Connected Spring 2016

VISUAL MEDIA ALLIANCE

SPRING 2016

THE CONTENTS

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Member News

VMA Quotes from Social Media

Feature: Bold and Beautiful

Expert Column: Strategic Selling

Expert Column: Human Resources

Cal Poly engineers a new font, Prince Bold

Tips to make you more successful

Sensible Ways to Separate

Acquisitions Step Up

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VMA On Onthe theGo Go VMA Events Find-An-Employee New Members Find-An-Employee

BOARD ROSTER: CHAIRMAN

John Crammer, Best Label Company

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN

Frank Parks, The Parks Group

BOARD MEMBERS: Gil Caravantes Commerce Printing Services John Crammer (Chairman) Best Label Chris Cullen Moquin Press

VMA

The first VMA event of the New Year was the annual CrabFest, as always a rollicking good time. On a more serious note, VMA was a sponsor for The Workflow Conference in February. Early March featured a lunch & learn on sales tax liability and how to avoid penalties.

on the Go

Ian Flynn (1st Vice Chairman) Direct Repsonse Imaging

2016 CrabFest

Dava Guthmiller Noise 13 Jeff Jarvis Spicers Frank Parks (Immediate Past) The Parks Group Chris Shadix Dome Print and Marketing Solutions San Francisco Division Cindy Sonnenberg K/P Corporation

The Columbo Club in Oakland rocks with Ticket to Ride music.

Stephen Sprinkel Sprinkel Media Network

STAFF ROSTER: PRESIDENT

Dan Nelson

The Workflow Conference

DIRECTOR MEMBER SERVICES Jim Frey

DIRECTOR MEMBER PROGRAMS Laura Vargas

DIRECTOR EDUCATION Barbara Silverman

DESIGN MANAGER Todd Donahue

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR Gabrielle Disario

MEMBERSHIP SALES Shannon Wolford

FINANCIAL MANAGER Emily Gotladera

ACCOUNTING SPECIALIST Maria Salita

VICE PRESIDENT INSURANCE SERVICES David Katz

INSURANCE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPS

Renee Prescott, Crystal Carlson, Lena Nelson, Sue Benavente, Jessica Clark, Diedra Lovan

DIRECTOR SUPPLEMENTAL BENEFITS Greg Golin

DIRECTOR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Gerry Bonetto

HUMAN RESOURCE SPECIALIST Cheryl Chong

EDITOR

Noel Jeffrey

ON THE COVER: Jim Frey’s fun snapshot immortalizes a plate of decapod crustaceans—those delicious crab claws.

California Sales & Use Tax

Gerry Bonetto keeps printers out of tax trouble.

Think Ahead, Get Ahead June 9 • 9am-7pm • The Midway SF EXHIBITORS AIGA SF Appleton Coated Bay Digital Best Label Co. Canon Card Connect Cenveo Commerce Printing Direct Response Imaging Domtar DSS Plastics Group FiberMark GPA Specialty Substrate Solutions Iggesund Paperboard International Paper JP Graphics Marcom Central Midland Paper Mohawk Neenah Paper Norfolk Press Postal Customer Council Rods & Cones Sappi Fine Paper Savvy Print Solutions Spicers Paper Storyboard Magazine The Creative Group The Parks Group Time Printing USPS Verso Corporation Visual Media Alliance Watermark Press Western Trade Only Printing Xerox YUPO Synthetic Paper and more...

EXHIBIT AT RE:THINK TODAY. Jim Frey • jfrey@vma.bz • 800-659-3363

re:think 2016 is a forward-thinking design conference exploring what it means to be a designer today, connecting new ideas with the tried-and-true.

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL OFFER!

Register before April 30 to receive $15 off admission to the Cheese or Font-due evening party ($10). Use promo code: CONNECTED

TICKETS AND MORE INFO ONLINE

DESIGNCONF.VMA.BZ

Official Event of AIGA’s SF Design Week

Presented by Visual Media Alliance

UPCOMING VMA EVENTS

Places to be. Things to do. People to see.

VMA Design Conference – re:think

Thursday, June 9, 2016 Midway SF, 900 Marin Street, San Francisco Held in conjunction with AIGA’s Design Week this conference will tap into both sides of your creative brain! More details to come. DesignConf.vma.bz

Showcase Awards Luncheon June 9, Midway San Francisco

Join the festivities celebrating the best of the best in Northern California and Nevada. Be there for the announcement of the Best of Show winners. Details to follow.

Women in Business Communications June (watch for the announcement)

Visual Media Alliance Events Keep Us Connected

As a VMA Member you are able to attend our events for FREE or at special member rates. We offer VMA Members and the public numerous events throughout the year including social and professional events and negotiate discounts for upcoming conferences to pass on the exclusive deals and best events to our members. These events are created with our members in mind to further acquire knowledge on special topics and to also connect with others in the industry. If you have suggestions for events, please contact Laura Vargas at laura@vma.bz or 800-659-3363.

Visit vma.bz for more information on the latest event offerings and to register.

Baseball + Tailgate

October 2nd, Game 12:05 p.m., Details to follow SF Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

CrabFest 2017 January 28

Additional events will be scheduled, watch VMA.bz for details.

VMA Insurance.

Peace of Mind.

We protect your business, so you can focus on growing your business.

VMA Insurance understands your business. We make sure your most important assets – your facilities & equipment, your employees and your reputation – are fully covered. Our experts are specialists in your industry and will provide you with the right coverage for the right cost.

COMMERCIAL INSURANCE

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Contact David Katz Today!

(800) 659-3363 • insurance.vma.bz VMA Insurance Services has been ensuring business success since 1986.

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MEMBER NEWS OUTSTANDING PROJECTS XYZ Artist Showcase: Fog Series XYZ, San Francisco, is a hybrid agency of proven experts in imagery, including high-end creative retouching, sophisticated assembly of images, photography, 3D for print, visual effects, live action, motion graphics, digital prototyping, creative direction, app design & development, & emerging technology. In a recent blog entry, Eric Herrmann, presents his Fog Series of images. He writes, “Every so often, San Francisco is covered in a disorienting and mesmerizing layer of incredibly dense fog. I love those days.

Yet, I never know when they will come or how long they will last. I’ve been slowly working on a series of images that captures these eerily beautiful days. It is one of the more frustrating set of images I’ve tried to capture — mostly because I cannot control it…” http://www.xyzgraphics.com/blog/xyz-artistshowcase-fog-series#.VteNf_krK1s

CHANGES, ACTIVITIES

ACQUISITIONS Better CtP Featured in an article on its new platesetter on Printing Impressions’ website www. piworld.com Patsons Press, Sunnyvale, credited a need to eliminate waste and reduce labor costs as the reason it was looking for a sustainable solution to increase efficiency across its shop. According to the article, after outlining the desired business requirements, the Silicon Valley commercial printer found Heidelberg’s Suprasetter A106 CtP platesetter and ND 100 Plates to be the perfect match.

Color Management Group Acquires Elevated Color VMA member The Color Management Group (www. colormanagement.com) has acquired Elevated Color, a Lakewood, CO-based color management organization (www.elevatedcolor.com). The company will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary, and will continue to provide color management products, service and support to its existing customers, while helping other Color Management Group customers and dealers, as well. Elevated Color, founded in 2008 and an active member of the Color Management Group, built a nationwide client list with a strong reputation of helping printers install and operate color management systems. The company also provides direct and web sales of software and hardware related to print and color management—and consumables such as ink and paper.

Going Digital with the Linoprint CV Award Winning Industrial Design Based in San Francisco, Box Clever (www.bxclvr. com) is an award-winning design, branding and product innovation agency led by industrial designers Bret Recor and Seth Murray. The Box Clever team works with large and small companies alike on a wide range of projects including brand experiences, technology, furniture, lighting and more. This year it has garnered five iF Design awards for products designed for a variety of clients. In addition, it is getting great press for its Away Carry On that among other benefits, comes with batteries to charge your electronic devices.

Since its recent installation, the Linoprint CV (www. heidelberg.com/us) has offered Time Printing Solutions Provider, Sacramento, “mind-blowing quality, outstanding consistency from start to finish and spectacular color management.” As the 1st digital press to be installed in the commercial shop, the company was looking for a solution to stop short-run, quick-turn orders from disrupting the production schedule on its primary press. “We’ve now moved about 60-70% of the work originally printed on our sheetfed press to our Linoprint, which has allowed for faster turnaround times, increased productivity and a higher quality finished piece,” said Andy Poole, President. “The Linoprint has opened up our range of applications with the ability to run 27.5-inch stock, produce high quality specialty work and print with white and clear toner —all of which differ from other machines in the market.” Andy and Dena Poole opened their company Time Printing Solutions in 2015. http://www.sacramentoprintingcompany.com/

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MEMBER NEWS Falco

Emerald Packaging Featured In a detailed profile by Patrick Henry, Whattheythink. com featured VMA member Emerald Packaging in its February 2 edition. It opens,“Somewhere in your produce section,” says Kevin Kelly, “is an Emerald Packaging bag.” He would know. He’s the CEO of the Union City, CA, company, and under his direction, it prints and converts 110 billion packages for lettuce, salads and other freshly packed food items every year. It does so as a family-run enterprise guided by traditional family values, but with an independent vision that makes advancing the long-term interests of the business the first principle of management.

SOC 2 Type 2 Compliance Late last year, Document Fulfillment Services, Sacramento, a leader in volume printing and mailing needs, announced that it has successfully completed a Service Organization Controls (SOC) 2 Audit Type II examination for their Print and Mail Fulfillment System. Document Fulfillment Services retained international business advisory firm Skoda Minotti for its SOC 2 audit work. The successful completion of the voluntary engagement illustrates Document Fulfillment Services’ ongoing commitment to create and maintain the most stringent controls for the protection and security of its customers’ confidential information.

Sult and Carlson Advisors West Coast Combine Forces

On December 1, the West Coast Operations of Carlson Advisors LLP became part of Falco Sult. With the purchase comes growth in both clientele and staff, including Gerry A. Michael, an expert in the graphic arts and printing industry. “Our acquisition of the West Coast operations of Carlson Advisors provides the opportunity to bring in a specialized accounting practice that focuses on the printing and graphic arts industry in Seattle and Southern California,” said Chris Falco, co-founder of Falco Sult.

“By combining with Carlson Advisors, we achieve something that we have worked hard to do, namely, increase our resources so that we can better serve our clients.”

www.dfsmail.com.

VMA STAYS SOCIAL In the past quarter, VMA’s President, Dan Nelson, kept the Association’s online presence relevant, serious and funny.

Since we are describing a new digital typeface in our feature story, here are some of Dan’s typographic posts to go with it and some posts that are merely fascinating. If you missed these, use the urls and read all about it.

If US Presidential Candidates Were Fonts

For this post, I wanted to find which fonts best match the 2016 presidential candidates. This list is not comprehensive. Instead, I used the current front runners and researched their defining qualities to match these with the font that best represents them. The pairings don’t reflect their physical characteristics, instead focusing on their personal traits.

CREATIVEMARKET.COM 6

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25 Typographic Advertisements to Inspire Your Next Design

Want to get creative with your advertising?

In this article, we’ve put together 30 fantastic typographic advertisements for you to use as reference and inspiration in your next ad design (or any design, really). https://designschool.canva.com/blog/ type-advertisements/

The 10 commandments of typography

Have you been committing sins against type?

We rounded up the most heinous crimes against typography and how to avoid them. Whether you design for print, web or mobile, getting your typography right is essential if you want to get your message across in the way you, or your client, intended.

CREATIVEBLOQ.COM

Turkish Airlines Now ‘Flies’ to Gotham and Metropolis

During the Super Bowl, amidst the slew of movie marketing pushes, viewers may have seen that somehow, the upcoming film “Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice” found its way into a spot for Turkish Airlines. What looked like a typical, almost generic travel-themed spot for the flyer showcased a surprising new destination—the city of Gotham, promoted by none other than Bruce Wayne himself (played by new Batman actor Ben Affleck, of course). Another ad also showed that it’s now flying to Metropolis—with the blessing of Lex Luthor (played by Jesse Eisenberg).

BOLDand BEAUTIFUL Historical Typeface Goes Digital to Honor Historical Gift

BY NOEL JEFFREY

T

he new revival display typeface Prince Bold will be available shortly through the Shakespeare Press Museum at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. It was named and created to honor and thank Raymond J. Prince, who recently donated $2.3 million to Cal Poly Graphic Communication Department to preserve printing industry history. (see News, page 6 Connected Winter 2016).

According to Professor Brian Lawler, the designer/ developer of Prince Bold, “We were trying to think of something to give Ray to honor him for his many contributions to our program and to the industry.

Someone suggested a plaque. I reminded the faculty that Ray and his wife are trying to get rid of things, not get more. So, we talked about a variety of other gifts.

“Then I remembered that I have a type design in progress that is a revival of an antique font in the museum. In the past I have named finished fonts for the student curators who give a year of their time to the Shakespeare Press Museum. I have Alix Gothic and Pan Black so far, named for former student curators.

“I suggested the Prince Bold idea to the faculty, and they thought it was a good idea. Then we planned the presentation at our annual banquet. All of the students and faculty would wear a bright red T shirt with a big P on the front in Prince Bold. The students printed over 300 shirts, and we made the presentation.”

“Ray Prince has become an icon at Cal Poly for the support he has provided to the Graphic

Communication Department through wisdom and resources,” said Ken Macro, chair of the department.

“He is a philosopher of printing, and it is befitting that his name will live on in perpetuity through a revival display typeface.”

A Thing of Use and Beauty

It was an excellent choice. Prince himself says, “When I heard about it I sat down and had no words. I only wish my father (a printer) could know about it. I always had a love for great display type faces and have in my early career set as well have printed many posters using wood type.

“Yes it is a nice thing to do,” he continues. “The best thing to do is what Cal Poly did and that is to provide a place and people to care for the printing industry library. This library has approximately 25,000+ books, thousands of magazines and journals covering the entire industry. In addition the library is up to date. This is a tremendous asset for industry, teachers and students. Thanks to a lot of donations of books and money from individuals, many friends and associations, the library is funded for the next 50 years and it is still growing. I have been a strong supporter of the industry since I entered it in 1958 and will continue to do so.

“A statement that Dr. Harvey Levenson made many years ago has stuck with me. ‘Printers create items of use and beauty.’ I have no ability to create sculpture, paintings or any form of art but do have the ability to create things of use and beauty. That is what printing allows me to do.

Why do I do this?

Inspiration comes from many places but for me it VISUAL MEDIA ALLIANCE

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comes from the thinking and ideas of previous years.

History can open the mind and get one thinking.

Likewise a library remembers better than any person and also contains far more information than anyone.”

Tech Notes

Prince Bold, an Open Type font, is a digital recreation of a wood type font originally named Roman XX Condensed. The font was first offered by George Nesbitt Company of New York in 1838. It is likely that the type was manufactured by Edwin Allen in his Windham, Connecticut factory.

“We have two incomplete fonts – one is two inches tall (in wood type terms that is called 12-line), the other is three inches tall. Between the two there were enough letters to draw a complete alphabet with numerals and punctuation,” Lawler writes. “Prince Bold is a design intended for display, not for text, as the thin letter elements are too delicate to hold up in small sizes.

The fact that these thin elements were cut into the wood without breaking off is a feat of engineering.”

Historical Process

Wood type is made in a series of steps beginning with cutting logs from hardwood trees into circular blanks about one inch in thickness. After the blanks are cut, they are put into a drying oven for several months. The moisture in the wood slowly evaporates, leaving rock-hard wood that is ready for planing and polishing. After planing and polishing, the blanks are then coated with a thin varnish, which is rubbed-in by hand. Once the varnish is dry, the wood is ready for cutting into blocks, then routing into letters.

Wooden or paperboard master patterns of the letters are made about six inches tall, and mounted on a block of wood to bring them to the correct height. The prepared type blocks are then locked into a pantograph router, and individual letters are cut by an operator who uses the pantograph to follow the pattern by hand, while a spinning router tool cuts the fresh block in the shape of the letter.

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In the early 19th century the router would have been steam-powered. After factories were electrified, these machines would have been powered by compressed air or electric motors. The benefit of a pantograph router is that letters of different sizes can be cut from one master pattern by adjusting the arms of the pantograph. The finished letters are perfected with hand tools – gouges and files – to repair small defects, and then the blocks are cut on a table saw to their finished width, according to the size of the letter.

From Old to New

To make the digital version, we proofed the wood type on super-white proofing paper, then scanned the proofs and drew each letter, being faithful as possible to the original letter shapes and side-bearings. After the letters were drawn, we un-condensed the design to make it normal width. Small changes were then made to the letters to standardize them, to thicken some of the too-thin strokes, and to enlarge the round letters to give them equal visual volume against their geometric counterparts.

Drawing and modifying the font was done in several steps. First a faithful tracing was made of the proofs from the wood type using Adobe Illustrator with its Template function (that makes a very light image of a photo that you can draw over). There are a number of characteristics of the original that needed to be adjusted to make the type look better in a modern typographic setting. Once the drawings were finished, each character was enlarged to about 12 inches vertical, then pasted into a program called FontLab Studio. In FontLab, the letters were placed on their baseline, then assigned natural side-bearings – the white space that accompanies each letter on the left and right sides.

After all the characters were inserted into FontLab, the process of drawing all of the new and missing characters began. To complete a font, there are over 250 individual glyphs. Accents are automatically added to characters to make the more common accented letters, but all the accents must be drawn for this to work.

Obscure glyphs including the Euro, the Yen, the percentile, and many more must be drawn, and they all have to match the style and weight of the other letters.

When complete (and no font is ever complete!) the font must be tested for exceptions to normal spacing. This process requires analysis of every possible pair of letters – no matter how obscure – to be reviewed and adjusted as necessary. From this process grows a kerning table, which becomes part of the final font. FontLab makes much of this task easy, but it must be done.

It’s laborious – but it’s a labor of love!

Note: Tech Notes are taken from a section of the Prince Bold Monograph prepared by Professor Lawler.

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Made by Iggesund, Invercote lets you create printed communications with real emotional appeal. Crafted from pure virgin fiber, Invercote performs beyond expectations in all printing processes, including digital. With its unique properties, Invercote inspires boundless options in graphic design and finishing so you can create print with impact.

See for yourself. Log onto our webshop at iggesund.com/webshop.

Better yet, contact your local Iggesund sales representative to request free trial stock and put Invercote to the test in your pressroom.

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NEW MEMBERS Guckenheimer

Guckenheimer, San Mateo, is a food service company that partners with organizations who want delicious and healthy food. Founded in 1963 by a physician, today we operate in 36 states. Our Culinary and Nutrition Strategy groups help our customers make food choices that help them perform better today and be healthier tomorrow.

Kathy Coleman 650-654-7340 kcoleman@guckenheimer.com www.gukenheimer.com

American Bookbinders Museum The American Bookbinders Museum, San Francisco, explores and celebrates the craft, culture and tools of bookbinding from its earliest forms to the innovations of the Industrial Revolution. Visitors see a variety of 19th century binding equipment in action and understand the process of making a book from start to finish.

Tim James (415) 824-9754 tim_james@bookbindersmuseum.com www.bookbindersmuseum.org

Folded Color

FoldedColor Packaging, Corona, CA is seeking to redefine the folding carton marketplace. As a web-to-carton solution for ordering folding cartons, the company offers attractive packaging with custom designs at very competitive prices. FoldedColor arms customers with a browser-based interface that combines an intuitive design editor and 3D proofing system with an online storefront.

Cartons are manufactured on premium solid bleached sulfate (SBS) paperboard that is SFI certified and fully recyclable. FoldedColor’s proprietary extended color gamut printing technology employs a seven-color offset process that produces brilliant colors and graphics on all folding cartons. Its boxes “are ideal for one-time-use packaging for promotional purposes, companies who frequently change their look or colors by season, even if you are looking for quantities as low as 50 pieces. ” Suzanne Hunt (951) 278-2100 shunt@thoropkg.com http://www.foldedcolor.com

Ramp

Ramp Creative is a design studio in Los Angeles that builds identity systems to help business work more efficiently. For over 13 years, Ramp has partnered with companies to create well-performing corporate communications fueled by deliberate design with their customers in mind.

Rachel Einar (213) 623-7267 rachel@rampcreative.com www.rampcreative.com

company with worldwide coverage, we source internationally, ensuring efficiencies and costs are built into the process. TransPak ensures your product has a safe global journey, effective shelf presence and an engaging out-of-box experience. TransPak.com. We Make It Happen.

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Savvy Print Solutions

Savvy Print Solutions - You dream it. We give it wings. Looking to boost the freshness and effectiveness of your print, packaging and display projects? Savvy Print Solutions, Novato, brings you the know-how and trusted manufacturing partners—both local and global—to carry out the most challenging vision. The benefits of a SAVVY solution: Helping you produce a sophisticated and awe-inspiring product is only half of our mission. The other element of a Savvy project is efficiency. Drawing on our years of production and project management experience, we help you lower costs, prevent waste and meet your deadlines.

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GPA, Specialty Substrate Solutions TransPak

San Jose headquartered TransPak is a leader in crating, packaging, logistics and design. At our Global Design Center in Silicon Valley, we work with industrial and retail clients to engineer and build packaging from the inside out, with a focus on eco-friendly solutions. As a

North American supplier of paper and specialty substrates for HP Indigo, toner digital, offset and wide format equipment.

Brett Greene brett@askgpa.com Michele Cabot michelecabot@askgpa.com www.askgpa.com

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STRATEGIC SELLING

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STORY | LESLIE GROENE

LESLIE GROENE Leslie Groene is one of the coaching superstars in the world of corporate sales as well as a business development trainer, executive consultant and author.

Her background is in the paper and printing industries as a sales rep and sales manager. She helps her clients focus on revenue generation and profit growth. She authored the business strategy book “Picture Yourself & the Life You Want” and is a nationallyrenowned motivational speaker.

To purchase her book or contact her please go to www.GroeneConsulting.com.

Here is the link to her e-newsletter, http://www. groeneconsulting.com/ Newsletter/2014.12/

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Tips to Make You Even More Successful There are 2 ways to grow your business: Find new customers and sell current customers additional solutions.

We need to maximize our relationships and use effective selling strategies to maintain or grow our market share which can include new solutions.

Now more than ever we need to prospect and find new opportunities. As our customers cut back spending or consolidate vendors it is apparent that there are fewer dollars of revenue to go around.

Before you try and sell new technology or services, I recommend that you survey current clients to see what other solutions they are buying and may be considering using in the future. This survey can be done informally in person with the client (which is a great way to spend time with clients) or in a more structured way with an online survey resource. That way you can be sure that you are adding relevant solutions that you have a chance of acquiring.

• You can sell only if you yourself are convinced: If you are not sold on your product or service, it will be an uphill battle to sell someone else. Your lack of conviction will scream through. | CONNECTED | SPRING SUMMER2016 2015

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Be clear and direct: When pitching your idea or solution, don’t use complicated words. Pride yourself instead on being able to explain the product or solution as quickly, clearly and simply as possible.

Know your client: Make sure to research your potential clients, know their challenges and their needs. One size hardly ever fits all, and you look much stronger if you care about their business enough to invest in the research.

It’s all about the presentation: Building an amazing slide deck is critical to the sales process.

Practice it, memorize it and be prepared to shift your emphasis based on how the energy changes when you give the presentation. Ask yourself: “Is the flow of this deck right? Will it convince?”

Be passionate and exciting: Most presentations are BORING! So create a show and make it exciting. Excitement is contagious – just like a yawn.

If you don’t know the answer, don’t guess: People will ask you tough questions, and you may not always know the answers. The person asking you may be testing you, knowing the answer full well. And if you fumble, it’s very hard to rebuild credibility.

Answer questions directly and clearly: If you are asked a question and you give a “politician’s answer” – in other words, if you don’t answer the question – your credibility will decline and you will hurt your chances of making the sale.

You can always be better: Sales is an art, not a science. Which means the process is never perfect and you can always improve your game.

Bottom line: sales is a critical function that is more art than science, so hone your art!

VISUAL MEDIA Access + Guide Visual Media Access Visual Media Access

Visual Media Access

6 01 2 t us g Au g n mi Co

Just one edit updates all.

Update your company information today.

Your VMAccess listing can lead to leads from multiple sources. u The mobile VMAccess site v The desktop VMAcccess site w The annual Visual Media Guide 12,000 folks search vmaccess.org every month. And 8,000 receive our printed VM Guide each year; next release will be August, 2016.

Take advantage of these multiple sales opportunities and update your firm’s information now at SALES.VMA.BZ or contact Jessica at jessica@vma.bz or (800) 659-3363.

Support for creative, web media, marketing and print businesses VMA.bz • 800-659-3363 • info@vma.bz

3.

HUMAN RESOURCES STORY | BY CHERYL CHONG

It’s Just Not Working Out

Here’s a list of sensible ways to correctly and humanely separate from an employee CHERYL CHONG Since Doug Moore has retired, Cheryl Chong has joined VMA as our Human Resources Director and your #1 source for assistance responsible for counseling on HR matters like family leave, discrimination, sexual harassment and wage and hour compliance. She has a Bachelors and Masters degree from Chapman University in Orange, CA, along with 20+ years of HR experience in the trenches.

Think of her as an extension of your HR department, courtesy of VMA. Please feel free to reach out for answers or introduce your organization by calling 800-659-3363 or cheryl@vma.bz.

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VISUAL MEDIA ALLIANCE

In the litigious state of California, it is incumbent that employers have some idea of how to make an employee separation go as well as expected despite the unpleasantness. This is part and parcel of what business owners or employers have to face in order to run a business smoothly, to stay afloat and make profits.

1. Decision to terminate. There has to be a clear cut, unbiased and non-discriminatory reason as to why the employee has to be removed from the position. Don’t mask reasons of separation or lie to the employee. Be honest and do it with empathy. No one likes to hear the words, “You’re fired.” Instead, be clear and concise and state your case and keep it as short and simple as possible.

2. Even if the separation is justified, do your groundwork before you move ahead with the termination. Ensure that the personnel file/ folder has been inspected for any documentation of poor performance, personnel reviews, attendance, leaves of absences, etc. to avoid any concerns for a wrongful termination. California may be an at-will state, however, we have seen rising claims for smaller violations and attorneys who represent employees get more aggressive in their pursuit of cases. | CONNECTED | SPRING SUMMER2016 2015

4.

Have a pre-separation checklist, separation checklist and post-separation checklist which are uniformly used for all separations, either voluntary or involuntary. These checklists will allow the person conducting the termination assurance that nothing has gone unchecked or fallen through the cracks. When each line process is completed, the person initials on the line. Uniformity and consistency in this process will decrease the likelihood of preferential or discriminatory treatments.

• A well-orchestrated separation can save much headache and stress imposed on the person conducting the separation as well as the organization. Make sure the final wages (hours worked, vacation, etc.) are ready to be dispensed during the separation and that COBRA paperwork, 401(k) paperwork and other mandatory state forms which will need to be given to the employee are ready.

• Allay their fears and be available to answer their questions after the fact. Designate one point person who can assist with questions about their wages, etc. Unless gross misconduct was involved, do offer unemployment insurance to the employee.

While there is no law that states this must be done unless the employer had made it part of the employment contract or offer, a waiver and release agreement also known as severance agreement, may be a consideration when an involuntary separation is about to occur. Once the person has been informed of the decision, offer this agreement as a means to have the employee waive their rights to bring a lawsuit for wrongful termination or related claims. Do not give any payment unless the waiver has been presented to the employee, who then has had the chance to view it on their own and with their counsel. There should be no coercion or duress to sign any document during the separation.

Treatment of the employee, regardless of the reasons, should always be the same. Unbiased, fair, kind and calm. This is not the time to hash out bad feelings or events, have shouting matches or to engage in a debate about the company’s decision to terminate (in cases of involuntary separations).

It is neither the time to get overly emotional, overly dramatic or engage in hysterics when it comes to voluntary separations. Always keep your behavior professional and neutral.

This is not an exhaustive list of things to be aware of when conducting separations. For more assistance, please contact me.

NEW MEMBERS CONTINUED FROM P. 9

Iggesund

Iggesund is the proud maker of INVERCOTE, a superior paperboard and premium cover preferred by some of the most demanding brand owners on earth. Founded in 1685, Iggesund Paperboard is part of the forest industry group Holmen. The company offers a broad range of consultative and collaborative services. As the recipient of Pulp and Paper Industry’s 2014 Bio Strategy of the Year award and with a second-to-none sustainability platform, Holmen and Iggesund are well positioned to assist brand owners in achieving their sustainability and climate change goals. With offices and physical inventory in Europe, Asia and the United States and its team of logistics experts, Iggesund is adept at developing complex global supply chain

solutions. Having reinvested an average of $140,000 per day back into its business over the last 30+ years, its production facilities are world class.

Neal Haussel Neal.Haussel@iggesund.com www.iggesund.com

The Navigator Company

The Navigator Company is the new brand, inheriting the legacy of the former Portucel Soporcel group as of February 2016. The Navigator Company is Portugal’s third leading exporter. The Group accounts for approximately 1% of Portugal’s GDP and around 3% of the country’s total exports of

goods. During 2015, the Company reached a new record high of paper production and increased its revenue by 5.6% to more than €1.6 billion. It is the leading European paper manufacturer and the sixth largest in the world of uncoated woodfree (UWF) printing and writing paper.

The Company entered the U.S. market through Portucel Soporcel North America quite some years ago, focusing upon the higher quality segment of the uncoated freesheet paper business. Today, our brands Navigator, Soporset, Discovery and Pioneer deliver incomparable benefits and are recognized globally for their superior quality and consistency.

Chet Martin chet.martin@thenavigatorcompany.com en.thenavigatorcompany.com

VMA membership information, both for companies and individuals is available online at www.vma.bz.

VMA Education.

The Choice is Yours.

Stay ahead of the game by learning new skills.

We’re here for you. Because of you. Visual Media Alliance is a trade association helping the careers and businesses of our members to be successful. We offer over 100 public classes, delivered to you in-person, online and through customized training solutions.

DESIGN

PRINT

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OFFICE

PROGRAMMING

View Website For Education Listings (800) 659-3363 • education.vma.bz Workshops • Seminars • Webinars • One-on-One • Customized Training Solutions

VISUAL MEDIA ALLIANCE

| CONNECTED | SPRING 2016

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FIND-AN-EMPLOYEE

PROGRAM MARKETING

CREATIVE MANAGEMENT Marketing Specialist

Copywriter with 12 years of branding experience for ASUS, OnPoint Analytics, Sun, VISA. Developed go-to-market print material and strategic digital campaigns for global technology enterprise firms. Wrote print and digital material including advertising, technical whitepapers and integrated campaigns for FICO, HP, IBM, Kony Solutions, Microsoft, NetApp and Oracle.

SAN FRANCISCO - FANNING 4138

Front Office

I am a skilled administrative professional with 5 years experience in support and office administrative roles. I am extremely interested in online product marketing and search engine optimization. I am focused and detailed with all projects I have worked on.

Writers

I have what it takes to fill the requirements of a marketing writer. I am an expert in research and writing. I am able to act as a mediator between different people and able to complete multiple tasks in a fast pace environment.

SHIN 4132

PRINT PRODUCTION Electronic Prepress (image assembly/output)

SAN FRANCISCO - LUCIDO 4135

With over 15 years in the visual communications industry, I provide creative graphic design to a wide range of clients. Trained in offset and flexographic printing methods, I possess an understanding of spot and 4 color process techniques in shops with sheetfed or web presses. My experience in prepress and preflight for film & plate output processes give me the ability to provide intelligent and resourceful results in a timely manner. My experience includes 5 years of print estimating and 2 years in project management. I work accurately under deadlines, am organized, with a keen attention to details. As a manager, I am adept at setting priorities; provide direction and incentive to meet time-sensitive project goals.

Production Artist/Illustrators

Electronic Prepress (image assembly/output)

EAST BAY - KIDD 4137

Marketing Specialist

Action oriented Marketing Generalist with a passion for generating marketing programs that get results. I have advanced, hands-on skills in most facets of marketing communications including: graphic design and logo design, copywriting and website design.

SAN FRANCISCO - LUCIDO 4135

CREATIVE PRODUCTION

Six plus years training and experience in graphic design have resulted in a proven ability to create effective design and provide production assistance for print and web. Designs are created from conceptualization to final production-ready files while adhering to company guidelines. This is based on a solid skills foundation composed of up-to-date education in design principles and the latest version of Adobe Creative Suite.

WERNICKE 4135

Over the years of working with various tradesmen in the printing industry, I have been fortunate to have gained knowledge from all of them. I am always up to the challenge of learning the latest trends in technology, while sharing my knowledge with others. My experience in the high-end folding carton/packaging industry has given me the opportunity to work with several interesting projects. I have worked with Apple Inc. on their App Store gift cards, with Electronic Arts game packaging, as well as some cosmetic and pharmaceutical projects.

SACRAMENTO - ARNOLD 4129

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VISUAL MEDIA ALLIANCE

| CONNECTED | SPRING 2016

ALL NORTHERN CALIFORNIA - HOFFMAN 4139

PRINT MANAGEMENT

General Management (printing)

Devised and implemented strategies to reduce costs and improve plant efficiency. I am familiar with flexographic and offset printing as well as related finishing operations. Proficient at cultivating and maintaining solid relationships with vendors, colleagues and other key decision makers. I have extensive experience managing the day-to-day operations of a production facility.

My family and I will be moving to Northern California in 2016 and I am looking for a new challenge in my career!

ALL NORTHERN CALIFORNIA - HAGLUND 4130

Press Room Supervisor

I have been in the graphics arts/print industry for many years now, and in that time I have gone from being on the front lines with the presses, to being an instructor, supervisor and production manager. My experience includes brochures, catalogs, folders.

SAN FRANCISCO - KIMBLE 4136

VMA’S JOB BANK We encourage members to post their job openings on our website viewed by hundreds of job seekers every month at vma.bz > For Companies > Human Resources Suite > Find - an Employee. We encourage job seekers to post their qualifications at vma.bz > For Individuals > Find - a - Job. This service is complimentary for seekers and employers. Contact Jessica@vma.bz for more information.

SEMPER INTERNATIONAL, LLC. For members looking for additional or more extensive service finding permanent or temporary workers for all industry skill categories, from design to bindery, contact Lisa Arruabarrena, (415) 9923743 or lisaa@semperllc.com, at Semper International, LLC., our endorsed provider available to members at discounted rates.

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