Printing News - March 2018

March 2018

The h Resource for f Commercial, C i l Sign i & Digital Di i l Printing Pi i

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Table of Contents

March 2018

Flexo’s Bright Future FTA’s Duane Woolbright explains what print service providers need to know about success in the dynamic packaging market.

By Laurie Weller

14 Die-Cutting: Bridging the Old and the New Having been in the business as the transition to high-quality grandformat printing unfolded, Steve Aranoff explains three phenomenons.

By Jeffrey Steele

On the Cover While printing as an industry across all processes will grow to almost a trillion dollars by 2022, the only analog area growing is packaging – and flexography is the fastest growing segment of that market.

10 Columns

20 Executive Q&A: Mitchell Lieman, VP of Strategy and Corporate Development, Cimpress

06 Editor’s Note An Industry for the Ages

By Rebecca Flores

The future of our industry will be defined by two things: specialization and cooperation. Lieman explains what that means.

By Rebecca Flores

29 Association Insights Open Letter to the Industry

By Thayer Long

35 Human Resources

18 Digital Printing Meets Couture

The War for Top Talent is On

By Debra Thompson

Printing News joined Epson for a night of digital couture in New York City as they showcased the latest in digital textile printing technology.

Departments 08 Printing Pulse 30 New Products 32 Classifieds/ Supplier Directory

33 Ad Index

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March 2018

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ISA SIgn Expo 2018 The largest gathering of sign, graphics, print and visual communications professionals offering programming and exhibits that offer serious solutions, real results, and opportunities for attendees to make powerful connections March 22-24, Orlando, Florida

The Resource Th R for f Commercial, C i l Sign Si & Digital Di i l Printing Pi i

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Fabulous Flexo

• Achieving Workflow Nirvana • Die-Cutting: Digital vs. Traditonal • Executive Q & A

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Pure Digital Within one single and exclusive European event, Pure Digital will showcase and celebrate the very best of creative design within digitally printed applications.

April 17-19, Amsterdam, Netherlands FTA 2018 Annual Forum & INFOFLEX Exhibition FTA Forum and INFOFLEX is Ground Zero for seeing up close and personal the newest machinery, consumables, soft ware, and numerous other crucial components.

May 6-9, Indianapolis, IN

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Editor’s Note

The Power of Print:

An Industry for the Ages Print is an industry for the ages because information will always be a necessary good transferred across our world.

L

ast month, I joined Epson at their Digital Couture Fashion Week event in New York City which you can read all about on page 18 and 19. During my time with their team, I spoke with one of an Account Manager overseeing sales in North America and South America. Out of curiosity, I asked him how he began his career in print and he told me his grandfather used to head up the

Boston Globe, introducing him to print when he worked “the presses downstairs”. When we’re so deeply entrenched in all conversations print, I believe it’s easy to forget how rich the history of this industry has been up to this point.

Over the last few months, I’ve gotten a sense that murmurs surrounding print’s descent from the “golden age before digital” aren’t going away.

Rebecca Flores Managing Editor Rebecca Flores is an editorial professional with more than 7 years experience in content management, corporate communications, and leadership. With a demonstrated history of success in writing and editing, in addition to a keen insight for current trends, she brings an energized approach to coverage of the print and graphics industry. Email Rebecca at rebecca@printingnews.com.

on your phone, only to be disappointed when it dies, leaving you empty-handed?

As Thayer Long, President of the Association

I’ve been privy to even more conversations about

for Print Technologies, expressed on Page 29,

how companies are readjusting in the face of

convergence between the digital and the analog

digital and the warnings of what happened to the

has already happened. We are now in an time

companies that just couldn’t. Yet, why is it I hear so

that simply demands our industry gets creative.

little about how resilient print is? Before Gutenberg

The vitality of the industry and the greater share

invented the press, Chinese monks were setting

of the market will be won by companies that

ink to wooden blocks, effectively pressing books

remain positive about this massive opportunity.

unto paper as early as 868 CE. We’ve come a

The world is making new ideas possible and print

very long way from the days of wooden blocks

is an industry for yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

but the need for vivid collateral and a seamless

Let’s move the world forward by talking and

exchange of information across corners of the

thinking so.

world remains. Print is an industry for the ages because it predates the digital era and it will be here long after. How many times have you relied on the digital, say an agenda you saved as a PDF

Is your front end tech up to today’s print jobs?

Take a look at how some manufacturers are addressing the two biggest challenges in ensuring front ends are up to speed and quality, especially as jobs become more graphically complex. Read more on page 24.

Find this article at

PrintingNews.com/12398077

6

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March 2018

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For more information, visit PrintingNews.com/10005229

Printing Pulse Virtual Systems and TEC Mailing Pioneer New Cloud Postal Integration Virtual Systems and TEC Mailing Solutions, two cloud pioneers for print and mail providers have collaborated to provide the first integrated cloud MIS and postal

HP Announces Digital Packaging Expansion in US

solution. The resulting integration yields greater oper-

HP announced that ePac Flexible Packaging, an all-digital flexible pack-

ational efficiency and access to data.

aging converter, purchased 10 additional HP Indigo 20000 digital press-

Virtual Systems started the MIS cloud revolution with

es to expand operations across the US through mid-2019. The new order

the first print-mail centric MIS called Midnight and

quadruples production capacity for ePac and is the largest packaging deal

users quickly realized the benefits of the cloud. The

for HP to date. The purchase is ePac’s second expansion with the high-ca-

“work from anywhere” mantra enables sales reps to

pacity HP Indigo 20000 flexible packaging press since launching just 18

land more business and production to get work out

months ago with one HP Indigo unit. ePac currently uses three HP Indi-

as promised. As the first of its kind MIS, Midnight

go 20000 digital presses in Madison and Boulder, and the 10 new units

converted users into true believers in the cloud. “Ini-

will be deployed coast-to-coast in new facilities opening in Los Angeles,

tially, It did take some convincing to migrate users

Houston, Chicago, and Miami. “ePac helps simplify how brands of all sizes

over to Midnight,” explained Chris Huber, President

buy flexible packaging. Rapid turnaround time, low minimums, custom-

of Virtual Systems. “The reality these days, howev-

ization, graphics quality, and the ability to print to demand differentiate

er, is that companies are quickly rewarded since the

ePac from conventional flex pack converters,” said Jack Knott, CEO, ePac

implementation to execution phase is much quicker

Flexible Packaging.

and the system is far more feature rich than on-prem-

PrintingNews.com/12398558

ise software,” Huber concluded.

PrintingNews.com/12390421

Martin Yale 1811 Paper Folder Premiers equipment, introduced its latest paper folder, the 1811. Designed to require no

Xante Digital Presses Produce Over 1B Envelopes

pre-fanni of paper, the 1811 provides mailpre-fanning

Xante Digital Multimedia Presses and their us-

an offices in schools, churches, busirooms and

ers across the world successfully produced over

nesses an and associations a convenient way

one billion #10 envelopes in 2017. This massive

aut to automatically fold a stack of up to 300

volume of print testifies to the endurance and

s sheets of paper. The new 1811 per-

capacity of Xante print solutions for commer-

Martin Yale, a U.S.-based manufacturer of print finishing, office, and mailroom

forms seven types of folds, operat-

cial print providers and in-plants worldwide.

ing at a speed of up to 12,000 sheets

“Within the decade since Xante introduced

per hour. The fold range is adjustable on both the first and second folds. Large rub-

its first digital envelope press, our customers

ber rollers provide consistent paper feeding, while durable conveyor belts create

have reached many milestones in printing. This

easy-to-handle, fanned stacks. The 1811 also folds stapled sets of papers up to five

latest achievement is just the beginning of a

sheets through its manual bypass. “Martin Yale’s new 1811 paper folder will han-

new trend in envelope printing as we continue

dle even the largest folding jobs with ease,” said Greg German, President, Martin

to innovate and improve the capabilities of our

Yale. “The 1811 is built to last, whether you’re folding hundreds or thousands of

digital presses,” said Robert Ross, President &

papers a week. This highly durable machine takes the pain out of folding tasks.”

CEO of Xante.

PrintingNews.com/12394205

PrintingNews.com/12396920

8

Printing News

March 2018

Printing Pulse Dr. Mark Bohan of Heidelberg Receives the TAGA Michael H. Bruno Award Dr. Mark Bohan, Director of Prinect and CtP at Heidelberg USA, has received the 2018 TAGA Michael H. Bru-

have Dr. Mark Bohan accept the prestigious Bruno Award this year,” said Liam

Canon Solutions America and Agile Cybersecurity Solutions Join Forces

O’Hara, Associate Professor at Clemson University and current TAGA President.

Canon Solutions America announced an

“Working alongside Dr. Bohan on the TAGA Board of Directors, I know that he has

alliance with Agile Cybersecurity Solu-

an outstanding record of service to the print industry and the TAGA organization

tions (ACS), a Washington, D.C. cyberse-

itself. Dr. Bohan’s career in many ways embodies the stated mission of TAGA, ‘shar-

curity firm serving leading governmental

ing and disseminating theoretical, functional and practical information on current

agencies and major private sector compa-

and emerging technologies for Graphic Arts print production and related process-

nies and many more. This alliance expands

es.’ His award is richly deserved.”

Canon Solutions America’s portfolio of

PrintingNews.com/12397863

secure print, enterprise content manage-

no Award by Printing Industries of America. The Board of Directors of the Technical Association of the Graphic Arts (TAGA) awarded Bohan based on his contributions to the advancement of graphic arts. “The TAGA Board of Directors is delighted to

ment (ECM), and document solutions that have been helping customers with tools to help them secure their business process workflows in many industries. With this announcement, Canon Solutions America extends its commitment to providing customers with tools to help secure their business and vital information. By referring customers to esteemed organizations and assisting its customers connect with

Koenig & Bauer Receives German Design Award 2018 The German Design Awards 2018 were presented at a special ceremony on 9th February, and Koenig & Bauer received the coveted award in the category “Excellent Communications Design - Apps” for the Rapida LiveApp. After the automation app award received in 2016, this was already the second prize for the Rapida LiveApp developed together with software design specialists Macio.

The Rapida LiveApp supports users with functionality for the location-independent monitoring and control of sheetfed offset presses of the Rapida series. After login via NFC, an info panel is opened with details on the progress and current status of print production. The menu also provides access to a consumables tracker, in which the use of individual consumables can be recorded and monitored by way of QR

experts in cybersecurity, Canon Solutions America provides tools and resources so that customers can receive training, guidance, and consulting services to help address security concerns. Whether it be cyber etiquette training for its customers’ employees, or Canon Solutions America’s full suite of security offerings, the industry-leading company is dedicated to helping organizations of all sizes with tools and referrals so that their customers can address their security platforms.

PrintingNews.com/12397364

codes, as well as a maintenance manager with operator manuals, instructions, and press documentation.

PrintingNews.com/12398569

March 2018

Printing News

9

Flexo’s Bright Future:

An Interview with the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) Today’s flexo presses are delivering better print quality than ever before. FTA’s Duane Woolbright explains why, and what print service providers (PSPs) need to know to succeed in the dynamic packaging market.

By Laurie Weller

T

he packaging market continues to grow and evolve, bringing with it increased demand for – and advancements in – flexography.

“When a consumer walks into Walmart today, 70 to 85 percent of what they are picking up off the shelves is printed flexographically – people just don’t know it,” said Duane Woolbright, Manager of Training Services for the FTA. In fact, Woolbright explained, flexography is now the dominant printing process in North America for the flexible packaging, tag and label, corrugated, and folding carton markets.

“While printing as an industry across all processes will grow to almost a trillion dollars by 2022, the only analog area growing is packaging – and flexography is the fastest growing segment of that market,” he said. “Globally, the outlook is good.”

So, what is it about a flexo press that makes it the print platform of choice for product packaging and labeling? According to Woolbright, a steady stream of new technologies is

10

Printing News

driving this trend.

“Computer-guided, servo-driven presses are available across all flexo market segments now,” he said. “Automation technology and software have enhanced both press and prepress procedures. Digital integration and hybrid-

get that item picked up off the shelf,” said Woolbright. “If a CPC’s market research calls for new color schemes, coatings, tactile feelings, shapes, and elements of interactivity within the package to create shelf appeal, then these requirements find their way to a flexo printer who will work with the customer and its own suppliers to achieve that goal.”

The Versatility of Flexography

ization of press components continue to enhance not only quality, but also press speed and make-ready times.”

He cites better consumable materials, advancements in plate and anolix roller technologies, and better roll cleaning technologies as other factors streamlining processes. Together, these innovations are giving top brands the competitive edge they need to survive – and thrive – on crowded retail shelves.

“CPCs are looking for ways to enhance the consumer experience and

March 2018

“In a word,” said Woolbright, “flexography is all about flexibility, a distinct advantage the process has over other printing methods.”

“Consider that the same process that can print on corrugated boxes and wide-web unsupported films can also print tiny multi-colored avocado labels for a single piece fruit,” he said. “It does it all quickly, precisely, and cost effectively for very short-run jobs to very long-run staple packaging.”

Additionally, new media options continue to expand flexo’s utility. “All the market research from CPCs on eye-catching trends and shelf appeal

PrintingNews com

show a desire for sustainable, recyclable, and even compostable materials – including films,” he said. “Millennials want to see what they are getting these days, so now you need to have a substrate that forms into a perfect see-through ‘can’ of green beans. Such cool new eye-catchers require new substrates – or a rethinking of how we use current materials.”

Regardless of the substrate, Woolbright emphasizes, to be successful in the packaging market requires consistent, repeatable print quality.

“The last thing you want is a poorly printed piece where the colors are not dead on,” he said. “The consumer is going to think ‘if there is something wrong with the packaging, there’s something wrong with the product.’ And, if you have Carolina blue on your product packaging sitting on the shelf next to Duke blue, you also have a problem.”

FTA’s FIRST Guidelines To help PSPs meet the high expectations of the brands they serve, the FTA offers a wide range of support resources. “Our goal is to ensure that as an industry we have standards for how to achieve the consistency and repeatability brands require,” he said. “For that, we need process control.”

FTA quality standards today are outlined in a living document known as Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications and Tolerances (FIRST). Introduced nearly 20 years ago, FIRST now runs approximately 400 pages, says Woolbright, and presents flexo printers with a comprehensive blueprint for achieving superior print quality.

“We have members that represent the FTA on the global ISO committee, and those standards are worked into this document,” he said. “This resource basically gives us a common language and the baseline process control elements needed to be a quality flexo printer.”

And, to become a quality flexo printer, the FTA offers training courses and certifications. “A flexo printer that follows FIRST guidelines for process control starts communicating with its customers ‘way up stream,’ from the

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design stage in the process, with the communication continuing through the finished product,” he said, adding that, when done correctly, flexo can deliver exactly what a brand requires on a consistent, repeatable and cost effective basis – and it can match outcomes with other segments and processes as required.

“For example, our standards prescribe how to print a P.O.P. display via corrugated flexo, as well as the labels, bags, and cartons that will sit on that display, all while matching the color and quality

“Flexography is all about flexibility, a distinct advantage the process has over other printing methods,” said Duane Woolbright, Manager of Training Services, FTA. across applications, different flexo presses, and if needed, different printing processes,” he said.

Going Flexo According to Woolbright, quality control begins with selecting the right flexo press – and ends with assembling the right team.

“A given flexo printer/converter should know what it is looking for in terms of the requirements for both current customers and the growth it anticipates,” he said. “You don’t want to start out doing two or three spot colors for a client – and then later find that you wish you had capacity for six, eight, or even 10 colors, plus coatings.”

Staff members need to be trained as well. “I often tell commercial printers adding flexo that it is not a ‘plug-andplay’ system for their current staff and workflow,” he said. “It requires a flexo-educated and trained team of operators and support staff, as well as a team of suppliers that will work closely

with the new flexo process.”

Another rule of thumb is to purchase only from a reputable manufacturer with a strong service arm. “There are plenty of horror stories of companies that got a great deal on some equipment, only to find there is no service of any kind in North America,” he said.

“Ultimately those machines become paper weights once they break down, with no hope of parts or repairs.”

Information is Powerful Once a PSP gets into the market, being successful requires ongoing education.

“While press innovations steal the show at our events, inks, substrates, premedia/prepress advances, and both file management and automation tools all affect the speed, quality, and capability of flexo,” said Woolbright.

He points to the annual FTA Technical Innovation Awards competition as a case in point. “Here we have suppliers and OEMs from across the industry entering some incredible innovations and new technologies every year,” he said. “Regardless of whether they win an award, many of these cutting-edge technologies become game changers for the industry.”

One of the biggest game changers Woobright has seen recently is that expanded-gamut printing has gone from novelty to mainstream.

“This seven-color process has truly expanded flexo’s color range, while drastically reducing ink inventories, storage needs, and waste,” he said.

“Likewise, advancements in energy-curable inks, food-safe inks, and printed electronics will prove transformative going forward.”

He continued, “The list of new innovations goes on and on – and we can expect even more technological advances to drive the direction of flexography for years to come.”

March 2018

Printing News

11

ACHIEVING Workflow

Nirvana

Automation is a key element in making workflow work for you.

By Toni McQuilken

T

here are a handful of industry buzzwords that haven’t gone out of style in recent years. Among them is “automation.” Automation brings to mind the promise of hands-free production, that allows shops to produce more with fewer points of contact, minimizing the possibility of errors.

While automation has impacted various aspects of print production, workflow has continued to be its focal point.

Dalim Automation Dashboard.

With so many options, how can a shop determine what’s right for their operations?

Identifying Key Features Before purchasing a single piece of workflow automation soft ware, the fi rst step is to identify what features will really make a difference. There are some that are universal and others that are specific to the kind of jobs a shop produces.

“It’s also important to make sure that you’re implementing the right solution for your needs,” stressed Ryan Kiley, Director, Strategic Production Services, Commercial & Industrial Printing Business Group, Ricoh USA, Inc. “Not every shop needs every kind of workflow automation solution. It’s important to carefully assess your unique needs and fi nd the solution or ecosystem of solutions that best address the ways your customers place orders, the way you receive those orders, prepress, production, post press and delivery, as needed.”

“Aside from the obvious which is a feature-rich, holistic toolset, the most important feature is integration, integration, integration! If your MIS system doesn’t ‘play well with others,’ that’s a big red flag,” noted Annie Worth, Marketing Manager, SmartSoft Inc. “Imagine a printer that has thousands of dollars invested in client storefronts just to find out their MIS system isn’t compatible with any other storefront software but their own. We hear it all the time, printers spend endless hours hand keying orders into their MIS system.”

Stephen McWilliam, Executive Vice President, Avanti,

12

Printing News

March 2018

CoZone Workflow.

pointed out one of the pitfalls of failing to ensure new automation solutions play well together before implementing them. “The topic of automation in the print shop is rarely, if ever, about a standalone product. Print shops buy particular pieces of soft ware and equipment to solve a problem. After years of doing this, the result is ‘islands of automation.’ It can be very tough to get those applications and equipment to share data.”

“What is important is open technology to communicate with Web2Print and MIS systems,” agreed Bart Fret, Director of Large-Format Sales, GMG Americas. “Nobody has a system that is complete, end-to-end, in one application, from order processing to MIS to workflow. There needs to be a way for third-party apps to tie into the workflow.”

“The reason why a print shop utilizes an automated workflow is to increase efficiency and reduce costs. That added Continued on page 15

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DIE-CUTTING:

Bridging the Old

WITH THE NEW Having been in the business as the transition to high-quality grand-format printing unfolded, these are the three phenomenons Steve Aranoff of MCT Digital says to observe.

By Jeffrey Steele

D

ie-cutting equipment continues to evolve right along with the rest of the print industry. Print service providers who are using die-cutting to their greatest advantage are finding themselves a cut above when it comes to reaping revenues and profits.

Steve Aranoff, the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at MCT Digital reports that ongoing increases in speed and quality are rendering printers obsolete in three years or less. Having been in the business as the transition to high-quality grand-format printing unfolded, these are

the three phenomenons Steve Aranoff says to observe.

“The speed increases themselves build the case for flatbed fi nishing becoming more of a bottleneck and requiring full automation capabilities from the use of QR codes to set up jobs for fast and accurate true graphics nesting.”

“Second,” he continued, “the growth in print width as well as speed and quality are making it steadily more difficult to handle large rolls of boards manually and continue to keep up.”

“The third phenomenon is the proliferation of substrates that can now be reliably printed on for both indoor and outdoor applications,” said Aranoff. These require increasing capabilities including both knife cutting and routing. They also bring new challenges that make having a laser cutting capability—coupled with, and not separate from large-format cutters—a must.

“When it comes to 10-foot-wide textile rolls that weigh upwards of 300 pounds, manual heat knife cutting becomes error-prone and tedious,” Aranoff said.

“And mechanical cutting, due to its need to touch and push the textiles, is prone to error and added costs,” he added.

“With textiles, the market is saying print [components] now represent only about 30 percent of the project time, with fi nishing taking up the remainder. Better Continued on page 16

Zund Board Handling System.

Zund App Display Board.

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March 2018

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Continued from page 12

benefit allows them to be able to scale their businesses and to continue to conduct all of their fi le preparation tasks without adding expensive, skilled people,” noted Graham Blanks, DALIM SOFTWARE Director, Business Operations, North America. “It stems from the fact that we have to do more with less — greater process efficiencies maximizing repetitive tasks done by the right soft ware tool. Production is about people, process, and technology. You refi ne the process by eliminating repetitive tasks and keeping experienced people for the complex tasks that cannot be eliminated.”

A Myriad of Choices With that in mind, here is a look at some of the key solutions offered by just a few of the experts in the workflow automation space. Each one has a different unique perspective, with something for every shop, no matter what type of operation they run, or what type of solution they might already have in place.

• AVANTI: “Avanti has a JDF framework, (which won a MUSTSEEEMS’ award at Graph Expo), helps our customers move away from ‘one-off ’ JDF customization projects to an environment where new equipment and new soft ware can

Screenshot of PressWise Dashboard Automation.

communicate via JDF in a very cost-effective way,” said McWilliam. “Avanti Slingshot was awarded JDF certification for both MIS to Prepress and Integrated Digital Printing. The list of Avanti supported prepress soft ware and production equipment for both the press shop and the bindery is growing every day. At Avanti, we spend a lot of time working with customers to get those ‘islands of automation’ Continued on page 17

Automate Today, Grow Tomorrow ONLINE DESIGN & PERSONALIZATION

WEB-TO-PRINT B2B & B2C ECOMMERCE

ESTIMATING + PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT

AUTOMATED PREPRESS WORKFLOW

To request a demo, visit aleyant.com or call 630.929.0104

Aleyant’s cloud-based software solutions can work together, separately or with 3rd party systems to create an efficient automated printing workflow, resulting in increased productivity and reduced costs and errors. ©2018 ALEYANT

For more information, visit PrintingNews.com/10003720

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March 2018

Printing News

15

Continued from page 14

workflow integration, plus the improved quality of cutting textiles, is a major benZund S3 Picking Robot. efit of laser cutting. Sealed edges reduce the need for sewing hems to prevent fraying. Finally, if you can also handle traditional routing and cutting, all with full automation, then a PSP could easily fi nish anything a customer might want to be printed and cut.”

“Considering the growth forecasts in the packaging segment, many PSPs are looking to diversify their offerings into short-run packaging,” said Heather Roden, Strategic Account Manager for Graphics and Packaging with Zund America. outsourced die-cutting to outside The blend of digital printing and sources, who did that die-cutting on digital die-cutting lends itself very Heidelberg letter presses,” Chen said. well to targeting the 21st Century “Some of the old generations still consumer, who possesses a notoriousrun those Heidelbergs. But now we’re ly short attention span. As a result, getting into a new generation, where brand buyers and marketers are safety is a big concern. That’s where producing new campaigns at a much the Duplo UD-300 rotary die cutter faster rate. comes in. The UD-300 offers safety; “The other trend is in textile,” she all our machines are UL approved. added. “With [increases] in shipping That allows PSPs to do that short run costs, display materials are moving to that commercial printers traditionalfabric displays, replacing many rigid ly outsourced.” materials that used to dominate these So What’s Next? applications. Both of these trends are MCT recently announced they will ideal for just-in-time inventory. As begin to distribute VersaTech2 usual, Zund is meeting PSPs’ diversystems, which would feature fully sification needs by offering modular integrated QR code job defi nition and systems with more and increasingly a newly-improved laser capability for specialized tools, including a range of textiles that increase cutting speeds crease and perf wheels for packaging by 30 percent. VersaTech2 systems and a new cut and seal laser module are marketed as a true all-in-one solufor polyester textiles. tion to encompass all of its customer’s Kevin Chen, Product Manager for needs, offering value retention and Duplo USA Corporation, is another investment security. observer who cites short runs as a For its part, Zund is trumpeting an key trend. Those who handle die-cutimminent launch of its Over Cutter ting on an outsource basis need a Camera (OCC). With Zund-patented minimum of 500,00 for jobs to be technology, this equipment will allow profitable. With shorter runs now the one-shot register mark capture, which norm, it makes more sense for PSPs to means all marks on a sheet are read at do die-cutting in house. once, then processed within a matter “Traditionally, many [PSPs]

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March 2018

of seconds. Th is eliminates having to read marks one by one, moving the beam and camera across the working area in an initial pass before proceeding to cutting, routing, and creasing.

“The adoption of this registration method will mean a huge time savings for users,” Roden said. “Th is applies to existing users, not just purchasers of new systems.”

According to Roden, PSPs can elevate their printed material from a mere commodity to a higher-level price point. It’s all possible by bringing intricacies to output.

“Any time a printed square or rectangle is post-processed with intricate cutting, creasing, perforating, scoring, v-cutting or folding, it can garner a higher profit,” she said. “While packaging is on many minds, retail displays or POP displays also count among higher-profit items. Another great area for PSPs to consider is adding a router module to their Zund cutter. Routing modules up to 3.6 kW can increase capabilities with materials such as acrylic, MDF-board, wood, aluminum and aluminum composites. Th is capability also allows PSPs to enter an even greater market of parts manufacturing.”

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Continued from page 15

to share data. Avanti Slingshot sits in the middle of the shop virtually and sends and receives information from key applications.”

• Aleyant: “[Aleyant’s] Tucanna’s tFlow is not just about features; it’s a way for printing companies and brand owners to change their business model,” said Color Management Group Founder Lida Jalali Marschke. “It allows companies to process more color jobs with fewer operator hours. In other words, they can make more money and win new business.” Tucanna’s tFlow Production costs thousands less than other systems. It is priced under $9,000 for a complete system, including automation of preflight, file repair, color management, ink/toner savings, imposition and soft proofing.

“To achieve comparable functionality, a printer would have to invest in multiple systems, costing between $22,000 and

$31,000,” Marschke noted. “However, even at that price, a printer would lack file-viewing capacity. Other systems are limited to viewing files in Acrobat.

Here is a look at some of the key solutions offered by experts in the workflow automation space.

Tucanna tFlow Production is a true, multiplatform, client/server solution—at a price that belies the system’s power and ease of use.”

• DALIM: “DALIM SOFTWARE has been developing DALIM TWIST for more than 20 years,” said Blanks. “It’s a traditional server-based technical workflow solution for automating repetitive tasks related to handling

For more information, visit PrintingNews.com/10004688

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fi les for production. DALIM TWIST was the fi rst automated workflow in the printing and publishing industry to offer a drag and drop graphical interface to ease the setup and creation of a workflow. Files flow through sequential or parallel steps to manipulate graphic artwork fi les in preparation for print. Since then, other workflow solutions have appeared on the market claiming to offer similar capabilities. DALIM TWIST is able to be deployed as a stand-alone solution or integrated into a larger solution, like DALIM ES. “DALIM ES is an automated, collaborative digital media production and management platform, offering services ranging from collaboration to color accurate online approval to a web-based production tracking soluContinued on page 34

For more information, visit PrintingNews.com/10007006

March 2018

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17

Textile Printing Meets Couture at

Epson Digital Couture

Thirteen designers from across North and South America bring printing possibilities to life at New York City’s Fashion Week.

By Rebecca Flores

W

hile many of the crowds in New York City blend into a bundled sea black coats, a fraction of the city’s most fashionable prepare their most elaborate outfits to attend designer showcases and runway shows during Fashion Week. In celebration of couture’s capabilities in digital printing, Epson hosted their third annual Epson Digital Couture event in New York City at Pier 17 on February 6, inviting designers from across North and South America to share their collections with the world.

The Epson Digital Couture Project featured thirteen collections created by designers using Epson’s state-of-theart dye-sublimation printing. The goal of this ambitious multi-tier collaboration between fashion and print showcased how Epson’s dye sublimation printing technology impacts design

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March 2018

and expedites workflows.

Keith Kratzberg, President and CEO of Epson America introduced guests and shared a staggering statistic, setting context for the night’s purpose: 25% of textile production is digital. Designers both in-house at affordable mid-range clothing stores to the most prestigious

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labels are captivated by what this means for the future of fashion and Epson is at the forefront as a leader for what is possible.

Following Kratzberg’s introduction, the Digital Couture Event kicked off with a Fashion and Technology forum where experts in the fashion industry discussed social media, the significance of print technology, and what it means for sustainability.

The forum was lead by Anthony Cenname, Publisher of WSJ Magazine, and the panel included Mark Sunderland, Director of Global Fashion Enterprise at Thomas Jefferson University; Ryan Korban, Interior Designer; Aliza Licht, Executive Vice President, Brand Marketing and Communications for Alice + Olivia; and Anna Fusoni, Fashion Analyst and Critic.

While sustainability was a significant topic of conversation in the discussion, Fusoni pointed out that many in the industry are still catching on to the draw of digital printers and their conservation of resources.

Fusoni continued, “[For] sustainability, if you’re going to save water and electricity, anything that doesn’t draw from

Designers Bringing Couture to Life with Epson Technology • Brazil – Lua Luá (Michele Gevaerd) • Canada (Toronto) – Hayley

Elsaesser • Chile – Karyn Coo • Ecuador – Stephanie Ruiz • Guatemala – Eduardo Figueroa • Mexico – Emilio Mata • Paraguay – Ilse Jara • Peru – Ana María Guiulfo • Colombia – Lina Cantillo • Los Angeles (USA) – Candice

Cuoco

what the earth needs is good, but it has to be sold that way, don’t you think? You have to sort of put out the gospel that all this printing is sustainable and explain what things are made of, and how everything is much more efficient [with this technology.]”

What’s Next

Design Unlimited One of the people sharing that gospel is Candice Cuoco, a designer invited to share her collection at Epson’s Digital Couture Event from Los Angeles. Cuoco began her career in fashion attending the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco. Her designs, inspired by the convergence

You have to sort of put out the gospel that all this printing is sustainable and explain what things are made of, and how everything is much more efficient [with this technology].

• Miami (USA) – Fernando Alberto • Philadelphia (USA) – Thomas

Jefferson University (Alexandra Pizzigoni and Patricia Franklin) • United States (New York) – three

ASFOUR (Gabriel Asfour, Angela Donhauser and Adi Gil)

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you’ll really gain an understanding for that seeing the showcase up close,” Cuoco said.

Regan Marriner, a Master’s student in Textile Design and designer invited to premier her collection using Epson technology, raved about the possibilities her work was empowered by using dye-sublimation printing.

“By using the Epson dye-sublimation printer, we were able to produce all our fabrics on our campus. We were able to do testing with strike-offs and reprints within minutes. This really helped with our production time, efficiency and volume,” said Marriner. “I look forward to seeing more duality in function and purpose in fashion as Digital Couture technology becomes mainstream,” Marriner added.

between the feminine and the fierce, earned her massive success and lead to her showing at New York, London, Paris and Los Angeles Fashion Weeks.

“Using this technology allowed me to bring designs to life in real-time. It is incredible what’s is capable and I think

In cohesion with their Digital Couture Event, Epson also introduced a new microsite – “Epson Brings Technology & Fashion Together” – dedicated to connecting digital fabric printing technology and solutions to fashion designers and entrepreneurs.

The new site provides fashion designers with an informative digital fabric printing destination, offering solution-based guidance for a range of digital fabric printing applications including, dye-sublimation, direct-to-garment, and direct-to-fabric printing on a variety of fabrics.

“Digital printing technology has changed every industry it’s touched, and now it’s revolutionizing the fashion industry by offering fashion designers amazing new ways to produce their designs on a range of fabrics,” said Mark Radogna, Strategic Marketing, Epson America, Inc. “The digital fabric printing market is evolving quickly, and as the leader in this innovative new product segment, Epson is taking the lead to help educate fashion designers about the benefits of this emerging technology.”

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19

Executive Q&A:

By Rebecca Flores

Mitchell Leiman VP, Cimpress, Strategy & Corporate Development The future of our industry and the future of our business will be defined by two things: specialization and cooperation. our services range from an ‘upload & print’ model for graphic professionals, to template and assisted design for small businesses and consumers, to closed portals for mid-size and large enterprise businesses.

PN:

PN: Tell us a little about your company, the segment of the market you serve, and what you consider to be your core users.

Leiman: Cimpress makes customized print, signage, apparel, gift s, identity merchandise, packaging and other products accessible and affordable to everyone. This is possible because of the mass customization capabilities we’ve developed over the last 20+ years. Mass customization is the ability to produce small, customized orders of physical products with the reliability, quality, and affordability of traditional mass production.

As for our “core users” – that depends on which one of the 20+ Cimpress brands you’re talking about. We began as Vistaprint, which is aimed at small businesses, entrepreneurs, the self-employed, and individuals. But as we’ve grown, and as Cimpress has gone from one brand to a family of companies, we’ve diversified that client base.

Today, we have 13 businesses with over 20 brands, each with its own value proposition and unique set of customers. While mass customization is a commonality across all our businesses,

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How did you get involved with the company? What was your previous industry background in?

Leiman: I’ve long had a passion for small business and technology, which are two areas that really resonate here at Cimpress. My parents started and still operate a small business, which also happens to be a manufacturer of promotional products. So, in some ways, I’ve literally spent my whole life in this industry.

I was also attracted to Cimpress for the opportunity to work with a founder-led, entrepreneurial business that continues to be a disruptive force in our industry. Robert Keane, our founder and CEO, brings the energy and passion every day as if we were still in year one of a start-up, 20 years later. In many ways, we created a category and business model, and we continue to push to be innovative, entrepreneurial, and disruptive, even today.

Before joining Cimpress, I was at Constant Contact, another terrific SMB-focused business. Prior to that, I was a Partner at Bain & Company.

PN:

What do you consider Cimpress’ greatest achievement in this market?

March 2018

Leiman: Some would say we created our segment of the market! At the very least, we are fueling growth of our entire sector by creating demand where none existed before, particularly among small businesses who could never afford customized products in the past.

In doing this, we’re increasing the size of the pie for everyone.

Additionally, we have remained committed to the principle of coopetition, the idea of marrying together competition and cooperation. For decades, the technology industry has operated on a coopetition model to drive customer value. If we, in the print and mass customization sector, can achieve the same, we can collectively grow the industry, increasing the size of the pie for everyone’s benefit. This also allows more businesses to focus on their specialized offering, which increases innovation and the value we as an industry are able to deliver to customers.

We’re also proud that despite the expansion of this market, and subsequent growth of Cimpress into a $2B global company, we have managed to “stay small as we grow big”, capable of remaining focused on meeting customer needs with our brands.

PN: If there was anything

you could change within the print industry, your company, or the market itself, what would it be and why?

Leiman: The idea of two businesses working in cooperation with each other is naturally still met with suspicion

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from many, but we would like to see an increase in the level of openness to partnership in service of better value to customers and mutual success. We are already seeing proof of this within our own organization as many of our businesses share capabilities and utilize our mass customization platform.

PN:

What do you consider the greatest challenge to be for the industry right now? Why? Leiman: Customer needs and expectations are constantly becoming more demanding, requiring us to push ourselves harder to meet them. For example, more and more customers are saying how much they value overnight production and next day or even same day delivery.

To understand how best to serve customers, you have to admit that in large corporate environments, you get a burdensome level of bureaucracy. And when you look at small companies that are great at serving customers, they’re the opposite; they are nimble and quick.

In aggregate, the many small, nimble businesses that serve customers better and more quickly is the greatest threat to the largest players in our industry today. That’s why we are so intent on our “staying small as we grow big” philosophy and why we are so committed to preserving our start-up mentality.

Finally, in order to address customer needs in a market that is moving fast, it is important to not only be very close to those developments, but to also have a fully integrated supply chain to be capable of answering those changes and needs. We believe – and indeed ensure – that our brands have full autonomy.

PN:

What do you consider the greatest strengths, or assets, in the industry right now?

Why? Leiman: One of the best things about our industry is its inherent requirement to maintain a strong connection with customers. It’s an industry that requires constant innovation to stay ahead. The future of our industry, as well as the future of our business, will be defined

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by two things: specialization and cooperation. So, what we will see in the future is a broad network of cooperating specialists driving the industry forward. We see so many specialists out there that can do things we can’t do and that’s great because if we collaborate, we can both succeed and benefit in ways that wouldn’t be possible by acting alone.

We learn from our businesses like Exaprint and WIRmachenDRUCK. Their networks of printers, suppliers, graphic professionals and specialists are very powerful. By harnessing these networks even further and growing them across the company, we help our brands and customers grow.

PN:

In your opinion, what have been the biggest changes to the way we communicate with one another in the past few years? How would you recommend this industry take advantage of that?

Leiman: The internet and our technological connectivity has changed so many of the ways in which we interact.

Our sector – originally printing, but now has expanded to mass customized goods of all shapes and sizes – has had to adapt, too. Where we add value is in creating things that matter – they are thoughtful, personal, and can’t be deleted with a single click. The rise of electronic communication has not been at the expense of the value and meaning provided by tangible, physical products.

Again, that’s why specialization is so important. We constantly discover new companies doing things that are very specific and far better than we could do on our own. Often, rather than simply acquiring them, we will partner with them instead – a win-win that allows us to offer new products or designs to our customers, while also giving SMEs access to a significantly bigger client base.

There are many potential ways we can take advantage of the changes in our industry. We can use physical products as a way to extend or complement our digital identities, or reach people in a way that can’t be done

online through creating an experience or a lasting impression.

PN:

Looking ahead, what major innovations or technologies do you believe will shape the future of the industry? Why? Leiman: We see technological advances that will allow for even more effective mass customization across a wider range of products, with more options, which will continue to fuel growth and change in our industry.

The reach of our APIs and the software building blocks that form the basis for our mass customization platform will extend to encompass even more parts of our business, and in turn, enable us to offer our customers more unique opportunities to customize and create personalized products, with even greater efficiency.

As more products and features become customizable, customer expectations grow as well. We already see hyper-personalized products from fashion and apparel to food, to technology.

PN:

What is the biggest piece of advice you would give to printers and others involved in this industry?

Leiman: Customer-focused competition, specialization and partnerships can radically improve the convenience, relevance and affordability of designing and procuring products that digital alternatives simply can’t provide.

As we’ve learned from the technology industry, early adopters of competition stand to reap sizeable benefits and stake out market leadership positions – which is good for them and good for their partners.

We believe the future is about creating a network of specialists. Our suppliers embody specialization.

Let’s focus on all the companies in this industry growing together and helping to build this market so that we can all do well and deliver breakthrough customer value.

March 2018

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Focusing on Production Inkjet's Next Frontier

Exclusive Section

Inkjet Options:

WHAT TO BUY AND WHEN TO BUY IT

Software and Front Ends

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1 InfoTrends U.S. Digital Production Printing Application Forecast: 2016–2021 © 2018 Canon Solutions America, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Inkjet’s Age

FRONT ENDS

Drive the Process ❯❯❯❯❯❯❯ In this environment, automation and increased efficiency are not optional, they’re demanded.

By Joann Whitcher

H

igh-speed inkjet machines put a lot of demand on the processing power of the front ends that drive them. Two of the biggest challenges are ensuring speed and quality, especially as jobs become more graphically complex, incorporating CMYK plus, and multiple elements of personalization.

In this environment, automation and increased efficiency are required.

“All solutions are striving to make their customers more competitive by simplifying processes and steps,” noted Darrian Young, VP of Workflow Automation at Aleyant.

“Where they differ can be found in how well they accomplish this, and in what areas of the workflow they are addressing. Solid state drives, higher network speeds, and faster CPUs are allowing customers to create more and more personalized variable data faster and faster. What used to take hours can now be done in minutes,” said Terry Wozniak, Drector, Workflow & Color Solutions, Kodak Enterprise Inkjet Systems Division.

“However, there are still tasks like custom maps and personalized 1:1 images that must be managed with care throughout the whole workflow to ensure smooth production,” he continued.

“Customers continue to innovate, and work with us to ensure that prototype jobs can be scaled in a predictable, profitable manner that will not overload any part of the print production.”

As far as what print service providers are looking for from their front-end system? “PSPs are looking for a one-stop solution, or a minimum number of solutions to accomplish their goals—they they do not want to work with, or try to connect, many different applications,” said Young.

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Printing News

March 2018

Kodak 700 Print Manager

Flexibility and Connectivity “To this point, connectivity and flexibility are key as PSPs are searching for solutions that allow them to easily connect new and old applications,” he added. “PSPs want tools that help them work faster and easier while also allowing them to interact professionally with their customers. In addition, PSP’s are looking for ways to grow their business as well as cost-cutting solutions.”

Along with Pressero, its web-to-print flagship offering, Aleyant’s offerings include tFLOW prepress automation workflow technology, to simplify difficult file management tasks and processes to optimize efficiency and production throughput.

PSPs are looking for their suppliers to be trusted partners who can help determine and deliver world-class solutions.

“Our consultative sales process helps

define the best solution to meet the needs of the business,” said Wozniak.

Oftentimes that process involves developing a unique workflow or process that will secure a competitive edge. Doing this requires the supplier to be capable, flexible, and dependable.

“Our printheads and front ends have been capable of printing variable data at 1000 fpm since the mid 1990s,” said Wozniak. “The PCs at the time were in their infancy and woefully underpowered. We used custom VME boards, and real time operating systems like VxWorks to achieve those speeds. Fast forward to today, many turns of Moore’s law later, we rely on more off the shelf industrial PCs. However, that legacy of having to ‘do more with less’ decades ago has shaped our solutions to provide performance through better engineering.

We still sell that line of high-speed printheads today, and while our controllers are barely recognizable, we are mindful of our roots.”

The Workhorse Kodak’s 700 Print Manager (PM) continues to be its workhorse, driving the Kodak Prosper 6000 systems. “In order to keep up with the rated speed of 300mpm, rip and print simultaneously, and apply the highest quality screening algorithm available on the market today, the 700PM utilizes custom hardware Fusion Boards,” shared Wozniak.

Kodak also develops custom software to allow for ‘last mile connectivity’ into existing customer workflows. “Out of the box capabilities usually get us 95-100% of the way, and custom Kodak engineering brings it to fruition,” he concluded.

We are likely to see more customized demand drive the market in the future.

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Inkjet’s Age

Getting Into Production Inkjet:

WHAT to Buy and WHEN to Buy It

Production inkjet presses are well suited for direct mail and other applications that call for personalization. Photo courtesy of Kodak.

Folding cartons printed on a KODAK PROSPER 6000S simplex color inkjet web press.

Photo courtesy of Kodak.

By Laurie Weller

T

here comes a time when every successful print service provider (PSP) begins to outgrow its production environment. However, with new technologies hitting the market left and right, the question remains: when is the best time to upgrade and what type of investment should a shop make?

If the market research bears out, now might be the right time, and a production inkjet may just be the right choice.

In fact, according to Smithers Pira, inkjet print sales are predicted to grow at a rate of 8.2 percent annually to reach $91.5 billion by 2021.

“PSPs should consider purchasing a production inkjet device if their volume range is simultaneously too high for traditional toner, yet too low for offset,” said Eric Hawkinson, Vice President, marketing, production print solutions for Canon Solutions America.

“PSPs should consider the value-added benefits of production inkjet, like 1:1 personalized communications, which offset cannot provide. Inkjet can also streamline workflows and provide the

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ability to dynamically print customized documents inline – something which can be done easier and more cost effectively than with toner.”

Mike Herald, Director of Inkjet Solutions, commercial & industrial printing business group for Ricoh, adds that the decision to upgrade should take several factors into consideration.

“There are two types of customers,” he said. “One type is a net-new customer who is yet to launch into the inkjet world. The other is one who is looking at the next step.”

Either way, Herald recommends considering future needs for both capacity and capability. “Capacity is about whether you have the ability to do the work you are already getting in-house,”

he said. “Capability is about growing the market segments you are serving – or getting into new segments.”

According to Will Mansfield, Director of Worldwide Product Marketing & Category Management for Kodak’s enterprise inkjet systems division, if a PSP is a heatset web press shop, investing in an inkjet press may allow jobs to be migrated off the web press for short-run, segmented, and even personalized work.

“This often results in cost savings by reducing paper waste, slashing production time, and eliminating plates,” he said. “They can also capitalize on revenue growth through new sales opportunities.”

When it comes to pursuing inkjet markets, Mansfield sees a breadth of growth opportunities. “Going forward, we can expect to see PSPs serve customers with a wider range of print applications that feature greater ink coverage, glossy papers, and increased print quality overall,” he said. “Glossy direct mail self-mailers, postcards, brochures, magazines, and catalogs, to name a few.”

Herald points to healthcare applications and direct marketing as segments to target. “The advantage you get with inkjet technology today is that you can customize prints for customers in a short period of time,” he said. “The feed today is much better, the quality is excellent, and newer, better media types are available in the marketplace.”

Selecting an Inkjet Once a PSP has decided to make the investment, there are many questions

March 2018

Printing News

25

Inkjet’s Age

to ask manufacturers, said Hawkinson.

He advises PSPs to benchmark specifications ranging from color gamut and substrate support to finishing needs, machine flexibility, uptime, and total cost of ownership.

“PSPs should also ask what other options the manufacturer has to support their business needs,” he said. “What professional services are available, what training do they provide, what is their service reputation, and what partnerships do they have with workflow and finishing companies?”

Herald emphasized the importance of aligning the investment with a shop’s long-term business strategy. “Is it print quality that is important, throughput, media compatibility – or a solution

ent writing systems require different ink formulations.” Hawkinson also noted that ink technology is evolving and progressing rapidly for production inkjet presses. “The ultimate goal is to be able to print on a wide variety of substrates, including inkjet coated, uncoated, gloss, offset commodity stocks, and more,” he said.

Media Matters The good news for PSPs, said Hawkinson, is that inkjet media is constantly improving. “There continues to be a strong commitment from manufacturers and paper mills to collaborate and bring even more media options to market for inkjet,” he said.

Mansfield sees the increase in ink-

he said. “Depending on the scope, the right finishing line can cost as much as the print engine itself. However, the payback of choosing the right solution is much greater as it has a significant impact on your manufacturing costs.”

According to Lance Martin, Vice President of National Accounts for MBO America, flexible finishing is an essential component of the production inkjet workflow, especially as the industry moves increasingly toward shorter runs, faster turnarounds, and custom products.

Inkjet’s Staying Power With so many advancements shaping the industry today, what does the future hold?

The KODAK PROSPER 6000C inkjet press is ideal for commercial print applications requiring high ink laydown.

that fits well into your environment?” he said. “Look at the kind of assistance available from the company’s internal sales force as well.”

Jason Elliott, Vice President of Sales for manroland web systems, advises shops to ensure they are getting all the tools they need to automate and optimize the production workflow.

“Many PSPs, especially early adopters, went into digital production thinking they would figure out the workflow as they grew the business,” he said. “This has often resulted in customized solutions of various applications and plugins that don’t provide the flexibility needed for an efficient and future-proofed production workflow.”

Know Your Inks Before making a decision, Mansfield recommends gaining a thorough understanding of ink technologies, including their limitations.

“The inks for a high-speed inkjet printing system must be matched to the inkjet writing system,” he said. “Differ-

26

Printing News

March 2018

jet-compatible media as a significant factor driving adoption of the platform.

“New paper companies are entering the market, and those that have been in the inkjet market are expanding their lines with new products and expanded basis weight ranges,” he said. “This increased selection is allowing more pages to move from analog (offset) printing to digital (inkjet) methods.”

Finishing Touches Finishing equipment also plays a significant role in product quality, said Mansfield, and is an important consideration for PSPs. “Finishing equipment is a key, but often overlooked, factor in realizing the potential of a high-speed inkjet production system,” he said. “When it comes to new options, multi-cut and variable-length sheeters are enabling greater automation and lower manufacturing costs.”

Elliott agreed. “The finishing line is an area that shouldn’t be underestimated during the purchasing process,”

“Faster, better, cheaper,” said Mansfield. “At Kodak, we’ve set our sights on converting the traditional analog printing process to inkjet. To accomplish this, we will continue to drive for faster production, better quality, and lower total cost of production.”

Elliott tells PSPs to explore all options available to them. “Be bold in your approach to digital manufacturing,” he said. “History shows that shortcuts in scope or investment do not support the required return on investment – or position you to springboard your digital platform.”

Hawkinson adds, “A few years ago, inkjet was the new technology, and everyone wondered where it would go. Now it is a proven technology, and industry analysts agree that it is the future of print. What’s more important is that our customers have shown significant growth and success with their inkjet presses. Now is definitely the time to consider an inkjet investment – don’t wait.”

PrintingNews com

Inkjet’s Age

2018 High Speed Production Inkjet Resource Chart Media Cutsheet or Web

Model

FPM (Max) Feet per minute

Clear / Varnish

PPM (Max) Pages per minute

Max Print Width (Inches)

Number of Colors

Colors

Y/N

White Ink

Technology

Y/N

CIJ = Continuous Inkjet DOD = Drop on Demand

Maximum Actual Resolution

Canon Solutions America, 1-844-443-INFO, www.PrintingNews.com/12303268 Canon imagePRESS Series

Web

Océ VarioPrint 6000 TITAN Series

Web

Océ VarioStream Series Océ VarioPrint i-Series Océ ProStream Series

Web

80-100

30

4

BW, CMYK

TR

2400x2400

320 fpm

294

19.7

4

BW

TR

600x1200

Web

88-292 fpm

1200-1500

16

BW

TR

600x600

Web

294 ppm

320

19.7

2

BW, CMYK

TR

600x1200

262 fpm

1,144

21.25

4

CMYK

IJ

600x600

IJ

600x600

IJ

600x600

Océ ColorStream Series

Web

417 fpm

1818

21.25

6

BW, CMYK, or Security

Océ JetStream Series

Web

194 fpm

5452

30

4

BW, CMYK

HP Inc., 866-229-7313, www.PrintingNews.com/10005824 HP PageWide Web Press T240 HD

Web

500 fpm

22

4

CMYK

N

N

DOD

1200

HP PageWide Web Press T260M

Web

800 fpm

26

1

K

N

N

DOD

600

HP PageWide Web Press T370 HD

Web

600 fpm

30

4

CMYK

N

N

DOD

1200

HP PageWide Web Press T380 HD

Web

800 fpm

30

4

CMYK

N

N

DOD

1200

HP PageWide Web Press Mono T390 HD

Web

1000 fpm

30

1

K

N

N

DOD

1200

HP PageWide Web Press T470 HD

Web

600 fpm

42

4

CMYK

N

N

DOD

1200

HP PageWide Web Press T480 HD

Web

800 fpm

42

4

CMYK

N

N

DOD

1200

HP PageWide Web Press T490 HD

Web

1000 fpm

42

4

CMYK

N

N

DOD

1200

HP PageWide Web Press Mono T490 HD

Web

1000 fpm

42

1

K

N

N

DOD

1200

HP PageWide Web Press T400S

Web

600 fpm

42

4

CMYK

N

N

DOD

600

HP PageWide Web Press T1100S

Web

600 fpm

110

4

CMYK

N

N

DOD

600

BW

Option

N

Stream CIJ

175 lpi

Eastman Kodak, 1-800-22-KODAK, www.PrintingNews.com/10005105 Prosper 1000 Press

Web

650

3600

24.5

1

Prosper 1000 Plus Press

Web

1000

4364

24.5

1

BW

Option

N

Stream CIJ

175 lpi

Prosper 5000 XLi Press

Web

650

3600

24.5

4

CMYK

Option

N

Stream CIJ

175 lpi

Prosper 6000C Press

Web

1000

4364

24.45

4

CMYK

Option

N

Stream CIJ

200 lpi

Prosper 6000P Press

Web

1000

4364

24.45

4

CMYK

Option

N

Stream CIJ

200 lpi

Option

N

Stream CIJ

600x600

Prosper S10 Imprinting System

Web

1000

4.16

1

BW, CMYK, or Spot

Prosper S20 Imprinting System

Web

2000

4.16

1

BW, CMYK, or Spot

Option

N

Stream CIJ

600x300

Prosper S30 Imprinting System

Web

3000

4.16

1

BW, CMYK, or Spot

Option

N

Stream CIJ

600x200

Prosper S5 Imprinting System

Cut/Web

500

4.16

1

BW, CMYK, or Spot

Option

N

Stream CIJ

600x600

Versamark 100N Printing System

Web

246

268

18.67

1

BW

Option

N

Piezo DoD

600x600

Versamark 100WPrinting System

Web

246

536

18.67

1

BW

Option

N

Piezo DoD

600x600

Versamark 150N Printing System

Web

410

894

18.67

1

BW

Option

N

Piezo DoD

600x360

Versamark 150W Printing System

Web

410

1788

18.67

1

BW

Option

N

Piezo DoD

600x360

PrintingNews com

March 2018

Printing News

27

Inkjet’s Age

2018 High Speed Production Inkjet Resource Chart Media

FPM (Max)

Clear / Varnish

PPM (Max)

White Ink

Technology

Y/N

Y/N

CIJ = Continuous Inkjet DOD = Drop on Demand

Maximum Actual Resolution

Cutsheet or Web

Feet per minute

Pages per minute

Max Print Width (Inches)

Versamark 300N Printing System

Web

246

268

18.67

4

CMYK

Option

N

Piezo DoD

600x600

Versamark 300W Printing System

Web

246

536

18.67

4

CMYK

Option

N

Piezo DoD

600x600

Versamark 500N Printing System

Web

410

894

18.67

4

CMYK

Option

N

Piezo DoD

600x360

Versamark 500W Printing System

Web

410

1788

18.67

4

CMYK

Option

N

Piezo DoD

600x360

Versamark DS5120 Printing System

Cut/Web

1,000

1.07

1

BW or Spot

Option

N

Stream CIJ

120x120

Versamark DS5122, DS5222 Printing System

Cut/Web

1,000

2.13

1

BW or Spot

Option

N

Stream CIJ

120x120/120x240

Versamark DS5300 Printing System

Cut/Web

500

2.77

1

BW or Spot

Option

N

Stream CIJ

300x600

Versamark DS5640 Printing System

Cut/Web

500

4.27

1

BW or Spot

Option

N

Stream CIJ

240x240

Versamark DS5650 Printing System

Cut/Web

500

3.41

1

BW or Spot

Option

N

Stream CIJ

300x600

Versamark DS6240 Printing System

Cut/Web

1,000

4.27

1

BW, CMYK, or Spot

Option

N

Stream CIJ

240x240

Versamark DS9050 Printing System

Cut/Web

500

8.96

1

BW, CMYK, or Spot

Option

N

Stream CIJ

300x600

Versamark DS9100 Printing System

Cut/Web

1,000

8.96

1

BW, CMYK, or Spot

Option

N

Stream CIJ

300x300

Model

Number of Colors

Colors

Ricoh Americas, 800-227-4264, www.PrintingNews.com/10007712 InfoPrint 5000 GP

Web

420

1,832

19.94

4

CMYK

N

N

Piezo DOD

720x720

InfoPrint 5000 MP

Web

420

1832

19.94

4

CMYK

N

N

Piezo DOD

720x720

InfoPrint 5000 VP

Web

722

3148

20.4

4

CMYK

N

N

Piezo DOD

720x720

4

CMYK

Y (optional)

N

Piezo DOD

1200 x 1200

RICOH Pro VC 60000

Web

492

20

Screen Americas, 847-870-7400, www.PrintingNews.com/10007873 Truepress Jet 520 EX Mono

Web

420

1,833

20

1

K

N

N

DOD

720x720

Truepress Jet 520 EX Color

Web

210

916

20

4

CMYK

N

N

DOD

720x720

Truepress Jet 520 HD

Web

492

2,147

20

4+2

CMYK + 2

N

N

DOD

1200x1200

Truepress Jet 520 S

Web

420

1,833

20

4

CMYK

N

N

DOD

720x720

Truepress Jet 520 ZZ

Web

721

3,146

20

4

CMYK

N

N

DOD

720x720

Truepress Jet 520 NX

Web

492

2,147

20

4+1

CMYK + MICR or Security

N

N

DOD

1200x600

Xerox Corporation, 900-ASK-XEROX, www.PrintingNews.com/10008702 Xerox CiPress 325 Production Inkjet System

Web

325

1336

20.1

4

CMYK

N

N

DoD

600x400

Xerox CiPress 500 Production Inkjet System

Web

500

2180

20.1

4

CMYK

N

N

DoD

600x600

Xerox Impika Compact Inkjet Press

Web

416

1812

18.67

1 to 4

CMYK

N

N

DoD

1200 x 600

Xerox Impika Evolution Inkjet Press

Web

833

3630

18.67

1 to 4

CMYK

N

N

DoD

1200 x 600

Xerox Impika Reference Inkjet Press

Web

416

1812

18.67

1 to 5

CMYK + MICR

N

N

DoD

1200 x 600

Xerox Rialto 900 Inkjet Press

Web

157

342 impressions / 171 sheets

8.66

4

CMYK

N

N

CIJ, DoD, Roo-to-CutSheet

600 x 600 dpi x 2-bit

Xerox Brenva HD Production Inkjet Press

Cutsheet

0

197 A4 / 182 letter & legal ipm

13.11

4

CMYK

N

N

DOD

600 x 600 dpi

Xerox Trivor 2400 Inkjet Press

Web

551 (color) 656 (mono)

2405 (color) 2863 (mono)

18.67

1 to 4

CMYK

N

N

DoD

1200 x 600

28

Printing News

March 2018

PrintingNews com

Association Insights:

Open Letter to the Industry Our industry is in a state of unprecedented transformation.

O

ften, we hear about the convergence occurring within our industry. But that is a very narrow definition of what is actually happening.

The Fourth Revolution

By Thayer Long President of Association for Print Technologies (APTech) Thayer Long is President of the Association for Print Technologies, formerly known as NPES, and serves as president of the Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation (GAERF). Mr. Long joined the Association in April 2016, bringing eight years of effective leadership experience, strategic plan development, foundation work, and trade show management.

Find this article at PrintingNews.com/12397360

PrintingNews com

Our industry is in a state of unprecedented transformation known as “The Fourth Revolution.”

The First Industrial Revolution harnessed water and steam power to mechanize production. The Second fueled mass production with electric power. The Third Revolution (or The Digital Revolution) combined electronics and information technology to automate production. Today’s Fourth Revolution is a blending of technologies that blur the lines between the physical, digital, and biological.

We have an amazing opportunity—at the intersection of the two most powerful knowledge transfer mechanisms of all time, the Gutenberg Press and the Internet—to benefit from the fusion printing and digital. Convergence? That has already happened. Technology made it possible and has moved our society far beyond in effect.

Alignment: An Industry Imperative Now, to mirror the fusion of technologies that has opened new doors of opportunity, “alignment” within our industry is the next imperative.

In January, we unveiled for you how the Association for Print Technologies, by representing the entire Graphic Communications Industry value chain, will address this mix of technology and serve as a platform to help successful printing service providers, content providers and marketers develop fully-integrated campaigns to create engaging, full-sensory experiences for consumers.

Too many organizations, including businesses, fail because they take the “inside-out” approach.

They speak to a few of their customers, apply their own bias, ask the wrong questions, and invariably

assume they are smarter than the marketplace.

Our approach was (and still is) “outside-in.” We listened not to just what our constituency needs, but to other stakeholders within the printing value chain as well. We made our purpose not to address a short wish list of needs, but to solve real industry struggles.

So now here we are, 85 years after its founding, and the Association for Print Technologies (formerly NPES) has placed itself in a unique position to proactively engage the printing “universe” to redefine the limits of what is possible, as well as the value of print.

Our Road Ahead What can you expect from the Association going forward?

• We are future-focused first. With the future clearly driven by technology, as an organization for technology providers, we are uniquely positioned to help innovative print professionals integrate and implement the latest technology to meet changing customer demands.

• With the full support of our membership, our measurements of success will be Industry Growth and Industry Alignment.

• Our focus is on collaboration, where industry partners in the value chain come together as equals to solve complex problems and help each other succeed. As we believe that a rising tide floats all boats, our mission is to help everyone around us be successful.

• Our commitment to being open and transparent. Because we are 100% non-profit, we are not interested in growing our revenue—we are interested in growing the industry.

We do not underestimate the challenges ahead.

We know that talk is cheap. There is no playbook for our mission. Our actions will speak for us and serve to benefit the print and signage community for years to come.

March 2018

Printing News

29

New

Products

DALIM ES 5.5 Metallic iColor Presto! Transfer Papers UniNet announced the expansion of their iColor Transfer Media line of products to now include Metallic iColor Presto! Transfer Papers for Hard Surfaces and Textiles. Available in gold, silver, and bronze, the transfer sheets are compatible with UniNet iColor Digital Transfer Printers, as well as a variety of monochrome, white toner, CMYK Laser/LED printers and copiers. Users simply print using black toner to produce metallic self-weeding transfers for a wide variety of applications.

Designed to further enhance the product capabilities of iColor Transfer Printers, the iColor Presto! Metallic Hard Surface 1-Step Transfer Media allows users to create clean and crisp designs for pressing onto ceramic, glass, mirrors, metal, acrylic, wood, cardboard, paper, and more.

Popular markets include personalized gift s and souvenirs, home décor, signage, promotional products and events.

PrintingNews.com/12382419

With DALIM ES, users can manage their campaigns as a whole, creating all components of the entire marketing mix-for example, including cross-links between media content and collateral materials. New features include: Completely redesigned and more sophisticated workflow editor, rewritten with a new user-friendly interface to create, edit and organize workflows. It is now simple to drag and drop tasks into place, and to make-and undo-changes. Administrators can scale the workflow diagrams, zooming in and out easily locate specific tasks. Groups of tasks can easily be copied and placed wherever needed.

“We are extremely pleased not only with industry analysts’ acceptance of the DALIM ES DAM capabilities, but also with the speed at which we have built the system. However, what is more important is that DALIM ES combines DAM proficiency to the core of DALIM SOFTWARE expertise: automated media production. Briefly, this one application simplifies the design of a project workflow for all partners in the creative production supply chain, and manages complete marketing campaigns. It’s about bringing order to complexity,” commented Carol Werlé, DALIM SOFTWARE CEO.

PrintingNews.com/12392513

Summa F1832 CalderaDesk RIP soft ware specialists Caldera announces the launch of CalderaDesk, a new customer support portal and online documentation center. The new portal will give Caldera customers and partners access to a wide range of tools, including tutorial videos and information about Caldera training, an interactive community forum and a library of Caldera support documentation. Login credentials will be provided to accredited users upon application.

With CalderaDesk, the company continues to lead the way in innovating and developing new tools to enable their customers to be more productive. The portal has been designed to give Caldera soft ware users all the resources they need for getting the most out of the Caldera products they use. It’s an area in which Caldera has always invested considerable time and energy, with an ongoing series of training and product information videos, as well as having extensive solutions and support sections on its website.

PrintingNews.com/12393577

The F1832, is largely based on the proven technology of Summa’s F Series flatbed systems. Unsurpassed cutting quality, utmost durability and maximum tool modularity within a user- friendly working operation are only a few of the key features of the renowned Summa F Series, all of which can be found in the F1832. With this new size Summa plans to further develop its business in different innovation markets.

With a working area of 184 cm wide the F1832 flatbed system is ideal to process popular material widths in order to meet customer demands and thus provide the digital printing industry with a robust finishing solution. This way, once again, the F Series expands its range of industries. The F1832’s working area is a perfect match for popular sizes, such as 150 cm wide roll material and 152x304 cm rigid board material. Summa’s F Series is known for cutting a wide range of substrates and sizes with its extended range of tools and modules, which fit on all the F Series sizes available.

PrintingNews.com/12397252

30

Printing News

March 2018

PrintingNews.com

New

Products illoom.-LookBook

MetaVueT VS3200 X-Rite Incorporated and its subsidiary Pantone LLC, announced the expansion of its popular MetaVueT family of non-contact imaging spectrophotometers with a new version tailored to meet the needs of the plastics, coatings, cosmetics and food industries. MetaVue VS3200 is the first non-contact instrument for industrial applications that combines color imaging with spectrophotometry to characterize today’s most complex materials. Ideal for the lab or quality control operations, it offers unmatched versatility and color accuracy for the measurement of liquids, powders, gels, or other small and odd shaped samples.

PrintingNews.com/12394398

Roland 700 Evolution Ultima What exactly is an Ultima press? At the heart of this new Ultima is the ROLAND 700 EVOLUTION – Manroland’s technically advanced next-generation 3B platform. Manroland describes Ultima as “a press with one or more inline coater or special fi nishing process”. Ultima can be elegantly minimal - with simply an in-feed, coater and a delivery - or it can be highly complex with coating, printing, perfecting, foiling and final coating. Whichever configuration, OnePass is the common factor.

Among the new developments incorporated in the Ultima platform are a newly designed central console with touch-screen control, a new feeder pile transport that cuts down on waste, new suction belt sheet handling technology for a more even pile contour, all-new dampening units, bearings that significantly reduce vibration and, with sophisticated software for practice-oriented roller washing cycles, even less downtime.

Soft and smooth on the outside, luxurious and classy on the inside: the illoom.-LookBook. This classy marketing piece with high-quality inlay patterns, printed on 300 g/m2Algro Design Duo was created to give designers, brand manufacturers and packaging converters the opportunity to delve into a world of metal effects, engaging all the senses. It will enable them to discover the new possibilities ECKART effect pigments can offer their various print projects in packaging, branding and marketing.

“The illoom.-LookBook is designed to inspire brand owners and designers, giving them a playful impression of the kinds of effects and finishing techniques that can be created using metallic finishes on a wide variety of packaging types,” says Christoph Sontheimer, Business Development Manager, Marketing & Technical Services at ECKART. “From the very first printed samples, it became obvious that the brilliant white Algro Design perfectly displayed our metal effect pigments.” In addition to the sample box, a variety of illoom-fandecks are available, showing metallic and gold effects on different substrates using offset, flexo, gravure, screen and digital printing. Algro Design was also used for the pleasantly soft cover page for the fandecks.

PrintingNews.com/12395371

PrintingNews.com/12397551

GPA Touch Class Specialty Fine Papers GPA announced the addition of Touch Class Specialty Fine Papers to their offering. As their name implies, this collection is meant to be experienced through touch; with a rich tactile feel and a special surface treatment, these papers offer added resistance to fingerprints, water, and even oils, far surpassing traditional paper performance. These papers were originally introduced to the European market by Fedrigoni; now, they are exclusively available in the North American market through GPA. Their sophisticated appearance and superior performance make Touch Class papers ideal for everything from restaurant menus and museum maps, to wedding save-the-dates, family photo cards, birth announcements, and more. These papers can be transformed through a variety of finishing processes, including letterpress, folding, scoring, gluing, die cutting, embossing, and debossing.

PrintingNews.com/12394951

PrintingNews.com

March 2018

Printing News

31

Classifieds Color Printing

Bags and Boxes

For more information visit, PrintingNews.com/10111781

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For more information visit, PrintingNews.com/10170661

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500 8 Page ................ $356.00 1,000 8 Page ............. $467.00

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Printed 4/4 on 14pt. Gloss Stock with UV Coating on 1 or 2 sides or No UV Coating

1,000 8.5â&#x20AC;?x11â&#x20AC;? ........... $70.00 5,000 8.5â&#x20AC;?x11â&#x20AC;? ......... $139.00 1,000 11â&#x20AC;?x17â&#x20AC;? .......... $189.00 5,000 11â&#x20AC;?x17â&#x20AC;? .......... $360.00

500 16 Page .............. $618.00 1,000 16 Page ........... $882.00

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1,000 3.5â&#x20AC;?x2â&#x20AC;? ............. $12.00 2,000 3.5â&#x20AC;?x2â&#x20AC;? ............. $21.00

These and Larger Quantities are Available on our Website

Featuring

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Xante .....................................................................2 PrintingNews.com/10008689 www.xante.com; 251.473.6502

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For more information visit, PrintingNews.com/10071343

March 2018

Printing News

33

Continued from page 17

tion for all participants of any content lifecycle,” he continued. “In DALIM ES, digital artwork fi les follow the path of a defi ned business process, which could include a number of stages or milestones. When the ES business process workflow is combined with one or more TWIST workflows, then the possibilities are endless in terms of meeting the needs of the ever-evolving media production landscape.”

• EFI: “Print service providers are increasingly replacing standalone workflow solutions with integrated, customizable solutions,” says Kaspar Roos, Associate Director for InfoTrends’ Production Workflow and Customized Communication Service.

“In our 2012 Digital Front-End Study, we found strong evidence that print providers want to move their workflow solutions to the DFE so that they can run their workflow from a central location that easily integrates with other systems. With EFI Fiery Workflow Suite, based on its popular Fiery platform, EFI offers its customers exactly this.”

“Fiery Workflow Suite products also integrate with EFI’s

Built-In Support Tools on the PressWise Automation Dashboard.

Web-to-Print and Print MIS systems, giving our customers an advanced set of end-to-end products to reach greater levels of automation and profit,” said Toby Weiss, Senior Vice President and General Manager of EFI’s Fiery business unit. “Print service providers can quickly adapt to changing market demands by adding the modular Fiery Workfl ow Suite products and dramatically grow their bottom line by offering personalization, quick turnaround on complex documents, and the ability to keep jobs that demand precise color quality in house.

• GMG: “GMG CoZone can automate the creation and review of proofs,” said Eric Dalton, Director of Sales, West Region and NYC Metro, GMG Americas. “Those involved in the project can be automatically notified via email that a fi le is ready for review. They can open the fi le and comment — or approve it. Once a fi le is approved, others can be automatically notified, or a handshake can be made to send the fi le for production. The fi le can also be sent to a color proofi ng system (like GMG ColorProof), to create a hard

34

Printing News

March 2018

proof automatically. ColorProof can also have fi les placed in a hotfolder that, by naming convention, can automatically determine the color standards upon which the fi le will be reviewed.”

“PrintFactory, powered by GMG, is a standalone workflow product for wide format,” added Fret. “It is a complete workflow that will automatically take a job from file submission, opening, preflight, and prep to RIP color management. It can also drive wide format devices — including automatic load balancing — if desired. While it is capable as a standalone system, processes can also be automated through a cloud-based API, where it can also be connected to other systems.”

• SMARTSOFT: “Automation was the specific goal in the development of PressWise. As we like to say, it’s all about ‘transforming touches into automation,’” noted Worth. “PressWise is a complete print workflow automation system designed by a visionary printer burdened by the traditional manual workflow process that still plague many printers today even those with existing print MIS systems. PressWise is a cloudbased print production workflow system with a holistic tool set to streamline, automate and grow your print production business without adding additional staff.”

• RICOH: “RICOH ProcessDirector is perhaps the most prominent example among our offerings,” said Kiley. “ProcessDirector empowers users to build their own automated rules and workflows with an intuitive, drag-and-drop interface. Th is interface allows tasks to be moved simply and seamlessly to conditional workflows, making these processes not only more efficient and less error-prone, but also incredibly flexible and modular. ProcessDirector also functions as a centralized monitoring and management tool for workflows related to diverse communication channels, including print, electronic presentment, and email. This can help standardize messaging while communicating clearly and appropriately based on the channel. Further, it can integrate recipients’ stated channel preferences, so if someone prefers to receive communications via email instead of print, for instance, that preference can be automatically acted upon to better engage with your audience.

Looking Ahead Just as the large number of features today aren’t always right for every shop, the features of tomorrow won’t be either. Some shops will fi nd cloud-based systems to be a God-send, while others will fi nd it doesn’t have any substantial impact on their operations. Some shops will welcome a more multi-channel approach, while others will continue to focus on the types of print they know best. The key takeaway, then, is that “workflow automation” is in no way one-size-fits-all — and it will remain very customizable even as newer features and technologies enter the marketplace, well into the future.

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Human Resources:

The War for Talent Is Full On The pursuit for talent is more competitive than ever, followed by a vacuum of shortage in skills, demographic shifts, and constantly evolving dynamics around the nature of work.

T

By Debra Thompson President of TG & Associates Debra Thompson is President of TG & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in “The Human Side of Business” specifically for the graphics industry. Her company provides Virtual HR Services and Customized Staffing Solutions.

Debra can be reached at 520751-8922 or email her at Debra@ TGAssociates.com.

his year is going to be a challenging year for employers looking to hire the talent they need.

With unemployment being the lowest in years, the labor shortage is rapidly intensifying. If employers don’t change or improve the way they currently recruit or retain their talent, they will not be able to compete.

Finding experienced talent within our industry is almost impossible. We are now in a time where we are competing with many other industries for the same pool of candidates with talent and skills.

The pursuit for talented professionals is more competitive than ever, thanks to a vacuum of shortage in skills, demographic shifts, and evolving dynamics around the nature of work.

Below I will highlight a few areas that employers should address in order to identify and secure the best talent on their team.

1. Hire for attitude – Train for skills.

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The popularity of hiring contingent talent has grown significantly, in large part due to economic uncertainty and the need to adapt to major market changes at a moment’s notice. According to Greg Sweeney, VP of Client Solutions for EMEA & APAC, “83 percent of executives report they are increasing contingent workers within their organizations.”

4. Upskilling current employees may help solve the technology skills gap.

This has always been a mantra of ours here at TG & Associates but in today’s marketplace, this may be your only option. When looking to fill a position, look for the person that has the right drive, the desire to learn, the emotional intelligence to handle stress and the ability to multi-task. Then, plan to train and coach this person. Eventually, employers will have to figure out that they will need to raise wages to complete, and they will have to have formal training programs in place.

By capitalizing on talented team members, employers not only retain the knowledge within their organization, but they also retain the people who have already proven their value to the company. To do so, the vision for these individuals must be crystal clear. Employers need to know precisely the talents and skills the current employees possess, and those they lack.

2. Ensure a good candidate experience.

The war for talent is forcing business leaders to take a new look at wages. They will need to weigh the quality of a candidate against the cost to hire him or her. Employers will need to have a strong grasp of their budgeting and financial situations in order to asses and plan for future growth.

In the coming years, the ones that will dominate this competitive landscape will regularly adapt by evaluating this evolving workplace and invest in their own people and processes.

With a new generation coming into the workforce, the trends for attracting and retaining the best candidates will be different in 2018.

The importance of the candidate experience is as important as your brand and what you offer. Surveys show a human experience and increased communication ensure a more positive experience.

Find this article at PrintingNews.com/12394256

3. Consider greater dependence on a contingent workforce.

5. Upward pressure on wages will need to be addressed rather than ignored.

March 2018

Printing News

35

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