Wide-Format & Signage December 2019

DECEMBER 2019

48 F ive Alive: 5G Technology Will Transform Sign & Display

Good Chemistry: Wide-Format Inks Continue to Evolve

54 T he What, Why and How of New Opportunities in Digital Textile Printing 56 T he Future of Digital Textile Printing Is Bright: Read the Stats

p. 44

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Industry 4.0 The Think Smart Factory event in Japan gives us a vision for the future.

I

’ve just returned from the Think Smart Factory event in Kyoto, Japan.

The event was presented by Horizon International and included 14 partners showcasing automated print production from order entry to finished product.

Think Smart Factory took the typical trade show technology demonstrations to another level through an “open show floor” layout that mimicked a real-world print shop production floor with various manufacturing cells producing books, magazines and other printed material using various automation strategies.

The event exemplified the concept of Industry 4.0 within a print manufacturing context and provided a perfect backdrop to encourage attendees to think about the three critical issues impacting the industry as we head into 2020.

Software and Workflow A business can spend millions of dollars on a press and finishing equipment; but without proper software and a welldesigned workflow, there is potential for waste and under utilization. In our conversations with various software vendors over the past year, there is a trend toward simplification and modular approaches that enable a business to design a workflow around how they actually do business, rather than force fitting into a one-size-fits-all solution.

Automation Automation needs to be a key consideration for every process within a print business. Devices and systems need to include methods that automate setup, data collection and reporting. At the Think Smart Factory event, there was a robotic arm loading a perfect binder, automated stacking and bin loading systems and 4

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autonomous material transporters whizzing materials across the production floor.

Machines were sending job information and operational data to other devices and feeding it all back to software for real-time status and monitoring. As we continue to experience challenges with labor and staffing, these types of automation will become critical to successful and profitable business and manufacturing operations.

Workforce I recently spoke with a number of printing company executives from across the globe about staffing. They all spoke about challenges in finding people to fill positions across all roles within their operations. Finding people to work on the shop floor was often cited as the biggest challenge. As an industry, we need to continue the development of student recruitment campaigns, but we must also develop educational and mentoring programs to bring in people from other industries.

Events like Think Smart Factory are a good way to bring together all the elements of a futuristic automated print factory and continue the process of much needed industry education about the possibilities a next generation print shop floor offers.

For more on emerging trends affecting the industry, check out the “Year in Review” article in this issue by Richard Romano, Cary Sherburne and David Zwang.

See you on the road in 2020! Find article here PrintingNews.com/21098410 ■

Adam Dewitz COO

adam@whattheythink.com

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CONTENTS

DECEMBER 2019

PRINTING NEWS COVER STORY

8 What Kind of Day Has it Been? Richard Romano, Cary Sherburne & David Zwang 14 Drive Your Business at the Mailbox Elizabeth Gooding

8

18 “Immersing” Ourselves in AR Heidi Tolliver-Walker 20 The Industry By Numbers Richard Romano

40

40 Training vs. Learning with Print Software Jennifer Matt

46 Direct Objects: Thinking— and Printing —Outside the Box Richard Romano & Mary Schilling 50 Five Alive: 5G Technology Will Transform Sign & Display Richard Romano 52 Executive Q&A: Massivit 3D’s Erez Zimerman Richard Romano

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28 X ante

31 Pocket Folders Fast

44 Good Chemistry: Wide-Format Inks Continue to Evolve Richard Romano

6

Custom Content

26 T ransformation Affects Everyone —Time Is Not on Your Side! David Zwang

WIDE-FORMAT & SIGNAGE

56

60 ISA: International Sign Expo 2020 “Wraps” Up More Skills Lori Anderson

29 Canon Solutions America

42 Postal Outlook for 2020 Christine Erna

44

58 SPESA Executive Conference Cary Sherburne

22 Replicate the Real Thing Mary Schilling

38 Waiting for Software to Change to Fit Your Business Jennifer Matt

22

56 The Future of Digital Textile Printing Is Bright: Read the Stats Debbie McKeegan

54 The What, Why and How of New Opportunities in Digital Textile Printing Debbie McKeegan

30 OKI 32 Ennis & Smartsoft 33 Mutoh

Departments 4 Editorial 34 Watch List: Video 49

Research & White Paper

60 Product News 64

Classifieds/Supplier Directory

In the Know- Events EFI Connect January 21-24 FESPA Mar 24-27 NPOA Print Owners Mar 12-14

Search for us… twitter:

@PrintingNews; @WideFormatSign @whattheythink facebook:

Printing News; wideformatsignage @whattheythink linkedin:

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MANAGEMENT

Day Has it Been?

What Kind of Let’s take a look back at 2019.

Article by Richard Romano, Cary Sherburne & David Zwang

O

ne of the comments that was often heard at last October’s PRINTING United show in Dallas was that there had not been such excitement in the industry since at least the late 1990s.

The past couple of years have not necessarily seen any quantum leaps in technology, but rather the “kicking in” of the advantages of inkjet in virtually every corner of the industry. If we can call the past two or three years a “print recovery”

from a recession that arguably began in 1999, then it was largely an application-driven recovery.

It’s not the case that everyone is suddenly printing direct mail, transactional documents or magazines and catalogs again (although some are). The printed directories business remains firmly in the realm of Jacob Marley. Rather, it was new kinds of printing that have largely driven the recovery.

Wide format in all its varieties, especially signage. Textiles, in all of its varieties. And packaging. Let’s

not forget packaging. If the only metric we had was the number of press releases we receive, then packaging would be hands-down the most explosively growing part of the print market. But it’s not the only metric we have, and packaging is the most explosively growing part of the print market. And for all— or most, anyway—of this, we can thank inkjet technology (and, in the case of packaging, a bit of a Flexo Renaissance).

At the same time, elaborate digital finishing technologies collectively called “embellishments” have added a little je ne sais quoi to print, which has worked to improve response rates and make print more appealing for marketers.

The print recovery is not just due to inkjet printing and embellishments.

There are macroeconomic forces at work, as well. The general

From Bombsheller, manufacturing leggings on-demand, to OnPoint Manufacturing’s highly automated microfactory, which will add digital printing to the mix in January 2020, a growing number of digitally-oriented manufacturing projects are underway.

8

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MANAGEMENT economy has been on a steady upward trend since the early 2010s, as we recovered from the Great Recession, and while the past couple of years have seen that upward trend wobble a bit (GDP growth has been fairly lackluster—estimates for Q4 suggest that real GDP growth will be between 0.7% and 2.1% annualized), there remains a great deal of optimism, and unemployment has remained low. We’ve even seen the workforce participation rate of prime-age workers rise, something that had long eluded the recovery. The National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) Optimism Index for October ticked up to 102.4 from 101.8 in September (it peaked at 108.8 in August 2018), which is usually a good sign for small businesses. Companies have money to spend, and they are spending it on print. (Should we experience another recession, you can bet that trend will reverse itself ASAP.) So a combination of technology, demographic and economic trends have helped drive the print recovery.

Let’s look at how the year shook out in some of the individual print segments.

Textiles In the textiles and apparel industry, sustainability and reshoring of manufacturing to the Americas continue to be critical—and related— trends. Critical, because the textiles industry is the world’s number-two polluter. Related, because producing textiles and apparel more locally and with digital technologies means less environmental impact from transportation, energy consumption, noxious chemicals and waste. Plus, the costs associated with federal tariffs are another incentive to bring manufacturing back home.

Along with the increased digitization of the process, however,

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Reshoring textiles even extends to knitted garments with initiatives such as Brooklyn’s Tailored Industries, working to bring knitting mills back to the area. Progress is even being made in the “last mile” of apparel and home goods manufacturing with sewbots and cobots making sewists more efficient, or in some cases, completely automating the sewing process.

comes workforce issues. With the export of North America’s apparel manufacturing industry, availability of industry talent has diminished as well, leaving emerging digital businesses (and conventional ones) short staffed. Programs like those at the Manufacturing Solutions Center in North Carolina, where more than 12,000 eighth graders have been brought through the facility and taken on factory tours to encourage interest in industry careers, will help in attracting new talent to the industry. And training solutions such as those from Shimmy, mostly being used in Asia but looking for implementation opportunities in North America, will also help train both new and existing employees in more sophisticated job functions.

Shimmy uses gamification for a fun and engaging learning experience.

Clearly, there is still a long way to go before the North American textiles industry regains its former strength.

But at least the trend is moving that way. In fact, the U.S. Small Business Administration has been so impressed with the progress being made that it’s looking to use the textiles industry as

a case study to help other industries achieve similar successes.

Labels and Packaging This was a great year for labels and packaging. Labels and packaging design and production is in the midst of a transformation, similar to the one we saw in the 1990s with commercial print, but without the concerns of internet replacement.

On the demand side, consumer product companies are beginning to fully understand the benefits of short-run, on-demand packaging production, and what it can mean to the continued diversification of their markets. While it has been a relative staple in label production, this year we saw it start to grow in flexible packaging, folding carton and corrugated packaging as well.

Digital Innovation Digital label production continues to increase its market share in support of those demands with both liquid and dry toner production.

There has been a significant amount of hybrid digital (both toner and inkjet) introductions. These are December 2019 WhatTheyThink - Printing News

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MANAGEMENT usually combined with flexo solutions both as standalone systems or as retrofits. In many of these solutions, the flexo stations can be positioned pre- or post-digital to enable digital over printing as well as printing on the adhesive, laminating, foiling or varnishing combined with print in a single process.

Flexible packaging is starting to move further into digital as well. HP Indigo introduced a complete inline solution from printing through filling the resultant pouch. Uteco/Kodak introduced their high-speed, waterbased inkjet solution as well, running at 175 meters per minute.

Folding carton is going digital with the shipping of the Heidelberg Primefire and the Landa P series presses. Print service providers are finding that their A3+ and extended digital presses are also finding a sweet spot with smaller folding carton work. The Xerox Iridesse takes it up a notch with the addition of interchangeable metallic toners, perfect for embellishing a carton.

Digital single-pass corrugated production is another growing area for digital packaging production.

Both HP and EFI have been placing their machines at converters and beginning to see how and where these new solutions will fit into the new market realities.

Don’t Count Out Flexo!

Digital print technologies like electrophotographic and production

10

inkjet do add on-demand and variable data features, and while the quality is there, cost and performance are still lagging and probably will be for quite a while. Although, there is some new technology starting to push the envelope. One example of a production inkjet press that is pushing those limits is the Uteco Sapphire EVO hybrid press designed for flexible packaging.

First of all, packaging print has many different applications—labels, folding cartons, flexible packaging, corrugated, etc.

Each of them has their own requirements.

In the meantime, flexography has been going through a rebirth.

There have been many digital enhancements brought to the flexo process. The result can be extremely high print quality, while still providing high productivity and low

cost, creating a significant defense against production inkjet solutions.

This flexo rebirth and the emerging digital offerings now raise the question: what printing technology is “right” for packaging? This is a difficult question that may not produce a binary answer. First of all, packaging print has many different applications—labels, folding cartons, flexible packaging, corrugated, etc. Each of them has their own requirements. While we think of digital technologies for on-demand and variable data, presses like the Bobst REVO can print on demand flexo at a much lower cost with higher productivity than any digital solution.

Is Bespoke the Real End Game?

While there are lots of hybrid solutions out there, and an increasing number of components to support the variety of packaging requirements, perhaps the whole hybrid evolution today is really just a part of the industry digital transformation and transition to the real end game…purpose-built or bespoke solutions?

As we move to more digital print solutions to satisfy the requirements of shorter “on-demand” runs, a number of things happen. First of all, the digital toner and inkjet solutions are slower than the conventional flexo solutions, which means that the total available production capacity of the press is less.

But that is not necessarily a bad thing, because it allows you to create focused

WhatTheyThink - Printing News December 2019

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MANAGEMENT

and optimized production processes based on specific requirements instead of trying to fit work with different requirements into the same production processes. That could provide more cost effective and timely solutions with less setups and handling.

Drupa 2020 will see the next wave of packaging production introductions—stay tuned!

Wide Format Dr. Joe Webb once wrote that “the wide-format market is like Florida: everyone is from somewhere else.”

That was five or six years ago, and

while it was true then—the nascent wide-format market comprised photolabs, repro shops, some commercial printers and others who came from disparate, shrinking markets. That mass migration to wideformat is largely over; those who are likely to have added it have added it, and it sits comfortably with the other products and services they offer.

Wide-format printing remains a substantial opportunity, but we need to acknowledge that “wide format” is losing its cachet as a specific term.

Shops that are seeing success in selling wide-format services aren’t

necessarily marketing themselves as “wide-format printers,” because aside from industry pundits, no one who actually buys print knows what that means. Talk to someone outside the printing industry (at least once in a while, please!) and use the phrase “wide format” and they’ll give you a blank stare. Use words like “posters,” “signage,” “window graphics,” “banners” and they get the picture.

At the same time, it has become difficult to separate “wide format” from other aspects of the printing industry, such as textiles, packaging and industrial printing. People have been using the word “convergence” to describe this phenomenon, but a better term may be “overlapping” (or maybe “overlappage” if we’re allowed to coin our own buzzwords). The raison d’être of the new PRINTING United show— despite the word that is in all caps—is “united,” that all of these different aspects of print are simply variations on a theme—ink on something— rather than completely different songs.

(Even so, we still encountered some commercial printers at the show who grumbled, “What’s all this wide-format $#%&! doing here?”)

Unlike other areas like textiles or packaging, there have not been very many earthshaking product announcements in the wide-format

(Photo by Kris Iverson, Moon Shadow Glass)

12

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MANAGEMENT space, which is not a surprise, given where the industry and its attendant technologies are today. The best way of describing it is to borrow a term from evolutionary biology: “punctuated equilibrium,” a theory which posits that once a new species appears, its population will remain relatively stable and unchanged for some length of geological time until the next period of brief and rapid biological change. Likewise, in wide format, we are currently in a period of relative stasis. The past 15 to 20 years has seen the proliferation of digital inkjet in all its myriad forms and we are in the period now where we are finessing the technology, awaiting the next big transformational development. Next year is a drupa year, so we may get

some hints of what is coming next, but for now, we’re all still wrapping our (print)heads around inkjet and all that it can do. Which is rather a lot.

2020 Vision What will 2020 bring for the industry? There are some potentially dark macroeconomic clouds on the horizon—some economists have been using the “R” word—and the geopolitical situation remains fraught, which doesn’t lend itself to economic stability, let alone growth. In the U.S., 2020 is a major election year and while it will be an incredibly ugly one—and one that will largely take place over social media—print is always a beneficiary of election years. Lawn signs and posters have already started to appear, so any

wide-format printer who is not in the lawn sign printing business would do well to get there. Sure, they’re not the highest margin items in the world, but there’s a lot of potential volume.

We also fully expect textiles and of course packaging to remain healthy and growing. There are some potentially disruptive technologies coming: 5G, to name one, which will in some ways negatively impact some parts of the print business. But then 5G will also likely have benefits for certain aspects of the print business, such as signage (see “Five Alive: 5G Technology Will Transform Sign & Display” on page 48 of this issue).

2020 will be a fun ride. We hope you continue to join us—here in print and/or online. Find article here PrintingNews.com/21097477 ■

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DIGITAL & INKJET

Drive Your Business

at the Mailbox Learn how to design better direct mail.

Article by Elizabeth Gooding

M

aking direct mail better should be a priority for every print organization that even remotely touches the direct marketing segment. Direct marketing underwrites the postal costs of many other segments in the U.S. with 77.3 mail pieces delivered in 2018. While direct mail volumes have grown, direct mail designers and producers are still vying with many other channels for a piece of the marketing pie. Designers are also competing with the perception of direct mail as “junk mail.”

Let’s face it, everyone loses when

Elizabeth Gooding Elizabeth Gooding helps companies to streamline their business process, improve customer retention, and maximize new opportunities for document design, print and Internet technology.

Contact her at Elizabeth@inkjetinsight.com .

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poorly designed pieces make it into the mail. Consumers are annoyed and more likely to toss everything in the bin. If response rates are low, especially on mass mailings, it drags down overall industry performance making marketers less likely to put their budget on mail versus non-print channels.

Everyone in the supply chain has a vested interest in creating truly effective direct mail. That means everyone in the supply chain needs to work together, and the opportunities to create great work have never been better.

What Can Mailers Do? While some print and mail organizations offer services like design and marketing strategy, most of what they print is designed by someone else. In order to have an impact on mail design, they need to work with designers before the piece becomes a job. The idea is to get designers excited about the latest digital production technology and help them raise the bar on

what is possible. We call this creating “design optimists.” This requires an investment in customer education and outbound marketing to designers, as well as the technical ability to deliver high quality production. Getting to designers before they are customers may actually help bring in more business, particularly if a printer can enable them to deliver differentiated designs that their last print partner couldn’t.

What Do Designers Need to Learn About?

Designers who specialize in nonprint channels need to learn about the great, and improving, response rates that direct mail can deliver. Direct mail is the most effective channel in driving response from consumers as well as business prospects. In fact, in 2018 direct mail response rates were five times higher than either email or social campaigns and nine times higher when using a house mailing list versus a prospect list.

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DIGITAL & INKJET 2018 Response Rates – Prospect & House Lists

Source: ANA; DMA Response Rate Report, 2018

Of course those numbers are averages. Some response rates are lower and some are significantly higher.

Getting those higher results is what everyone should be striving for. Even designers who have been working in print may not be aware of all of the new possibilities for driving top results with direct mail. Let’s consider a few:

Data Driven Personalization There have been huge leaps in data management to drive personalization and in what can be personalized in a digital printing environment.

Advances in data management, filtering, appending and even artificial intelligence means that lists can be more targeted, even micro-targeted, and more robust with multiple data points used to personalize a campaign.

Once triggers are identified to drive variations, designs can be tailored with variations in color, imagery, offer and response methods. In fact, the entire campaign flow might be changed based on the demographics of the list with some receiving print as a follow up to online activity and others getting direct mail first with an enticement to go online. With digital print, sophisticated marketing software and the right data, pretty 16

more likely to recall content printed on high-quality, heavy-weight paper than on low-quality paper. No doubt, the feel of a piece can be a major differentiator when sorting through a pile of mail. Is there a soft-touch, a grainy feel, a raised surface? The feel of the selected media is only one step in the process, since that media can be enhanced with coatings, varnishes, embossing and foils to drive interest.

In many cases, the application of textures and embellishment is also one more characteristic that can be personalized for each mail piece.

Finishing much anything in a campaign can be personalized – including the envelope.

Haptics The literal feel of the piece can have a direct impact on whether mail gets opened, how the message is interpreted and how memorable

The literal feel of the piece can have a direct impact on whether mail gets opened, how the message is interpreted and how memorable it is. it is. “A Communicator’s Guide to the Neuroscience of Touch” by Lana Rigsby and Dr. David Eagleman, cites research from Eagleman Labs connecting haptics with memory.

Specifically, research participants were

Some of the haptic opportunities described above are part of postprint finishing lines, including clear and textured coatings and foils, but there are many other finishing opportunities for designers to consider and understand. Sometimes even understanding all of the folding options that are compatible with a particular print technology can be confusing – but a unique “reveal” through an unexpected fold can be a differentiator. Designers need to understand how available finishing options work together from haptic enhancements through folding, binding, cutting and inserting – or building the envelope around the piece in lieu of a typical inserting process.

Creating Design Optimists Personalization, haptic enhancement and finishing are just a few of the areas that can take direct mail to the next level, and they each are complex topics to master. The selected paper (or other media) must be compatible with each step in the process. A particular print provider may have different combinations of print and finishing solutions including toner or inkjet, sheet-fed or roll-fed and different levels of sophistication with their software processes. Without guidance,

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DIGITAL & INKJET designers can become frustrated with trying to figure out what is possible.

Print organizations can help them by providing guidelines on: ■■ The production capabilities of the organization. Not feeds and speeds, but rather combinations of technology that work together. What paper and print options are available for high, medium and low coverage designs? What finishing capabilities can be used with each of those options? What are the base sheet sizes or roll widths that can be produced?

How can you get each piece in the mail at the lowest cost?

■■ File preparation guidelines for submitting data, design and graphic files for production.

Start with color space and preferred image file formats for each print process used.

■■ Inspiration through sample designs. Print firms can create them in-house or hire a designer, but sample jobs that push the limits of your production capabilities should be available to drive designers to think big.

Thinking big may include designs that include more than one type of print, more than one type of media, variations in finishes and campaign components that go beyond the page such as augmented reality or other connections to web, social or mobile experiences. Design optimists assume that what they want to do is possible and go out and work with production partners to try to make it happen.

Printing and mailing organizations need to be ready to collaborate on that vision and find ways to say yes, even if that involves some fine tuning on the design.

Print providers need to work to gain the attention of designers, but designers also need to engage with print provider. Talking with different providers can open up design possibilities that may otherwise have been missed.

When designers and their print partners are working together early in the process, the chances of a clean, successful and innovative campaign are greatly increased.

When innovative campaigns drive even higher response rates, we all win. Find article here PrintingNews. com/21096261 ■

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MARKETING TECHNOLOGY

“Immersing” Ourselves in AR A survey looks at adoption of augmented reality, but when will marketing catch up?

Article by Heidi Tolliver-Walker

W

ill augmented reality finally gain widespread adoption in print and digital marketing communications?

When will it move beyond its current (and very solidly growing) base of enterprise applications (including education, training and design), gaming and social media?

To find out, ARtillry Intelligence worked with Thrive to survey 2000+ U.S. adults.

The survey, “Mobile AR: Usage and Consumer Attitudes,” finds that more than one-third of consumers have used a mobile AR app. While this isn’t as high as many would like, the survey also finds that people who are adopting mobile AR aren’t casual Heidi Tolliver-Walker Heidi Tolliver-Walker has been a commercial and digital printing industry analyst, feature writer, and author for more than 20 years. Her industry commentary can be found in national printing publications, blogs, and marketing publications.

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users. They are highly active and engaged. For example: ■■ 32% of consumers have used a mobile AR app.

■■ More than one-half report using mobile AR apps at least once per week.

■■ 73% rate themselves as being “satisfied” or “highly satisfied” with their experiences.

Revenue from these early users is growing. ARtillry projects consumer AR revenues to grow from $975 million in 2016 to $14.02 billion in 2021. Until 2021, however, most of

that revenue will come from mobile AR apps and e-commerce rather than marketing opportunities. The top app category, according to ARtillry, is gaming. In a separate report, ARtillry forecasts AR to reach $19.5 billion by 2023 for enterprise applications.

The challenge for adoption in, of course, is anticipating when AR will gain wider spread consumer adoption. The biggest challenge at present, ARtillry indicates, is that the gap between AR users and non-users is vast. While mobile AR users are highly engaged, non-users are highly

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MARKETING TECHNOLOGY disengaged. Specifically, non-users report a low likelihood of adopting “soon” and exhibit a lack of interest.

ARtillry explains this is not unique to AR. It is the challenge for all immersive technologies.

This disparity between currentuser satisfaction and nonuser disinterest underscores a key challenge for immersive technologies: you have to “see it to believe it.” In order to reach high satisfaction levels, apps have to first be tried. Put another way, AR’s highly visual and immersive format is a double-edged sword.

It can create strong affinities and high engagement levels. But the visceral nature of its experience can’t be communicated to prospective users with traditional marketing such as ad copy or even video. . . It will take time and cost reductions before they reach a more meaningful share of the consumer public.

Will AR get there? I think we’re all pretty sure it’s inevitable. AR has already become integrated into the fabric of our lives, even if it’s “trying on” sunglasses through a SnapChatstyle filter. We don’t think of it as AR, however. It’s just a functionality that has been normalized and we have come to expect. For mobile AR, that’s a good thing. People will use AR as long as it’s easy and they don’t have to think too hard about doing it.

Marketers are starting to open their wallets to tap into the enthusiasm of these early adopters, especially since these users’ active participation is translating into revenue. As reported

by VXChange, for example: Research has shown that nearly seven out of 10 media planners want to incorporate more AR experiences into their advertising efforts to boost customer engagement. Deloitte’s 2018 report on technology trends

for mid-market companies (those with annual revenues between $100 million and $1 billion) found that a majority of them are experimenting with AR in various forms to help grow their business.

So let’s hear from you...those on the front lines of marketing. Are you offering AR in your marketing toolbox? If so, where do you see AR gaining traction? Find article here PrintingNews.com/21096863 ■

For more information, visit PrintingNews.com/10005400

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PRINTING PULSE

The Industry By Numbers Take a look back on the economics of 2019 to forecast the future.

In this issue’s “Year in Review” (page 8), we remarked that the last few years have seen a kind of “print recovery,” driven by a combination of technological, economic and demographic trends, and manifesting itself as the renewed sense of optimism and excitement we experienced at the fall trade shows.

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To what extent can we quantify the print recovery?

Let’s see what the numbers say.

Given the lag time in government data reporting and the press deadline for this magazine, we have a somewhat incomplete picture of 2019, but we can see how the year has been trending.

Shipments The value of printing shipments for September 2019 (the latest month for which we have data) was $7.14 billion—up from August’s $7.10 billion. It’s not a huge rise, but given that for the last few years September shipments declined from August, we’ll take it as a positive development.

As a result, year-to-date shipments for 2019 continue to stay ahead of 2018: January-to-September shipments for 2019 are at $60.90 billion compared to 2018’s $59.83.

It continues to look like 2019 will be the best year the printing industry has had since 2016—confirming the renewed sense of optimism and excitement that we saw at the fall trade shows.

What is the WhatTheyThink forecast for the rest of 2019? As encouraging as this year has been, the spirit of Dr. Doom lingers, so we are going to temper our expectations. We’re anticipating another rise in shipments for October, but we fully expect November and December to be down, as has been the trend for the past three years. We’re going to predict that October will come in around $7.3 billion, November around $7.0 billion, and December around $6.6 billion. That will give us estimated annual shipments for 2019 of $81.8 billion—better than 2017 and 2018, but we’re not going to be too ebullient (with the emphasis on “bull”). Still, we’d be happy to be wrong (in the good way).

There is one other thing worth mentioning, and that is we have been seeing a kind of printing industry diaspora. All

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PRINTING PULSE the government data we have historically tracked is from NAICS 323—Printing and Related Activities.

However, not all businesses that we would consider printing today—or, more importantly, what those businesses would consider printing—are classified in 323. Sign shops, for example, are in NAICS 339. Packaging converters are in 322. We also did some playing around with Dun & Bradstreet data, looking up some of the print businesses we have profiled in the past couple of years, and most are in 323, but some threw us for a loop. One is classified in 517410 (Telecommunications Services), while another is 811111 (Consumer Services). We suspect these are outliers, but our project for 2020 is to get a better handle on where all the printers have gone.

before taxes were -2.30% of revenues while for smaller printers, they were +8.76% of revenues. In Q2, large printers profits before taxes turned positive—but just barely: +0.5% of revenues. For small printers, profits before taxes came in at +6.74% of revenues.

What is behind this tale of two cities? A few factors. Big printing companies are still writing down assets that don’t match market needs, while smaller companies have been

able to be a little more agile and adopt digital printing, as well as absorb the volume of less successful companies that have closed.

WhatTheyThink contributor Mark Hahn, who writes the monthly look at merger and acquisition activity, did his annual M&A recap in September, and it’s worth a look to get a sense of where a lot of the action in the industry is. Find article here PrintingNews.com/21097527 ■

Profits The most recent industry profits data we have as of press time (or, more appropriately, “you will submit this story under pain of death” time) is for the second quarter of 2019, but there is one longstanding trend that we suspect will remain true for the second half of the year—and beyond.

For Q2, annualized profits were down from $3.61 billion to $3.05 billion, and, for the industry on average, profits before taxes were 3.45% of revenues. For the last six quarters, they’ve averaged 4.11% of revenues.

We have been calling the industry profits situation the “tale of two cities,” as there is a very large profitability gap between large and small printers. (Large printers are those that have more than $25 million in assets, small printers less than $25 million.) In June, when we looked at the Q1 2019 profits report, we noted that large printers’ profits

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DIGITAL & INKJET

Replicate the Real Thing Thanks to METIS, you could scan your Christmas tree and then reproduce its texture using any of a variety of analog or digital print processes.

Article by Mary Schilling

I

magine receiving for Christmas— or the holiday of your choice—a gift that you could then use to scan the tree or other holiday items. Thanks to METIS, you could scan your Christmas tree and then reproduce its texture using any of a variety of analog or digital print processes.

One of the fastest-growing applications in wide-format and industrial printing is textures.

Particularly in the area of décor, items like laminate flooring can be printed to simulate the feel of wood.

While a lot has been written about how these kinds of materials are printed, typically using UV flatbed wide-format printers, not much has been said about the front end of the process. How exactly are these textures created?

Based in Rome, METIS

Mary Schilling Mary Schilling is co-owner of www.InkjetInsight.com and the owner of www.

SchillingInkjetConsulting. com. She consults with paper mills, fluid and inkjet machinery suppliers and end users. She writes technical inkjet industry and training articles.

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manufactures high-quality, multi configuration scanners specifically designed for the décor industry.

They can capture a photorealistic reproduction of an existing surface such as a fine-art painting, wood or ceramic/stone flooring, a solid panel or a wallcovering.

Step one is to gather those surface attributes, which include RGB color, 3D surface texture and glossiness, which is what METIS scanners are uniquely designed to do.

The Metis Technology was used in the design of this flooring AND to generate surface data in this computer-generated room scene displaying the product.

“METIS scanners are considered to have the highest level of color accuracy across the largest area and over the course of time of any commercially available RGB scanner in the world today,” said Rob Lawrence, business development manager for Metis scanners at CGS ORIS. “Additionally, METIS is wholly unique in the image acquisition process, and brings an exceptional level of objectivity to the imaging process which is one of the key reasons it was brought into the product offering at CGS ORIS.” CGS ORIS is the official dealer for Metis scanners in the U.S.

High-Res Image Capture METIS scanners are different from traditional flatbed scanners, because they scan the surface with a 16,300-pixel CMOS sensor and temperature-controlled LEDs up to eight times, each with tightly controlled angle and distance.

The captured data is saved into a proprietary file format. Once captured, METIS’s Light Inspector software acts like a virtual photography studio where the operator views, in real time, a virtually unlimited number

Specialty texture mapping offers various possibilities

of lighting combinations to select the view of the surface that best represents the original.

In addition, because of these known lighting angles, distances and temperatures, the METIS software will isolate and calculate the 3D

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DIGITAL & INKJET surface depth and surface roughness/ glossiness variance. This data can be then exported as grayscale TIFFs (16bit, 8-bit, 8-bit layers, 1-bit and/or 1-bit slices) which can be used for laser and chemical etch engraving of press plates and gravure cylinders or single-pass and/or multi-pass UV inkjet printing and embellishment applications.

Specialty texture mapping offers various possibilities Hardware also needs software, and each METIS scanner comes bundled with METIS’s ScanDirector, which controls the scanning process with all the controls needed for the most advanced photography requirements. Both applications share the same user interface and work

interchangeably. METIS also offers additional licenses of Light Inspector for remote computers, which can be a tremendous benefit to a designer in a different location who wishes to select the lighting angle intensities to capture the nature/essence the surface they chose for a specific design.

Everything—Including the Kitchen Sink METIS scanners are also unique in the variety of the surfaces they can capture.

“With heavy-duty powder-coated steel scanning tables, the scanners can hold over 500 pounds,” Lawrence said. “But with integrated sensors, the scanners can be adjusted to detect the slightest weight change and resistance allowing the most delicate originals to be scanned without danger of being damaged by the scanner.”

Some examples of materials scanned at METIS’s demo center include a whole kitchen sink, 500-pound granite slabs, barn doors, white glazed tiles, oiled asphalt, oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings,

grand-format maps, denim and a host of other kinds of textiles.

And we had to ask: what is the coolest thing anyone has scanned and developed with a METIS scanner?

“A fashion house in Milan scanned the wings of a preserved falcon and used the pattern to emboss the shoulders and sleeves of a leather jacket,” Lawrence said. “We had one client lay mud on the table for a textile design.”

Given the variety of materials and surfaces the scanners can digitize, they are well-suited for a wide range of markets. The three primary markets that the company specifically serves are décor (flooring, wall panels, wall coverings and ceramic tiles), fine-art reproduction and archival services (libraries and museums). Naturally, each of these markets has different imaging requirements.

“Depending on the market, the desired resolution, and if they plan to reproduce texture and glossiness will determine the kind of output required from the scanner,” Lawrence said.

(Left)Pattern texture mapping to enhance wallpaper printing. (Above) Got mud? No Problem with the METIS DRS 2000 DCS Large Format Scanner

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Oil painting scanned with texture levels in RGB with gloss mapping image

DIGITAL & INKJET Market Dynamics All markets have their own dynamics.

“Decor is undergoing a transformation to a digital workflow,” Lawrence said. “With digital will come a huge demand for more depth. The METIS scanner is a high throughput scanning technology equipped to deliver all of the needed data and files for the latest digital printing technologies, which include the ability to generate surface texture and glossiness for embellishment or texture builds.”

For the fine-art market, some of the benefits that the METIS scanner offer are similar, but there are some unique requirements for this market.

“The ability to capture and reproduce an original work of art with a printing process requires not only an ability to accurately reproduce a painting, but also an adept understanding of the artists they serve,” Lawrence said. “The METIS gives the fine-art professional a tool to start off with the most complete and accurate capture, and combines it with a scanning methodology and software tool to work with the artist side-byside to capture the true essence of the original in real time.”

The scanner can also export accurate surface texture and glossiness details in formats unique to each printer’s capabilities, such as ink thickness per pass, as well as the ability for the RIP to lay down individual layers to build up the surface height.

For archival services, it’s all about capturing detail and consistency.

“The METIS scanners were designed to provide the highest level of light uniformity and detail for the most challenging originals,” Lawrence said. “METIS flatbed scanners are among the rare elite scanners capable of achieving a FADGI 4-Star designation, the highest quality standard in the archival industry.”

Some specific METIS customers 24

and the kinds of tasks to which they are putting the scanner include: ■■ The world’s best-known tile manufacturers and retailers use the METIS to generate original designs and to create their marketing imagery for catalog and online content.

■■ The décor manufacturers in the U.S. are using the METIS to reduce time, costs and ultimately product returns by generating more effective sample materials.

■■ Fine art reproduction houses are using the METIS to produce higher-quality images for 2D giclée’s, as well as 3D textured fine art reproductions produced on a flatbed UV printer.

■■ Colorimetry for hard-to-colormanage printed media such as ceramics, wood, concrete and carpeting.

Opportunities for Print Service Providers METIS scanning technology can also provide opportunities for graphic arts firms and print service providers.

“With advancements in 3D and 3D-like technologies, there is a need for realistic surface data, and the METIS’s ability to capture and deliver graphics of the surface attributes of color, texture and glossiness will mean greater realism with these technologies,” Lawrence said.

The METIS technology scans materials from a topical level. This approach also benefits colorimetry creation for materials which would be impossible to profile by traditional methods. When accurately

Multi-use METIS Surf 3D ColorGate Edition creates textured scans and colorimetry.

reproducing hard-to-replicate detail, proper color management is just as important as the images color data. METIS has partnered with ColorGate Digital Output Solutions, GmbH to prepare colorimetry for accurate color management. What traditionally took hours now takes just minutes.

The benefits go beyond print— the METIS scanner can bring new revenue sources to graphic arts firms by “being able to reproduce 3D texture reproductions with existing UV printing equipment or providing scanning services for CGI/PBR (computer-generated imagery/physical based rendering) applications,” he said.

METIS scanners could help expand offerings for print service providers’ clients in that they can provide their clients with extremely color accurate photorealistic and/ or tactile realistic reproductions, and the scanners can deliver image data in whatever format is needed for a given print manufacturing method.

And scanning surfaces are required for a host of needs beyond print, such as virtual/augmented reality, CGI and PBR. Computer-generated room scenes, product displays, video game environments and movies are increasingly calling for more photorealistic surface textures.

Think Outside the Box—and Then Scan the Box What advice would Lawrence give creative designers when thinking about doing custom scanning for

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DIGITAL & INKJET their production process?

“First of all, think outside the box,” he said, “but remember that the scanner’s job is to give you an absolutely faithful capture of the original. So, before you send a surface to be scanned, be sure it is as close as possible to how you wish the final output to appear. This includes gloss/sheen levels. But don’t just get stuck on one option, the METIS software enables real-time lighting perspective changes postscan to allow for virtually unlimited perspectives that would take other scanning technologies days to try to create. It is easily adjustable to scan multiple scan mapping options in less time than other devices.

“The METIS’s ability to develop colorimetry, isolate and capture these element detail and depth will mean you will have less post-scan editing and the right maps to deliver to the different manufacturing processes.”

Designers, don’t limit yourself to just what you have available.

Flat pictures and patterns that can be found through stock photo or traditional flatbed scanners don’t give the topical and depth data needed if designing a piece which requires a realistic effect. Naturistic items such a leaves, wood, concrete and marble have a natural depth and detail, which must be captured accurately for printing with UV inkjet. Manmade items such as premade ceramic or glass tile sections can also be scanned to make continuous image for wall décor, only if all the light source data is included.

This extra data will allow the depth of the UV gloss printed to vary making

the printed piece extremely realistic.

If you are lucky enough to find a METIS scanner next to your Christmas tree, it is a unique technology that can really provide some serious differentiation with benefits that extend

long after the tree is taken down.

More information can be found at CGS ORIS (www.cgsusa.com) and at METIS-Group, Italy (www.metis-group. com) Find article here PrintingNews. com/21097628 ■

Ceramic, metallic and glass tile scanned for RGB and multiple light reflection data

For more information, visit PrintingNews.com/10004777

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LABELS & PACKAGING

Transformation Affects Everyone —Time Is Not on Your Side!

The most important thing to realize is that as technologies and markets change, the speed at which a company addresses business transformation can position them as a leader or laggard going forward.

Article by David Zwang

A

fter the recent PRINTING United event in Dallas, it is now evident that the importance and timeliness of business transformation is not just for service providers—it is also for hardware and software manufacturers. In my recent interview with Gavin Jordan-Smith of Ricoh, you can hear and almost feel the direction that many equipment suppliers are beginning to take to prepare themselves and their customers for the future. The most important thing to realize is that as technologies and markets change, the David Zwang David Zwang specializes in process analysis, and strategic development of firms involved publishing and packaging across the globe. Contact him at david@zwang.com

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speed at which a company addresses transformation can position them as a leader or laggard going forward.

Examples of this can be seen in these two formerly leading companies, both with roots in Rochester, N.Y., grappling with their transformations while their customers are having to do the same.

Kodak Kodak was once synonymous with Imaging. In fact, it once was a “Kodak moment.” As things began to change, they were slow to recognize and transform. In 1997, Kodak had a market cap of almost $30 billion. Today it is about $118 million, a significant reduction.

Their transformation truly started around 2005 but was in full force in 2012 when they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Ultimately, with the delay, this became a very hard transformation which included many cuts and even the selling off of their flexo group, now known as Miraclon. Today, Kodak is beginning to show signs of stability and new life. This good news is a result of the receipts from this sale, the resultant debt payoff and the appointment of Jim Continenza, as executive chairman and CEO, to lead the transformational rebirth going forward.

A few early indications of this shift are starting to surface. First, Kodak is starting to view their print divisions, both Inkjet (EISD) and their Nexpress group, as a more unified offering instead of competing as independent groups. Additionally, Prinergy, their flagship workflow software which

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LABELS & PACKAGING was getting long in the tooth, is apparently being updated along with a move to the Microsoft Azure cloud as their new Prinergy VME (Virtual Machine Environment). Each of these steps on its own is fairly significant, but viewed as part of the whole is an indication that a positive transformation with an eye on growth is on its way, and I am sure there are more exciting things coming.

Xerox Once the leader in digital printing, Xerox had a similar market cap of about $30 billion in 1997. Their transformation to date has been a little more strategic, gradual and less destructive than Kodak’s. Their transformation started in earnest with the acquisition of ACS in 2010 and subsequent splitting off of the rebranded Conduent services business in 2017. They recently announced that they are selling off their interest in the 57-yearold FujiXerox (FX) joint venture.

Xerox will receive $2.3 billion for their share of FX; that’s almost 28% of their pre-sale market cap ($5.7 billion), bringing them up to almost $8 billion.

This new move is significant for a number of reasons. Fujifilm, as a part of the longstanding relationship, has supplied many enterprise and entry level production printers to Xerox.

The agreement of sale with Fujifilm does include some arrangements for future exchanges of both equipment and IP. What they will do with that windfall, however, could determine their leader/laggard position going forward. As an aside, considering the June 2019 announcement that Xerox and HP have “an expansion of the companies’ business relationship”

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could help mitigate the effects of a fading Fujifilm partnership, even if there isn’t a merger. With the recent discussions of an HP acquisition by Xerox—or vice versa—considering the Xerox current market cap is about 30% of HP’s value, it would

However, many, if not most, supplier companies are affected by the market changes.

They are all having to find new revenue sources to replace the increasingly declining clicks on those machines as enterprise and business customers move to more digital communication workflows. be an interesting but not impossible challenge and transformation.

In these two cases, if you look at the difference in market cap changes in the two companies between 1997 and today, you can see where the more strategic and timely transformation of Xerox to date has

had its obvious benefits.

These are only two supplier companies. However, many, if not most, supplier companies are affected by the market changes. For example, most of the digital printer and MFP manufacturers like Xerox, Canon, HP, KM, Ricoh, etc..., are also affected. They are all having to find new revenue sources to replace the increasingly declining clicks on those machines as enterprise and business customers move to more digital communication workflows.

They are also seeing a need to expand their product lines to include production inkjet devices, and software connectivity to support a more holistic workflow environment.

How quickly each of them addresses their transformation, will dictate their position going forward as well.

So how do you transform your company to address the market changes? The longer you wait to acknowledge the new market realities, the harder it will become to transform your business. In the end, cutting costs can bring you to short-term profitability, but strategic transformation can bring you profitability, and more importantly, growth for the long term. Is it time to transform your business?

More to Come …

I would like to address your interests and concerns in future articles as it relates to the manufacturing of Print, Packaging and Labels, and how, if at all, it drives future workflows including “Industry 4.0.” If you have any interesting examples of hybrid and bespoke manufacturing, I am very anxious to hear about them. Please feel free to contact me at david@zwang.com with any questions, suggestions or examples of interesting applications.

Find article here PrintingNews. com/21096917 ■

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CustomContent

Profitable Opportunities in UV Printing A preferred printing technology for durable signage, UV LED printing has recently transformed the market for personalized or customized items. Thanks to advancements in UV inks and printers, commercial print providers have many choices for entering this market which offers many creative avenues for delivering profitable new services to their customers. Now, two new flatbed UV printers from Xante’ – the X-16 and X-33 UV LED printers – provide shop owners with the latest in affordable, versatile printing on almost any substrate imaginable.

Both the X-16 and X-33 are powered by Xante’s highly-intuitive iQueue Adobe PDF Workflow software which allows operators full control of color matching, ink density, color profiles, and every other component of a successful print run. Delivered in an incredibly simple user interface, iQueue costs nothing to operate thanks to its site license which is included with each printer.

The X-16 UV LED printer is specifically designed for shops with limited floorspace. Featuring an 18” x 24” bed, the printer fits nicely within a 6’ footprint. Its small size doesn’t limit its production capabilities. Printing at a bed time under three minutes for an 18” x 24” sign, the X-16 produces output at up to 2880 dpi resolution on coroplast, acrylic, glass, metal, wood, and more substrates. The printer includes a rotisserie attachment that accommodates cylindrical objects such as stainless steel water bottles, wine or other beverage bottles, and glass drinkware.

The X-33 UV LED printer features a 24” x 36” vacuum flatbed for maximum production in an economical design. Printing at a bed time of under one minute for an 18” x 24” sign, the X-33 can

print high resolution signage for less than 25 cents per square foot making it the ideal addition for shops seeking to enter this lucrative market. With a maximum print head height of 6”, the X-33 is also capable of printing on small three-dimensional objects such as boxes, golf balls, or stretched canvas. Perfect for creating prototypes of shelf-ready retail packaging, the X-33, with its pigmented inks and powerful iQueue color controls, makes it easier than ever to match specific colors for critical applications.

Whether seeking to satisfy the unique needs of individual customers or meet the wide-ranging demands of outdoor signage, the X-16 and X-33 printers fit the bill for shops seeking to diversify the services they offer. Production of typical coroplast signs has usually called for vinyl lettering printed, cut from sheets, and then applied by hand to create a finished product. UV LED printing simplifies the entire workflow to a hands-off operation that quickly produces signs that endure the elements far beyond the point where vinyl lettering would start to peel from the substrate. The X-16 and X-33 extend the capabilities for signage to include eye-catching, full color photo images that are almost frame-able.

Always a concern for shops and customers alike, changes to information can be quickly and effortlessly accommodated thanks to the speed and economy of the X-16 and X-33.

When it comes to producing customized individual products, the X-16 and X-33 UV LED printers along with Xante’s iQueue workflow software create the exact results with minimal effort. For example, creating acrylic award plaques personalized for a variety of categories and recipients could mean working up individual layouts and printing each plaque singly. However, when the advanced imposition and variable data tools included in iQueue are paired with the high quality printing capabilities of the X-16 or X-33, producing such awards in a single print run becomes an easy task accomplished in record-setting time. Creating special effects with the white ink in the X-16 and X-33 is simple with iQueue. Using controls built into iQueue, white ink can be placed beneath other inks to create a opaque background over colored or clear substrates. This effect requires no special manipulation of the original artwork thereby saving time and money for the shop while delivering the quality results the client expects.

The X-16 and X-33 are the latest extensions of a thirty year legacy of Xante’ innovations for commercial and in-plant print providers.

Dedicated to improving the profitable and successful operations of print shops worldwide, Xante’ will continue to develop and deliver solutions to the most difficult situations with products like these two outstanding printers.

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Are you getting into the #InkjetMindset in 2020?

What other factors will you have to consider when implementing the #InkjetMindset?

1. Flexibility improves when jobs move from offset to inkjet.

2. T ransitioning from offset means no need for preprinted shells plus the ability to add personalization, shorter turnaround times, and optimized postal spend by ganging the production of variable versions into one print run.

3. T ransitioning from toner requires workflow changes to adapt to increased printing speeds, but can help lower running costs, improve reliability, achieve more consistent uptime, and higher throughput.

4. I nkjet Color Management is not at the press, but at the file.

Technology is transforming the printing industry. And highspeed production inkjet is leading the charge of transforming the printing market. Nearly 40% of page volume is no longer produced by offset or digital toner technologies. Production inkjet has picked up the slack.

Production inkjet is a different technology than either offset or production toner. Are you getting into the #InkjetMindset in 2020?

Think about current offset work that would benefit from shorter lead times and the flexibility to adjust data at the latest possible moment. Or jobs like direct mail or catalogs that would benefit from including personalized variable data or targeted versioning.

By moving traditional offset jobs to inkjet, you can dramatically increase personalization opportunities, as well as maximize production efficiencies by grouping jobs together. Just make sure those jobs all use the same media—otherwise, you’ll lose those efficiencies in time spent changing rolls.

5. P aper choice is critical - more and more paper manufacturers are developing diverse paper options specifically for inkjet.

6. I nkjet will allow you to affordably print in monochrome and full-color, all in one pass. Add variable data and versioning for higher response rates.

7. E ducating your customers about inkjet quality expectations and file design requirements is critical to success.

Is your business considering the move to production inkjet? Go online to download an interactive guide that can help serve as your go-to resource for inkjet’s key benefits. Inkjet technology’s high speed, outstanding productivity, and reliable color output are already transforming the industry—find out how this innovative technology can improve your operations. Visit pps.csa.canon.com/ThinkInkjet to download the PDF.

Most toner presses use a dual component system — a combination of toner and developer. The developer gradually degrades over time, affecting image and color quality.

Operators have to continually tweak the color balance to achieve consistent color results within long runs or between runs. In contrast, the inkjet process is a constant, unchanging system that does not degrade or require tweaking.

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CustomContent

White Is The New Color Remember when digital printing was first introduced? It was monochrome technology that could print on-demand, but at a much higher cost than the press. But the coolest feature was that every page could be different.

Monochrome/digital printing was not initially embraced by the masses as the equipment was expensive and the cost-per-page was significantly higher than analog. But soon, economics of supply and demand took root, and every major manufacturer was building so many diverse devices, monochrome toner printing morphed into the preferred printing model.

Then color was introduced in the ‘80s - ‘90s. It was expensive, and mass adoption was slow. But, color created the ability for short-run, on-demand, robust printing - a welcome change from boring black & white or grayscale printing.

Color printing also afforded print shops new revenue opportunities and attracted different customer segments.

Print shops started specializing in business cards, stationery, envelopes, brochures, and other promotional materials and realizing a much higher profit margin. Business was good.

Because manufacturers were developing various printer options, color toner printing quickly bumped monochrome as the new standard printing process. Those who moved fast to adopt the new technology benefitted the most.

And now - white is the new #1 color.

Just like color toner created new customer offerings and additional revenue streams, white toner now gives print shops, designers, and educational institutions even more opportunities to provide innovative, visually superior, and extremely profitable services for their customers. The ability to print white on different colored media and substrates is one of the quickest and easiest ways to define and differentiate a business.

OKI was the first manufacturer to introduce single-pass, white toner printing capabilities for the low to mid-range production level - setting the next new standard for print processing. And, as we witnessed with the move from monochrome to color, the first to adopt CMYK + White printing will benefit the quickest and most significantly.

For print professionals who want the best in Digital Envelope Printing technology, contact OKI Data to locate the OKI Professional Color Partner most convenient for you.

Our competitive advantages include: ■ Sales and Service professionals all over the nation ■ Maintenance-free LED print engine ■ 5-year warranty on the LED print head ■ Straight-through paper path ■ Laser-safe and waterproof output ■ NCR and linen media compatible ■ Media size up to 13” W” x 52” L ■ EFI Fiery® C9 server (optional) ■ Robust multi-media feeder ■ FREE cost-per-print estimator ■ FREE 24/7 phone support ■ F REE 2 or 3-year on-site warranty (depending on model purchased) Don’t let your competitors be first-to-market with OKI white toner printing technology. Lead the change. For more information, please email procolor@okidata.com or call 972-891-3304

Take advantage of OKI’s limited time, “Trade-In Trade-Up” promotion which offers the ability to turn in old, outdated technology and upgrade to the latest Digital Envelope Printing solutions. OKI provides up to a $4,000 trade-in value for your old printer.

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Creating Powerful Pocket Folder Impressions First impressions matter! A pocket folder is often the first tangible impression an end-user will have of a company. A client or potential client may be familiar with a company name, images, or logos, but when they receive a pocket folder, that’s the solidification of a handshake. The pocket folder presents both the legitimization of a company and a sensory reaction to the brand. It conveys the most important message: the brand energy.

So, beyond the first impression, how can a pocket folder leave a lasting impression?

Every presentation piece delivers messages, subtly or overtly. Some of the factors that communicate are: 1) Stock Choice: The stock is the first, and perhaps most important decision to make when creating a pocket folder. Consider the weight, the texture, and the color. For example, the weight of the stock can instill trust by conveying stability. Colors and processes all evoke emotional responses; consequently, certain industries tend to use deep blues and rich greens to convey conservatism and security.

Then there’s texture. By maximizing the tactile impact, messages are literally sent through the fingertips to the brain of the consumer.

2) Folder Style: The most popular folder of all time is the 9 x 12 with two pockets. Applause, applause, the crowd goes wild! However, not every business or correspondence is best served by this common style. Obviously, the 9 x 12 holds an 8.5 x 11 sheet. Guess what? A 6 x 9 holds that sheet folded in half, and a 4 x 9 holds that sheet folded in thirds. 4 x 9’s also fit in a #10 envelope, the perfect size for sending quotes, invoices, introductory information, and so on.

Consider this option for small businesses or even particular departments. Another folder style that speaks volumes to a consumer is the tab folder. What does it say? “Let’s make finding me, (your new favorite brand, by the way) accessible and adaptable. My brand and my information are both on and in this handy tab folder, which you will put in an important, easy-toreach spot.” Great idea!

giving folks a sensory response adding memory to the message.

Dimensional UV Effects is the newest technology to not only add pop but also textures to a coated sheet with or without additional laminates or coatings to contrast. Dimensional UV effects emphasize the message and the brand to create conversation. Plus, our favorite new technology, polyfoil which allows for cost-effective high-end foil effects on short run projects.

Ready for More Ideas and Samples?

We could go on and on about our exciting finishing options and techniques. In fact, we do! Via the Ideas portion of the Pocket Folders Fast website, check out how finishes, technologies, stocks, design, and your ideas all combine to create a lasting impression. However, seeing (and touching) is believing, request your complete sales kit here at: PocketFoldersFast.com/PNews-Ideas

3) The Finishing Touches: Now that you’ve made your first impression, leave a lasting impression with the finishing touches. A gloss UV coating brightens the piece and the message. Soft touch lamination is the hottest trend in print,

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CustomContent

Four Print Essentials to Help Your Customers Grow One thing that’s remained consistent through the years is print marketing. Especially in today’s digital world, physical brochures, catalogs, calendars and business cards stand out to consumers.

Folder Express is known for our quality presentation folders, priced right and delivered on time. But did you know that we print more than just folders? Here are a few must-have marketing products your customers should consider.

Catalogs & Brochures When it comes to purchasing decisions, print catalogs and brochures are two of the most effective marketing tools. In a survey

by USPS, 72% of people said catalogs made them more interested in a product. A study by Bentley University found that 83% of people who viewed a brochure intended to visit the company being advertised. Catalogs and brochures are great at increasing brand visibility, establishing brand voice and leaving a lasting impression.

Calendars Still relevant in today’s digital age, calendars are not only cost effective but are also an excellent branding tool. Many people give calendars as gifts, which increases the odds that they won’t be tossed away. A well-designed calendar is the perfect conversation piece to help businesses stay in front of customers all year long.

Business Cards A good first impression is critical for any brand. High-quality business cards are often the best way to make that impression count. Business cards are still the number one networking tool, and for good reason. They’re the perfect icebreaker for any client meeting or trade show.

Remember: Folder Express has 40,000 square feet of storage space available for you to use!

Save money by printing larger quantities, then let us ship exactly what’s needed when your customers need it.

Call 800.322.1064 or visit folderexpress.com to get started on your next print marketing project!

PressWise - Turning Touches Into Automation Designed by a visionary printer burdened by the traditional manual workflows that still plague many printers today, PressWise provides a single, cloud-based print workflow with the tools you need to streamline, automate and grow your business.

How many times are you touching a job?

From estimating to orders, job tickets to impositioning, quoting to invoicing, PressWise reduces print production touches, increasing margins and providing faster turnarounds.

Are you tired of calls to the shop for job status?

As a cloud-based application, your shop goes everywhere you and your mobile device goes. Clients can even check job status, track shipments, place orders and make payments.

Are high upfront costs keeping you out of the MIS game?

With a low flat fee to launch the system and then a monthly fee, there are no long-term contracts or massive upfront costs. Unlimited technical support, training and product updates are all included.

and proofing system that allows our entire staff to stay on the same page at all times.”

“Before PressWise, each order would take about an hour of admin time to create the estimate and job ticket, get the job into production and get it shipped. With an average of 225 orders per week at an average order of $500, the cost of manual processing rapidly ate into margins.”

You get unlimited Web Storefronts, Estimating and Quote generation, Auto-Proof Approval processing, Job Ticket creation, Job Tracking, Automated Impositioning, Inventory, Mail Processing and Shipping, QuickBooks integration, connectivity to third-party storefronts and more.

PressWise was designed by a printer for printers - and is supported by an expert staff. We know print!

Visit www.presswise.com

Progressive printers are abandoning manual processes and legacy systems for PressWise. Here’s what they have to say: “PressWise offers a modern, web-based job ordering, processing 32

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Mutoh’s 1627MH Hybrid Printer Most Versatile Printer, Mutoh’s 1627MH is the most affordable hybrid printer on the market. At the FESPA 2019 exhibition, Mutoh received an EDP award in the category “Best Wide-format Multipurpose Printer” for its 64” wide ValueJet 1627MH Hybrid printer. The 1627MH comes with Mutoh’s resin-based CMYK + White MP-31 inks, available in 500 ml packs. MP stands for “multi-purpose”, which refers to the unique capabilities of the inks and their extreme versatility. The high opacity white ink enables printing on transparent and colored substrates. The MP-31 inks are also extremely stretchable and shrinkable, making them equally suited for high stretch applications such as car wrapping as well as thermo/vacuum forming and shrink applications. Unique for Mutoh’s multi-purpose inks is that they will preserve the natural texture and look of substrates including for example matte or glossy look.

VJ-1627MH printer is equally suited for sign & display print shops for the production of both indoor and long-term outdoor prints, as well as for graphics companies looking for a digital solution for proofing or short-run production of packaging prototypes or customized labels. In terms of applications, the 1627MH not only gives you the ability to print on rigid substrates, but it also gives you the flexibility to print on roll media as well. Making it ideal for printing packaging prototypes, trade show graphics, POP

displays, indoor and outdoor signage, even vehicle wraps. The 1627MH also comes with a Mutoh’s VSM app for remote printer management, a 5/8” print head height, faster print speeds, and a head-crash sensor.

Its dual function and multiple application design save you valuable floor space, which gives way to the ability of a one printer shop.

Request a free sample at www.mutoh.com

NEW PRODUCTS Delo and Xaar Partner to Enable Ultra High Viscosity Jetting of Optical Materials

▲ Monadnock Paper Mills Launches Astrolite PC 100 Velvet Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc. announces a beautiful new line of coated text and cover papers for commercial printing. Astrolite PC 100 Velvet C2S is the only premium, coated-two-side, 100-percent recycled sheet available in the United States today.. A perfect companion to Astrolite PC 100.

www.printingnews.com/21102447

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Xaar’s Ultra High Viscosity jetting capability is proving instrumental in enabling German-based adhesives specialist DELO to successfully jet materials with viscosities up to 250 mPa.s at room temperature.

Xaar’s Ultra High Viscosity jetting capability is proving instrumental in enabling German-based adhesives specialist DELO to successfully jet materials with viscosities up to 250 mPa.s at room temperature.

www.printingnews.com/21102448

GMG Launches New Proof Media With the release of GMG ProofMedia studio OBA semiMatte 200, GMG once more expands its offering with a highquality substrate for accurate proofing and reliable color communication.

GMG ProofMedia studio line has recently been enriched by a new media: GMG ProofMedia studio OBA semiMatte 200 - a substrate perfectly suited for proofing of products printed on coated material containing optical brightening agents (OBAs), such as magazines, brochures, or packaging.

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WATCH LIST

Frank in Dallas Frank reports from PRINTING United in Dallas, one of the largest domestic trade shows he has attended since 1997.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21095850

Océ ProStream Series Product Updates 2019 The high quality and high speeds of the Océ ProStream™ series just got even better thanks to some important updates.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21091063

Dirk Craib on Helping Keep PSPs’ Data Secure Dirk Craib, VP of Sales for Rochester Software Associates (RSA), talks about some of the issues that in-plants have been facing.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21093707

A Green Approach to Textiles EFI Reggiani’s Vice President and General Manager Adele Genoni discusses the progress of the analogto-digital transformation underway.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21093705

The Inaugural PRINTING United Kicks Off in Dallas SGIA President and CEO Ford Bowers talks to Cary Sherburne about the inaugural PRINTING United.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/2109389

Jeff Jacobson and the EFI Ecosystem Jeff Jacobson, new Executive Chairman and CEO of EFI, talks to Cary Sherburne about what attracted him to take on the leadership role at EFI. Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21094644

EFI’s Red Hot Fiery Technology at PRINT 19 Giselle del la Moriniere Product Marketing Manager in EFI’s Fiery Group talks about the Red Hot Technology Award-winning FreeForm Create software.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21093709

Insignia6 at PackExpo 2019 die cutting 24pt boxes Rollem’s Insignia6 dual magnetic die cutter cutting, scoring, cut scoring and removing the internal C-cutout in a single pass on a 24pt SBS cardstock.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21095982

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Previewing drupa 2020 drupa’s Sabine Geldermann previews some of the highlights visitors can expect at June’s drupa 2020, and some of the event’s new innovation partners.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21094803

Anderson & Vreeland Signs on as Xeikon’s North American Distributor David Miller, Director of Digital Business for Anderson & Vreeland, talks to David Zwang.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21094650

Canon Offically Enters the Digital Packaging Market at Labelexpo in Brussels Crit Driessen, VP of Labels & Packaging for Canon, talks to David Zwang about their entry.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21095847

RISO’s Color Printing at PRINTING United Brianna Makarevich and David Erwin of RISO Inc. give a tour of the RISO booth at PRINTING United showcasing the variety of devices on display.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21094784

Warren Werbitt Says, “Forget What You’re Used To!” WhatTheyThink’s print evangelist Warren Werbitt answers the question, “What is PRINTING United?”

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21094804

Car Wrap Competition Drives Attendee Interest at PRINTING United As part of its installer certification program, SGIA hosted a car wrap competition at PRINTING United.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21096038

Frank Tueckmantel Previews PRINTING United UX Frank Tueckmantel EVP of Business Development for NAPCO Media, talks to Cary Sherburne about PRINTING United UX. Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21095144

printIQ Tailors Workflow Software for Specific Types of Businesses Matt Miloszewski, Sales Director for the Eastern Region for printIQ talks about the company’s workflow.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21096040

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WATCH LIST

4Over’s Simon Beltran Talks About Transformation Simon Beltran, President of 4Over, talks about how the company has grown over the past 18 years.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21096346

Hybrid Software on Packaging Prepress Mike Rottenborn, President and CEO of Hybrid Software, talks about how prepress for packaging has changed over the years.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21096347

Marco Boer on Industry Convergence Marco Boer of I.T. Strategies talks to David Zwang at PRINTING United about the theme of the show: convergence.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21097023

Transformation and Transition at Kodak Patti Smith, VP, WW Business Development & Marketing, Digital Inkjet Printing, for Kodak, talks to David Zwang about the latest developments at Kodak.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21097027

“People Are Supposed to Fall Out of Their Chairs When They See What We Can Do!” WhatTheyThink’s print evangelist Warren Werbitt exhorts printers to actively market themselves.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21097224

Horizon International Introduces IoT Capabilities in its Finishing System Yoshihiro Oe, General Manager at Horizon International Inc., talks about the “ICE Concept”.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21097227

Epson’s 20 Years of Wide-Format Printing Epson’s Reed Hecht talks about the latest wideformat generation printer—the SureColor P7570 and P9570.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21097223

Think Smart Finishing Showcases Automated Print Production Horizon International showcases automated print production from order to finished product.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21097031

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Tri-Win Direct Wins with Continuous-Feed Inkjet from Ricoh Andy Chagan of Tri-Win Direct talks about the direct mail company’s beginnings and now, 22 years later.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21097367

Xanté introduces InfoMark Robert Ross, CEO of Xanté, introduces InfoMark, a simple four-digit alphanumeric code designed to replace the QR code.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21098364

Dr. Abhay Sharma Talks About His New Expanded Gamut Printing Study Ryerson University’s Dr. Abhay Sharma shares some top-level findings from a printing study.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21097368

Colter & Peterson’s Cutting Edges Colter & Peterson’s Bruce Peterson talks about the company’s latest PRISM and SABER paper cutters and how cutters have evolved over the years.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21093347

SPESA Executive Conference Addresses Issues Affecting the Sewn Products Industry: Trade, Workforce, and More Michael McDonald, President of SPESA, discusses.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21097374

Ricoh at PRINTING United Ricoh USA’s Gavin Jordan-Smith talks to David Zwang about the diverse equipment the company had on the show floor at PRINTING United.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21097370

Adding Value to the Industry—and Print Customers Kelley Holmes talks to Thayer Long, President of APTech, about some of the strategies and initiatives that APTech is pursuing.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21097373

Dave Fellman on Driving the Sales Cycle Printing News contributor Dave Fellman talks to Kelley Holmes about driving the sales cycle: prospecting, quoting, and taking the first few orders.

Find video here: www.printingnews.com/21097372

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SOFTWARE & WORKFLOW

Waiting for Software to Change to Fit Your Business If 800 printers buy the same Print MIS, what differentiates them?

Article by Jennifer Matt

S

oftware feels malleable. New features come out. Trade shows are packed full of vendors showing the bright new thing that might lure you into the sales process. Complex software (Print MIS) does not change fast (because it shouldn’t), and the sooner you realize that changing your business is a better strategy, the faster you’ll get to the ROI and business differentiation that a Print MIS can deliver.

If 800 printers buy the same Print MIS, what differentiates them?

We approach the shopping for software phase as mission critical, almost like we think this decision is what’s going to differentiate us. If 800 other printers have the exact same software as you do, clearly this isn’t the differentiating factor.

With any Print MIS, you can find printers who are ready to throw it out and you can find printers who swear that it has revolutionized their business. How can the same product perform so differently?

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Before I answer that question, I want to tell you about one of the most inspiring conversations I’ve had in my career in print. I was doing some research at a trade show, sitting in a Print MIS booth talking to their existing customers. I was introduced to a gentleman with this statement: “He’s got the best implementation of our software anywhere.” This piqued my interest because we all know that most printers default to complaining (vigorously) about their Print MIS. About five minutes into the conversation, this gentleman said something offhand that was actually truly profound. He said: “When I was told our company was moving to a new Print MIS, I got some training on it, spent some time learning it myself, then came up with a plan on how our business would have to change in order to use the new solution in an optimal way.”

Holy smokes!

This statement couldn’t be further from the reality in almost every other printer I’ve interacted with. It is so far on the other end of the spectrum,

it’s hard to believe. I made him say it again (several times) so that I wasn’t mistaken. “You mean to tell me that you get an understanding of how the software works then you make a plan to change your business to fit the software?” I asked. “Yes,” he said each time I made him repeat it.

“So,” I continued, “how does that work out for you?”

“Well,” he said casually, “because of consolidation and acquisition, I’ve worked with three different Print MIS systems and every single vendor introduced me as the ‘best implementation of their software.’”

“How has that impacted your business?”

“Well, I don’t really ask for feature requests. I simply tell the vendor what problems I’m trying to solve and ask for their help in solving them with the features that already exist in the software. From the very beginning, I’m looking to work within the system that is there, not create workarounds or exception workflows. My plants are always considered the model for how to run

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SOFTWARE & WORKFLOW

the operations. I guess it’s working.”

He was both brilliant and humble (a very powerful combination).

I swear this was the craziest conversation I’ve ever had. Then I remembered the story of my colleague Jane Mugford. She was a COO of a large printer in Canada when she needed to transition from EFI’s Logic to EFI’s Pace solution. Her approach was to “work from home” several days a week to completely internalize and learn Pace first, then figured out how her business fit into it. The implementation of a Print MIS is a marriage between the software and the business. For the marriage to work, the business has to learn enough about the software to make it work. Jane did this, then she implemented Pace in an optimal way for her business—going to the vendor for challenges that she got stuck on. For years, Jane’s implementation of Pace was referenced as the best implementation of the solution.

I have another customer who on almost every call uses this phrase, “we’ll just need to change our processes.” They come to us to figure out solutions to challenges. If the software doesn’t exactly match the way they work today; their go-to response is to offer a change in their workflow. Not surprisingly, this company is considered the best implementation of their Print

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MIS software.

Let’s look at the other side of the coin. What do you think we can learn from the printers who are on the unhappy end of the Print MIS customer spectrum? I would look at how many feature requests they are making that are not about differentiation. If you have a brilliant way of working that totally differentiates your company or serves a unique market, then custom features are absolutely necessary.

If you insist on doing something because it’s the way you’ve been doing it (no differentiation), then changing this practice is easier, quicker, and a lot less frustrating then waiting for software to change.

There are so many printers stuck in the rut of waiting for the next release of software. The next release never solves all your problems. You are outsourcing the optimization of your business to the software vendor who has to think about the other 799 customers they have and the printers they are trying to sell new licenses to—that is a longline to get in (put your patience cap on).

Try for a minute to think about the complexity in deploying a Print MIS that has 800 customers.

If the vendor acted on even half of the feature requests, the product would simply not work. There is no incentive for a vendor to customize

their software to fit your specific/ non-differentiating workflow, even if you offer to pay them. So you part with a couple thousand bucks—or tens of thousands—to get you the workflow that you feel is critical to your business. The vendor is burdened with maintaining that customization forever, even if you don’t use it. It builds up what’s called “technical debt,” slows the product down for everyone, and increases the costs of maintaining it.

I think this is a lose–lose situation.

Neither party wins.

If you bought a Print MIS that 800 other printers have, how do you differentiate? Easy answer: you change your non-business differentiating workflows to work optimally with the Print MIS. Act as if the software is non-changeable so that you can optimize the use of it immediately. Once you go down the path of thinking software is going to change to fit you, there is just a lot of waiting, hoping, and sub-optional operations. It’s a morale killer and a culture of being a victim to the software. You have the power to truly optimize the software by opening your mind and admitting that the things you’re holding tight to are not differentiating and are in fact keeping you from the business differentiation you seek. Find article here PrintingNews.com/21098187 ■

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SOFTWARE & WORKFLOW

Training vs.

Learning with Print Software Here is what I want you to get out of this article. It is as simple as changing one statement to another, and it could save you a ton of money.

Article by Jennifer Matt

H

ere is what I want you to get out of this article. It is as simple as changing one statement to another, and it could save you a ton of money.

Take this statement (often not true)...

“We didn’t get trained” ...and convert it to this (often the real truth): “We didn’t have the time to learn.”

Jennifer Matt Jennifer Matt writes, speaks, and consults with printers worldwide who realize their ability to leverage software is critical to their success in the Information Age.

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According to LinkedIn’s 2018 Workplace Learning Report, “The #1 reason employees say they are not engaging in workplace learning is because they don’t have the time.”

Let’s first talk about the difference between training and learning. I want to use an example we can all relate to. What if your parents had tried to teach you how to drive a car by explaining it, providing you with video instructions, and giving you documentation? Would any of you have felt prepared to get behind the wheel with that kind of prep?

I hope you answered no. You can’t learn how to drive a car by sitting in training classes or having it explained to you; obviously, you have actually drive in order to learn how to drive!

Why is this so obvious when

we’re talking about driving and completely lost on us when it comes to learning new software? I was at a printer recently who is demanding more training—on top of a huge pile of training that has already been delivered. Why are they asking for more training? Because their employees can’t confidently “drive” the new Print MIS. So they must need more training, right?

They don’t need more training.

They need more “driving time.” They need more time to learn because before the Print MIS went live, they didn’t have the time to learn. So they attended the training, but they never did the deliberate practice required to actually learn. They learned what the blinker was but they never applied that knowledge to their daily

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SOFTWARE & WORKFLOW

work (when to use the blinker, how to turn it back off, etc.).

I found this definition online about the difference between training and learning.

Training is the giving of information and knowledge, through speech, the written word or other methods of demonstration in a manner that instructs the trainee. Learning is the process of absorbing that information in order to increase skills and abilities and make use of it under a variety of contexts.

Training is studying for the drivers exam.

Learning is driving the car around with your parents nervously sitting in the passenger seat.

Training on a Print MIS is

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watching the vendor navigate around the system during remote training.

Learning is trying to get actual work done in the system on your own (deliberate practice).

Training is something you receive as the learner, but learning is what you actually do as the learner.

Learning implies “I am doing something. I am taking part and doing the work.” Good training inspires people to learn how to do something, but it does not do the work for them. You cannot outsource learning. Your team has to do the learning. This is the number one misunderstanding about Print MIS implementations, that somehow the vendor is going to do all of it for you.

They can’t. They can configure, they can train, but they can’t learn for your team. Your team needs to learn, and, most importantly, management needs to carve out “driving time” for them to do this.

Let’s talk about one more idea: deliberate practice When you took your kid out driving, did you stay in your quiet neighborhood? No, you gradually took them further from home and put them into conditions like the freeway, merging, taking a left across multiple lanes of traffic. They are going to be driving your car on your insurance—you wanted them to learn how to think for themselves in all the situations they would face when you’re not there. You were very invested in their learning!

Asking your 15-year-old to learn how to merge onto a busy freeway is deliberate practice. It’s stressful, it’s stretching their comfort zone, it’s requiring their full attention, it’s making you both nervous.

Deliberate practice in a Print MIS implementation might be trying to put a complex estimate into a new Print MIS, when you’re not sure how

to navigate, don’t understand the operations, and are trying desperately to remember how the trainer did it. It is not mindless work and it requires uninterrupted focus.

How many people in your operation have uninterrupted time to learn in their daily lives? In every printer I’ve been in for the last 20 years, I haven’t seen one that isn’t an “interrupt driven culture.” Technology has just made this worse because even when we’re up walking around or in the bathroom we have our electronic leashes with us (cell phones).

If your team is really busy (which is pretty much standard) because printers have optimized their organization around giving everyone a couple jobs to juggle, then there is no time to learn. Learning isn’t something you do between emails, especially for drastic Print MIS changes. Learning takes deliberate practice. The greatest challenge of deliberate practice is to remain focused.

Lots and lots of money is spent on training. The next time you hear people say “they weren’t trained”—even though you have the invoice from the vendor, you saw the vendor’s resources in the building, and you walked by the conference room this person was sitting in—rather than challenging them on this statement, try this one: “Are you really saying that this is a big change and you haven’t had the uninterrupted time to learn by practicing on the new system?”

Would that be more accurate? This would be a leadership gift to your people—showing them that you actually understand their plight.

Then do something about it. Give them an allocated amount of uninterrupted time to learn and hold them accountable for their learning.

Find article here PrintingNews. com/21098188 ■

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FINISHING & MAILING

Postal Outlook for 2020 2020 Postal Rate Change and Promotions Article by Christine Erna

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On October 9, 2019, the United States Postal Service (USPS) filed a postage rate adjustment for consideration and approval by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). In it, the USPS has requested an average rate increase of about 1.9% for both First-Class and Marketing Mail. The industry expects the PRC to rule on the proposal around the third week of November.

With PRC approval, the rate changes will take effect on January 26, 2020.

The filing was largely what the industry expected for letter sized mail pieces in both the First-Class and Marketing Mail categories. As has been the trend in recent years, catalog/flat mailers in the industry utilizing Marketing Mail as their “rate category of choice” continue to deal with less predictable rates and wider variation in the increases across flat shaped piece rate tiers.

letters remains close to the average, with enhanced carrier route letters going up less than average after seeing larger increases in the last rate increase (January 2019). Five-digit automation letters, entered at the SCF, will see an increase of 2.2%. High-density walk sequence carrier route letters, entered at the SCF, increase only 1.1%.

First-Class Mail Rates

Mailing Promotions for 2020

Prices for single-piece (think forever stamp) First-Class Mail (FCM) will be unchanged in 2020.

Commercial FCM (largely invoices and statements), will bear the brunt of FCM increases, with 5-digit automation letters going up 2.11%.

The Postal Service is again proposing mailing promotions for 2020. These promotions mirror those offered in 2019: ■■ Tactile, Sensory, and Interactive Mailpiece Engagement Promotion: Marketing Mail; February 1 – July 31, 2020; 2% discount off eligible postage ■■ Emerging and Advanced Technology Promotion: Marketing Mail or First-Class Mail; March 1 – August 31, 2020; 2% discount off eligible postage ■■ Earned Value Reply Mail Promotion: Business Reply of Courtesy Reply Mail; April 1 – June 30, 2020; Once volume threshold is met, earns variable

Marketing Mail Rates The increase for Marketing Mail Christine Erna Christine Erna is President of Strategic Postal Advisors. She consults to improve address quality while reducing return mail expenses. She can be reached at: cje@strategicpostaladvisors.com .

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rebate depending on volume of reply mail returned during the promotional period ■■ Personalized Color Transpromo Promotion: First-Class Mail; July 1 – December 31, 2020; 2% discount off eligible postage ■■ Mobile Shopping Promotion: Marketing Mail; August 1 – December 31, 2020; 2% discount off eligible postage ■■ Informed Delivery Promotion: Marketing Mail or First-Class Mail; September 1 – November 30, 2020; 2% discount off eligible postage Many companies are missing attractive postage savings opportunities by NOT participating in these promotions.

Data recently shared at the Mailers Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) meeting held October 29 – 31, 2019 shows relatively low participation (difficult to explain) in some of the 2019 promotions;

Emerging and Advanced Technology Promotion Promotion Dates: March 1 – August 31, 2019 As of September 1, 2019: ■■ Participants –286 ■■ Volume (pieces) declined in 2019 ◗◗ Post Promotion Analysis: 2019 vs. 2017 – 8% volume decrease (440M pieces) ■■ USPS Revenue declined in 2019 ■■ Final Surveys sent out September 17th (Survey response rate currently at 35%) ■■ Decrease in top mailer participation: Several top mailers from 2017 did not participate in 2019 and some

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FINISHING & MAILING

had significant volume declines (30 –50%) ■■ At CRID level, more dropouts (233) than new participants (99) ■■ At CRID level, repeat participants were more likely to decrease volumes (57%) in 2019 than increase (43%)

Earned Value Promotion Last Day to use credits: December 31, 2019 (Credit Accrual/ Redemption Period began July 1, 2019) As of September 1, 2019: ■■ Enrollment – 557 participants (907 CRIDs total) ■■ 642 CRIDs were repeat participants ■■ 272 or 642 repeat participant CRIDS qualified for a rebate (42%)

Personalized Color Transpromo Promotion Promotion Dates: July 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019 As of October 21, 2019: ■■ Participants – 56

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■■ Volume (pieces) – 816 M ■■ USPS Revenue –$308 M

Mobile Shopping Promotion Promotion Dates: August 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019 As of October 21, 2019: ■■ Participants – 530 ■■ Volume (pieces) – 2,437 M ■■ USPS Revenue – $537 M

Informed Delivery Promotion Promotion Dates: August 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019 As of October 21, 2019: ■■ Participants –377 ■■ Volume (pieces) – 1,195 M ■■ USPS Revenue – $270 M Why aren’t more companies participating in these programs? Lack of knowledge? Is registration viewed as too cumbersome? No strategy or otherwise unable to facilitate a campaign?

These programs represent postage dollars in the form of credits which are available to your company!

Several of these promotions are

very easy to participate in and all allow mailers to earn valuable postage credits that could be used to mail even more! We know the increase in campaign results and responses when direct mail is matched and married to a digital component.

Informed Delivery Promotion The Informed Delivery Promotion is an easy way to provide a quick link and color image of your direct mail piece. Register for the promotion, upload your image to the USPS through the Informed Delivery portal for approval, and viola`, you are participating! Inside the Informed Delivery portal, mailers can watch the metrics change as recipients receive their Informed Delivery emails, click on the color image and get connected to awaiting sites that offer/enable all activities up to and including: sales, promotional activity, fundraising/ donation page or whatever your imagination decides the offer will be.

The Informed Delivery program can be Continue on page 62

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WIDE-FORMAT & SIGNAGE

Good Chemistry:

Wide-Format Inks Continue to Evolve It’s a great time to be an ink chemist.

Article by Richard Romano

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hether it be for production inkjet, packaging, wide format or industrial printing, inks are evolving at a rapid pace to enable the fast-growing range of print applications.

Richard Romano Richard Romano has been writing about the graphic communications industry for 20 years. He is an industry analyst and author or co-author of more than half a dozen books.

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As I covered in detail in a previous article (see “Surface Tension” in the August issue of WhatTheyThink), the idea that there will be one single ink that can print on every surface or object is pretty much the chemical equivalent of a perpetual motion machine. While the idea of a universal ink doesn’t necessarily violate basic laws of physics or chemistry, it certainly comes close enough to get a citation from the “Chemical Cops.” Still, new inks are emerging all the time that boast improved adhesion properties, while at the same time improving other ink

qualities as well, such as durability, color gamut and drying time.

This article will offer a look at some of the recent developments specific to wide-format inks—and even more specific to solvent/ecosolvent and UV inks. Part Two of this series will look at latex, dyesublimation and gel-based inks.

Solvent/Eco-Solvent It was only a few years ago that there were rumblings that the demise of solvent inks was imminent, especially as newer, ostensibly more environmentally and operator friendly

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WIDE-FORMAT & SIGNAGE alternatives appeared. That has hardly come to pass, and solvent inks are just as popular as they ever were, largely thanks to the emergence of so-called “eco-solvent” inks.

Just a little background. Solvent inks use a class of chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as a solvent. If you remember your high-school chemistry, a solvent is any substance in which another substance is dissolved. In inks, it’s the colorants that are dissolved in solvents. VOCs are powerful solvents (the term “aggressive” is often used) and their most attractive feature is that they dry very quickly and are especially useful on non-absorbent materials like vinyls and films, which is why they are widely used for vehicle graphics and other kinds of wraps. They are also among the least expensive inks. The downside to solvent inks is that they give off powerful fumes and can be hazardous to both the environment and the workplace, and require the installation of ventilation systems to protect worker safety.

“One of the major advantages of solvent inks is their ability to embed into the media rather than sitting on the surface like UV or latex inks do,” said David Lopez, associate product manager, Professional Imaging, Epson America. “This process allows for high outdoor durability and color fastness.”

Hence the need for “aggressive” solvents to penetrate into the material.

Enter eco-solvent inks. They use “friendlier,” less aggressive solvents to impart many of the benefits of solvent inks without—or at least without many of—the hazards. (By the way, it has been said that the “eco” doesn’t necessarily stand for “ecological” but rather “economical.”

Potato, po-tah-to.) Early on, ecosolvent inks came with some trade-offs—slower drying times and lowered longevity, especially

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outdoors, but these issues have largely been overcome.

In fact, one of the drivers of ecosolvent ink development has been the increasing speed of printing equipment.

“As technology improves and customer expectations change, ink manufactures are having to adapt,” Lopez said. “When speeding up the printer, an ink has to be developed to be able to perform to the expectations of customers. It has to dry quickly, maintain its perfect size dot for quality, and have the longest possible durability. In addition to formulating the ink for high speed printers, color gamut and the ability to print as many colors in the Pantone library, is essential.”

It should be noted that the ability to use eco-solvent inks is not 100% due to the inks. It takes two to tango, as they say, and the properties of the substrates have evolved as well.

“Traditional solvent inks were very aggressive to ensure that they would bind to the materials being printing,” said Michael Maxwell, semior Manager, Mimaki USA. “Over the past 20 years, material chemistries have become more compatible with solvent processes enabling ink manufacturers to reduce the aggressive components to the point where outgassing—although still relevant—have been reduced to a point where ventilation is not always required. This trend has enabled solvent technology to become more ecologically friendly for the operator.”

They certainly have reduced the hazards associated with solvent inks, and most eco-solvent inks offered from equipment vendors such as Mimaki, Epson, Roland, Mutoh and others have received GREENGUARD and/or GREENGUARD Gold certification.

GREENGUARD Certification is part of UL Environment, a business unit

of UL (Underwriters Laboratories), and identify interior products and materials that have low chemical emissions. GREENGUARD Gold Certification requires stricter certification criteria, and is designed for materials intended for use in schools and healthcare facilities.

Ink aggression and employee safety aren’t the only issues of concern to ink and equipment manufacturers.

Quality, performance and color gamut are perhaps of equal or greater importance.

“High-quality image demands are now the new normal,” Lopez said.

“Customers today are looking for a reliable, high quality output with a versatile printer. The ability to hit 98.2% of the Pantone color library is a huge differentiator when doing prints for large brands that need to have correct color.”

“Due to the convergence of other print needs, such as photography printing on more durable or outdoorcapable substrates, there has been an increased demand for higher gamut,” Maxwell said.

And efficiency.

“With printhead technologies advancing, not only will inks have to be manufactured to meet the demands of speed, durability and quality, but they have to be optimized for productivity and efficiency,” Lopez said. “When thinking of the solvent customer, you have to take all aspects of printing into consideration. Having less downtime and more ink efficiency are vital to the customer experience.”

UV One of the most exciting yet misunderstood ink technologies is UV, which cures via exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. They dry very fast, are generally environmentally friendly, and can print on virtually any surface, which has been the Continue on page 63

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WIDE-FORMAT & SIGNAGE

Direct Objects:

Thinking—and Printing —Outside the Box

From hard hats to cookies, you can print on just about anything.

Article by Richard Romano & Mary Schilling

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ne of the most exciting growth areas in print today is the burgeoning field of direct-to-object (DtO) printing. The challenges of DtO include the usual issue of getting ink to adhere to wide variety of substrates (see the feature “Surface Tension” in our June issue) but also transport and feeding issues. If you’re printing on bottles, auto parts or tape measures, how do you get those materials on and off press at a speed that is needed to be efficient and profitable?

I spoke with Peter Baldwin, director of marketing for East Dorset, Vt.’s Engineered Printing Solutions (EPS), about some of the issues—and opportunities— involved in direct-to-object printing.

EPS sells both “off-the-shelf” and custom-built printing systems. A lot of these kinds of applications fall into the category of industrial printing, which means, in general, they involve printing as part of a larger manufacturing process, which limits what you can do with an offthe-shelf system.

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“They always involve custom parts handling,” Baldwin said. “We have to integrate with somebody else’s production line or it’s a new kind of substrate. Really, the print engine is the least of it.”

Tale of the Tape (Measure) I am always a sucker for weird substrate stories, so I asked Baldwin about some of the weirdest or coolest (or both) materials or objects EPS and/or its customers have printed on.

“Cold foil stamping,” he said, “or single-pass inkjet on cold foil adhesive substrates. With drop-ondemand technology, grayscale and

Digitally printed hard hat. You can watch a video of them being printed at https://youtu.be/UsAvS-Dc_3I. (Image courtesy Engineered Printing Solutions.)

halftones can be achieved producing photorealistic images. Single-pass inkjet on hard hats, with inline rotary pretreatment. Single-pass printing parts at 10,800 pph with upstream robotic loading six parts at a time from the injection molder. Every two seconds, six parts are fed from a robotic arm tool onto conveyorized fixtures for printing. EPS had to match an existing line-speed and integrate seamlessly.”

Here’s an example of really narrowweb printing: inkjet on tape measures at 50 inches per second—and that’s pretty easy to measure!

“Needless to say, tape measures can’t be out of register even at the 100-yard mark,” Baldwin said. (Well, unless you’re the people who built my house.)

And the icing on the cake as it were, is single-pass inkjet printing on cookies using edible ink.

We could go on...

“Full digital decoration coverage of golf balls,” Baldwin listed, “munitions...”

Munitions?

“Explosive casings and things like that,” he clarified. “It’s sort of a cool application. I don’t know that there’s any major technological breakthrough or anything. I should say that these are empty casings. It’s not like we’re

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WIDE-FORMAT & SIGNAGE Digitally printing a tape measure.

indication that this market is still not fully mature for the light industrial decorators.”

DtO (Direct-to-Opportunities)?

Cookie! Inkjet printing using edible ink

running live munitions through UV lamps and things like that.”

Talk about explosive growth.

Drinking Games A still-fast-growing market for direct-to-object printing is drinkware.

EPS got into bespoke and off-theshelf systems for digitally printing directly on glassware several

Personalized, digitally printed drinkware is still a strongly growing market.

(Image courtesy Engineered Printing Solutions.)

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years ago and launched the RotoJET in 2017. A number of other manufacturers have also launched direct-to-drinkware printers (Inkcups’ Helix, for example) and it remains a hot product category.

“Consumer demand remains steady for personalized drinkware,” Baldwin said. “New equipment offerings in the drinkware decoration space are an

Reciting a litany of wild and wacky print applications is all well and good, but for the WhatTheyThink readership, what are the opportunities—and ergo the challenges—of getting into this kind of printing?

It may have occurred to you, that as Baldwin said, the print engine isn’t the biggest issue. Rather, it’s materials handling. If you’re printing on hard hats, how do you move them through a press? If you’re printing a tape measure, how do you feed it through the print engine? And cookies—how do you make sure you don’t end up with nothing but digitally printed crumbs?

This is where companies like EPS come in, as they can develop bespoke systems for handling unusual materials.

This is especially the case if the idea is to produce more than one-offs. Even short-run printing of something like hard hats still needs to be efficient and, preferably, automated. Just throwing hard hat blanks on a flatbed you use for boards or other flat substrates isn’t going to cut it.

Baldwin cites four top technological challenges for print businesses looking to get into new industrial printing applications.

“Adhesion!” he said without hesitation. “Knowledge of pretreatment for given substrates.”

A second is “part topology for digital”—dealing with digitally printing on unique shapes.

“Production flexibility for analog— often it is difficult or impossible to add parts-handling automation to an analog process. And finally finding out if digital can match the quality and speed of analog systems.” (In this case, “analog” refers to screen or pad printing, which have traditionally

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WIDE-FORMAT & SIGNAGE been used to print on irregular surfaces and 3D objects.)

The challenges aren’t always technological.

“Often, if digital is a replacement technology for an existing analog process, it is establishing a set of parameters for matching or exceeding the current process in the area of manufacturing costs—cost per piece, JIT printing—throughput, print quality, adhesion and customerdriven needs, like personalization,” Baldwin said. “All of these factors need to be weighed and is not simply a function of ROI calculations.”

Sounds more than a bit like considerations that commercial printers need to take into account when switching from offset to digital.

At the same time, these kinds of print applications belong to specific markets and niches and all markets have their own dynamics. We’ve seen this in packaging, where commercial printers trying to break into packaging need to establish basic credibility— or prove themselves to consumer product companies, who often have tightly knit relationships with longtime converters. Industrial printing of this sort is no exception. For example, printing on medical devices and other apparatus is a growing application for industrial inkjet. But getting into that market can be a challenge, especially if you are trying to bring a digital process to a product that has traditionally been printed analog.

“The medical industry is difficult if a product or process already exists,” Baldwin said. “Digital will often need to be requalified and requires a much stronger case for the change as it takes a lot of effort to requalify a product or process.”

This all sounds daunting, but what opportunities are there for print businesses who want to get into this kind of printing? Or is it like the old Monty Python sketch about the 48

Direct-to-object printing can be used in packaging applications in lieu of labels.

(Image courtesy Mary Schilling Photography)

accountant who wanted to become a lion tamer? Is it “install it and start selling what it produces” or is some other kind of due diligence involved?

“It takes a one-week integration effort, then weeks or months of a learning curve,” Baldwin said. “We are in near-constant contact with the customer in the initial months.

There is great variability based on the knowledge of the customer. Just as each custom machine is unique, each experience is unique.

“If you were thinking of transitioning, we as a company can’t stress enough the importance of finding a company that is experienced in the field. “Because it’s just a completely different skill set, going from analog systems to digital systems, and your operators may not have the right skill set—almost surely they won’t. We recommend partnering with an experienced company such as EPS.” This is especially true for companies new to these kinds of products entirely—be they printed analog or digital.

There is also a danger—and it sounds like one of those “problems you want to have” but it really isn’t— of ramping up too fast.

“One of our customers had solicited contracts for a particular

product and then came to us and bought the machine after they already had orders for all kinds of sales,” Baldwin said. “They were new to digital printing and the minute they opened up their ordering system, they got flooded.

They literally crashed their website.

Meanwhile, the machine arrived and there were all kinds of teething problems, and they just created a whole bunch of ill will from customers and potential customers.”

He contrasts this with another customer who, instead, “bought a machine from us and then played with it for a couple of months before they felt comfortable making a new product offering to their customers.

That transition went much more smoothly than the first one.”

Outstanding in One’s Greenfield Truth be told, it’s rare to find companies moving from the commercial printing or even wideformat printing space into these kinds of applications, and it’s not hard to see why, given the technical and other challenges involved. However, the same was true of many aspects of wide-format printing 10 years ago—and a lot of packaging printing today—so as an industry we have been down this road before. The advice we had vis-à-vis offering dramatically new kinds of print products or services is to add those capabilities as a greenfield project, separate from the main business, and share resources as necessary. If the new project takes off, then it’s worth seeing the extent to which it can be integrated into the main business (or vice versa).

Digital direct-to-object printing is still very new and there is not a lot of competition, at least at the commercial level. It might be an avenue worth pursuing. Find article here PrintingNews.com/21097572 ■

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RESEARCH & WHITE PAPERS

New Research Identifies Benefits Of Print Reading on paper allows for deeper comprehension and retention, concentration, vocabulary building and memory, recent studies show. Intergraf calls on policymakers and educational organisations at EU and national level to ensure that print has its role in education.

Intergraf highly recommends prioritising print reading over digital reading in schools. Inaction risks a degradation of students’ reading comprehension and critical thinking skills, which could hinder the development of educated, critical thinking citizens in our society for decades

Maximize Your Fourth Quarter Revenue with Promotional Printing Ideas from DFS Read our guide “Plan Ahead for Q4 and Beyond with Promotional Printing” to learn how to maximize the revenue for these in-demand products and find out how you can get a piece of this growing market. Postion yourself as a savvy distributor by using some of these creative ideas about special events, overlooked opportunities and product suggestions to help your customers magnify their exposure and increase your profits.

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Experience, Relationships and Inkjet in the Commercial Printing Marketplace

Seizing Business Opportunities with Large Format Printing

Commercial print organizations face unique challenges when evaluating investment in digital printing technologies.

This white paper discusses trends in the commercial printing marketplace including offset and digital volume, drivers of efficiency and added value and the positioning of production inkjet to bridge the gap between the two.

Find here: https://bit.ly/2IZM6eN

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According to IT Strategies, the large format digital printing market is growing annually between 3% and 6%. This means more business opportunities emerge every year for printing companies looking to add easy-to-use, highperformance large format printing services.

Interested in learning where to look and how to take advantage of this growth opportunity?

Find here: https://bit.ly/2pp5tXz

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WIDE-FORMAT & SIGNAGE

Five Alive: 5G Technology

Will Transform Sign & Display

5G technology will transform sign & display.

Article by Richard Romano

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ne of the most anticipated developments in telecommunications has been the coming of 5G networks. It’s a technology we have been keeping an eye on—and will continue to do so—as it is likely to have a number of important ramifications for the print industry, both good and bad. Future commentary will look at 5G and its impact on other aspects of print, but for this article, we will look at the potential implications of 5G for the signage industry.

“What we know about 5G is that it’s going to be disruptive,” said Dexter Johnson, contributing editor for the flagship publication of the Institute for Electronic and Electrical Engineers (IEEE), IEEE Spectrum. Johnson is the author of a recent white paper published by the International Sign Association (ISA) called “5G in Signage Technology.”

“I think 5G is going to change how people entertain themselves through video. It will be important for signs to be involved.”

In the white paper, he also talks at length about a “Smart Cities” concept enabled by 5G. Before we gaze into the future, let’s have a look at the past. What were Gs 1–4 and how does 5G compare?

Pre-5G The first generation of mobile technology (retrospectively called 1G) was launched in 1982. Since then, a new generation has appeared roughly every 10 years; 2G was introduced 50

in 1992, 3G networks appeared in 2001 and 4G in 2012. When 1G and 2G were launched, no one really needed all that much bandwidth on a mobile phone since there really wasn’t anything other than voice that needed to be transmitted. When 3G appeared, the idea was that it would facilitate video conferencing, an application that never quite took off.

However, by the early to mid 2000s, a growing application was data, as the first-generation smartphones began to appear. Here’s the rundown: ■■ 1G: Up to 2.4 kilobits per second (Kbps). Voice only.

■■ 2G: Up to 50 Kbps. Supported SMS and MMS (texting, basically). There were interim 2.5G and 2.75G that gradually boosted capacity.

■■ 3G: Up to 2 megabits per second (Mbps). The term “mobile broadband” was first used to describe 3G networks.

■■ 4G: Up to 100 Mbps. (Download speed. Upload speeds were up to 50 Mbps.)

So what does 5G get us to? At the least, said Johnson, “a thousand times faster [than 4G]. That’s a number that’s used fairly regularly. That would mean a full two-hour movie could be downloaded onto your mobile device in five seconds.”

However, it’s not just speed that’s the primary advantage of 5G. “What’s changing the paradigm is the lack of, or reducing, latency.”

Latency is the “time lag” we’ve all experienced when streaming or playing games ostensibly in real-time.

Think about everything you have been able to do on a mobile phone since the advent of 4G—watch videos, stream services Netflix or Hulu, play video games, access augmented and virtual reality and so on. Imagine what exponentially faster mobile connectivity will allow.

Are We There Yet? The coming of 5G is fairly momentous, not so much because the speeds are faster, but because it requires an entirely new infrastructure. 5G achieves its speed primarily by using an entirely new part of the radio wave spectrum, namely the millimeter wave spectrum, which is completely different than what has come before in previous G networks. This spectrum allows a lot more bandwidth, but also requires new antennas and other hardware, as well as new mobile phones. There are also some inherent problems with the millimeter wave spectrum.

“It’s very difficult with the these millimeter wave signals to propagate through buildings or trees,” Johnson said.

As a result, anyone saying they currently offer true 5G is pulling the virtual wool over your eyes.

“Only last year were the specifications for 5G provided to the equipment manufacturers and how the data devices were to be constructed,” Johnson said. “The equipment manufacturers only had really less than a year to work with those specifications, so they are still testing equipment.”

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WIDE-FORMAT & SIGNAGE The real rollout that manufacturers are targeting is sometime in 2020.

“I don’t think you’re going to see it really make an impact where people are scrambling to get their 5G phones probably until the end of 2020 or in 2021.”

Sign and Display and 5G As with previous Gs, there are few areas that will be untouched by the coming of 5G, but some of the biggest impacts will be in manufacturing and on the Internet of Things (IoT)—which may very well become inextricably entwined. Writes Johnson in the ISA white paper: “5G could lead the way to new horizons in virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and immersive entertainment, in general. Autonomous vehicles could become a more likely scenario. The Internet of Things (IoT), in which all devices are interconnected and communicating with each other, could become an application with tangible benefits in manufacturing.”

“The applications for 5G that cross over with sign and display are probably in the areas of the entertainment industry and the ‘Smart Cities,’” Johnson said. “Entertainment is about digital media and digital displays. So it’s clear how that would cross over to signs. It would give you greater access, high-res video and virtual reality and augmented reality.”

As I have written often, electronic signage has become fairly common— be it LCD-based dynamic digital signage (DDS) or LED displays (see the feature I wrote last summer on LED signage)—and 5G networks will only enable it to proliferate even more. VR and AR have been slow to catch on—admittedly speed and latency are only part of the reason— but if 5G can lead to vastly more compelling scenarios, it could finally be what’s been needed to goose these technologies into the mainstream.

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Smart Cities Throughout the white paper, and in our conversation, Johnson is bullish on the idea of “Smart Cities.” What exactly is “Smart Cities”? He writes: “Fundamentally, Smart Cities involve connecting a multitude of low-power digital devices. These devices help us run our home, offices and the world around us more efficiently, like a refrigerator that reduces its energy consumption when there is less food in it. It is this network of connected devices from which we get the concept—or suite of technologies—known as the Internet of Things (IoT).

The Internet of Things has been around—at least in concept— for a while, but the current 4G infrastructure has limited what it could potentially become, particularly in the number of devices that can be supported. 5G will change that.

We will have billions of devices— right down to the sensors used in a multitude of larger devices connected to a very high-speed data network.

And this interconnectivity is expected to be one of the first phases of 5G’s rollout.

Consequently, disparate areas such as education, health care, autonomous cars and signage are impacted.

“It is easy to recognize that ‘Smart Cities’ serves as a connected ecosystem of ecosystems,” Johnson writes.

“Smart Cities” basically involve devices communicating with each other—and those devices can include signs.

“Imagine if your mobile device is connecting to all of the devices in its immediate surroundings,” Johnson said. “You could see a sign that may be just targeted for people in general.

Then, as you pass by, it can be targeted specifically for you.”

This is not science fiction; we have already seen examples of this—but

5G allows it to be deployed on a much larger scale.

The advantages are legion, but are there any downsides or disadvantages to 5G? “I think a challenge for all industries is how do you stay on top of this technology?” Johnson said. “How do you make sure that you’re at the forefront of the technology and not behind the wave? 5G is going to open up ways of communicating that we can’t really envision now, and people are going to be taking advantage of that as it develops, and they should to be keen to look for those opportunities early on. That’s more of a challenge than a disadvantage.”

As is inevitably the case, people and businesses will develop unique applications to take advantage of what technology can do.

Here are my recommendations for businesses in the sign and display market: ■■ Don’t ignore 5G. It will be disruptive for traditional print, just as all advances in broadband technology have been, and that includes some aspects of sign and display.

■■ Understand the potential applications for technologies that can exploit 5G. That can include new kinds of interactive signage, AR and VR, and other applications not yet thought of.

■■ 5G will also improve your own internal connectivity, and will make cloud computing and cloud migration a much more compelling prospect. Work with your print MIS and other software providers to see how they are taking advantage of 5G. Remember, 5G isn’t quite here yet, but starting to investigate it now will only make it easier to get the most out of it when it finally is ready for prime time. Find article here PrintingNews.com/21098215 ■

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Executive Q&A:

Massivit 3D’s Erez Zimerman

Lod, Israel’s Massivit 3D was founded in 2013, and in the past six years has made a substantial impact with its 3D printing technology.

Article by Richard Romano

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assivit 3D has two basic units on the market: the flagship Massivit 1800/1800 Pro and the Massivit 1500 Exploration Printer, the latter an affordable option for print service providers looking to get into 3D printing. The applications for Massivit’s 3D-printed products are many, and are often combined with 2D graphics like retail displays, signage or billboards to make them “pop.” And not just pop—one of the company’s aims is to create 3D displays or objects that serve as “selfie spots,” or opportunities for people— young people, primarily—to snap pictures of themselves with the object.

Erez Zimerman joined Massivit 3D four years ago as VP of Global Sales, and was appointed CEO in May 2019. We caught up with Zimerman at the recent PRINTING United show in Dallas.

WhatTheyThink: How does Massivit 3D see the market for 3D printing?

Erez Zimerman: Massivit is leading 3D printing for visual communications. You know that 3D printing has many, many subcategories or niches that are in the field today from footwear to automotive—you name it, 3D printing is penetrating in a very nice way.

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Massivit is leading the 3D penetration with the Massivit 1800 printer. We’re actually capable of printing large-scale 3D props and visual communication aids that can be installed in terminals and window displays.

WTT: Who are your typical customers? Is it agencies, print service providers or some third party?

EZ: Usually we have several.

Let’s categorize them in two main categories. The first are the print service providers, the companies that have wide-format printers from EFI or Durst or HP who are doing all kinds of campaigns and want to add 3D elements to open new business opportunities for them. That’s the first market. Another market that we have is theme parks. They’re the Disneys, the Universals, doing all kinds of

props that are being produced using, let’s say, analog techniques, and now we’re bringing digital 3D printing to them so they can produce smarter, faster and in a more efficient way.

WTT: What are some of the top applications that you’re seeing customers produce? Obviously props are one of them...

EZ: One example is a 3D-printed Spiderman, that’s for the theme park or scenic fabricators. It’s very straightforward: you print the prop and it can be installed in Disney or Universal in all kinds of campaigns.

Another application includes all kinds of window displays. We show an example for Blue Moon beer or Bud Light. [A giant bottle] can be 3D-printed and put in a bar or a window display in a sports bar or

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WIDE-FORMAT & SIGNAGE

wherever to promote it.

WTT: Something like the beer bottle for Blue Moon or Bud Lite would be more likely to come from an ad agency, I’m guessing.

EZ: An ad agency, of course. Assume that you have Louis Vuitton [as a client] and you want to use a Louis Vuitton bag: it can be 3D-printed. A bottle of champagne—all kinds of things around consumer goods and consumer electronics. For the corrugated industry, with Massivit you can add 3D elements to a corrugated display. One of our main benefits is illumination.

Illumination grabs people’s attention.

We are the only ones capable of printing totally hollow, meaning you can add illumination from the inside.

For signage, we can print channel letters and we are doing all kinds of textures that can be only done with 3D printing. Again, illumination is the key to success. SEG [silicone edge graphics] frames for soft signage are very strong. HP has the new Stitch machine and we can print a 3D frame.

SEG is often limited to square frames but Massivit can do all kinds of shapes.

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WTT: What are the economics of 3D printing for your customers?

What kinds of margins can you get for some of these large-scale applications?

EZ: Our margins are top margins in terms of what you can do with the machine. Our customers bring something totally different. Today, the price is per square meter or per square foot. In our case, it’s a totally different game because you price by event. Our customer in Canada did a campaign for Adidas [that involved giant 3D-printed sneakers]. It’s a

“selfie point.” They’re adding to their customer something that is totally new and this brings the margin back up for the business. That’s what young people look for: selfie points, and it’s a different game in different markets.

WTT: Do your customers partner with other print service providers to do other types of printing, like posters or retail graphics or perhaps commercial printing applications like direct mail?

EZ: Retail graphics, yes, but not direct mail. Definitely wideformat printing and digital offset or commercial printing.

WTT: Massivit has two 3D printers on the market. What’s the difference between them? Are they intended for different markets?

EZ: The same market, but the newer model offers increased resolution, increased speed and improved ease of use for the customer.

WTT: What is the front-end process like? How do you go about designing for 3D printing?

EZ: Since 3D printing became popular, my 12-year-old daughter is doing 3D design by herself using our free software or [Trimble] SketchUp or others that you can download for free from the Internet and do all kinds of design. And then I say, half jokingly and half seriously, that 3D design today is easier than using Photoshop. It’s become so popular that people learn by themselves to do 3D design and printing. There are lots of tutorials on YouTube. So it’s very easy to do 3D design.

WTT: Is there anything else you’d like to add about 3D printing?

EZ: Massivit 3D brings something totally new to this market and enables print shops to invent themselves from the beginning.

No longer are prices based on the square foot or square meter. We are bringing something totally different.

Find article here PrintingNews. com/21097354 ■

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Image courtesy of Savicustom | Roland

The What, Why and How of New Opportunities

in Digital Textile Printing Highlights from the Digital Textile Print Conference Article by Debbie McKeegan

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s the textile industry flexes to meet the demands of a new generation of consumers and embraces a new suite of disruptive manufacturing technologies, it can often be difficult for professionals and practitioners within the industry to keep up with the speed of technical change and to decipher new business opportunities.

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The Digital Textile Print Conference held on Oct. 22 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Conference Center in Dallas, prior to the PRINTING United exhibition offered a curated agenda that brought together industry professionals, expert practitioners and digital textile technology providers from across the globe for an afternoon of insight, talk sessions, industry showcases and group discussion.

The digital textile print sector is evolving at a rapid pace to meet the needs of the textile supply chain and offer a new era of data driven transparency, as well as efficient and sustainable manufacturing technologies. As an industry, textiles offer a vast ecosystem that spans multiple products, market sectors and seamless, integrated technologies worldwide. Organized by Ron Gilboa of KeyPoint Intelligence, the conference offered a window of excellence into digital textile production for existing practitioners and delegates exploring new business opportunities.

Textiles and wide format graphics are very different ecosystems, and while they do now share many of the same digital printing technologies as a means of manufacture, each has a unique set of requirements and technical specifications. The textile marketplace offers a myriad of new opportunities for convergence.

However, the transition demands a whole host of essential skills, and a deep understanding and appreciation of the textile sector, whose clients have different requirements from their display graphics counterparts.

For the first presentation, Mike Wozny of EFI was joined in conversation by customer Dave Brewer from Image Options, for a lively discussion on the opportunities that digital textiles offer within the wide format space. By listening to Brewer, a specialist print service provider, the audience discovered why color management is critical, the importance of ink technology for radiance and UV light performance, the true value of consistent print quality and how sourcing the correct fabrics requires skill and an appreciation of textile technology.

Sustainability is a key factor for both the printed graphics textile supplier and the consumer, and while

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TEXTILES & APPAREL the industry is keen to adopt best practices and speed up the recycling process, during this debate many delegates in the audience expressed their frustration at the lack of recycling resources available. If we are to move forward toward circular design and sustainable practices as an industry, the infrastructure and availability of recycling services is critical.

Lily Hunter of Roland DGA was joined in conversation by Jeremy DeBoer of Savicustoms to provide insight into customized manufacturing utilizing dye sublimation technologies for polyester sportswear. Providing customized production of sports garments with no minimum order adds an administrative burden on a small business and requires automated processes; and so to facilitate this, DeBoer built his own customized order management system.

As the demand for customized manufacture grows, the requirement for web-to-print software is critical.

Inventory management of both consumables and client data must be electronic for both efficient manufacturing and in order to provide excellent customer service. Working with Roland print technology, Savicustoms has built a successful family business supplying customized sports apparel. It was noted that supplying sewn garments has required an in-house training program and that the recruitment of sewist skills locally is difficult. With an existing workforce moving into retirement, it is essential that we train and encourage a new generation of sewing practitioners.

With an in-house design studio offering creativity and prepress production skills, the company has established a reputation for exceptional printed sportswear garments, delivered in record speed, to fulfill the expectations of a loyal client base.

The textile sector is a diverse marketplace; and for the majority

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of printed inkjet technologies for direct-to-fabric applications, the fabrics need to be pretreated prior to digital printing. Mark Sawchak of Premex and his team provide a range of precoated textile fabrics for digital production. With an overview of the textile workflow, supply-chain and the shift towards customization, Sawchak explained the emergence of new opportunities for diversification within the textile sector, entrepreneurial business models and why sustainability is a topic high on the industry’s agenda.

Digital technologies are disrupting the textile space to offer a muchneeded solution for an industry that must meet the demands of the client seeking sustainable supply. As CEO of Texintel and the FESPA Textile ambassador, I had the pleasure of presenting a snapshot of the Industry, moving on to discuss the supply chain, sustainable solutions and why we see a shift toward supply chain transparency with an efficient workflow, and how we must utilize smart technologies to meet the expectations of our clients.

By doing so, our industry is gradually becoming more sustainable by using less energy, consuming fewer resources, producing less waste and adopting automated, data-driven technologies utilizing industry 4.0 concepts.

The growth of the digital textile print sector is a reflection of the tracked growth of e-commerce and a predicted rise in both global population and affluence. These factors are driving customization and personalization regardless of print volume and have established a digital textile print industry that is set to dominate the printed textile marketplace in the years to come.

Sustainability is a prerequisite for the textiles of the future and all business sectors must adopt best practices, without which they will undoubtably begin to lose market

share. Why? Because as the global super brands pledge toward carbon neutrality, successful suppliers for the future must take heed and re-equip to offer sustainable textile production and transparent supply for their businesses to thrive.

In conclusion, Gilboa noted that as the markets and applications for textiles expand within the wide format sector and the reequipment of the traditional textile sectors, new opportunities abound for entrepreneurial growth. The machinery vendors within our industry now offer technologies for multiple textile applications and variable business models, tailored and built for any volume, at any speed of print meterage. As technologies develop automatic scanning devices, offering machine vision will emerge to reduce waste by auto-detection of defects, be that color or head faults.

It was also noted by all vendors that to facilitate growth, it is it imperative that we deliver best practices and knowledge directly to our consumers in support of the wider community.

Collaboration, certification and the implementation of standards are an essential component for the future growth of the digital textile industry.

It’s an exciting time in textiles and apparel, and sessions such as the Digital Textile Printing Conference at PRINTING United are a critical element of both educating the marketplace and accelerating the analog-to-digital transformation that is underway in textiles and apparel. Find article here PrintingNews.com/21096215 ■ Debbie McKeegan Debbie McKeegan is the CEO of TexIntel. As a multi-disciplinary creative and renowned digital print pioneer, she holds over 25 years’ experience within the Textile manufacturing industry.

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Taken against a backdrop of the available European Textile Market (EMEA) Value for Printed Textiles, the growth rate numbers provide a fascinating picture of opportunity for the digital textile printing community.

Future of Digital Textile Printing Is Bright: Read the Stats The

As ink and machine prices tumble, with print speeds and quality increasing at an astonishing rate, there’s a huge opportunity for the digital print community to take advantage of new business opportunities.

Article by Debbie McKeegan

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he opportunities abound, and from entry-level manufacturers to many largescale operations, a digital printing agenda is a must for every decision maker, and with double-digit growth predicted, no one can afford to ignore the facts.

It is reliably estimated that the total value of all printed textile products in Europe for 2018 was in excess of $2.3 billion, of which just over $320 million was produced by digital textile printing.

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This represents a huge opportunity for the digital print community, as ink and machine prices tumble, with print speeds and quality increasing at an astonishing rate.

These factors account for the growth potential which, as shown above, predicts a diverse future for these sectors. The reason for this diversity is relatively simple: the market penetration of each of the five sectors varies according to the amount that digital printing has been successful in each sector.

The chart on page 57 lower right reflects the nature of the Events/Soft Signage market, which was already well established, using vinyl, rigid substrates and papers.

In this market, the transition to textile printing did not prove onerous.

All the technical skills were there, knowledge of workflow and RIPs was commonplace and, above all, textiles provided a new and exciting agenda for events and soft signage based on cost, quality and performance.

Over the last 10 years, digital

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The facts speak for themselves—predicted growth rates for non-signage textiles are shown below.

TEXTILES & APPAREL bespoke software and workflow to make the transition to digital print feasible. Most of these yardsticks have now been achieved.

Nesting software, color management and augmented reality have moved the workflow scene toward digital.

Advances in speed and the reduction in costs of printing machinery have encouraged new entrants in all sectors.

The sustainability agenda, focusing on digital textile printing’s ability to consume less of the Earth’s scarce resources than its screen alternatives, has made digital a favorite son of the environmental lobby.

Improvements in ink formulations and chemistry, as well as an increased supply of technical fabrics, have removed any doubts that digital printing can achieve the highest regulatory and performance standards.

So the opportunities abound, and from entry-level manufacturers to many large-scale operations, a digital printing agenda is a must for every decision maker, and with double-digit growth predicted, no one can afford to ignore the facts. Find article here PrintingNews.com/21096871 ■ The chart below shows the relative positions in each sector, and it is immediately obvious, that to date, digital printing has been most successful in the Events/ Soft Signage sector.

printing has come to dominate the Events/Soft Signage market. Yet it is now a mature marketplace, well-served by suppliers and manufacturers, and the prospects for growth are low, as reflected in the chart to the right.

The other four sectors, by comparison, had further to travel, and it has taken some time for the supplier base to offer viable solutions. Sportswear needed software and workflow that cut time and costs. Home and contract décor needed certainty of both regulatory and performance standards. Fashion needed the broadest possible range of fabric possibilities as well as

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SPESA Executive Conference Senior Editor Cary Sherburne had the pleasure of attending the Executive Conference sponsored by the Sewn Products Equipment and Suppliers of the Americas (SPESA) in New Orleans.

Article by Cary Sherburne

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PESA is an industry association for suppliers to the sewn products industry that includes apparel, upholstered furniture, home textiles, transportation interiors, leather goods, footwear and industrial textiles – in other words, anything a needle goes through in the production process.

These suppliers are manufacturers and distributors of machinery, equipment and related parts and supplies, systems, technology, supply chain solutions, along with other products and services used for the development, manufacture or distribution of sewn products.

Its Executive Conference, held in New Orleans in October, was a lively event attended by approximately 80 executives from the industry.

It was planned and organized by the SPESA board, led by its new leadership team: Michael McDonald, President; Maggie McDonald, Vice President, Communication; and Marie D’Avignon, Vice President, Operations.

A highlight of the conference was a keynote “fireside chat” interview with James Carville, political consultant known as the “Ragin’ Cajun,” a Louisiana native. Carville Cary Sherburne Cary Sherburne is a well-known author, journalist and marketing consultant whose practice is focused on marketing communications strategies for the printing and publishing industries.

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From left to right: Marie D’Avignon, Vice President, Operations; Maggie McDonald, Vice President, Communication; James Carville; Michael McDonald, President

spoke passionately about a range of topics, from politics to the climate emergency, and even a bit about Louisiana history. He kindly took time for photo opportunities with attendees. He’s shown here with the McDonalds and D’Avignon.

Although we frequently talk about our divided nation, and I’m sure there were folks on both sides of the aisle in attendance, it was heartening to hear the discussions on often sensitive topics without any acrimony.

Another important featured speaker was Chris Pilkerton, acting administrator of the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), who shared his thoughts on the industry, his introduction to it, the concept of maker spaces, the transformation the industry is undergoing, and his desire to use the industry as a case study that can help other industries be successful. As a pilot project in the textile industry, the goal of the SBA is to take an area of the country that has abundant expertise in a specific sector; in this case, it’s North Carolina’s sewn

products industry. The SBA is helping to pull together federal, state, local and private sector resources – with the ultimate goal of launching a revitalization effort to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. Also on the speaker roster was Lloyd Wood, deputy assistant secretary for Textiles, Consumer Goods and Materials, who indicated his organization is encouraging industry players to seize on the opportunity to use sustainability as a key driver.

“I’m asking myself, is anyone measuring this? If so, who? And can I talk to them?” he said.

“U.S. manufacturers have to produce things on shore from a sustainability perspective,” said Kimberly Glas, president and CEO of the National Council of Textile Organizations.

“Why does a T-shirt have to travel halfway around the world? If you are sourcing locally, near the U.S., this is saving resources. If we are not in the sustainability game, we are on the defensive. We should be on the offensive as an industry.”

It’s worth noting that part of

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TEXTILES & APPAREL SPESA’s name is “the Americas.”

There were representatives at the conference from a number of countries in the Western Hemisphere, as well as many that do significant business there. Throughout the discussions, opportunities in Canada, Mexico, Colombia and other Western Hemisphere countries were noted.

Tariffs, of course, were discussed.

“I don’t know what the end result of tariffs will be, but they have resulted in more people looking at the Western Hemisphere, and more companies realizing it makes good business sense not to rely solely on China,” Glas said.

“We are at a demonstrable point in supply chain development where people are going to make decisions that protect themselves from volatility,” said Jeremy Wootten, president and CFO of HomTex, Inc. “How much more security is there in my supply chain if it is more Western? There is a value associated with certainty, a confidence level that the price I contract with you today will be the same in a few months.”

He also admitted that 100% of the industry will not com back, so it is important to look at a hybrid supply chain.

“Some products might not need the speed to market [that local production delivers],” he said.

One point that came out in the discussions was how U.S. trade law can actually benefit China in circumventing tariffs, especially when products are purchased through online retailers such as Amazon.

“Requiring that all non-originating materials meet a tariff change rule (TCR) is a simple principle,” according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “However, through the application of de minimis, we can disregard a very small percentage of non-originating materials that do not meet the TCR. (In most cases,

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these materials may not exceed 7% of the transaction value of the good adjusted to an FOB basis.)”

The de minimus level – or the cost below which an imported product does not require application of tariffs – was recently raised from $200 to $800, creating a huge loophole in today’s world of e-commerce.

“One hundred and twenty-five million de minimus shipments per day are processed by Customs, and no tariff is applied,” Glas said. “You don’t have to list the country of origin, don’t have to certify it is a safe product, and there is no duty

Cary and the Cajun

because the individual that ordered the product is actually the importer.

This is a significant problem no one is talking about.”

Workforce issues were also a hot topic at the conference, from the perspective of attracting new talent to the industry, training issues, and changing the perception among parents and young people about careers in the manufacturing industry.

Dan St. Louis, executive director of the Manufacturing Solutions Center, together with Tea Yang, program coordinator for The Industrial Commons and Work in Burke, and Tanya Wade, project coordinator, for the Carolina Textile District, presented an interesting panel on the work they are doing in the Carolinas to address these issues. And their services are not

limited to businesses located in the Carolinas. If you are struggling with manufacturing issues, a visit to their website is well worth your time.

One interesting point they brought forth is that they have brought about 12,000 eighth graders through the center since 2014, and also worked with these eighth graders to set up visits to manufacturing companies in the area. St. Louis explained that catching students at a very young age presents more opportunity to encourage them to consider the industry. In fact, a number of students who participated in this program have set goals to enter the industry, and were already on the path in high school.

Robotics and automation for the sewn products industry was also a hot topic at the conference. Cutand-sew have historically been the bottlenecks to manufacturing on demand. Cutting has become increasingly automated, and sewing is now the last mile of automation.

Progress is being made in this area, primarily through the use of smart sewing machines and robots.

I also learned a new term – cobots, which are robots that cooperate or collaborate with humans instead of replacing humans in the manufacturing process, making the process more efficient.

“It’s estimated that human handling of materials and objects on assembly lines can be reduced by up to 75% [with the use of cobots], depending on the items being made,” according to ManufacturingLounge.com, This just scratches the surface of what was covered in this excellent two-day conference. Our congratulations go out to Michael, Maggie and Marie for putting together a very successful event.

We look forward to attending many more! Find article here PrintingNews. com/21096266 ■

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PRODUCTS NEWS swissQprint Inks Are Greenguard Gold Certified

▲ Mactac Relaunches METRO Product Line with Focus on Value, Quality and Innovation Mactac Distributor Products has relaunched its METRO line of pressure-sensitive sheets for offset and digital markets. Mactac METRO was introduced in 1995 as a comprehensive pressuresensitive product line for offset printers seeking value and quality.

Notable product line expansions include the addition of pressuresensitive sheets for digital markets and removable sheets for offset and digital markets.Innovations to the product line include patented non-ooze adhesives designed to minimize downtime by reducing adhesive buildup on blades during kiss, die or guillotine cutting processes; proprietary top coatings that deliver optimal printability; and layflat liners designed to make printing and converting easy.

www.printingnews.com/21097000

swissQprint’s current range of UV inkjet inks is Greenguard and Greenguard Gold certified. Printed products made with them are safe for use in schools and hospitals.

Greenguard certification essentially ensures that products for indoor use comply with strict upper limits to chemical emissions for a healthier room atmosphere. Greenguard Gold sets even stricter certification criteria with added emphasis on the safety of at-risk groups such as children and the elderly. This ensures products that are suitable for use in places such as schools and healthcare facilities. Both the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design building rating system (LEED) reference the Greenguard program. swissQprint’s current range of UV inkjet inks are Greenguard and Greenguard Gold certified. Printed products made with them are safe for use in schools and hospitals. swissQprint offers various ink sets for its large format UV printers, depending on the application. All the current swissQprint standard inks are now both Greenguard and Greenguard Gold certified.

www.printingnews.com/21097201 Infinity Foils, Incorporated Announces their New Foil Selection Guide Infinity Foils, Incorporated, a member company of the UEI Group, proudly unveils its NEW Foil Selection Guide.

Never before has there been a foil shade selection guide book like this. Infinity has designed their new Foil Selection Guide around both the end user and specifier. Included in this special industry resource guide are Infinity Foil’s coveted shade cross-reference charts; providing comprehensive industry shade matching tools for Infinity Foil’s foil shades. It also includes convenient foil tear tabs, perfect for specifying the right Infinity Foils’ foil shade, so that to further enhance clear communication between design and production of the project.

Infinity Foils, Inc’s foil products are sold conveniently online 24/7 and without minimums. For more information or to request an Infinity Foils’ NEW Foil Selection Guide visit www.infinityfoils.com.

Infinity Foils, Incorporated, a member company of the UEI Group, proudly unveils its NEW Foil Selection Guide. This Foil Selection Guide is our largest guide to date with its expanded foil shade range and increased product offering. It is also the industry’s most compressive shade guide, including foils for hot, cold or digital applications.

www.printingnews.com/21096334

Xaar Announces Ultra High Viscosity Jetting Capability at InPrint 2019 Visitors to stand 710 at InPrint Munich 2019 this week will be able to learn more about Xaar’s Ultra High Viscosity capability across its printheads and the potential applications for this significant development in inkjet printing.

Most printheads can only jet materials with viscosities of up to 10-25 centipoise (cP).

Thanks to Xaar’s unique TF Technology and innovative High Laydown Technology, fluids with significantly higher viscosities – up to 100 cP – can now be jetted.

Ultra High Viscosity jetting opens up a wide range of new inkjet capabilities and applications for OEMs and manufacturers using Xaar technology. The ability to lay down fluids with higher particle loading and particle sizes offers advantages such as an increased color gamut, opacity and special effects.

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PrintVis 2020 Released Run Your Entire Print Business with a Single Solution Taking a major step forward in continuity with the evolution of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, the first PrintVis release for 2020 is built on the new Modern Client from Microsoft, which is available for use in your browser, Windows 10 desktop app, mobile apps on Android and iOS, or in Outlook. This release is based on Microsoft’s April 2019 Spring release of Business Central. As of Wave 2 from Microsoft (BC15, released October 2019), both the Dynamics NAV client (“Windows Client”) and the classic C/Side development environment are retired.

This will be reflected in our next release, in the Spring of 2020.

For this release, PrintVis has refined and expanded on multiple features of the base Microsoft platform, leveraging more functionality to help you improve your production efficiency and increase valuable data flow to every corner of your business. As always, our new release also includes many systemic improvements and bug fixes.

Sharing Microsoft’s ambitious development objectives, PrintVis continues to set the standard as an MIS/ERP system tailored to the specific needs of the graphic arts industry.

www.printingnews.com/21098030

MIS Provider Offers Free Printed Workbooks to Help Printers with their MIS Implementation Projects Tharstern has launched a new printed workbook for printing companies about to embark on an MIS project, and they’re posting it out for free in a bid to help the industry deliver effective MIS implementations. A PDF eBook version is also available for imm MIS provider Tharstern has launched a new printed workbook for printing companies about to embark on an MIS project, and they’re posting it out for free in a bid to help the industry deliver effective MIS implementations. A PDF eBook version is also available for immediate download.

The workbook is a result of several months of research, which involved interviews with Tharstern project experts and also with Tharstern customers who recently completed their own MIS implementations.

www.printingnews.com/21097999

InfoMark Launches Worldwide to Replace the QR Code, Connecting Print to the Digital World InfoMark.com and the InfoMark App launches today to give Newspapers, Magazines, and Consumer Products the simple digital link promised by the QR code but never delivered. Users can now quickly access audio, video, PDF, and any other digital formats from desktops, phones and tablets from a simple 4-digit printed code. The InfoMark replaces the complex QR Code format that is cumbersome, not visually appealing and falls short by only offering access to one link through a camera based device.

All alphanumeric InfoMark codes will begin with an “asterisk” for example *45K2, giving over 9 million available 4-digit InfoMark code possibilities. Custom InfoMarks will also be available.

Primary uses of a InfoMark includes the ability for print writers to share additional content with articles. For example, a podcast of the article by the author in their own voice or a video creating a more interesting experience adding more value to many forms of Print including Newspapers, Magazines, Labels and Signage. Other formats like PDF, PPT, URL, phone numbers, maps, or virtually any other file formats can be used by InfoMark.

www.printingnews.com/21097651

▲ Inkcups Introduces the Revolution: New High-Speed Digital Cylinder Printer Global printing industry leader Inkcups has announced its latest innovation and most advanced system to date – the Revolution highspeed digital cylinder printer.

Inkcups latest innovation, the Revolution, is a fully automatic machine capable of printing high-quality, full-color graphics at approximately 600 parts/hour. It features automatic load and unload, integrated pretreatment and patented Helical printing technology. Common applications include stadium cups, pint glasses, stainless and plastic tumblers, cosmetic jars, glass and plastic bottles, beer cans, oil filters, and many more. The printer’s inline conveyor can be manually loaded by an operator or automatically loaded using a robotic system for a more streamlined process.

www.printingnews.com/21097649

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FINISHING & MAILING Continued from page 43

utilized at any time of the year, (Postal credits are only offered during the promotion period) and is a great way to engage clients and prospects with a user experience that is relevant, aligns with their preferences and provides more meaningful data that can be used to engage them more deeply with the next mail piece or campaign.

Emerging and Advanced Technology Promotion As mobile and other print technologies evolve, mail has the potential to offer greater value by engaging customers in new and exciting ways. In order to ensure that Direct Mail continues to be a relevant part of the marketing mix, the Postal Service is offering this promotion encouraging customers to incorporate technologies right from the mail piece. These technologies include, “Enhanced” Augmented Reality, Virtual and/or Mixed Reality, Near Field Communication (NFC), Video in Print (ViP) featuring Shoppable Video, Integration with Digital Assistants and Addressable TV technology applications which can be enabled right from the direct mail pieces associated with these campaigns.

Personalized Color Transpromo Promotion This promotion encourages mailers of bills and statements to use color messaging in order to create a greater connection to and generate a more direct response from consumers. The promotion is intended to increase the value of First-Class Mail and encourage mailers to invest in color print technology. An upfront postage discount is provided to mailers who use dynamic/variable color print for personalized transpromotional marketing messages on their bills and statements. For companies/ mail owners who have participated 62

in this promotion in prior years, the mailer is required to incorporate both dynamically printed color and personalized messaging in the mailpieces. For companies/mail owners who have not previously participated, only the dynamic color printing requirement must be satisfied in their first year of participation. This helps facilitate the process of getting on board with the technology and the promotion.

Beyond the savings earned by participation in these promotions, there is added value that cannot be overlooked. There is great value to mailers achieved through adding intelligence, gathering more meaningful and effective data and metrics to enhance the communication life cycle. Each of these together or alone results to effectively innovate the Postal Life cycle through which mailers can enhance their client experience and/ or gain higher engagement and response from prospects. Innovation and technology have long been available to enhance direct mail communication channels. This time in our industry is exciting because it also provides print and mail services providers the great opportunity to support their client’s involvement in these promotions and earn postal credits while doing so.

Sharing and educating our clients about what new innovations and capabilities there are will enhance your relationship and partnership with them.

There are great opportunities within the industry to support your client education initiatives; ■■ Host a Postal Round Table Meeting ■■ Attend a Postal Customer Council Meeting in your area ■■ Invite a guest industry speaker for an Educational Webinar ■■ Industry Associations – Attend

their educational meetings, here is an example; ◗◗ American Marketing Association: https://www.ama.org ◗◗ National Association of Presort Mailers:

https://www.presortmailer.org ◗◗ Association for Postal Commerce:

https://www.postcom.org ◗◗ Association of National Advertisers: https://www.ana.net/ ◗◗ Postal Customer Council (PCC): https://postalpro.usps.

com/pcc There are so many more great industry outlets to engage and utilize. Inviting your clients to learn and explore more and new ways to use mail can only deepen your relationship and reinforce the value you provide.

Each of us has an opportunity to share the valuable information with our clients and support their participation. The goal of the promotions is to promote use of the mail and grow business. Let’s all do our part in keeping print alive!

Stay tuned to future issues of Printing News to get additional information about our industry. For a conversation about industry training and education, please contact Strategic Postal Advisors. We can support any of your initiatives in the postal and mail channels. Find article here PrintingNews.com/21098412 ■

WhatTheyThink - Printing News December 2019

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WIDE-FORMAT & SIGNAGE Continued from page 45

source of their appeal. However, the phrase “virtually any surface” is where we often run into trouble.

Without repeating too much of what was in the “Surface Tension” feature, the fact remains that despite UV inks’ flexibility, they still will have adhesion problems on certain substrates and surfaces, which is why those surfaces often need some kind of pre- or post-treatment, and even then there are no guarantees.

Surfaces like glass, metal, some kinds of plastics and containers can pose challenges for UV inks. That said, ink chemists are beavering away in labs and doing their level best to develop UV inks that will work on as wide a variety of surfaces as possible.

Last summer, Fujifilm introduced its Uvijet OX inks, which were specifically formulated for use in the OnsetX series of printers from Fujifilm and Inca Digital (the OnsetX1LT, OnsetX1, OnsetX2, OnsetX2 HS, OnsetX3 and OnsetX3 HS).

“Uvijet OX inks were specifically formulated for greater adhesion to difficult plastic and synthetic substrates like those commonly used in North America,” said Becky McConnell, product marketing manager, Fujifilm.

Another reason for the new ink formulation was that, as with ecosolvent, the machines are getting too darn fast.

“With the output speeds that the OnsetX series of printers is capable of, and especially the latest advancements with the launch of the OnsetX HS models of the Onset printers, achieving acceptable adhesion becomes increasingly difficult with less cure time,” McConnell said. “Uvijet OX improves upon previous ink types with not just improved adhesion to the most difficult substrates, but also the ability to cure effectively in as little

44-45_63_Good Chemistry.indd 63

time as possible.”

Speed up one part of the printing process, and at some point you need to speed them all up.

“UV ink chemistry has increased printing effectiveness significantly over the past few years,” Maxwell said. “The photo initiators have become more efficient and may require less ultrahigh intensity light. The composition of the inks is now more capable of adopting complicated conformability compared to older chemistries, which were rigid only and susceptible to cracking. This advancement has improved profitability and reduced running costs.”

This has helped with the proliferation of LED UV curing.

LED lamps have emerged as the alternative to mercury vapor lamps as a way of curing UV ink, as they are more energy efficient and generate far less heat. However, LEDs only generate UV light in a very narrow range of the overall UV spectrum, which early on could result in incomplete curing. Leave it to those clever chemists to overcome these problems.

LED has other benefits as well.

“LED technology has opened a broader range of materials due to lower heat generation,” Maxwell said. “High-intensity bulbs create a lot of heat and can damage the print surface or the entire material.

Because of advancements in the LED space, virtually any surface is able to be decorated with UV ink.”

UV inks are also playing a role in the emergence of direct-to-object/ shape printing.

“Direct-to-shape wise, we’re doing a lot of direct-to-metal,” said Jim Lambert, VP, INX Digital. “The beverage can market—we’re looking really heavily at that, especially with the advent of all the craft breweries that can’t afford big runs, so they want to buy 10,000 cans vs. a million

cans. A lot of people are going digital there. The water bottle market, like the YETIs of the world, those are all being digitally printed. There are a lot of different things that are heading that way.”

Elsewhere in this issue, we look at direct-to-object printing in more detail, but INX partners have been developing printing systems for uniquely shaped objects.

“One of our integrators took our print engine components and our ink and built a baseball bat printer,” Lambert said. “So the head actually follows the contour of the bat.

Imagine wine bottles, any irregular shape like that, that you normally couldn’t print because of the throw distance of the drop. Now, because we’re moving that printhead along the contour of the object itself, we can maintain a proper throw distance which makes the print quality look incredibly good.”

As ink properties improve to the point where they can print on these kinds of surfaces, new hardware will be built to take advantage of them.

There are of course further changes afoot for UV inks.

“I think there will be a lot of activity around UV LED curing inks given the popularity of this curing method with a focus on ‘being green’ and with the potential machinery changes driven by the European Union’s Restriction on Hazardous Substances II (RoHS II) regulation, which bans the use of heavy metals including mercury,” McConnell said.

“Also, as materials change due to environmental pressures, the ink design needs to change with it. Not to mention that, as printhead and printing technology evolves, so must the ink.”

As inks are called upon to do more things, ink chemists will continue to rise to the occasion. Find article here PrintingNews.com/21097786 ■

December 2019 WhatTheyThink - Wide-Format&Signage

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December 2019 WhatTheyThink - Wide-Format&Signage

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ASSOCIATION INSIGHTS

ISA: International Sign Expo 2020 “Wraps” Up More Skills Article by Lori Anderson

A

t last year’s ISA International Sign Expo, Christopher Ezell from Big Picture Graphics in Sedalia, Colo., was excited to explore more options for wraps on the tradeshow floor. And he was amazed to see some of the “greatest wrappers in the world” demonstrating their techniques.

In his business, Ezell is aware that “the vehicle wrap industry is exploding” and he was excited to see that ISA International Sign Expo was taking note of it. He enjoyed the Business Boot Camp for Wrap Professionals by Avery Dennison as part of the pre-conference events.

“There’s so much information on the floor, in the classrooms,” he said. “So many resources and people you can meet. It’s a nationwide network you can build to help grow your business.”

He will be even more thrilled to see how wrap has grown at ISA International Sign Expo 2020, even over the expansive footprint that it had in 2019. More educational events and more hands-on opportunities are in the lineup.

It’s all for a good reason: Wraps are growing in importance to sign, graphics and visual communications companies. That’s why we’ve partnered with The Wrap Institute in

Lori Anderson Lori Anderson is president & CEO of the International Sign Association (ISA) which serves the international on-premise signage and visual communications industry.

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conjunction with Justin Pate to deepen ISA’s programs throughout the year.

ISA’s Digital Badge program, which has been well adopted by sign, graphics and visual communications companies, will expand to include skills needed most by wrap professionals.

Those who pursue Digital Badges in wrap-related areas will be able to set themselves apart from their peers by showing a commitment to continuing education. ISA and Affiliated Association members will be able to

ISA and Affiliated Association members will be able to receive a discount. receive a discount on education offered through The Wrap Institute, too.

Together, we’ll work together on advocacy issues, bringing ISA’s expertise in working with local communities on reasonable sign codes to the topic of vehicle wraps.

The two organizations will conduct research that shows the value of these wraps to businesses.

And, of course, we’ll build upon the 2019 ISA Wrap Experience at ISA International Sign Expo, with even more programs at the tradeshow.

Hands-on training will be a key element, along with Pate’s expertise.

He is widely regarded as the foremost expert on vehicle wraps, and we’re

excited to have him partner with ISA. The relationship grows out of an extremely successful venture during ISA International Sign Expo 2019.

The ISA Wrap Experience featured 81 attendees participating in rounds of hands-on competition combined with education, all led by Pate and his group of highly talented instructors.

David Pachtel from JT’s Auto Glass & Tint in Boise, Idaho, was at ISA Sign Expo in 2019, where he came with a mission of helping his company grow its vehicle wrap business.

“It’s just mind-blowing watching these guys work, their technique and how flawless it is,” he said.

Vehicle wraps are a skill, for sure.

Much like bending neon, solving a complex installation or creating amazing print projects. These sorts of projects—where a creative eye meets a skilled hand—have been a part of the sign, graphics and visual communications industry from the very first sign painters. And they always will be.

I hope you’ll plan to join us at ISA International Sign Expo 2020. It is the only place to see this kind of skill up close. We’ll also have traditional sign making events, where you can see the best of the best on display. And the vibrancy of print will be rolling off printers throughout the tradeshow floor.

The sign, graphics and visual communications industry is an expansive one, and each day it seems to reach into new areas. But at ISA International Sign Expo 2020, it’s all in one place. Make plans to be there. Registration is now open at www.signexpo.org. Find article here PrintingNews.com/21097345 ■

WhatTheyThink - Wide-Format&Signage December 2019

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INSIGHT YOU NEED. ANALYSIS YOU TRUST.

Your comprehensive source for emerging trends in our evolving industry.

08 The New Reality: VR, QR, AR, and Interactive Print Merge the Digital and the Physical

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