! Call now for a free Fleet Graphics printer comparison.

For more information, contact your local Seiko Instruments USA Reseller or call 1-800-264-1272