The Big Picture - September 2011

PLUS:· Previewing SGIA Expo

· Sourcing Media· Customer Profiling

09.11 www.bigpicture.net

Investing in Profi ciencyEducation & Training

5676EPS_SOT_16”x10.875” CLIENT: EPSON HEADLINE: GS6000 DrOPlEtS PUB(S): SiGNS OF thE timES IMAGES: hi rES

LIVE: 15.5” X 10.375” TRIM: 16” X 10.875” BLEED: 16.25” X 11.125” SCALE: 1:1 REVS: 5 COLOR(S): CmYK CLOSE: 7/27/11 INSERTION: SEPt 2011

HEAD Of STUDIO: rEviSE aPPrOvED _________________________________________

STUDIO ARTIST: rEviSE aPPrOvED _________________________________________

PRODUCTION: rEviSE aPPrOvED _________________________________________

ART DIRECTOR: rEviSE aPPrOvED _________________________________________

COPy wRITER: rEviSE aPPrOvED _________________________________________

TRAffIC MANAGER: rEviSE aPPrOvED _________________________________________

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: rEviSE aPPrOvED _________________________________________

ACCOUNT MGMT: rEviSE aPPrOvED _________________________________________

CEO: rEviSE aPPrOvED _________________________________________

CLIENT: rEviSE aPPrOvED _________________________________________

The Epson Stylus® Pro GS6000 produces the industry’s widest color gamut – with eight individual colors – for

unparalleled output quality at the fastest print speeds in its class. Its profit-focused design sets new standards

in overall reliability, easy maintenance and a reduced total cost of ownership. And, while its all-new ink

technology is compatible with virtually any solvent-based media, it has less impact on both the environment

and worker health. Learn more about the way solvent printing should be at proimaging.epson.com

TRUE-TO-LIFE COLOR FROm ThE LEadER In SOLVEnT PRInTInG

The Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 - 64” | $24,995* Fully Loaded

Best Selling In Its Class

Photography by Howard Schatz © Schatz Ornstein 2011

*MSRP, before rebates. Please check with an Epson Professional Imaging Authorized Reseller for actual price, as dealer prices may vary.

Epson, Epson Stylus and Epson UltraChrome are registered trademarks and Epson Exceed Your Vision is a registered logomark of Seiko Epson Corporation. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks. ©2011 Epson America, Inc. with

11070016_1_5676EPS_SOT_16x10.875_r5.indd 1 7/29/11 2:25 PM

5676EPS_SOT_16”x10.875” CLIENT: EPSON HEADLINE: GS6000 DrOPlEtS PUB(S): SiGNS OF thE timES IMAGES: hi rES

LIVE: 15.5” X 10.375” TRIM: 16” X 10.875” BLEED: 16.25” X 11.125” SCALE: 1:1 REVS: 5 COLOR(S): CmYK CLOSE: 7/27/11 INSERTION: SEPt 2011

HEAD Of STUDIO: rEviSE aPPrOvED _________________________________________

STUDIO ARTIST: rEviSE aPPrOvED _________________________________________

PRODUCTION: rEviSE aPPrOvED _________________________________________

ART DIRECTOR: rEviSE aPPrOvED _________________________________________

COPy wRITER: rEviSE aPPrOvED _________________________________________

TRAffIC MANAGER: rEviSE aPPrOvED _________________________________________

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: rEviSE aPPrOvED _________________________________________

ACCOUNT MGMT: rEviSE aPPrOvED _________________________________________

CEO: rEviSE aPPrOvED _________________________________________

CLIENT: rEviSE aPPrOvED _________________________________________

The Epson Stylus® Pro GS6000 produces the industry’s widest color gamut – with eight individual colors – for

unparalleled output quality at the fastest print speeds in its class. Its profit-focused design sets new standards

in overall reliability, easy maintenance and a reduced total cost of ownership. And, while its all-new ink

technology is compatible with virtually any solvent-based media, it has less impact on both the environment

and worker health. Learn more about the way solvent printing should be at proimaging.epson.com

TRUE-TO-LIFE COLOR FROm ThE LEadER In SOLVEnT PRInTInG

The Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 - 64” | $24,995* Fully Loaded

Best Selling In Its Class

Photography by Howard Schatz © Schatz Ornstein 2011

*MSRP, before rebates. Please check with an Epson Professional Imaging Authorized Reseller for actual price, as dealer prices may vary.

Epson, Epson Stylus and Epson UltraChrome are registered trademarks and Epson Exceed Your Vision is a registered logomark of Seiko Epson Corporation. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks. ©2011 Epson America, Inc. with

11070016_1_5676EPS_SOT_16x10.875_r5.indd 1 7/29/11 2:25 PM

www.stmediagroup.com/digital/?m=09&y=2011&b=bpic&p=01&l=www.epson.com

� THE BIG PICTURE september �011

in this issueCOLUMNS

4 InSight Thecalculus

ofethics.

18 Graphics On the Go

Thebenefitsofcustomerprofiling.

20 Business & Management

Verysuperstitious.

DEPARTMENTS

6 Wide Angle Sweetwaves,

dude.

8 Up Front News+

noteworthy.

36 R+D Thelatest

tech,products,andsupplies.

48 Job Log Competitive

motivation.

FEATURES

22 Training and Education’s ROI Oneofthebestwaystoensureyourshopisefficientlyproducingqualityworkistoreinforcethecriticalareasoftrainingandeducation.We’vescouredthemarketplaceforlearningopportunitiesfrommanufacturersandsuppliers,associations,trade-shows,colleges,andmore,andpresentthemhereforyourperusal.

26 SGIA Expo 2011: An Industry ConvergenceBilledas“aconvergenceofinnovativeideas,education,andmarketdevelopment,”the2011editionoftheSGIAExpowilltakeplaceOctober19-21inNewOrleans.Here’swhyyoushouldsetyoursightsonTheBigEasyandwhatyoucanexpectattheevent.

28 Pelican Graphics: All the World’s a StageInNewOrleans,PelicanGraphicshasdevelopedastrategicniche:branded,graphic-adornedstages,allowingthecompanytoproducehigh-profilejobswheretheirproductisvisuallyshoutingoutamessagewhiletheshowgoeson.

32 Hitting the Media Bull’s-Eye Mediacanaffecteverybulletpointwhenitcomestosatisfyingallfacetsofyourclient’sextensivejobchecklist.Thismonth,weprovidearosterofthemostcommonlyusedmediainwideformat:rollfedvinyl,paper,films,andself-adhesives.

september �011Volume 16 Number 9

ON THE COVER: the input of knowl-edge leads to output of thought. Cover design by Laura mohr.

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

Grow your business with:• Indoor & outdoor signage • Soft signage • Dye-sub transfers • Tradeshow graphics • Banners & murals

An integrated print/cut system thatsimultaneously prints and then contour cutscustom shapes without any in-between steps.

u Auto media clamp & crop mark detection features.

u 4 versatile CJV30 sizes: 24”, 40”, 54”, 64”.u Uninterrupted Ink Supply System with

solvent inks.

Grow your business with:• Posters • Window clings • POP & POS displays• Vehicle wraps • Labels, stickers, decals

Grow your business with:• Promotional products • Electronic covers • Trophies & plaques • ID cards

Creative print solutions.

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

u Prints on heat-sensitive and non-coated materials up to 2" thick; 11.8" x 16.5" max.

u Uses eco-friendly, low VOC UV inks.

u White ink under and over-print along with clearink capability.

A versatile grand format with the same super features as the JV33-260, but a whole lot faster. The JV34-260’s newly developed dualprint heads, in a staggered arrangement, are the key to this printer’s significantly faster imaging speed – up to 323 sqft/hr (at 540 x720 dpi).

u Super-wide 103” maximum print width.u Automatic Media Feeder & take-up rollers

stabilize media tension for optimum control.u Configurable for solvent or dye-sub inks.u Optional: Mimaki bulk ink system – Eight

2L ink packs for lower ink costs.

© 2011 Mimaki USA, Inc

ATL 888-530-3988 BOS 888-530-3986 CHI 888-530-3985 LA 888-530-3987

www.mimakiusa.com

Visit our booths and learn more...

Booth 745 | New Orleans • Oct. 19-21EXPOBooth 3423 | Chicago • Sept. 11-13

Focused on solutions. Listen. Connect. Deliver.

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

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4 THE BIG PICTURE SEPTEMBER 2011

I took Advanced Math in high school only because I was considering college, and because my tennis coach was the teacher. I certainly was no numbers whiz, having scraped by with a “B” in my former math classes.

The class comprised two separate sections: the fi rst half of the course, trigonom-etry; and calculus, which made up the second half. The fi rst half kicked my butt. I simply could not get it. I didn’t get even a passing grade on any test.

In the second half of the course, we moved to calculus and I assumed I’d really be hurting. The fi rst assignment, though, appeared to be simple. “I must be missing something, this is too easy,” I said to myself. So I did another set of questions, and they seemed easy as well. I reasoned this was just the fi rst chapter and things would get more diffi cult. But they didn’t. The entire chapter was like that, and the chapter after that, and the next. I was routinely getting an A on my homework. Other students in the class were asking for my help. I was loving math.

Until, that is, my coach took me aside and asked if my older brother was doing my homework for me. At fi rst I thought he was joking but, no: “It’s not possible you could do so badly in the fi rst part of this course and so well in this part,” he said. “I know you don’t want to hurt your GPA but you should be doing your own homework.”

I was devastated by the accusation. I had never cheated at anything. Now, my principles and ethics were being questioned. I proved the accusation wrong, of course, when we took our fi rst test and I aced it (as well as the ones after that). I ended up with a solid A+ in the course’s second half, giving me a B- overall, much to his amazement.

Just a kid back then, I didn’t know how to handle my coach’s accusations. Today, I know that when someone questions another’s ethics without any proof, it’s generally because that someone has no ethics of their own. When they come up with unlikely or unrealistic scenarios, it’s because, somewhere along the way, they have squandered their own personal and/or professional ethics.

A shop owner recently confi ded to me that he had questioned one of his employee’s ethics. The employee’s manager had come to him with some concern, bolstered by a comment from another worker. As it turned out, the employee in question was fi ne – the other staff er had a personal grudge and had concocted the entire story. The owner not only apologized to the employee, but he put the story-making staff er on a 90-day review “to get his act straightened out.”

In business and in our personal lives, profi ts and goals are important. But ethics must rank up there, too. For most of us, in the end our legacy will be about the kind of person we were, not just how successful our companies were.

insight

by Gregory Sharpless

The Calculus of Ethics

www.bigpicture.net

Gregory SharplessEditor/Associate [email protected]

Britney GrimmelsmanAssociate [email protected]

Laura MohrArt [email protected]

Marty McGhie, Craig Miller, Jared SmithColumnists

Linda VolzProduction [email protected]

Lou Arneberg - Midwest USBen Stauss - Western US,

Western Canada, AsiaLisa Zurick - Eastern US,

Eastern Canada, EuropeBusiness Development Managers

Rick Bachelder, Kathy Boydstun, Terry Corman, Scott Crosby, Brandon Gabriel, Michael Garcia, Kirk Green, Robert Kissel, Craig Miller, Greg Root, Jared Smith, Mark TaylorEditorial Advisory Board

Tedd SwormstedtPresident

Steve DuccilliGroup Publisher

Christine BalogaAudience Development Director

Kari FreudenbergerDirector, Online Media

Subscription Services(847) [email protected]/subscribebigpicture.net/renew

Single Copies/Back IssuesDebbie [email protected]

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

847.6244

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wide angle

A professional photographer specializing in surfi ng and water photography, Sean Davey

(seandavey.com) spends his Hawaiian winters photographing world-renowned surfers,

while focusing on turtles, dolphins, and fi sh during the summer months. Davey made the

leap from successful freelance magazine photographer – landing 120 covers during his

career – to an artist who prints and markets his own work. Relying on his Epson Stylus Pro

9900 44-inch printer, Davey outputs his images onto Epson Signature Worthy Exhibi-

tion Canvas Gloss and has found that “the bigger the canvas, the happier the client.” He

considers social media, especially Facebook and Google+, his number-one marketing tool:

“I was hesitant at fi rst to use social media and felt weird about putting my work out there,

but now I just see it as the new way to do business.” Shown: Single Fin Surfer.

Sweet Waves, Dude

www.bigpicture.net �


upfrontupfront

Digital printing has certainly broadened fi ne art’s reach in the past decades, enabling the so-called “common man” to more easily acquire an artist’s creation. But, most would agree, stumbling across that artwork still requires some legwork, particularly for those consumers who don’t frequent art galleries or museums.

In Austin, Texas, however, the motoring citizenry will now have the opportunity to view 10 works of art on a daily basis. Reagan Outdoor Advertising (reaganoutdoor.com) has collaborated with the Austin Visual Arts Association and ABI Digital Solutions (abidigitalsolutions.com) for the Austin Art Boards competition – a juried contest that awards winning local artists with billboard space to display their work.

This year, the competition received 100 entries from artists throughout the Central Texas area, from which 10 winning artworks were chosen (see list at left and above). The artists’ winning artworks were photographed using a 24-megapixel camera and then provided as digital fi les to ABI Digital Solutions, which regularly partners with Reagan Outdoor. ABI executed the output on its EFI Vutek 5330 printer, onto black-back 10.5-ounce vinyl. All output was completed in three days, and was then handed back to Reagan for the installation work.

“It is always fun and exciting to work on a unique project like the Austin Art Boards. The whole idea for this competition is just great, and we are proud to be a part of it,” says Damon Henrichs, ABI Digital’s chief marketing manager.

In addition to the billboard displays – which will remain installed for the life of the vinyl – the work of the Austin Art Boards winners and honorable mentions were displayed at the Flatbed art gallery in Austin through early August. Reagan Outdoor also hosted an invite-only reception to honor the winners, and video interviews with the winning artists were posted online at austinartboards.org.

“This has been an exciting opportunity to bring together the extraordinary artistic talent across our community and put it on display for all of Austin to see and enjoy,” says Billy Reagan, president of Reagan Outdoor Advertising. Reagan Outdoor donated space and installation, and paid for the print work.

Art for the Masses

1 Baseball Code, Jill Bedgood

2 Cattle and Live Oaks with

Austin Sunset, Donna Bland

3 Untitled, Chrys Grummert

4 Arriba Mi Gente,

Nancy Edith Guevara

5 Today Might Be Your Lucky

Day, Becky Joye

6 Fluid Intelligence, Jack King

7 Hang Town, Jenny Meyer

8 Cowboy, Will Russell

9 Dare to Dream, Deborah

Moss Willhite

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Colca Hands, Carol Hayman

www.stmediagroup.com/digital/?m=09&y=2011&b=bpic&p=09&l=www.mutoh.com


upfront

“Your employees have an e� ect on the leads you generate, the funding you receive from investors, the relationships you build with vendors, and the employees you hire in the future. Imagine the implications should an employee’s blog state negative aspects of their job, a tweet about how unorganized your o� ce is, or a photo on Facebook showing employees acting

unprofessional.” – KAILA STRONG, FROM “WOULD YOUR BRAND PASS

A SOCIAL MEDIA BACKGROUND CHECK?” VERTICAL

MEASURES (VERTICALMEASURES.COM)

Wrapping the RentalWrap Media Group (wrapmediagroup.com) of Boca Raton, Florida, has partnered with Budget Rent a Car of Atlanta, to wrap 25 rental vehicles with eye-catching advertisements for Sheets Brand Energy Strips. Consumers renting these spon-sored cars receive a signifi cant discount on their rental fees from Budget.

“Like many other entrepreneurial ventures, this was con-ceived on a cocktail napkin in a restaurant. We’ve developed a new and unique way for brands to interact with their consum-er audiences,” says David Berke, COO of Wrap Media Group.

Along with the wrap-marketing options, the sponsored rental vehicles will also bring other branding opportunities, such as the ability to add short codes for text messaging cam-paigns, QR codes, and coupons or product samples that will be placed in participating vehicles. The marketing collateral will also be refl ected within the rental facilities. “The ability to integrate wrapped vehicles, product placement, and online interaction into one solution is unparalleled,” says Berke.

“We recently began an aggressive marketing campaign and this concept was the perfect fi t,” says Warren Struhl, CEO of PureBrands, the owner of Sheets Brand Energy Strips. “Not only will renters be getting a discounted rental rate and be exposed to our brand, these vehicles will also be seen by thousands of people traveling on roadways and at restaurants, shopping malls, attractions, parks, beachfronts, and other popular destinations.”

To wrap the vehicles, Wrap Media Group contracts and supervises 3M-certifi ed providers to handle printing, instal-lation, and removal: “By taking this approach, Wrap Media Group is able to off er our advertising clients a large network of printers and installers that can be activated quickly to handle large volume, while still maintaining the highest quality work,” says Matt Custage, vice president of Wrap Media Group.

The sponsored rental vehicles are booked online via the Budget Atlanta website for the initial campaign that will run from August to November 2011.

Get the free mobile app athttp:/ /gettag.mobi

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upfront

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

Small-Business Employment, by Geography

Panoply Finance LaunchedPanoply Finance, a sister company of Global Imaging and Global Garage, has launched. The new business specializes in fi nancing programs for wide- and grand-format printers.

“We only lease in the wide- and grand-format industry and really under-stand the value and life cycle of grand-format equipment. This allows us to recommend the best lease structure for our customers based on their needs and long-term goals,” says Christene Mallory, Panoply’s director of fi nancial services.

In a press release, Panoply Finance (panoplyfi nance.com) notes it has partnerships with banks throughout the US and “off ers competitive rates, quick turnaround, and fl exible packages such as lease consolidation. The company takes steps to match the right lender with each business and off ers promo-tions and special funding programs throughout the year.”

Mallory adds: “This business neces-sitates large cash outlays and by off ering 100-percent fi nancing with minimal up front cash, we can ease that burden, sav-ing capital for other operational needs and enabling our customers to remain competitive with upgraded technology.”

In addition, Global Imaging an-nounced that it has launched Grand Format Success (grandformatsuccess.com), an online portal that unifi es the company’s brands: Global Imaging, Global Garage, Panoply Finance, and Panoply Supplies.

“We have always been able to provide a complete array of products and servic-es as well as the experience and knowl-edge to assess our customers’ whole business and off er solutions tailored to their specifi c business challenges. Now they can fi nd all of these off erings in one centralized place,” says Tara Lamb, president of Global Imaging.

Flipping for Digital ManIn winning Fespa Digital’s “Digital Man Competition,” London-based Blink Giant Media (blinkgiantmedia.com) went above and beyond, literally, the expectations of the competition.

The Digital Man campaign encouraged a “digital revolution” by chal-lenging entrants to photograph or fi lm themselves wearing a Digital

Man mask – the Digital Man being Fespa’s cool, sunglass-wearing icon for digital print – while adjacent to an impressive wide-for-mat print, and to upload the footage to the Digital Man social-media outlets.

Blink chose London’s renowned Alfa Laval Building, a high-rise tower, for its industrial-looking wrap. But then the company took its fi lmed entry to the next level by having Seth Allen of Flying Arts completing acrobatic stunts and gracefully

defying gravity as he rappelled down the wrapped building’s sides. As of this writing, the video had received more than 600 views on

YouTube. Credit to Point Access for fi lming, and to Adam Brown, editor. Check out the video online at bigpicture.net.

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

Wide Format Printers & Imagers

EMBRACETECHNOLOGY

www.graphexpo.com

1899 Preston White Drive, Reston, VA 20191 USA T 703.264.7200 | F 703.620.9187 | [email protected]

Wide, Super Wide & Grande Format Inkjet Printers | Flatbed Printers

High-Speed High-Resolution Roll-to-Roll Printers | Computer Imaging Hardware

RFID, Tag & Label Printers | Substrates, Consumables & Supplies

New Technology Introductions Live Demonstrations Education Opportunities Networking

www.stmediagroup.com/digital/?m=09&y=2011&b=bpic&p=13&l=www.graphexpo.com


upfront

$2.1 BillionThe amount of money US consumers will spend on nothing this year. In 2011, consumers are projected to spend $2.1 billion on “virtual goods” – outfi ts for an avatar in Second Life, barns and crops in Farmville, etc. Source: “Inside Virtual Goods: The US Virtual Goods Market 2010-2011,” by Justin Smith and Charles Hudson (insidevirtualgoods.com)

What’s Happening Online?More and more print shops are taking to social-media sites to show o� their latest projects. Check out Fontana, California’s Premier Wraps (premierwraps.net) and Kansas City-based shop Wrap It Up (wrapitupvehiclewraps.com) recent Twitter posts. Snap a shot of the QR codes with your smart phone to see images of the projects, or type in the URLs. Follow @bigpicturemag for the latest wide-format news on Twitter.

@PremierWraps “One of the coolest wraps we’ve ever done. I’m so proud to say this job came out of our shop. This car was yellow...” http://� .me/14M3PoBHa

@WrapItUpLLC “French fries to alter-native fuel... veggie oil does it all.” Biodiesel Dodge Ram for University of Kansas Biodiesel Initiative: http://t.co/75ZvL9E

Creating a Training EdgeTraining and education are critical to the successful print provider (see this month’s feature article, which begins on p. 22). For Coloredge New York • Los Angeles (coloredge.com), training can begin as soon as someone is hired. In March 2010 the company, part of Merisel Inc., developed its Visual Communications Management Training (VCMT) Program, and it has become a way to ensure Coloredge continues to garner some of the best and brightest.

The VMCT program was created to help recent college graduates develop leadership skills, by exposing them to all aspects of the industry, and to learn how the company runs by developing key management abilities. Graduates with exceptional academic and extra-curricular performance are brought into Coloredge and, in the course of six months – during which they’re regarded as traditional fulltime employees – are comprehensively trained in all aspects and departments, including sales, manufacturing, project management, creative services, and corporate fi nance. The trainees are involved in a variety of situations to under-stand the decisions that shape a business.

“Through hands-on experience, trainees are constantly learning from every department. In addition to the training schedule, they’re encouraged to make meaningful contri-butions through various projects,” says Coloredge chair-man and CEO Donald R. Uzzi. “Some projects come about through immediate business needs and others come from observations of the trainees about how to do something better. At every point, the trainees are given all the support and guidance they need to benefi t from the program.”

During 2010, six VCMT trainees were welcomed into Coloredge’s New York offi ce and three into the company’s Burbank offi ce. Through the duration of the program, the trainees did everything from meeting with clients on sales calls to operating machinery in the manufacturing facilities. Then, as their time in the training period neared an end, Coloredge management assessed each VCMT trainee to decide where they could bring real value to the organization.

“The VCMT program is a way to infuse new blood, talent, and ideas into a very stagnant industry,” says Uzzi. “The program has proven itself to be very successful. The past trainees have meshed well into existing roles or have created entirely new roles to improve company operations. The program has exceeded its highest expectation and will continue to be a platform to bringing new ideas and processes that signifi cantly strengthen our company and client proposition.”

In the fi rst six months of 2011, Coloredge New York • Los Angeles welcomed 13 new VCMTs across the country.

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

Graphic Arts Show Company, Inc. • 1899 Preston White Drive, Reston, VA 20191 USA T 703.264.7200 • F 703.620.9187 • E-mail: [email protected] • www.graphexpo.com

Why is GRAPH EXPO customized for 11 key industry segments?Because the printing industry no longer is “one size fi ts all.”

• � e graphic communications industry understands that the most e� ective communications today are individualized and personalized.

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

• Graphic communications professionals are expanding their businesses with new solutions and services to meet their customers’ unique challenges and goals.

• � e GRAPH EXPO 2011 experience will be individualized and customized for each attendee to best serve his or her needs.

What distinguishes GRAPH EXPO 2011 from among ALL other print industry trade shows?GRAPH EXPO 2011 does not stop when the ink dries—it’s about the entire process for getting a printed message into a consumer’s view, or hand, to generate a response.

GRAPH EXPO 2011 is a world-class event that reaches far beyond traditional commercial printing by featuring live running applications of the hottest new technologies. Here, attendees will see and explore everything from wide format printing, to advanced trans-promo and trans-educational applications, to revolutionary mailing equipment—and a host of other innovations.

• Commercial Printers • In-Plant Printers• Transactional Printers• Digital Print Imaging/

Quick & Instant Printers• Package & Specialty Printers • Mailing & Ful� llment Pros

• Book Printers & Publishers• Wide Format Printers & Imagers• Newspaper Printers & Publishers• Creative Services• Marketing Pros/Advertising• Media/Print Buyers• Photo Imagers

How many exhibits will be at GRAPH EXPO 2011, and who will be exhibiting?More than 400 exhibitors will � ll the expansive McCormick Place South with the year’s global premiere of the hottest new presses, the latest innovations in related equipment, unique new applications and new product introductions.

Unique applications and ‘live’ demonstrations will make new profi t possibilities come to life for buyers seeking to expand their services to appeal to new customer market segments.

Innovation in every show fl oor section & pavilion! � e show � oor will feature 9 distinct sections of special interest to attendees spotlighting today’s—and tomorrow’s—most in-demand and emerging products and services:

• Prepress/Software/Work� ow • Future Print• Press/Finishing • Mailing & Ful� llment Center• News Print • Marketing Pavilion• PackPrint • GREENspace

• Education Main Street

GRAPH EXPO 2011 attendees will also:• Gain the latest updates on ‘green’ initiatives.

• Learn new methods for improving production quality, speed and cost.

• Exchange best practices to improve their company’s e¡ ciency and pro� tability.

• Discover new pro� t opportunities.Representing key components of the graphic communications industry,

80% of attendees are decision-makers and key in� uencers.

Who will come to GRAPH EXPO 2011?Buyers of printing-related equipment, products and services from around the globe will come to GRAPH EXPO 2011:

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

Wide Format Printers & Imagers Newspaper Printers & Publishers

Representing key components of the graphic communications industry,

FACT SHEET

EMBRACETECHNOLOGYEMBRACE

TECHNOLOGY

www.stmediagroup.com/digital/?m=09&y=2011&b=bpic&p=15&l=www.graphexpo.com


Rick BachelderPresident, Filmet,

Tarentum, PAFilmet (fi lmet.com) has invested heavily in digital

printing. The company, which specializes in prototypes, medium- to long-production print runs of banners, interior décor, and more, employs 80 people at its 65,000-square-foot facility.

Kathy BoydstunPresident, Fusion Imaging,

Kaysville, UTFusion Imaging (fusion-imaging.com) is the resulting

company from ProGrafi x International’s acquisition of Impact Imaging in 2005. Under Kathy’s leadership, Fusion has become profi cient in large-format graphic production, as well as project consulting, installation, lighting, and event-marketing graphic applications.

Terry CormanCEO, Firehouse,

Indianapolis, INTerry Corman bought In-dianapolis-based Firehouse

in (fi re-house.net) 1989. The company had been founded 19 years earlier as a full-service commercial color lab, but under his guidance, has expanded its reputation as a major digital “print-for-pay” provider.

Scott CrosbyPartner, Holland & Crosby

Ltd., Mississauga, ON,

CanadaHolland & Crosby (holland

andcrosby.com) off ers P-O-S and promotion solutions to clients from its offi ces in On-tario, where it’s invested in state-of-the-art digital equipment (including the fi rst Inca Onset in North America).

Brandon GabrielPrincipal, New Business

Development, LAgraphico,

Burbank, CALAgraphico (lagraphico.com) is

a graphic-solutions provider with more than 25 years of experience. Its current capabili-ties include creative, pre-media, litho off set, grand-format, and display. The company is FSC-certifi ed and employs more than 200.

Michael GarciaPresident, OAI Inc.,

Tampa, FLMichael Garcia is the founder of OAI (oaicorp.com), which

designs and prints outdoor, vehicle, envi-ronmental, and stadium graphics. Named a U.S. Chamber Small Business Blue Ribbon Award Winner, OAI is the largest large-format imaging company in the Southeast. Michael is a member of the Outdoor Adver-tising Association of America.

Kirk GreenPresident/CEO, Ferrari Color,

Salt Lake City, UTBased in Salt Lake City, Ferrari Color (ferraricolor.com) off ers

high-quality large- and grand-format photo, inkjet, fabric, and UV printing. Overseeing operations of this 130-employee organiza-tion, Kirk is past president of the Associa-tion of Imaging Executives (AIE).

Robert KisselPresident, KDM P.O.P.

Solutions, Cincinnati, OHKDM P.O.P. Solutions Group (kdmpop.com) is a second-gen-

eration, family-owned company that special-izes in P-O-P through its off erings of digital, screen, and litho (in short as well as long runs). KDM executes much of its printing for advertising agencies, retail, petroleum companies, and the fast-food industry, and also provides services to print brokers.

Craig MillerPresident/CEO, Pictographics,

Las Vegas, NVCraig Miller, along with wife Susan and daughter Christy Ste-

vens, run Pictographics (pictographics.net). Now in its 15th year, the company produces graphics for events, trade shows, garments, interior decorating, and architectural installa-tions at its 20,000-square-foot headquarters.

Greg RootPresident, SuperGraphics,

Seattle, WASeattle-based SuperGraphics (supergraphics.com) designed

the world’s fi rst computer-generated bus wrap in 1993. Since then, it’s expanded into every area of large-format graphics, utili-zing technologies ranging from grand-format inkjet and screen printing to elec-trostatic. Greg oversees manufacturing plants in the US and Canada, as well as an international sales force.

Jared SmithPresident, bluemedia,

Tempe, AZBluemedia (bluemedia.com) is a leading provider of design

and printing for use in vehicle, large-for-mat, and environmental graphic applica-tions for b-to-b and b-to-c organizations. Jared co-founded bluemedia in 2000 after launching several other marketing-related businesses, most notably The Golf Tourna-ment Group (TGTG) in 1998.

Mark TaylorCOO/Sr. Vice President,

GFX Int’l, Grayslake, ILGFX International (gfxi.com) is a marketing-at-retail design

and production fi rm. Off ering large- and grand-format digital printing, screen printing, and litho, GFX also provides project-management services, creative and imaging work, fi nishing, and fulfi llment. Mark’s responsibilities include production planning, large-format digital production, screen printing, and fulfi llment and logis-tics operations.

Meet Our Advisory GroupThe following 12 leaders from the digital-graphics arena comprise our Editorial Advisory Board, providing us with expertise and feedback, helping ensure that The Big Picture continues to cover the most critical subjects of interest to print providers.

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TOP EXECUTIVES- High-volume sign manufacturers and specialty-printing companies- Presidents, CEOs, COOs, VPs, GMs, and other top titles- Extensive networking with peers facing your same business issues

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graphics on the go

Not all buyers are the same. Our own shop’s clients vary greatly. So greatly, in fact, that it’s worth taking a look

to see just where these diff erences come into play – in order to see how they should be sold to, what they should be sold, what they should be charged, and how their expectations should be handled.

Of course, it’s no secret that knowing your customer is an advantage. It’s similar to the advantage you gain by knowing who you’re playing against in poker. Knowing the particular style, the habits, and the tendencies of your opponent in poker can make a huge diff erence. If you fi nd yourself in a situation where your experience playing against this opponent gives you insight on what their next move might be, you can capitalize on this by altering your play.

The same strategy holds true when it comes to know-ing your client and/or client type. Yes, I’m talking about stereotyping or profi ling. Let’s take a look at four diff erent types of customers who purchase vehicle wraps – entrepreneurs, very large clients, motorsports clients, and service fl eets – and discuss insights that might help you with each type.

The entrepreneurMost of you should be able to relate to this type of cus-tomer. At bluemedia, we fi nd that these customers feel the purchase is more personal, because they’ll be paying for the wrap “out of their own pocket.” They may be very cost conscious, especially if they are a start up or they’re buying this wrap with their last marketing dollar.

But make sure you don’t confuse this buyer with the

The Benefi ts of Customer Profi lingBy Jared Smith

entrepreneur who is wildly successful with low overhead, high revenues, and great profi tability. How do you fi nd out? Very simple – what type of vehicle are you wrapping for them? An H1 that matches their boat? Or a 1999 Chevy Express van that currently has door magnets? Is this their only vehicle, or do they have eight others previously wrapped?

Go to their website. Do they have a great product with good market share, or a crazy idea that you think might not even work at all? Respect your ability to develop some type of an opinion on who you’re dealing with, and then tweak your responses to fi t that opinion. When I say “responses” in this context, I’m referring to every interaction you have with that client. The price point you choose is a response; the design you propose is a response; the way you speak to that client is a response; and so on. If you’ve done your homework, you’ll do well on the most important thing you’re graded on: your response.

The game changerSo you have an opportunity with a huge client – it’s time to consider a few things. I like to begin with: Why are they coming to us? Are they coming to us because we’re the only option within 200 miles of the need? Are they coming to us as a referral from someone we did a great job for? Did we cold-call them into submission and they’re only giving us this opportunity to stop the voicemails? Or did they reach out to us as the best solution for their need based on their own research of available options?

It’s extremely important to ask yourself these questions and form an opinion about why they’re in communication with your shop. The answer to this question should help you in tailoring your response to overcome any objections specifi c to this particular opportunity.

For example, if you are indeed their only option based on location or other factors, you might be able to charge a small premium – like the gas station that sits in the middle of nowhere. And if this is an opportunity based on their research, you might discount slightly to ensure you would be competitive on a large quantity.

graphics on the go

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

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inside output

When we think of superstitious behavior, we tend to imagine actions like avoiding the 13th fl oor of a hotel,

refusing to walk under a ladder, or stressing for seven years over the mirror you carelessly broke. Most of us believe these to be nothing more than silly notions. We are busi-ness people. We live in a fact-based world. We make busi-ness decisions and formulate business practices based on real-life experience, reason, and knowledge. For the most part, I would say we base our business operations on reality and truth, void of superstition.

It’s also true, however, that most of us are occasionally guilty of letting superstition rear its ugly head within our business strategies. Superstitions negatively infl uence our behavior and company practices and erode our ability to think rationally. Worse, we’re rarely aware of these misap-prehensions and when our illogical behavior is pointed out, we continue to defend our superstitious decision making.

Superstitions originated by employees, colleagues, vendors, and customers can cause damaging consequences that wreak havoc in a company’s eff ectiveness and profi t-ability. Here, I’ll describe two examples – one involving my personal superstition, the other involving superstitions of my employees.

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

Very Superstitious

By Craig Miller

we have with a new client is off ering them a quote. In the quote, we must balance competitive pressure with a desire for profi tability. I was a fi rm believer that competitive pay-ment terms were a very important element in ensuring a successful conclusion to this interaction.

My personal superstition was this: Customers would not tolerate a sizable deposit required before we would begin a job, and they expected at least 30 days to pay their bill on ap-proved credit. I truly believed you could only get away with a deposit and COD terms with small and new companies. The “blue chip” companies would be off ended by these prac-tices. The bigger and more prestigious the company and its potential for serious work, the greater my fear became.

But then came the recession. During the recession, our cash fl ow was, to put it mildly, less than optimal. For really big projects, we sometimes did not have the cash fl ow to pay our expenses before the customers’ checks hit our bank. So, we had no choice. My partners instituted a new company policy and against my better judgment, I went along. We began requiring 50 percent down, and in some cases, bal-ance on completion. I know many of you might be saying, “What took you so long?” But I felt certain that the big cus-tomers we so desperately needed would never walk in the door and our current customer base would walk right out!

Surprisingly, they did not. To my knowledge, we have yet to lose a single customer or job over this stricter policy. Deposits helped us survive the recession and we’ve kept deposits a standard operating process even though we can again live without them.

Laying employee superstition to rest Just as I am not immune to superstitious thinking, I have witnessed even the smartest and experienced employees fall victim to irrational superstitions.

For instance, in the late 1990s we had two very talented and experienced installers on the payroll. I made them a proposal: “Instead of installing vehicle graphics vertically, why don’t we install them horizontally? If we use 60-inch vinyl, we can do the side of almost every vehicle in two panels. Plus, we can hide the one overlap seam in a

inside output

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

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In lean times, the shop that can turn around the highest-quality job and do so most effi ciently is the one that will continue to get the business. And one of the best ways to ensure your shop is producing quality, effi cient work is to reinforce the critical areas of training and education – re-instituting the ba-sics of a continuous learning process throughout the operation. After all, it’s not too late to teach an old dog the latest tricks, or to remind some new-bies on your staff about some tried-and-true methods.

All across the industry, the various players – manufacturers and suppli-ers, associations, tradeshows – seem to be recognizing the importance of training and education. So, not coinci-dentally, the timing is perfect for the smart print provider to hit the class-room, even if it’s a virtual one. The mix of educational opportunities that are available has rarely been better.

Education via manufacturers and suppliers Let’s fi rst look at what manufactur-ers and suppliers are providing in the way of training and education. As you might suspect, some of what’s off ered here is company- and product-centric, but many companies are now partner-ing with other manufacturers, suppli-ers, and end users to provide existing

and prospective customers with a broader range of knowledge and exper-tise. The list of companies that follows is by no means comprehensive, but is a good sampling across the board of what’s available to print providers.

Avery Dennison (averygraphics.com) has partnered with Mutoh to produce Car Wrap Training sessions through-out the US and Canada; Justin Pate is teaching all of the classes. The two-day workshops are designed to focus on all of the critical steps needed to improve the quality and speed of car wrap installations, and an optional third day can be added for a Car Wrap Certifi cation Program. The certifi ca-tion consists of a two-part test system including written and hands-on por-tions; once certifi ed, the business is listed on carwraps.net.

The Color Management Group(colormanagement.com) off ers its new Color & Graphics Forum on its website, comprising manufac-turer/product-specifi c topics, as well as more general color-management discussions. The group also provides color-competency testing; one-on-one WebEx online/remote technical sup-port and training; on-site training and installation services; and much more. Its “Color Without Chaos” seminar is

a one-day, in-house training opp that demonstrates how color management can be used eff ectively.

At the three-day CorelDraw Unleashed Boot Camp (unleash.com) workshops, “campers” learn the ins and outs of CorelDraw and Corel PhotoPaint. The camps are held in Cave Creek, Arizona; remaining workshops in 2011 include October 20-22 and December 8-10.

Cyrious Software (cyrious.com) hosts CyrCon, an annual conference for users of Cyrious products. The event includes product-specifi c training, user-led roundtable discussions, expert-user speakers, and sessions on new product features and en-hancements. The next conference is scheduled for October 17-18, 2011, in New Orleans, concurrent with the SGIA Expo. The company also off ers StartUp daily webinars as well as a daily webinar series.

The EFI Connect conference brings EFI (efi .com) users together to test-drive products, discuss industry trends, attend keynote addresses, and network with peers. More than 120 breakout sessions were off ered in 2011 at the annual conference held in Las Vegas, and the conference featured exhibits from EFI and other industry

Training and Education’s ROI

www.bigpicture.net 23

suppliers. The 2012 event will take place April 10-13, at the Wynn in Vegas.

The company also off ers operator training courses onsite at its Mer-edith, New Hampshire, training facil-ity. Vutek-oriented courses include “Printer Theory and Repair,” “Opera-tor Certifi cation,” and “Color Manage-ment.” Web-based training courses are also available.

Its Color Academy Training Course, via Chromaticity, covers con-fi guration, settings, licensing, spot-on color, linearization, and more. Also available is the company’s EFI-fogra.cert training.

EFI’s Fiery Global University pro-gram is a consolidation of eLearning courses, webinars, and technical class-room training designed to make it easy for partners and customers to develop expertise on Fiery solutions.

EskoWorld 2012, the global EskoArt-work (esko.com) user event, will be held June 17-20, 2012, in New Or-leans. A collaborative eff ort between EskoArtwork and the EskoArtwork User Group International (EUGI), the event comprises training sessions, roundtable discussions, seminars, and hands-on labs.

In addition, the company off ers Web-based training for its i-cut Suite prefl ight and layout (via Webex). Esko

also provides fi nishing-system train-ing for Kongsberg system owners.

The Extensis DAM Learning Center (damlearningcenter.com) brings together information sharing, best practices, and industry expert insights on digital asset management into a central location. The site off ers an array of articles, webinars, tips and tricks, tools, and case examples.

Earlier this year, HP (hp.com) opened its 60,000-square-foot Graphic Arts Experience Center in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta, Georgia. The new center will host educational work-shops on marketing, print business management, and other subjects.

The Experience Center will of-fer various training opportunities, including HP Capture “Ignite Your Growth” business-development pro-grams, designed to help print provid-ers learn ways to launch new market-ing campaigns, expand their reach to new markets, and better connect with their customers.

At HP’s Web-based Learning Cen-ter (hp.com/go/learningcenter), visitors can access various online classes that center around the graphic arts. Some of the class titles include: “Print Mar-keting Materials In-house on a Wide-Format Printer,” “What Makes a Good

Small-Business Video?” “Creating Marketing Materials That Align With Your Business Goals,” and others.

For LearnToWrapCars.com, car-wrap installer Justin Pate has created two new vehicle-graphic installation DVDs for the “Techniques and Tips” training series. The DVDs – titled “Advanced Wrapping” and “Speedwrapping” – are geared for the intermediate and profes-sional installer. “Advanced Wrapping” covers, in detail, how to wrap the more complex aspects of vehicles. Pate addresses: cutting perfect corners, door handles, mirrors, wheel wells, antennae, rubber molding, bumpers, and problem solving. “Speedwrap-ping” is geared to help the entire shop. Pate shows how all three aspects of the wrap process – design, produc-tion, and installation – work together to ensure low installation times, few mistakes, and higher profi ts.

LexJet’s (lexjet.com) Complimen-tary Assessment Program (CAP) is designed to standardize and stream-line the printing process in order to maximize effi ciency and increase profi t margins. A LexJet professional conducts a thorough needs assessment of each participating print shop’s pro-cesses, fi nances, service requirement, and overall business objectives, and

Training and Education’s ROIHitting the classroom can be a critical business maneuver right now.


provide cost- and time-saving recom-mendations based on the evaluation.

Lowen Corporation’s (lowencerti-fi ed.com) Lowen Certifi ed training and certifi cation program is aimed at vehicle wraps and related digital graphics. At the company’s Training and Certifi cation Center in Hutchin-son, Kansas, installers can pursue any of fi ve designations: Vehicle Wrap In-stallation Professional, Fleet Graphics Installation Professional, Rough Wall Installation Professional, On Premise Graphics Installer, and Lowen Certi-fi ed Expert Installer. The certifi cation status is portable, meaning that the certifi cation stays with the individual, not the company.

Mactac’s Application Nation (theap-plicationnation.com) is an online resource and virtual community for graphics installers working with vehicle wraps, cut vinyl, and wall and building graphics. Members can visit the website to ask questions of indus-try experts, read about installation tips, peruse the resource library, and download ICC profi les.

Mactac also off ers Application Nation training sessions across the country. The hands-on events typi-cally cover techniques on vehicle and vinyl preparation, printing, measur-ing, squeegeeing, repositioning, fi nishing, removal, and more. On the roster for 2011 are Charlotte, Cincin-nati, and Milwaukee.

Earlier this year, the company added certifi cation status, creating the Application Nation Authorized Installer program, which provides certifi cation for and visibility to profes-sional installers who adhere to indus-try standard processes and systems for vehicle and architectural applications.

Mutoh (mutohcarwraps.com) off ers its Mutoh Business Builder program for its customers with registered print-ers. Once registered, users can access: unlimited streaming videos on design

and install; live webinars; reduced rates for install training; discounted templates and designs; and much more. At present, Business Builders are available for Color/Color Manage-ment and Vehicle Wraps; its website lists upcoming Business Builders for Sign Shop Basics, Soft Signage, and Awards as well.

In addition, Mutoh has teamed up with Avery to produce Car Wrap Training sessions throughout the US and Canada. Justin Pate is teaching all of the classes. The two-day workshops are designed to focus on all of the criti-cal steps needed to improve the quality and speed of car wrap installations. An optional third day can be added for a Car Wrap Certifi cation Program.

Nazdar Consulting Services (nazdar-consulting.com) off ers a number of training and consulting programs and initiatives, including Chromatix Color Control training, G7 Certifi cation, Lean Sigma classes, Environmental Health & Safety, and more. Chromatix Color Control aims to help businesses reduce labor costs, add capacity in peak production periods, and produce high-quality, repeatable color with every print. Lean Sigma focuses on reducing waste and variation in the manufacturing process.

Its sister division, Nazdar Source One (sourceoneonline.com), recently wrapped up its Passport to Perfor-mance educational tour comprising open-house events around the country.

Neschen Americas’ (neschenameri-cas.com) recently opened Training and Education Center is designed to train students on the entire Seal and Neschen brand portfolio, from product selection to fi nal delivery. The center is located near the company’s Elkridge, Maryland, headquarters and includes a workroom, conference room, and ex-pandable classroom; it’s equipped with laminators, laminates, media, and wide-format printers. Course options for print service providers include:

InDisplay In Depth, where students learn about the integration of Neschen inkjet media, Expolinc hardware, and Seal laminating fi lms in creating comprehensive display products; Ap-plication Training in Finishing; Textile Printing and Material Selection; and Environmentally Responsible Media Solutions, which covers the “conVerd presented by Neschen” media portfo-lio. There are also course options for hands on and classroom style sales training for Neschen Americas’ autho-rized reseller network.

Nik Software (niksoftware.com) off ers live training via webinar on all Nik products, in “Fundamental” and “Mas-ter” class levels, as well as special ses-sions on a variety of topics. Recorded on-demand training is also available.

Roland Academy (rolanddga.com) off ers end-user and dealer workshops for each of its product lines, featur-ing hands-on instruction by industry experts.

The Born to Wrap Workshop, in conjunction with Digital EFX Wraps, is a two-day workshop that covers a vehicle-graphics job from design to installation. Attendees will learn tips on fi le setup and design, color match-ing and workfl ow, printing, cutting and laminating, job estimation, sales, and advertising; and preparation, application, and removal techniques. Available in September (Irvine, California) and November (Lexington, North Carolina).

The Digital Printing Boot Camp Workshop is an intensive three-day, hands-on workshop teaching “10 core applications of every digital print shop.” Each student will create all 10 applications during the class. Students will learn how to troubleshoot, meet customer expectations, reduce/control inventory, optimize printing and fi n-ishing processes, schedule workfl ow, and more. Roland reports it is plan-ning a Boot Camp for Q4 2011; plans for 2012 are not yet fi nalized.

training & education


The company also off ers an online webinar series; in 2011, the topics included: “Printer Maintenance for the SolJet Pro III,” “MetazaStudio Workfl ow for Printing on Oversized Objects,” “Creating Profi les for Roland VersaWorks,” and others.

3M (3m.com) off ers its Advanced In-stallation Training for vehicle wraps: three-day, in-depth hands-on training, discussion, and demonstrations. Held several times a year in St. Paul, Min-nesota, these training opps are done by 3M Preferred Graphics Installers from 3M Technical Service.

Other 3M training opportunities include two- to fi ve-day vehicle-graph-ics training in conjunction with Lowen Corporation (Kansas); and a Graphics Training Seminar with 3M Preferred Graphics Installers (dates and locales to be announced). 3M also off ers separate certifi cation programs: 3M Certifi ed Graphics Installation Company, 3M Preferred Graphics Installer, and 3M Endorsed Vehicle Graphics Installer.

And its 3M Graphics Video Library includes a number of instructional videos. The online videos cover fi ve major topics including: vehicle and fl eet graphics; wall and architectural graphics; cut graphics; general instal-lation; and 3M innovation.

X-Rite (xrite.com) off ers several train-ing options. Its national seminars include its Fundamentals of Color and Appearance (FOCA) events, which comprise one-day seminars instruct-ing how to evaluate and approve colors. Held at various locales and dates around the country, the seminars are geared toward pre-media and digital pressroom personnel as well as manu-facturing specifi ers, quality-control and assurance professionals, lab tech-nicians, parts suppliers, and others.

Onsite training is also available for all aspects of workfl ow, including input devices, monitor calibration, fi le prepa-ration and handling, application setup,

RIPs, printers, and color management. G7 Master Qualifi cation is also avail-able through onsite training.

Hands-on classroom training at X-Rite’s Grand Rapids, Michigan, facilities (and elsewhere), include “Inte-grated Color Management,” “Introduc-tion to Color Management,” and “Onyx Workfl ow Workshop,” plus “Funda-mentals of Color and Appearance,” “Mastering IntelliTrax,” and others.

X-Rite’s other options include: e-Learning opportunities (“Color Control Freak” – an 18-module online course that takes the participant through each step of a color-managed workfl ow, “Color iQC,” “Display Profi l-ing,” and others); online live seminars in one-on-one or group format; Media Profi ling services; and more.

Sister company Pantone (pantone.com) off ers its “Color Immersion Seminar: A Deep Dive into Color Man-agement,” a one-day event featuring end-to-end color management training.

At the tradeshowYou’re already going to a tradeshow, so why not add an educational component to your itinerary? Look for events that provide for training before or after show fl oor hours, or simply ensure that you book enough days at the event. Some associations hosting tradeshows also off er webi-nars through their websites as well as workshops and seminars at various locales across the country.

Graph Expo (graphexpo.com) will take place September 11-14, 2011, in Chicago’s McCormick Place. The event features more than 50 educa-tional seminars covering 11 distinct sectors within the print marketplace, including print providers working in wide format. See our August issue, page 36, for a complete preview.

Graphics of the Americas (graphicsof-theamericas.com), March 1-3, 2012, will take place in South Beach (Mi-ami), Florida; it’s held in conjunction

with Fespa Americas, which is focused upon screenprinting and wide-format digital printing. The 2012 conference schedule has yet to be announced, but the 2011 event in Orlando off ered more than 80 educational sessions across 12 tracks, including: Wide Format, Digital Printing, Production, Prepress, and others, plus a Global Business Forum. Sixteen additional sessions were off ered in Spanish.

The ISA International Sign Expo(signexpo.org) is scheduled for March 21-24, 2012, in Orlando. The show’s 2011 seminar series off ered interactive forums; hands-on workshops; and seminars that cover digital imaging, legislative regulations, technical in-dustry application, and management, sales, and marketing strategies. ISA also off ers an International Sign Acad-emy program via the association’s website (signs.org). The Sign Academy off ers webinars and onsite seminars on topics including installation and service, production and fabrication, design, sales and marketing, and project management.

Taking place June 12-14 at the Javits Center in New York, the 2012 OnDe-mand Expo (ondemandexpo.com) is geared for print professionals, publish-ers, and others. The 2011 edition of its conference off erings included tracks with sessions designed for printers, publishers, and marketers. The 2012 Expo launches a host of new initiatives including a Drupa Zone, pavilions focused on upstart print technologies, and PhotoPublishing Pavilion, and returns the Wide Format Pavilion for its second year.

Attendees at PDN’s PhotoPlus Expo(photoplusexpo.com) can choose from a variety of seminars and hands-on workshops covering the digital-imag-ing industry. PMA 2011 will be held October 27-29 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

>46

26 THE BIG PICTURE september 2011

With its assortment of educational seminars, array of strategic network-ing opportunities, and expanded roster of sales-free Expert Zones on the show floor, SGIA Expo is market-ing its 2011 event as “a convergence of innovative ideas, education, and market development.”

Last year’s Vegas-based Expo set an association record for total registrants, and the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association is expecting this year’s extravaganza in New Orleans to be on track for similar numbers – some 17,000 attendees are projected to hit The Big Easy when SGIA Expo 2011 takes place October 19-21 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Event organizers anticipate more than 500 exhibitors to be showcasing their wares on the 225,000-square-foot show floor (see page 28 for a list of exhibitors, current as of this writing).

There is, SGIA reports, a reason for the industry to be optimistic. Accord-ing to post-show survey results from the 2010 SGIA Expo, nearly 85 percent of attendees either made a purchase from an exhibitor at the expo or planned to make a purchase within 12 months. “These strong purchasing plans indicate a turning point for the community. Imagers are investing in the latest technologies to create new opportunities for business growth and strengthening their futures,” says SGIA’s Susan Veoni.

Becoming an expertExpanding your company’s repertoire with the latest technologies presented on the show floor may be your top priority at SGIA. But the expo also presents you and your staff with a panoply of educational opportunities – approximately 30 seminars in all to help you expand your knowledge base.

Educational seminar tracks include: Graphics & Sign; Garment Decoration; Industrial Imaging; Graphics Installers; and Business Management. Here’s just a sampling of the specific educational seminar opportunities you’ll find:

By Britney Grimmelsman

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

An Industry Convergence:

SGIA Expo 2011

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• “Sales Management: Tools and Evaluation Techniques;”

• “Value-Added Services for Graphics Producers;”

• “Marketing Tools 101;” • “Opportunities in White and

Metallic Jetable Inks;” • “Sustainability and the

Environment;” • “Charting the Rise of UV LED

Curing Technologies;” • “Maximizing Profitability in Sign

& Graphics Shops;” • “Achieve Greater Success in

Graphics Installation Projects;” • “The Top 10 Mistakes Printers

Make with Customers and How to Avoid Them;” and

• “Workflow Management Panel.”Registration fee for individual sem-

inars is $45 each for non-members (SGIA members receive a discount); discount packages are available for multiple sessions.

Also: On the eve of SGIA, the expo will host its annual Business Develop-ment Conference, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. The half-day event will offer tools “to take your company to a new level by discovering the core competencies of your business and increasing competi-tiveness through value-added services,” SGIA reports. Leading the conference are: David Fellman (David Fellman Associates), Brian Hart and Clayton Marsh (Hart Consulting Services), and Barbra Bannon (Cranky Creative).

“This event is an absolute must for any company seeking to take advan-tage of new market realities, differen-tiate themselves in crowded markets, and manage their sales efforts to increase profitability potential,” says Dan Marx, SGIA’s vice president, markets and technologies.

This year’s keynoter, Gene Marks, will discuss “Politics, the Economy, and the Specialty Imaging Industry – How Today’s Current Events Impact Tomorrow’s Profits,” during the Keynote Breakfast, Thursday, October 20, at 8:30 a.m. Marks is a bestsell-ing author, business-management columnist for The New York Times and

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

Knowledge sans sales Looking to learn, but don’t like sales pitches that often accompany the gathering of that knowledge? The show’s “Expert Advice Zones” are specially purposed expo-floor areas devoid of hard-sell tactics, allowing for a hands-on experience in a no-pressure environment.

“SGIA created the industry’s first Expert Advice Zone back in 2007. Four years later, they’re bigger and better than ever with two new zones debuting [Narrow Format and

Industrial Imaging zones] at the 2011 Expo,” says Veoni. “The demonstra-tion areas provide a sales-free learning experience and are designed to fit the unique needs of the diverse sectors of the SGIA community.”

New to this year’s event, the Indus-trial Imaging Zone offers the latest high-tech products for producing printed electronics, automotive parts, and more. Also making its debut is the Narrow Format Zone, which will demonstrate the use of narrow-format output for marketing, labels, small P-O-P displays, nameplates, and more.

Returning zones include: The Digi-tal Apparel Production Zone, which

SGIA Expo BasicsShow hours are:• Wednesday, October 19: 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.• Thursday, October 20: 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.• Friday, October 21: 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Entrance into the Expo is free if registered before October 18; it’s $35 after that.

To receive discounted rates on hotels, contact SGIA’s official housing partner Travel Planners via the SGIA website (sgia.org). Of note: SGIA has been notified that other companies have been contacting attend-ees to reserve hotel rooms for the Expo; Travel Planners is the only official housing partner for this event.


A W T World Trade #2501

Aberdeen Fabrics #2024

Ace Printing Solutions #1157

Achilles USA #2831

Action Illustrated #3029

AdMax Shanghai #112

Advanced Display Materials #2405

Advanced Greig Laminators #2015

Advanced Innovative Technologies #3239

Advantage Sign Supply #2325

AGAM Group #2305

Agfa Graphics #935, #945

Alizarin Coating #3120

All American Mfg. & Supply #3001

American Biltrite #1431

American Ink Jet Corp. #2455

American Ultraviolet #1319

AnaJet #1345

Anatol Equipment Mfg. #249

Anderson Group America #2701

Annin Flagmakers #557

ArjoWiggins #2657

Asphalt Art USA #144

AT Inks #1325

Aurora Specialty Textiles #1832

Axiom America #3209

BBC Industries/Black Body #3213

Beaver Paper & Graphic Media #2645

Beijing Innovation Technology #2931

BelQuette #3137

Better Life Technology #3147

The Big Picture Magazine #2353

Brother International Corp. #3113

Brown Manufacturing Group #2145

Bruin Plastics Co. #2018

C&L Squeegees #2723

Caldera Graphics #635

Calsak Plastics #2915

Camie-Campbell #2603

Catalina Graphic Films #2419

CET Color #1359

Cham Paper Group Switzerland #2932

Chemica US Corp. #2204

Chemical Consultants #2547

Chemque #2525

Chewbarka Tags #2409

Chimigraf #1465

Chromaline Screen Print Products #2025

Clear Focus Imaging #1655

ClingZ #2913

Coherent #353

Colex Imaging #823

Colorado Timberline #128

Color-Dec North America #2925

Colter & Peterson #2205

Conde Systems #1745

Contex Americas #1450

Continental Grafix #144

Contra Vision #1351

ConVerd #307

CoolEmblem #2105

Corel Corp. #1958

Coroplast #2919

CRC Information Systems #1613

Creative Banner Assemblies #134

Crusader Paper Co. #1725

Curbell Plastics #1919

Cylix #1259

Cyrious Software #724, #2719

D & K Group #113

Daehantrans Korea #334

DAF Products #1454

David Fellman & Associates #2833

DaVinci Technologies #1719

Demak America #3335

Development Associates #2019

Digifab Systems #2619

Digital Apparel Production Zone #3125

Digital Art Solutions #2844

Digital Signage Zone #2159

Digitex Printing Technologies #3435

Dilli #1835

Direct Color Systems #2037

Displaymax (Malaysia) #551

Diversified Printing Techniques #2120

DMPS #1665

Doctoruv.com #2834

Douthitt Corp. #2735

Dreamscape #759

Drytac Corp. #1631

Dubuit of America #1526

Duo Display USA #116

DuPont Nonwovens – Graphics #2033

Duraco #2107

Durst Image Technology US #901

Dynamesh #2319

E I T Instrument Markets #2836

E L Hatton Sales #1956

E&T Plastics Mfg. #2403

Easiway Systems #3145

Eastsign International #1531

Edward Segal #331

EFI #701

EnCore Products #319

Epilog Laser #2411

Epson #1201

ErgoSoft US #3053

EskoArtwork #2433

Estimator Corp. #104

FasteNation #2801

FastSigns #2009

Fimor North America #410

Fisher Textiles #1509

Flexcon #2837

Flexmag Industries #1931

Foster Keencut #718

4Ever Products #202

Franmar Chemical #101

FujiFilm North America #425

Gandy Digital #1819

Gans Ink and Supply #3121

GBC #2335

GCC America #1829

General Formulations #1801

Geneva Capital #2453

Geo Knight & Co. #1844

Gerber Innovations #2663

Gerber Scientific Products #1401

Gilman Brothers Co. #648

GPE Ardenghi #2504

Graphic Finishing Partners #2828

Graphic Parts International #2502

Graphic Screen Fashion #239

Graphic Solutions Group #2345

Graphics One #3201

Great Dane Graphics #3126

Gregory #325

Grimco #1601

Hangzhou Hongze New Material #761

Hangzhou Wansheng Mesh #2914

Hartman Plastics #2639

Hendrick Mfg. #2651

Heraeus Noblelight/AMBA Lamps #2527

Herculite Products #312

Hewlett-Packard #919

Heytex Bramsche #106

Hiker USA #1737

Hilord Chemical #401

Hirsch International #3157

HIX #3019

Hop Industries #649

Hopkins Riley Screen Printing Machinery #3219

Huntsman Textile Effects #2921

i-cut #140

i-Group Technologies #3336

Ilford #1559

Image Access #1358

ImageOne Impact #2331

Impact Advertising #2032

Imprintables Warehouse #744

Imprintor #313

Industrial Fabrics Corp. #3200

Industrial Imaging & Printed Electronic Zone #158

Ink Mill Corp. #2155

InkCups Now #2601

InkTec America #2625, #2729

Innova Art #1558

Inpro BV #1054

Insta Graphic Systems #509

InteliCoat Technologies #129

Inteplast Group #255

Interchange Equipment #345

International Coatings #509

Inventory Sales Co. #332

Inx Digital International #733

Island Clean Air #1753

ITNH #957

ITW Trans Tech #445

Jack Richeson & Co. #2835

Jalema Inc/Filing Systems Div. #1818

Jelight Company #858

Jin Kwang Chemical #2725

Johnson Plastics #953

Joto #2827

J-Teck USA #1209

Kammann USA #152

Kapco Graphic Products #656

Kaspar Papir #3152

KIP America #2845

KK Label #765

Klieverik #1927

KNF Neuberger #2628

Kor-Chem #2702

Kornit Digital #501

Kuroki Industrial #2753

Laird Plastics #1733

Lawson Screen & Digital Products #201

Ledco #2301

Leister #2526

Liberty Carton #1850

Lintec of America #426

LogoJet USA #3024

Mactac/Morgan Adhesives #2211

Magnum Magnetics #859

MagX America #2020

Main Tape Company #722

Marabu North America #1453

Margola Corp. #3020

Master Magnetics #1427

Meech Static Eliminators USA #3010

Memcon North America #2830

Mesa Distributors #2505

MicroGreen Polymers #1260

Microtec Technology #2818

Miller Weldmaster #335

Mimaki USA #745

Mitsubishi Plastics Composites America #2132

Mockridge Doming Systems #2900

MultiCam #1845

Mutoh America #2133

N Glantz & Son #2430

Narrow Format Zone #1959

National Azon #2852

Natura Media #1419

Nazdar Inks & Coatings #609

Nazdar SourceOne #609

Neo Tech Industries #2808

Neschen Americas InDisplay #726

Neschen Americas Seal & Neschen Brand #723

New Force Magnetics #465

Next Wave Media Solutions #3035

Nicomatic-North America #2300

Nippon Carbide Industries #2911

Nite Industrial #2825

Norcote International #348

North Island Graphics Media #122

Novus Imaging #1756

Oce Display Graphics Systems #1519

OKI Data Americas #411

OmniPrint International #3105

Onyx Graphics #1909

Oracal USA #1309

Orbus Exhibit & Display #1153

Owosso Graphic Arts #1754

OYO Instruments #2557

Pace Industries #1256

Pacific Coast Fabrics #957

Pad Print Machinery of Vermont #1645

Palram Americas #1721

Panel Processing #310

Partner Printing #2101

PDAA Graphics Application Zone #2859

Photo Tex Group #2333

Photo USA Corp. #211

Piedmont Plastics #2302

Pierce Equipment & Supply #2545

Plaskolite #204

PMI Split Tape #2126

Polytype America #1445

Practix Mfg. #2747

Premier Digital #2711

Prestige Scheduler/Pivotal Z #328

Presto Tape #963

Primera Technology #321

PrinterEvolution #1756

Printer’s Edge #644

Prism Inks #124

Proell #1820

Professional Marketing Services #3101

Proveer #1901

PTCF #111

Quality Media & Laminating Solutions #1937

R Tape Corp. #1809

RealTimeDesigner #1962

RedGiant #2124

Reece Supply #145

Regal Graphics #623

Reprographic Technology #2650

RH Solutions #2901

Richmond Graphic Products #519

Ritrama #2633

Rochling Engineering Plastics #1052

Roland DGA #1945

Rollem Corp. of America #1425

Rollsroller #1652

Royal Sovereign International #2551

S Walter Packaging #2618

SA International #2811

SaatiPrint USA #663

SABIC Polymershapes #1713

Sakurai USA #3202

Sam-Ink/Budget Inks #245

Saw Trax #2815

Sawgrass Technologies #3045

Screen Printed Apparel Training Zone #3319

Screen Systems #2819

Screen USA #2511

Sefar #2401

Seiko Instruments USA #2245

Sensient Imaging Technologies #2255

SGIA #1101

SGIA/ASI Photo Booth #1210

Shanghai Gold-Up Screen Printing #2510

Shanghai NAR Industrial #2521

Shanghai New Iron Chain Bolting #2607

Ship-Paq #1255

ShopWorks #2745

SignComp #631

Signtific Media International #155

Signwarehouse.com #3118

Simona America #420

Sinclair Equipment #139

SMI Technology #2427

Soyang Technologies #1253

Spartanics #329

Specialty Materials #3122

Spectra Jet #401

Splash of Color #2031

Sprayway #2512

SS Light #2620

Stahls’ ID Direct #1245

StopStatic.com #200

SubliVie #3027

Summa #1015, #1409

Sunraise #142

Tara Materials #2210

TCS Technologies #424

TeamEPS #1459

Teckwin #1701

Tecre Co. #3237

Testrite Visual Products #3009

Tex Visions #100

TFCN #107

The Global Display Solution #2826

3A Composites USA #2311

3M Commercial Graphics #1437

3P InkJet Textiles Corp. #1915

Top Value Fabrics #619

Transfer Express #1245

Transilwrap #2805

Triangle #733

Triangle Ink #2021

Tricel Honeycomb #2111

Trotec Laser #1261

Tubelite Company #1731

TW Graphics #1865

UL (Underwriters Laboratories) #330

Ultraflex Systems #419

Union Technology International #1354

United Industries #627

United Visual Products #1952

Universal Laser Systems #1530

Universal Woods/Unisub #1853

US Paper Counters #1954

USTech #2425

Value Vinyls #545

Vision Engraving & Routing Systems #2528

Visual Magnetics #653

Vycom #2201

Vytek #301

W M Plastics #3313

Wasatch Computer Technology #1053

Western Quartz Products #1826

WS (China) #2529

Xcel Products #645

Xpedx #2119

XpresScreen #2605, #2704

Yongan Screen Printing Supplies #2648

YRC #1111

Yupo Corporation America #1429

Zatec #215

Zhejiang Huifeng New Materials #2208

Zund America #1235

Launched in 2001, New Orleans’ own Pelican Graphics (peli-canusa.com) served as a typical print provider producing ban-ners and signs, t-shirts and embroidery, and vehicle wraps and lettering. Meanwhile, owner Dolph Federico worked on the side, organizing festivals and constantly struggling with how to better brand the events. After an “ah-ha” moment in 2006, Federico created sister company Pelican Events, a brand-management and outdoor event producer, which combined forces with the graphics shop to more effectively market its resources. Through the combination, Pelican stum-bled upon an extremely specialized niche – branded, graphic-adorned stages – and almost instantly saw its business grow.

By developing a strategic niche, Federico has been able to not only survive in his business during an economic storm, but thrive. His company has become a go-to source for outdoor stages that enables clients to silently carry a visual message while the show goes on.

“Since Katrina, the competition has been fierce. It seems like there are hundreds more mom-and-pop stores that oper-ate out of their garages now,” says Federico. “Everybody wanted to be in business for themselves and the price of decent printers became very affordable.

“Now, we specialize in the branded stages. We own three Stageline units [mobile hydraulic stages] and have begun to develop a national client base. Our experience in graph-ics and stage construction has really merged into a deep pool of knowledge,” he says. Along with stages, Pelican also provides Ultra-Silent MQ Power diesel generators and a full inventory of cabling to power any size event.

Along with its impressive tool chest of event supplies, Pelican’s extensive client list acts as a testament to its ability to serve a diverse clientele and land high-profile jobs. The US Department of Homeland Security, Continental and Delta Airlines, UPS, Fed Ex, Hard Rock Café, NASCAR, Honda, and Toyota are just a few names to decorate Pelican’s portfolio.

One of Pelican’s latest undertakings: New Orleans on Tap, a beer festival at New Orlean’s City Park. “We have a great relationship with the New Orleans distributor for Abita Beer, Crescent Crown Distributing. We do a lot of work for them, including signs, banners, vehicle wraps, T-shirts, and posters – we print many products they need to market their brands,” says Federico. “Abita Beer had seen several of our other branded stages and reached out to us just days before the event. We worked quickly to get a design approved,

Pelican Graphics: All the World’s a Stage

SGIA Exhibitors


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

Networking oppsAdding to the show experience are the opportunities for attendees to engage with industry peers. SGIA’s Networking Happy Hour offers indi-vidual receptions for specific industry segments on Wednesday, October 19, from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. The free recep-tions are invitation-only; industry seg-ments include: PDAA, Latin Ameri-can, Garment Decoration, Canadian, and Printed Electronics and Industrial Imaging communities. The Thursday

A W T World Trade #2501

Aberdeen Fabrics #2024

Ace Printing Solutions #1157

Achilles USA #2831

Action Illustrated #3029

AdMax Shanghai #112

Advanced Display Materials #2405

Advanced Greig Laminators #2015

Advanced Innovative Technologies #3239

Advantage Sign Supply #2325

AGAM Group #2305

Agfa Graphics #935, #945

Alizarin Coating #3120

All American Mfg. & Supply #3001

American Biltrite #1431

American Ink Jet Corp. #2455

American Ultraviolet #1319

AnaJet #1345

Anatol Equipment Mfg. #249

Anderson Group America #2701

Annin Flagmakers #557

ArjoWiggins #2657

Asphalt Art USA #144

AT Inks #1325

Aurora Specialty Textiles #1832

Axiom America #3209

BBC Industries/Black Body #3213

Beaver Paper & Graphic Media #2645

Beijing Innovation Technology #2931

BelQuette #3137

Better Life Technology #3147

The Big Picture Magazine #2353

Brother International Corp. #3113

Brown Manufacturing Group #2145

Bruin Plastics Co. #2018

C&L Squeegees #2723

Caldera Graphics #635

Calsak Plastics #2915

Camie-Campbell #2603

Catalina Graphic Films #2419

CET Color #1359

Cham Paper Group Switzerland #2932

Chemica US Corp. #2204

Chemical Consultants #2547

Chemque #2525

Chewbarka Tags #2409

Chimigraf #1465

Chromaline Screen Print Products #2025

Clear Focus Imaging #1655

ClingZ #2913

Coherent #353

Colex Imaging #823

Colorado Timberline #128

Color-Dec North America #2925

Colter & Peterson #2205

Conde Systems #1745

Contex Americas #1450

Continental Grafix #144

Contra Vision #1351

ConVerd #307

CoolEmblem #2105

Corel Corp. #1958

Coroplast #2919

CRC Information Systems #1613

Creative Banner Assemblies #134

Crusader Paper Co. #1725

Curbell Plastics #1919

Cylix #1259

Cyrious Software #724, #2719

D & K Group #113

Daehantrans Korea #334

DAF Products #1454

David Fellman & Associates #2833

DaVinci Technologies #1719

Demak America #3335

Development Associates #2019

Digifab Systems #2619

Digital Apparel Production Zone #3125

Digital Art Solutions #2844

Digital Signage Zone #2159

Digitex Printing Technologies #3435

Dilli #1835

Direct Color Systems #2037

Displaymax (Malaysia) #551

Diversified Printing Techniques #2120

DMPS #1665

Doctoruv.com #2834

Douthitt Corp. #2735

Dreamscape #759

Drytac Corp. #1631

Dubuit of America #1526

Duo Display USA #116

DuPont Nonwovens – Graphics #2033

Duraco #2107

Durst Image Technology US #901

Dynamesh #2319

E I T Instrument Markets #2836

E L Hatton Sales #1956

E&T Plastics Mfg. #2403

Easiway Systems #3145

Eastsign International #1531

Edward Segal #331

EFI #701

EnCore Products #319

Epilog Laser #2411

Epson #1201

ErgoSoft US #3053

EskoArtwork #2433

Estimator Corp. #104

FasteNation #2801

FastSigns #2009

Fimor North America #410

Fisher Textiles #1509

Flexcon #2837

Flexmag Industries #1931

Foster Keencut #718

4Ever Products #202

Franmar Chemical #101

FujiFilm North America #425

Gandy Digital #1819

Gans Ink and Supply #3121

GBC #2335

GCC America #1829

General Formulations #1801

Geneva Capital #2453

Geo Knight & Co. #1844

Gerber Innovations #2663

Gerber Scientific Products #1401

Gilman Brothers Co. #648

GPE Ardenghi #2504

Graphic Finishing Partners #2828

Graphic Parts International #2502

Graphic Screen Fashion #239

Graphic Solutions Group #2345

Graphics One #3201

Great Dane Graphics #3126

Gregory #325

Grimco #1601

Hangzhou Hongze New Material #761

Hangzhou Wansheng Mesh #2914

Hartman Plastics #2639

Hendrick Mfg. #2651

Heraeus Noblelight/AMBA Lamps #2527

Herculite Products #312

Hewlett-Packard #919

Heytex Bramsche #106

Hiker USA #1737

Hilord Chemical #401

Hirsch International #3157

HIX #3019

Hop Industries #649

Hopkins Riley Screen Printing Machinery #3219

Huntsman Textile Effects #2921

i-cut #140

i-Group Technologies #3336

Ilford #1559

Image Access #1358

ImageOne Impact #2331

Impact Advertising #2032

Imprintables Warehouse #744

Imprintor #313

Industrial Fabrics Corp. #3200

Industrial Imaging & Printed Electronic Zone #158

Ink Mill Corp. #2155

InkCups Now #2601

InkTec America #2625, #2729

Innova Art #1558

Inpro BV #1054

Insta Graphic Systems #509

InteliCoat Technologies #129

Inteplast Group #255

Interchange Equipment #345

International Coatings #509

Inventory Sales Co. #332

Inx Digital International #733

Island Clean Air #1753

ITNH #957

ITW Trans Tech #445

Jack Richeson & Co. #2835

Jalema Inc/Filing Systems Div. #1818

Jelight Company #858

Jin Kwang Chemical #2725

Johnson Plastics #953

Joto #2827

J-Teck USA #1209

Kammann USA #152

Kapco Graphic Products #656

Kaspar Papir #3152

KIP America #2845

KK Label #765

Klieverik #1927

KNF Neuberger #2628

Kor-Chem #2702

Kornit Digital #501

Kuroki Industrial #2753

Laird Plastics #1733

Lawson Screen & Digital Products #201

Ledco #2301

Leister #2526

Liberty Carton #1850

Lintec of America #426

LogoJet USA #3024

Mactac/Morgan Adhesives #2211

Magnum Magnetics #859

MagX America #2020

Main Tape Company #722

Marabu North America #1453

Margola Corp. #3020

Master Magnetics #1427

Meech Static Eliminators USA #3010

Memcon North America #2830

Mesa Distributors #2505

MicroGreen Polymers #1260

Microtec Technology #2818

Miller Weldmaster #335

Mimaki USA #745

Mitsubishi Plastics Composites America #2132

Mockridge Doming Systems #2900

MultiCam #1845

Mutoh America #2133

N Glantz & Son #2430

Narrow Format Zone #1959

National Azon #2852

Natura Media #1419

Nazdar Inks & Coatings #609

Nazdar SourceOne #609

Neo Tech Industries #2808

Neschen Americas InDisplay #726

Neschen Americas Seal & Neschen Brand #723

New Force Magnetics #465

Next Wave Media Solutions #3035

Nicomatic-North America #2300

Nippon Carbide Industries #2911

Nite Industrial #2825

Norcote International #348

North Island Graphics Media #122

Novus Imaging #1756

Oce Display Graphics Systems #1519

OKI Data Americas #411

OmniPrint International #3105

Onyx Graphics #1909

Oracal USA #1309

Orbus Exhibit & Display #1153

Owosso Graphic Arts #1754

OYO Instruments #2557

Pace Industries #1256

Pacific Coast Fabrics #957

Pad Print Machinery of Vermont #1645

Palram Americas #1721

Panel Processing #310

Partner Printing #2101

PDAA Graphics Application Zone #2859

Photo Tex Group #2333

Photo USA Corp. #211

Piedmont Plastics #2302

Pierce Equipment & Supply #2545

Plaskolite #204

PMI Split Tape #2126

Polytype America #1445

Practix Mfg. #2747

Premier Digital #2711

Prestige Scheduler/Pivotal Z #328

Presto Tape #963

Primera Technology #321

PrinterEvolution #1756

Printer’s Edge #644

Prism Inks #124

Proell #1820

Professional Marketing Services #3101

Proveer #1901

PTCF #111

Quality Media & Laminating Solutions #1937

R Tape Corp. #1809

RealTimeDesigner #1962

RedGiant #2124

Reece Supply #145

Regal Graphics #623

Reprographic Technology #2650

RH Solutions #2901

Richmond Graphic Products #519

Ritrama #2633

Rochling Engineering Plastics #1052

Roland DGA #1945

Rollem Corp. of America #1425

Rollsroller #1652

Royal Sovereign International #2551

S Walter Packaging #2618

SA International #2811

SaatiPrint USA #663

SABIC Polymershapes #1713

Sakurai USA #3202

Sam-Ink/Budget Inks #245

Saw Trax #2815

Sawgrass Technologies #3045

Screen Printed Apparel Training Zone #3319

Screen Systems #2819

Screen USA #2511

Sefar #2401

Seiko Instruments USA #2245

Sensient Imaging Technologies #2255

SGIA #1101

SGIA/ASI Photo Booth #1210

Shanghai Gold-Up Screen Printing #2510

Shanghai NAR Industrial #2521

Shanghai New Iron Chain Bolting #2607

Ship-Paq #1255

ShopWorks #2745

SignComp #631

Signtific Media International #155

Signwarehouse.com #3118

Simona America #420

Sinclair Equipment #139

SMI Technology #2427

Soyang Technologies #1253

Spartanics #329

Specialty Materials #3122

Spectra Jet #401

Splash of Color #2031

Sprayway #2512

SS Light #2620

Stahls’ ID Direct #1245

StopStatic.com #200

SubliVie #3027

Summa #1015, #1409

Sunraise #142

Tara Materials #2210

TCS Technologies #424

TeamEPS #1459

Teckwin #1701

Tecre Co. #3237

Testrite Visual Products #3009

Tex Visions #100

TFCN #107

The Global Display Solution #2826

3A Composites USA #2311

3M Commercial Graphics #1437

3P InkJet Textiles Corp. #1915

Top Value Fabrics #619

Transfer Express #1245

Transilwrap #2805

Triangle #733

Triangle Ink #2021

Tricel Honeycomb #2111

Trotec Laser #1261

Tubelite Company #1731

TW Graphics #1865

UL (Underwriters Laboratories) #330

Ultraflex Systems #419

Union Technology International #1354

United Industries #627

United Visual Products #1952

Universal Laser Systems #1530

Universal Woods/Unisub #1853

US Paper Counters #1954

USTech #2425

Value Vinyls #545

Vision Engraving & Routing Systems #2528

Visual Magnetics #653

Vycom #2201

Vytek #301

W M Plastics #3313

Wasatch Computer Technology #1053

Western Quartz Products #1826

WS (China) #2529

Xcel Products #645

Xpedx #2119

XpresScreen #2605, #2704

Yongan Screen Printing Supplies #2648

YRC #1111

Yupo Corporation America #1429

Zatec #215

Zhejiang Huifeng New Materials #2208

Zund America #1235

then RIP’ed, printed, and finished the entire project in a single shift.”

To allow for uninter-rupted sound, Pelican outputs onto Ultraflex Strip Mesh Plus using its two Mimaki JV3 printers with Mimaki SS2 inks. “On the mesh material we double print to increase opacity. It’s more costly, but the results are far better than most of what everyone else in New Orleans is producing.”

After the print completion, Pelican uses its Consew sewing machine to hem and double stitch the edges, and one-inch nylon webbing and brass grommets about every two inches to complete the finishing process. The shop also looks to its Banner Cyclone to hem its projects. Pelican’s installation crew installs about four to five stages a week, so this install was no challenge to the experienced team, which took only 20 minutes to get the job done. All of Pelican’s stage graphics feature a 4 x 40-foot main graphic along with two 6 x 16-foot side graphics.

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

>44

Media Source

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Learn more about EZ Flexmag solutions todayCall 800.543.4426 or visit www.flexmag.com

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Media Source

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Media can affect every bullet point when it comes to satisfying all facets of your client’s extensive job checklist. Whether that client is demanding an eco-friendly output, an outdoor banner in the dessert, or a NASCAR-worthy wrap, your media selection can make or break your ability to meet his or her needs.

Hit the proverbial bull’s-eye when it comes to nailing down the perfect media for a project and you’re sure to keep your clients coming back for more. Miss the target, however, and

you risk not only losing that particular job but also your client. The chal-lenge: With such an extensive range of media options available, the center spot on the media-option board can sometimes seem pixel-sized, and very far away.

To help increase the target size and enable you to better center your media mark, we’ve compiled a roster of manufacturers and private-label dis-tributors of the most commonly used media in wide-format: rollfed vinyl, paper, films, and self-adhesives. Note

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

Advantage Distributionadvantagedistribution.comAdvantage branded vinyl, eco-friendly media, and paper.

Advantage Sign Supply advantagesignsupply.comOptima Opti-Jet media for aqueous and Opti-Solve for solvent printers.

AdventureCam Photo adventurecamphoto.comProof Line paper, vinyl, and films, including self-adhesives and banner.

Agfa agfagraphics.comSynaps UV-curable synthetic paper.

Ahlstrom ahlstrom.comChantaffiche papers for banners and billboards.

Alameda Suppliesalamedasupplies.comAlameda wide-format inkjet paper, banner, and film.

American Permalight americanpermalight.comPhotoluminescent printable substrates.

Arkwright Advanced Coating arkwright.comPaper, film, and vinyl for aqueous, sol-vent, latex, and UV-curable printers.

Arlon arlon.comCast films, calendered films, window films, banner material.

Hitting the Media Bull’s-EyeMore than 125 sources of vinyl, paper, films, and self-adhesives.

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Avery Graphics averygraphics.comSupercast, Supreme Wrapping Film, High Performance Calendered, Intermediate Calendered, Promo Calendered, Specialty Films, and Eco Friendly Films; Street Graphics film.

Axon Graphix perfectproof.comPerfectProof paper and film for aque-ous printers.

Bandanna Bannerbandannabanner.comBandanna Extreme Digital vinyl for solvent printers.

Bayer Films Americasbayerus.comMakrofol polycarbonate and Baycol polycarbonate-blend films.

BF Inkjet Mediabfinkjet.comSignMaster vinyl and CapStone and TruPalette Artweave papers; Mural-Master textured synthetic.

Big Systemsbigsys.comValuJet, BigJet, and WetJet media for aqueous printers, and BigSol solvent/mild-solvent and UV media; SeraMark removable wall-graphic print media.

Bruin Plasticsbruinplastics.comScreen Tex, DPC (double-polished vinyl film), and VCM (vinyl-coated mesh).

CalComp Graphic Solutionscalcompgs.comArtisan line includes backlit film, PSA, and vinyl for aqueous and solvents.

Canon USAusa.canon.comCanon wide-format media, including film, paper, and vinyl.

Catalina Graphic Filmscatalinagraphicfilms.comMojave digital media.

Clear Focus Imaging clearfocus.comDecoVue, PVSee, ClassicVue, Ima-geVue, SuperVue, ReflectVue, Poster-Vue (solvent, UV-curable); and JetVue and ImageJetVue (aqueous).

ColorGatecolorgate.comCG Screenfilm for aqueous and sol-vent, and CG Isoproof 200 paper.

Contra Vision contravision.comXR, ORS, Backlite, Stripes, and Per-formance Perforated one-way viewable film for solvent or UV-curable.

Converdconverd.comGreen OP, GreenLight Plus!-DPI, and EnviroScape Mural Plus!-DPI sustain-able media.

Cooley Groupcooleygroup.comCoolFlex frontlit and backlit, Cool-Mesh, DreamScape self adhesive, and Enviroflex.

Creative Banner Assembliescreativebanner.comTitan banner media for UV-curable and solvent printers.

Custom Extrusion Technologies cetfilms.comClaritex polycarbonate film for solvents.

DaVinci Technologiesdavinci-technologies.comVinyl, backlit, films, paper, and banner for aqueous, solvent, and UV.

Dietzgendietzgen.comMagellan Bead aqueous media; solvent media; coated/uncoated papers.

Digital Art Suppliesdigitalartsupplies.comDAS adhesive-back vinyl, backlit.

Digital Media Warehousedigitalmediawarehouse.comRhinojet vinyl, self adhesives, paper, and banner materials.

Dotworksdotworks.comSpotlight Backlight, Scrim Vinyl, Jet Maxx papers, and other media.

DreamScape/Roysonsdreamscapedirect.comDreamscape glassTex window film, Bling metallic media, Terralon PVC-free wall covering.

Drytacdrytac.comBannerfab, Eclipse film, EarthSmart Premium Bond, PandaPrint bamboo fiber, Tri-Print self-adhesive, Polypro-pylene, more.

DuPontgraphics.dupont.comTyvek, Tyvek Vivia, Melinex, Teldar, and Myla.

Eastsign eastsign.comVinyl, films, and papers for solvent, UV, and water-based inkjets.

Epsonepson.comEpson signage media for advertising, banner, and P-O-P applications; paper and film for aqueous printers.

FDC Graphic Filmsfdcfilms.comCast or calendered PVC, perforated, and reflective films for solvent, eco-solvent, and UV-curable inkjets.

DFP206ARLON


Fellersfellers.comProduct lines for aqueous, UV, latex, and solvent printers.

Flexcon flexcon.comFlexMark, FlexMount, FlexStat, BusMark, BusArt, RailMark, LiteCal, SeeThru-Sign, DigiPro pressure-sensi-tive films, WindowDeco, and more.

Fujicopian USAfujicopianusa.comFixFilm-IJ static-cling film for aqueous.

Gavrieli Plasticsgavrieli.comGavrieli-Jet paper, banner material, and film for wide-format printers.

GBCgbc.comSurePrint and SurePrint Direct media for solvent and eco-solvents.

General Formulationsgeneralformulations.comConcept, Traffic Graffic, Ultra Tack, TransMark, WallMark, Moto-Mark, and MetroMark (outdoor), more.

GMI gmintl.comGMI Mojave media for solvent and mild-solvent inks, including banner, vinyl, film, floor, backlit, and carpet and window media.

Graphics One graphicsone.comGO Premier and Go EcoMax media, including paper, film, more.

Gregorygregory1.comGregory Trendfilm.

Grimcogrimco.comBriteLine Duration media.

Harman Inkjetharman-inkjet.comOpalJet Display Media; CrystalJet and CrystalJet Elite inkjet media.

Hawk Mountain Paperhawkmtnartpapers.comMerlin, Sparrowhawk, Sharpwing, Kes-trel, and Condor for aqueous printers.

Herculiteherculite.comBantex digital media for solvent and UV printers.

Hewlett-Packardhp.comHP paper, film, backlit, banner, self-adhesive media, and more.

Hexis USAhexisusa.comHX vinyl and Stat PVC, SupTac vinyl; Carbon Cast film, wall-graphic vinyl; Naturally line of green media.

IJ Technologiesijtechnologies.comDuraGraphix, UltraGraphix, Imago, Premier Edition, and SolGraphix Black Diamond adhesive-backed media.

Infiniti Digitalinfiniti-dt.comOrasign vinyl, paper, and film.

InkJet Setinkjetset.comInkJet Set pressure-sensitive vinyls, perf, static-cling, and more.

Inkpress Paperinkpresspaper.comInkpress film, vinyl, and paper, includ-ing Inkpress Eco Matte for pigment.

InkTec USAInktec-usa.comInkTec papers (including synthetic), films, vinyl, backlit, and PET.

Ink2Imageink2image.comi2i papers for aqueous.

InteliCoat Technologies magicinkjet.comA variety of media for aqueous, solvent, mild-solvent, and UV-curable printers. Media range from paper and banner to self-adhesives and films.

Inx Digital triangleinx.comPolyethylene Ecos PosterFlex and FlexiLite.

iVivid ivivid.netiVivid vinyl, backlit, and film for aque-ous, solvent, and mild-solvent.

Japan Pulp and Paper USAjpusa.comWide-format glossy, resin, and matte paper and film for aqueous.

Kanzaki Specialty Paperskanzakiusa.comKS paper and film for aqueous.

Kapco Graphic Productskapco.comKapcolor banner material, water-based inkjet and solvent media, mounting films, and PSA laminates.

LexJetlexjet.comLexJet and Sunset films, self-adhesive, banner, paper; Platinum Exhibit Film; Valeron Banner Film; Absolute and Aqualight Backlit; more.

LG Hausyslgvizuon.comXign, USB, and UGS banner; CAL vinyl; pressure-sensitive media; films.

Supreme WrappingAVERY

media


Liberty Photolibertyphotoproducts.comLiberty Signature Series media line includes banner, vinyl, film, and paper.

Lintec of Americalintecofamerica.comL-AG Mother Green films, Printerior wall media, Wincos and Mistlass opti-cally clear window film, and more.

Lockfast lockfast.comOpaljet media for solvents, Opaljet translucent media, more.

MacDermid Autotypemacdermidautotype.comSigmaGraf films for aqueous and UV-curable printing, and FootPrint floor-graphics systems.

Mactacmactac.comImagin series of self-adhesive and vinyl for aqueous, solvent, and UV.

Mehler Texnologiesmehler-texnologies.comValmex Backlit, Frontlit, Truck, and Blockout media.

Metamark metamark.co.ukMetamark Digital Media includes vinyl, polyester, and one-way vision film. Distributed by Splash of Color (splashofcolor.com) and NuSign (nu-flex.com) in the US.

Milano Digital milanoinc.comMilano Digital products include film, banners, and vinyl.

Mitsubishi Imagingmitsubishiimaging.comDiamondJet paper and vinyl; Pictorico media (pictorico.com).

Mutohmutohmedia.comVinyl and banner media.

Nazdar Source Onesourceoneonline.comImageStar paper, vinyl, self-adhesive, and film for aqueous, solvent, mild-sol-vent, and UV-curable printers.

Neschen Americasneschenbrands.comNeschen SolvoPrint and PrintLux; In-Display by Neschen films, paper, and banner; conVerd by Neschen, 100% recyclable banner, print board, and photo paper.

Next Wave Media Solutionsnextwavems.comAqueous media lines include BanJet, PermaJet, and DuraJet; also paper and polypropylene for solvent inkjets.

NuSign Supplynu-flex.comNu-Flex banner, backlit, perforated vinyl, and more for wide-format.

Océ North Americaoceusa.comOcé Pro-Select, Display Graphics Ink-jet, Options, and Solvent Inkjet Media for aqueous and solvent printers.

Ilford Americailford.comOmniJet inkjet media, plus Galerie Graphic self-adhesive vinyls, as well as films, papers.

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

Outdoor Sign Supplyoutdoorsign.netBanner material and self-adhesives.

Pace Industries/Primex Plasticspace-industries-inc.comBioGraph.ics agri-based polymer and PS-Absolve.

Parrot Digigraphicparrotcolor.comParrot film, vinyl, and paper.

Photo Tex phototexgroup.comPhoto Tex and Photo Tex(S) self-adhe-sive, peel-and-stick polyester fabric.

PlaLight America plalight.comPlaLight-Ad printable reflective mate-rial for solvent and water-based inks.

Plastiprintplastiprint.comProCling Green, plus Eclipse, Super-Cling, PlastiCling, and PlastiView.

PoliSignspolisigns.comVinyls and papers for water-based inks; vinyls for solvent/eco-solvent.

PPG Industriesteslin.comTeslin IJWP for inkjet is waterproof.

Premier Imagingpremierimagingproducts.comPremier Display film, paper, and vinyl for aqueous; polypropylene for solvent.

Quality Media & Laminating qmls.comA variety of vinyl and film for solvent and aqueous printers.

EnviroScape MuralCONVERD

>45


r + d

Fisher Textiles has added GF 901 Glossy Canvas to its line of Grand Format fabrics for latex, solvent, and UV printing. GF 901 Glossy is 11.25 oz/sq yd, and is available in 104 in. It is 65% polyester, 35% cotton, and features two acrylic latex primer basecoats and a glossy solvent inkjet-receptive topcoat. Suggested applications include fi ne-art reproductions, wall murals, and upscale retail signage. In 25- or 50-yd rolls.

The company also has supplemented its line of Grand Format fabrics for dye-sublimation printing with a new GF 3155 Diamond Mesh (FR). GF 3155 Diamond Mesh is a warp knit fabric with a slight sheen that is lightweight, 1.8 oz/sq yd, and 100% polyester. It is FR and passes the NFPA 701 small scale 1996 version and is available 122-in. wide. Designed for translucent printing that requires the image to be visible from both sides; suggested applications include various apparel, home furnishings, and tradeshow applications.

And fi nally, Fisher Textiles revived its Crazy 8 Billiard Cloth by adding a new and improved coating back for dye-sub-limation and UV printing. Designed for custom-printed pool tables, Crazy 8 features an anti-friction coating for consistent “English” and a 40-gram laminated backing to help control ball speed; it’s also stain resistant. Off ered in 65-in. widths. Also available is unbacked Crazy Cloth, for poker and other gaming tables; also 65-in. wide.

FISHER TEXTILES

fi shertextiles.com

Fisher Textiles’ GF 901 Glossy Canvas

r + d

GF 3155 DIAMOND MESH

Mactac Adds Ultra-Wide PermaGard Mactac Graphic Products has announced the addition of PermaGard PG7285XL, a 79-in. extra-wide laminate, to its PermaColor line of pressure-sensitive overlaminates. Along with a roll-width increase, the 2.5-mil laminate off ers a variety of upgrades including a solvent-based permanent acrylic adhesive, a change in the liner color from yellow, and a matte fi nish to reduce glare and improve readability.

Intended for use over UV, solvent, eco-solvent, and latex wide-format print, PermaGard PG7285XL is designed for interior and exterior signage, murals, P-O-P displays, and wide-format graphics requiring protection from UV light, weather, and scuffi ng.

MACTAC

mactac.com


Gatorfoam Exterior From 3A CompositesGatorfoam Exterior, a new offering in the Gator-board product line for exterior graphic displays and signage designed to stand up to the elements, has been introduced by 3A Composites USA.

Like standard Gatorfoam, the new Exterior product consists of polystyrene foam bonded between two layers of wood-fiber veneer laminate, producing a lightweight, warp-resistant substrate that is smooth and offers superior dent- and scratch-resistance, 3A reports. To enhance its weather performance, it’s manufactured with a specially formulated adhesive to improve bond strength and moisture resistance.

Gatorfoam Exterior accepts direct digital print-ing, screenprinting, and paint; it can be saw-cut or routed. It’s available in Bright White color in 48 x 96-in. sheets in 1- and 1.5-in. thicknesses.

In addition, 3A Composites’ Omni-Flute graphic display boards are now available in five new colors: Red, Dark Green, Dark Blue, Light Blue, and Gray. Designed for short-term signage and P-O-P displays, the boards accept direct digital printing and screenprinting applications as well as paint. Recyclable, Omni-Flute can be die-cut and knife-cut and accepts repositionable vinyl graphics.

The new Omni-Flute colors are available in standard 48 x 96-in. sheets in 4-mm thicknesses. They’re also available in cut-to-order sizes with a minimum sheet size of 18 x 18 in. and a maximum sheet size of 104 x 144 in.

3A COMPOSITES USA

graphicdisplayusa.com

Corel’s CorelDraw Graphics Suite X5 Limited Edition CorelDraw Graphics Suite X5 Limited Edition is now available. The graphics collection combines four creative and design tools:

• CorelDraw Graphics Suite X5, including Corel PhotoPaint, the image-editing application for retouching and enhancing photos;

• Corel Painter 11; • A Wacom Intuos 4 small pen tablet, with pen-tip

sensor technology and 2048 levels of pressure sensitiv-ity; and

• More than $200 of high-quality Fotolia stock im-ages of the buyer’s choice.

Price: $649 ($349 for upgrade).Also available is CorelDraw Graphics Suite X5 Small

Business Edition, which includes CorelDraw X5, Corel PhotoPaint X5, Corel PowerTrace X5, Corel Capture X5, Corel Connect, and supporting applications such as PhotoZoom Pro 2 and Swish miniMax2. Price: $899.

COREL

corel.com

Graphics One Launches GO Rio Pro Dye-Sub PrinterGraphics One has launched the GO Rio Pro 54, a 54-inch dye-sublimation transfer printer. Specifi-cally designed for the dye-sublimation market, the water-based, 4-color Rio Pro 54 features: Intelligent Interweaving printing technology to eliminate band-ing; top speeds of 400 sq ft/hr; high-definition print resolutions of up to 1440 dpi; an integrated media takeup system; and a Wasatch SoftRIP for Rio.

Price: $11,995, includes 500 ml CMYK GO Xtreme Inks (optimized for a variety of fabrics including polyester, cotton, nylon, silk), one roll of Xtreme HR 96 media, and one GO uFill bulk-ink system with cassettes.

GRAPHICS ONE

graphicsone.com

OMNI-FLUTE


New Upgrade for HP Scitex XP2300HP has introduced a new upgrade package for the HP Scitex XP2300 printer. The Scitex XP2300 now off ers new billboard print modes for printing directly on inexpensive banner materials, which could previously be used only with solvent technologies. With these print modes, designed for HP Specialty Billboard Scitex Inks, customers can achieve a glossy or matte fi nish using one ink and reduce the time spent switching inks between print jobs, HP reports. Users installing the upgrade also begin receiving support through HP Scitex Print Care, a set of tools and services designed to anticipate technical issues, enable remote diagnosis, and provide performance informa-tion. The upgrade package is scheduled to be available in mid-September.

In addition, HP has announced a free software application for the HP Designjet Z3200 Photo Printer series that enables users to generate large-format photo negatives for the production of high-quality, black-and-white silver-halide photo prints. The Large Format Photo Negative software package includes a paper preset for the HP Designjet Z3200 series that allows users to print a digital nega-tive from a fi lm, scanned, or digital-capture fi le onto a transparent substrate; once printed, the large-format photo negatives can be used as masters to produce high-quality, black-and-white fi ne-art prints through a contact process. The fi nal print size is the same as that of the transparency, allowing a 35mm negative to be blown up as large as a 44-in. print. The solu-tion can be used with any silver-halide papers, including fi xed or variable grade, and can be used to produce large-format prints from 35 mm images, enhance images from old or dam-aged negatives, or archive digital fi les physi-cally on fi lm and paper.

HP

hp.com

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

IMAGEONE IMPACT

image1impact.com

SeeFile 5 Makes its DebutSeeFile Software has introduced the fi fth generation of its Web-based digital asset management (DAM) solution. New SeeFile 5 features include: smart fi lters based on dates, approval and comments to improve production; easy navigation in diff erent folders and collections; quick annotations on images and multi-page PDFs to improve collaboration and reviewing; approval of projects and jobs; ability to invite guests by e-mail to preview content; and transfer large fi les without the need to install a client application.

Price: From $699 to $6795, depending on num-ber of users. For users who don’t have a Mac to act as the server, SeeFile provides bundles with Mac Mini hardware. Cloud-based service is also available (in North America).

SEEFILE

seefi le.com

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September 2011ad index

Agfa Graphics 21 www.agfa.comAurora Specialty Textiles 31 www.auroratextile.comBordeaux Digital Print Ink Ltd. OBC www.c-m-y-k.comClear Focus Imaging Inc. 31 www.clearfocus.comEnCore Products 31 www.encoreproducts.comEpson America IFC, 1 www.epson.comEskoArtwork 41 www.esko.comFlexcon 19 www.flexcon.comFlexmag Industries 30 www.flexmag.comGraphic Arts Show Co. 13, 15 www.graphexpo.comInx Digital 11 www.triangleinx.comLintec of America 30 www.lintecofamerica.com

Marabu North America 39 www.marabu-northamerica.comMimaki USA, Inc. 3 www.mimakiusa.comMutoh America Inc. 9 www.mutoh.comPanel Processing 40 www.panel.comPregis Corp. 43 www.pregis.comSeiko Instruments USA IBC www.seiko-i.comSGIA Insert www.sgia.orgSignage & Graphics Summit 17 www.signageandgraphics.comST Book Store 30 www.bookstore.stmediagroup.com3M Commercial Graphics 30 www.3mgraphics.comUltraflex Systems 31, 41 www.ultraflexx.comVisual Magnetics 5 www.visualmagnetics.com

www.stmediagroup.com/digital/?m=09&y=2011&b=bpic&p=39&l=www.marabu-northamerica.com

QUICK SHOTS

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

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

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

OKI proColor Financing debuts: OKI Data Americas has established OKI proColor Financing, a fi nancial-services program to sup-port OKI’s proColor dealer network. Through this program, OKI proColor Financing provides fi nancing solu-tions to facilitate more convenient access to the company’s OKI proColor series of printers. okidata.com

Retrorefl ectivity Compliance Kit from Avery: The new Avery Dennison Minimum Retrorefl ectivity Compliance Kit is designed to evalu-ate if an existing sign meets new federally established standards for “retrorefl ectivity,” the standard for measuring sign brightness. The kit contains calibration sign standards and comparison panel standards. refl ectives.averydennison.com

New Ultrafl ex SuperPrint Economy Banner Ultrafl ex has launched SuperPrint Economy, a frontlit banner material for UV, latex, and solvent printing. Its lightweight 8-oz structure is fi re-retardant and designed for indoor and short-term outdoor applications as well as P-O-P posters, exhibition graphics, and short-term banners.

Available in matte and gloss fi nishes. Standard widths are: 38, 54, 63, and 126 in.; it’s also available in various widths on cores specifi c for the HP Turbojet. And for billboard applications, Ultrafl ex off ers Billboard 420, a 192 in. x 420-ft version of SuperPrint Economy.

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

High octaneMotorsports clients, one of my personal favorites, present very intriguing opportunities. Granted, they’re not always profi table or favorable, but they’re defi nitely cool. I’ll admit that I’ve sometimes been guilty of pricing a job to the point where it wasn’t profi table just because I wanted that vehicle in our portfolio. And these projects can help you land prof-itable ones – plus it provides bragging rights.

Motorsports clients run the gamut in our shop; we ser-vice every type of vehicle and customer – from Formula 1 to the client whose 8-year-old son races go carts. You have to be mindful of these diff erences. There are good budgets for race haulers with huge sponsors, but the same is not neces-sarily true for the local guy with a dirt-track car. Think about where the money is coming from.

Speaking of money, make sure you’re fi rm on whatever terms you award. For instance, if you require a deposit, don’t start work without it. I’m not saying that motorsports clients don’t pay their bills, but many times you’ll be deal-ing with someone who’s far removed from the person who does pay the bills. The truck driver is not always the best communicator to the accounts-payable offi ce that’s located 14 states away. So be clear and steadfast in your expecta-tions for payment, and handle those details with the correct person in advance so there are no surprises for you or the client. Delaying the race team over some type of payment miscommunication will ensure you never get that job again.

Tip: Many times, these motorsports projects are very short on turn-around time because, to these clients, the “decals” are not as important as getting the car “race ready” – tweaking the motor and suspension etc. We often get two days or less to complete these projects due to last-minute sponsor deals getting signed or the ridiculously tight testing schedule of the vehicle. The more accom-modating you can be to their needs, the better chance you have at really hitting if off with motorsports clients. Know their race schedule, their team, the driver of the car, and the truck. This type of client feels much more comfortable having their work done with someone who understands their world. So get up to speed and tailor your approach for a custom fi t.

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

soon as possible and cannot put up with delays. The price point needs to be sharp and the communication must be constant and proactive. If you’re reading this and say-ing, “This is true for all client types,” you’re correct – but you’re missing the point. The game here is to understand the diff erences, even minute diff erences, in how common attributes rank diff erently in order of importance to diff er-ent buyer types. For a client that has eight HVAC service trucks, it’s extremely important to convey confi dence and deliver as promised because this client has set up six ser-vice calls for its trucks, all starting the morning after you said it would be ready. So I suggest you call that client at 3 p.m. on the day of the install and let them know every-thing is on schedule as promised.

We also take special care to immediately inspect these vehicles when they arrive, looking for any item that needs to be addressed. These items include: the correct unit number was delivered; pre-existing damage that needs to be noted; the correct year, make, and model as quoted and produced; external surprises such as ladder racks, vents, or equipment not disclosed or accounted for. If any of these items exist, they should get addressed very early in the day so the fl eet manager can take appropriate actions. Be proactive and help them keep their fl eet work-ing. Ask when the next appointment is. Get each driver’s phone number and a backup number. Ask about DOT graphic requirements. Know this client and their schedule and, in return, they will know you as a great solutions provider for them.

The most important single lesson here is to put yourself in their shoes. Try to envision what their offi ce looks like. Think about what else they have to do today. What else are they responsible for? If you were them, what would you be concerned about and in what order? See the deal from their view. If you know they’ve been burned on inferior materi-als in the past, send the warranty document with your quote. If you know they’re spending their last dollar on this marketing eff ort, send stats on the ROI of the vehicle-wrap medium. If you suspect that the buyer is extremely busy, stress how your team will own this project to completion and ask how they’d like to receive progress updates.

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

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graphics on the go

natural crease or piece of trim. We can eliminate those vertical welts caused by the overlapping panels because this way there will be no noticeable overlaps. The graphics will look like they are painted on and, to my knowledge, no one else is doing it. This will give us an advantage over our competition.”

Our two world-class installers, with a combined 25 years of experi-ence, were adamant in their profes-sional opinion: It simply could not be done and if we tried it, it would be a disaster. Given the length of panels we would have to produce, they believed, we would ruin too many panels in printing and laminating. A 5 x 45-foot piece of sticky-back vinyl for a tour bus would be impossible to work with. It would take too much time, be too diffi cult to line up the long panels, and more panels would get destroyed during install.

They felt – and passionately so – that I would be making their job a nightmare and would cost our com-pany money in increased labor and ruined materials. I took their expert opinion under advisement, and then asked the prepress and print depart-ment to produce a bus wrap in only seven panels. The output consisted of two 5 x 45-foot panels for each side, two 5 x 10-foot panels for the back, and one panel for under the front windshield. The same bus, using their preferred method, would have required 20 5 x 10-foot vertical side panels for the sides and back, plus short verticals for the front. In short, seven panels versus 22.

When our guys groaned with disapproval, I reminded them that the company was assuming all the risk. If my idea failed, we would just have to reprint the bus and pay them to do the install a second time. They were get-ting paid regardless. It was my idea; any consequences were all on me. So we did it.

The installation went off without a hitch. The long panels printed fi ne, a testament to our prepress and print departments. The seven panels took

<20

inside output

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

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

Stronger. Flatter. Greener. Better.

For more information, visit falconboard.com, or call us at 877-692-6163.

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Green Power.With striking printability and versatility, Falconboard is the perfect choice for screen or digital direct printing, as a mounting medium,

or for custom displays and POS. Its unique hexacomb design allows superior toughness with less inner core density. So cutting is easier, for

cleaner, more accurate, more attractive die-cuts. Best of all, it’s from Pregis Hexacomb,® the global product quality and service leader in high performance, engineered, 100% paper solutions for over three decades.

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Night Awards Party honors the best-of-the-best in the industry, while allowing attendees to connect with colleagues, new business contacts, and new prospective customers over din-ner and cocktails.

SGIA will be joined by other organizations representing diff erent industry segments, allowing attendees to network with companies from a wide-array of specialties. The follow-ing groups plan to hold events during the expo in New Orleans to explore new business opportunities: Fast-Signs, Signarama, the Professional Decal Application Alliance (PDAA), Profi t and Education in Reprographics (PEiR), ReproMax, United Application Standards Group (UASG), the Ad Spe-cialty Institute (ASI), and the Western Reprographics Association (WRA).

“Much of SGIA’s recent growth has been from companies new to specialty imaging. The relative ease of imple-menting digital imaging technology is bringing new companies into the community,” says Michael Robertson, SGIA’s president and CEO. “Many of these new community participants are lithographers adding wide-format ca-pability, reprographers and sign mak-ers expanding their markets, as well as companies from the manufacturing sector adding or changing industrial imaging applications in their manu-facturing process.”

Awarding excellenceDuring the expo, SGIA off ers several prestigious awards to the top work and products in the industry. Its Golden Image Awards Competition recogniz-es innovative output in the digital and screenprinting marketplace.

Each entry is judged based on its perceived value to the digital-imaging community by a team of digital-imag-ing professionals during the expo. All entries will be showcased in the gallery October 19-20, 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., and on October 21 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Every entrant will be considered for “Best in Show” (digital and screen printing categories), and for “Best in Creativity” (digital printing only).

The entry deadline for the Golden Image Awards is October 7. SGIA printer members receive one free en-try, and additional entries are $30 each. Learn more about the competition and enter online here: sgia.org/members/events/goldenimage_competition.

Last year’s honors were given to select winning entries, including:

• Best in Show - Graphic: Solutions Unlimited (entry title: High Shine);

• Best in Show - Garment: Tarun Print Tech (entry title: Michael Jack-son); and

• People’s Choice: Brilliant Graph-ics Group (entry title: Eric Drury Sculpture).

The association also awards “Prod-

uct of the Year” recognition, for qual-ity digital equipment and supplies in the specialty-imaging marketplace. Competition entrants must be SGIA member exhibitors with products currently available.

“Winners represent the best consumables and output devices that off er faster, higher quality output for the wide-format digital market,” says Robertson.

Student work is also honored at the show, via the Tom Frecska Student Printing Competition. Acknowledg-ing students’ innovative imaging work from secondary and post-secondary schools, the competition honors the former editor of Screen Printing maga-zine, Tom Frecska, who passed away in 2009. The competition, sponsored by the Academy of Screen Printing Technology, includes 24 categories and two divisions: secondary and post-secondary schools. Students can enter as individuals or teams; all work must be produced within the 2010-2011 school year. First-place winners will be recognized in each category. One entry from each division will be honored with the Best in Show award and receive an ASPT Achievement Award as well as a $500 graphic-arts education scholarship.

Britney Grimmelsman is associate editor of The Big Picture magazine.

Online Conversation If you’d like to follow the latest hap-penings regarding SGIA Expo and its exhibitors, or voice out about seminar topics or new products then the SGIA social-media sites are for you:

• Twitter: @SGIAExpo and #sgiaexpo

• Blogger: SGIA.org/wordpress• Linkedin: SGIA

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SGIA Expo


Qué Mediaque-media.comMagnate eco-solvent media; Majestic, Monarch, and Motif media for aqueous.

R Tapertape.comVinylEfx self-adhesive metallized vinyl for solvent, mild-solvent, plus UV-cur-able printers; Claritex polycarbonate film for UV and latex printers.

Rayven rayven.comVinyl, film, and paper for wide-format.

Read & Co.readandcompany.comRead media for water-based, solvent, and mild-solvent printers.

Rite-Mediarite-media.comRite-Media paper, vinyl, backlit, ban-ner, and reflective media.

Ritramaritrama-us.comRI-Print and RI-Wrap vinyl for solvent and aqueous printers.

Rock of Agesroausa.comCoated media for solvent and eco-sol-vents; water-resistant outdoor media; indoor media; silver metallic film.

Roland DGArolanddga.comBanner, paper, vinyl, and film for aque-ous, solvent, and mild-solvent printers.

Royal Sovereignroyalsovereign.comFilm and paper.

SID Signssidsigns.comOneSign vinyl and banner.

SignGoldsigngold.comQuick-Sign gold vinyl film for latex and solvent.

Sihl Digital Imagingsihlusa.comAqueous, latex, UV-curable, and sol-vent inkjet media, as well as a line of green media.

Snyder Manufacturingsnyderman.comWeatherspan and Advertex banner and blackout media.

Sonoma Graphic Productssgpweb.comBanner, films, and papers for aqueous, solvent, UV, and latex printers.

Splash of Colorsplashofcolor.comBanner media for aqueous inks.

Stafford Textilesstaftex.comGrandform for large-format solvent.

Tekra tekra.comDuraView vinyl and polyester for sol-vent; JetView for UV.

3M3mgraphics.com3M Banner, 3M Wall Decorating Film, Controltac, Scotchcal, Scotchprint, and Scotchlite banner, self-adhesive, film, reflective, perforated media, Flexible Light Mat, and more.

Transilwraptransilwrap.comTransalloy (including biodegradeable), MXM and Teslin synthetic paper, and Transvy vinyl, as well static-Clingz cling, and polyester.

TriVantagetrivantage.comBrite Awn polyester, Bantex, more.

Ultraflex Systemsultraflexx.comMedia lines for solvent, UV-curable, and latex printing including BioFlex, SuperPrint, SuperSmooth, Vulite, Jetflex, Normandy, Ultrabanner, Ultra-Blockout, Ultima Supreme, Ultralon, Ultravision, Ultramesh, and Super-Print Economy.

Universal Productsu-p.comSolutions vinyl, banner, and film for solvent, mild-solvent, and UV-curable.

US Banner Corp.usbanner.comCrown vinyl for solvent inks.

Utopia Digital Technologiesudtfilms.comIts digital print platforms are sold by OEMs, dealers, and distributors in-cluding Effex for aqueous, KromaPlex for solvent, KromaPlex for UV, more.

Valloy valloy.comTopaz PET banner and paper for aque-ous and mild-solvent printers.

Value Vinylsvaluevinyls.comFreedomMedia; Opaque Ultra-Smooth PET; Ad-Flex; EcoLogic UV and Solvent recyclable banner; GrandFlex mesh; Rio mesh.

Xcel Productsgoecomedia.comEcoMedia Blockout, a banner mate-rial for UV printers; TerraSkin XP is a pulp-free paper comprising 80% stone (calcium carbonate) and a 20% PE (polyethylene) non-toxic resin.

Solvent Glossy PaperROLAND

media

<35


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

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

Conferences and associations Industry associations off er a plethora of training and education events, gen-erally focused upon their members’ particular market niche; for these types of events, you typically must be a member of the association to attend. Conferences without association ties are open events.

The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing, and Converting Technologies (NPES, npes.org) will feature its annual conference in Palm Beach, Florida, October 17-19, 2011; educational sessions to be announced. In addition, it joins forces with the NAPL and PIA to create the Vision 3 Summit, which will take place Febru-ary 19-22, 2012, on Marco Island, Florida. Geared toward graphic-com-munications executives, Vision 3 is designed to “provide industry execu-tives with strategic and actionable business advice based on the latest industry trend analysis.”

Hosted by the Printing Industries of America (PIA, printing.org), the Color Management Conference 2011

features advice from industry experts, an array of technology to review and try, and various practitioners and experts on hand to help attendees bet-ter understand the intricacies of color management. The event takes place December 3-6, 2011, in Phoenix.

PIA also off ers various workshops and webinars; in 2011, webinar topics included: “How to Profi le and Cali-brate Your Display for Soft Proofi ng,” “Picking the Right Marketing Mix for Your Company,” “Lean Manufacturing Principles,” and others.

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

IDEAlliance (idealliance.org) off ers various webinars and conferences throughout the year. Its 2011 G7 Sum-mit takes place September 11-14, on the fl oor of the Graph Expo show. In addition, it has partnered with Print-Planet (printplanet.com) to produce a series of free live, monthly educational sessions titled “Print IdeasOnline” – topics to include Digital Print En-gines, Color Management, Workfl ow, Business Growth, and Variable Data Management. All webinars will be recorded and archived in the IdeasOn-line Webinar Library for those unable to attend live sessions.

IDEAlliance also off ers downloads of various best-practices standards and papers on color management.

The Information Management Institute (imiconf.com) sponsors a number of conferences throughout the year, both in the US and Europe. Its 2011 US conference titles included: Inkjet Academy: Theory of Inkjet Technology, Annual Thermal Printing

Conference, Annual Inkjet Printing Conference, and others. Its Security Printing Conference takes place No-vember 16-18 in Hollywood, Florida. The institute also off ers webcasts of some of its former programs.

The 2012 Kodak GUA North Ameri-can Conference (gua2011.com) for Ko-dak users takes place January 16-20 in New Orleans. The conference includes three days of educational sessions, user panels, roundtable discussions, and hands-on demonstrations, as well as networking with industry peers, Kodak management, and Kodak Solu-tion partners. In-depth GUA Univer-sity classes are also off ered.

The National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL, napl.org) holds it 2011 Owners Conference in Septem-ber in Chicago. Aimed at owners and general managers of small digital, commercial, and quick-print opera-tions, the event features two days of educational sessions. Sessions include: “12 Ways to Build Your Wide-Format Business,” “Print and Mobile: Un-derstanding QR Codes,” “Building a Digital Workfl ow,” “Business Valua-tions,” and others.

The annual conference of the Picture Archive Council of America (PACA, pacaoffi ce.org) takes place October 21-23, 2011, in New York. Focusing on critical issues facing the stock-image industry, the event will include three sessions in partnership with Micros-tock Diaries: “Social Media & ROI,” “Buyer Profi ling,” and “Ingestion 2.0.” The Visual Connections Expo (visual-connections.com) runs immediately prior to the PACA event.

Premedia Training Solutions by IPA (prepresstraining.com) off ers several course tracks geared toward the graphics industry, including: PDF Workfl ow, Imaging, Layout, Imposition, File Prep & Basics, Color Management, and others. Courses are

training & education

<25


available via an annual, monthly, or single-course subscription.

Sign Biz, Inc. (signbiz.com) off ers personalized sign-technologies train-ing, comprising two weeks of home instruction, 48 hours of formalized training at the Sign Biz Techni-cal Training Center in Dana Point, California, and 32 hours of on-the-job training at Sign Biz store locations. Aspects covered include marketing, design, EDS, sign technologies, prod-ucts, sign codes, and more. A Cer-tifi cate of Sign Arts is awarded upon completion of Advanced Sign Stud-ies. Following graduation, additional equipment set-up and training takes place on-site at the new shop. Each week, webinars, seminars, and video education are delivered under the Sign Biz ELATEd umbrella (e-Learning Alliance for Training and Education). Sign Biz hosts three-day international conventions each year featuring 22 to 30 educational components.

The Signage and Graphics Summit (signageandgraphics.com) brings together top-tier executives from high-volume digital printing, sign, and screenprinting companies for discussions on best practices, new technologies, and business strategies. The 2012 event will be held at the Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix, January 23-25. The event is owned by ST Media Group, parent company to The Big Picture magazine. The 2012 SGS adds new program components designed to provide new educational programming, and generate addition-al networking opportunities, includ-ing “SGS Match” meetings that will allow sponsors to meet privately with select attendees in provided suites during the conference.

The Signage Foundation’s (thesign-agefoundation.org) 2011 National Signage Research and Education Con-ference will take place October 12-13 in Cincinnati. Held in collaboration with

the University of Cincinnati’s College of Business and College of Design, Ar-chitecture, Art and Planning, the event is aimed at sign manufacturers and end users as well as educators, plan-ners, and regulators. The conference will off er two days of presentations, studio projects, and breakout sessions.

Xplor’s Document University (xdu-online.org) is a year-round program from Xplor International (xplor.org) and off ers instructional classes, webinars, online conferences, social-networking opportunities, podcasts, virtual vendor and user technology forums, plus an industry certifi cation program, all primarily geared toward document production.

And more educational resourcesVarious colleges and universities across the country have course and de-gree off erings for print and graphics, and some off er one-time seminars and even online opportunities.

The College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois (cod.edu) off ers certifi cates and degrees in Print Production and Digital Prepress Production; all classes are held on site. The Print Pro-duction option allows students to gain an understanding of the production workfl ow for digital fi les from layout to the fi nal printed piece. The Digital Prepress Production option includes page composition, electronic illustra-tion, image enhancement, color cor-rection, and website preparation.

The University Printing and Imaging Management Department at Ferris State University (graphicarts.ferris.edu) in Big Rapids, Michigan, off ers an associate’s degree in Printing & Im-aging Technology as well as bachelor degrees in Printing Management and New Media Printing and Publishing.

The Graphic Communication Institute at California Polytechnic State Universi-ty (grci.calpoly.edu) will create custom-

ized training programs and workshops to address a company’s needs.

Pittsburg State University’s (pittstate.edu/git) Department of Graphics and Imaging Technologies in Pittsburg, Kansas, off ers bachelor’s degrees in Applied Science and Technology (digi-tal and print media) as well as Science in Technology (Graphic Communica-tions Management and Commercial Graphics); it also off ers a Master of Science degree with an emphasis on Print Management.

The School of Print Media at the Rochester Institute of Technology(cias.rit.edu) in Rochester, New York, off ers the following programs: Gradu-ate Print Media; Printing Minor; and New Media Publishing.

The Sonoco Institute at Clemson University’s Department of Graphics Communications (clemson.edu/so-noco_institute) off ers seminars on “Paperboard Packaging” and “Ex-panded Color Gamut” later this year at Clemson. Earlier seminars included “G7 and Process Color” and “Printed Electronics 101.” The Institute indi-cates it will be off ering a series on online courses on packaging, and also makes available custom, onsite training programs. This past spring, Clemson’s Graphics Communications Department (graphics.clemson.edu) off ered a webinar series on “Mailing, Fulfi llment, and Marketing Services.”

Waukesha County Technical Col-lege (wctc.edu), based in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, off ers several workshops and seminars geared toward print-ing and publishing throughout the year, including: “Photoshop Basics,” “Image Adjustment,” “Retouching Techniques,” and “Compositing and Layer Masks.” In addition, its Printing & Graphics Department off ers certifi -cates and degrees in various programs, including Print & Digital Media; Print-ing; Digital Production; and others.


Competitive Motivation

job log

The Client Perfectly Fit

The Players Graphic Innovations (graphicin.com), Catalyst Inc. (catalystb2b.com)

Tools & Supplies Seiko Instruments ColorPainter W-64S; Flexcon SeeThru-Sign perf window fi lm, WallDeco fabric fi lm, and BusArt overlam; Seal 600 MD laminator

The Job Perfectly Fit, a Rhode Island private fi tness center, faced stiff competition from workout facilities that were better-known, well-funded, and off ered lower fees. Adding to its stress: The fi tness center’s storefront location was considered less than ideal by patrons who typically sought workout privacy – many members complained about feeling “a fi sh-bowl eff ect” because they were surrounded by windows.

Perfectly Fit teamed up with b-to-b marketer Catalyst and Rhode Island’s own Graphic Innovations to develop a plan to not only distinguish the facility from its larger competi-tors, but to design graphics to address the aforementioned lack of privacy, as well as an uninspiring atmosphere and discomfort from sunlight coming through the windows.

Production “Perfectly Fit members all reported that the purpose of a gym is to meet goals,” says Brian Odell, Catalyst president. Catalyst refl ected this by producing images of swimming, marathon running, hiking, and other activities – sourced from Shutterstock – for the interior walls and windows. The interior graphics carried single-word inspira-tional messages: “be,” “do,” “push,” “live,” etc. In-shop, Graphic Innovations added bleeds, adjusted for size, and completed in-house color testing.

Once PDF and hard-copy proofs were approved, Graphic Innovations turned to its Seiko ColorPainter W64-S printer to output onto Flexcon SeeThru-Sign STSWBF2 (60/40 perf) for the window graphics, and onto Flexcon Walldeco 6770 for the graphics that would adorn the interior walls. A Flexcon BusArt OV 5055 overlaminate was added for the win-dow graphics, using the shop’s Seal 600 MD laminator. In all, Graphic Innovations output a total of 18 graphics, ranging in size from 8.25 x 49.75 to 48 x 58.75 inches.

Two installers completed the job in four hours, never having to close down the facility during operating hours.

“We had to

create graph-

ics that would

stand out on

a tight budget

so that our

client, a small

company,

could compete

against huge

franchises

with sizeable

marketing

dollars.”

#1 In Fleet Graphics

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

www.seiko-i.com

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

Join the Thousands of Successful ColorPainter Owners Today! Call now for a free Fleet Graphics printer comparison.

Also available in 104” width for large banner printing

3X Faster720 x720 dpi

Use Any Media8 Rich Colors

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www.stmediagroup.com/digital/?m=09&y=2011&b=bpic&p=c4&l=www.c-m-y-k.com

The Big Picture - September 2011

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Transcript of The Big Picture - September 2011