Print Media

Effective April 23, the show's opening day, Rob Whitman will begin his term as PSDA board president, a position most recently occupied by IBF president and COO Tressa McLaughlin.

Rochester Institute of Technology's College of Imaging Arts and Sciences has named print industry veteran Chris Bondy to the Gannett Distinguished Professorship and appointed him as interim administrative chair of RIT's School of Print Media.

Edwards Brothers, Inc. announced the formation of a print partnership with market leaders in digital print technology to provide publishers with a one-stop print solution for printing around the globe.

Rochester Institute of Technology has announced the commercial launch of PSAsm Certification. PSAsm Certification, or Printing Standards Audit Certification, is a rigorous, objective process for assessing a printer's ability to operate a standards-compliant workflow.

Neenah Paper Technical Products DURAFORM Brand, the choice for durable washable saturated papers for jean labels, has introduced a new textured product, Safari Tan.

Saying that 2008 ended on an unsettled note may be the mother of all understatements, but it is the most meaningful way to characterize the economic outlook for 2009. And, bad news for the economy is worse news for printing industry sales.

By Maggie DeWitt For all the direct mail devotees out there, this mystery product’s for you. It presents a win-win-win situation, since the innovative product can boost manufacturers’ and distributors’ sales by enabling end-users to grow their businesses, while helping mail recipients save money. The product combines all the best of digital printing technology and the effectiveness of a direct mail campaign to create a vehicle for presenting money-saving coupons. Furthermore, its design serves to control production costs. Check out these clues to guess what the product is: • It is constructed using 18x12", 80 lb. white matte cover stock. • It

WhatTheyThink.com, Lexington, Ky.—a news and analysis site for the printing and publishing industry—announced that Frank Romano, professor emeritus, School of Print Media, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), will conduct a free educational webinar entitled “Selling and Marketing Digital Printing to Ad Agencies.” Scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 27, from 2:00 to 3:00 EST, the session will help print service providers with digital color printing capabilities target ad agencies with business-to-business clients. Registration for this no-charge webinar is available at Web page http://members.whattheythink.com/home/webinarregistrationform.cfm. “Ad agencies influence over $102 billion in print buying in the United States,” said Romano. “Eighty percent of creative agencies are involved in

INDUSTRY GURU FRANK ROMANO, professor emeritus at the Rochester Institute of Technology School of Print Media, noted these digital printing trends: • While digital imaging offset press technology is still valid for short runs, digital printing offers the benefits of one-off impressions and variable data. • Inkjet provides the only foreseeable threat to toner-based printing. Look at a wide-format inkjet printer and you will see the future of the printing press. The quality is high and speeds are increasing. • All printing processes will soon share the same digital infrastructure. • Workflow is, and will be, everything. • Networked laser printers are challenging copiers; copiers are challenging

Dive Into Digital Experts discuss how to market and design for digital printing IT HAS TAKEN MORE THAN a decade, but digital printing is now mainstream. "Of all United States commercial and quick printers, more than 60 percent currently have some level of digital color capability," noted Frank Romano, professor emeritus of the Rochester Institute of Technology's School of Print Media located in Rochester, New York. "It is no longer a case of printers asking 'Should I', but rather, 'Which one should I buy?'" He also reported that print buyers are increasingly specifying digital output for many applications where offset once dominated.