Production/Printing Processes

Headquartered in Marysville, Ohio, Univenture's custom printed, polypropylene EnvyPak mailer received the 2009 award for Excellence in Flexography from the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA).

Margie Dana, founder of Boston Print Buyers, is a marketing specialist who focuses on improving the printer-buyer relationship. The following is from one of her recent “Margie’s Print Tips” e-newsletter postings, in which she explored how cars, buses and trucks come to be decked out in full-color images. Through her association with SGIA (Specialty Graphic Imaging Association), Dana came across Judd Morgan of USA Image in Louisville, Ky. The company does vehicle wraps, and Dana interviewed Judd about the process. • MD: What’s the basic process for a vehicle wrap? It’s a series of steps: 1. Vehicle Appraisal/Request for Quote -

Ft. Scott, Kansas-based Ward/Kraft has perfected its ability to print UV ink under a silicone layer. The release of this proprietary solution provides distributors with new low cost, faster turnaround alternatives for piggyback and scratch-off label applications. This innovation makes printing UV inks on the liner a faster, more reliable and less costly solution. Ward/Kraft’s proprietary converting process eliminates outsourcing and waiting for materials to create hidden message labels. As a result, distributors can cut time and cost out of every application they currently sell. There is virtually no limitation on the material that can be used or on the quantity that can

Inkjet!: History, Technology, Markets & Applications is a new publication by industry pundit Frank Romano. It was commissioned by Pittsburgh-based PIA/GATF, and is the perfect tool for anyone seeking to better understand inkjet technology, manufacturers and applications. Eight comprehensive chapters address the following topics: • The history of inkjet printing • The component era • The wide-format era • Inkjet printing technology • Industrial printing • Packaging printing • Transaction and transpromo printing • Drivers and trends The publication is available to PIA/GATF members for $55 and to nonmembers for $75. For more information, visit www.gain.net.

Headquartered in Hudson, N.H., Presstek—a leading manufacturer and marketer of digital offset printing business solutions—introduced a UV printing option for the Presstek 52DI and 34DI digital offset presses at drupa, which took place May 29th through June 11th in Dusseldorf, Germany. “Printing with UV waterless inks on Presstek’s DI presses expands Presstek’s opportunity to provide the highest quality, lowest cost four-color offset solution for a wider range of markets, including consumer packaging, point-of-purchase and direct mail,” said Klaus Schleicher, Presstek group product director, digital printing business unit. “This new UV option for DI presses will open new doors for Presstek, our customers, and their

The Print Professional team congratulates everyone who participated in this year’s design contest for their creativity and ingenuity. It was exciting to receive new entries in the mail each day, and to see how industry professionals used their talent and supply chain expertise to deliver effective, high-quality solutions. With loupes in hand, a distinguished panel of judges from North American Publishing Company, Philadelphia, evaluated entries based on print quality, technical achievement and the degree to which a solution satisfied the intended application. They were so impressed with the submissions, that in addition to designating winners in the various categories, the judges felt compelled

With the passing of another year, less-than-optimistic predictions continue to plague the forms sector. How often do we hear industry experts refer to printed forms as “a dying breed?” Yes, Print Professional’s annual Top 100 Manufacturers issue last October revealed a slight decline in forms sales with reported figures of $931 million compared to $1.08 billion in 2006. Nevertheless, paper-based forms had—and still have—the strongest presence in the entire printed-products market. In 2007, forms comprised 34.5 percent of the total $2.97 billion annual sales listed for the printing industry as a whole. Labels and tags were the closest competitors, making up only 18.8 percent

Many in the graphic communications industry still believe that being a good friend to the environment and being financially successful are mutually exclusive. But not Environmental Specialties Inc. (ESI). Since 1985, the Chicago-based supplier of pressroom products has successfully followed a path of environmental stewardship while improving service and retaining competitive pricing. “With vast changes in environmental and government regulations in the United States and Canada, our industry is best served by environmentally conscious products and corporate social responsibility,” said Mike Miske, president. “As an industrial manufacturer, we recognize protecting the environment as an obligation to future generations.” ESI’s environmental consciousness permeates company culture,

With increasing demand for paper products from responsibly managed forests, Western States Envelope & Label, Butler, Wis., has taken a leading role in becoming a certified chain-of-custody source to its customers. The company earned both the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) chain-of-custody certifications, covering all four of its envelope manufacturing facilities: Butler; Toledo, Ohio; Erlanger, Ky.; and Vadnais Heights, Minn. The FSC and SFI standards pertain to all aspects of responsible forestry, including environmental, social and economic concerns. Chain-of-custody certification gives Western States Envelope & Label the ability to certify that its products originate from responsibly managed forests.

Technology has been both boon and burden to the printing industry. It has streamlined manufacturing and workflow, and has made many arduous and traditional press duties parts of the past. But, it has also aided quick printers in continuing to slip in and swipe short-run jobs, as more printing shops are closed, bought or sold every year. Clearly, we exist in a different, online world—sending some paper-based products the way of the dinosaur. Regardless, there are still a number of ways to increase profits. For instance, post-press services offer ways to secure client loyalty and increase efficiency. From folding to binding and gluing