Printco

Nearly three years have passed since the Print Services & Distribution Association (PSDA) joined forces with management firm SmithBucklin and relocated its headquarters from Alexandria, Va., to Chicago. Now the PSDA is making bold moves once again.

The Print Services & Distribution Association (PSDA) is adding even more charm to Baltimore this year.

It's not just famous for its inner harbor and crab cakes. It's not just the backdrop of HBO's now defunct The Wire. Many know it as "Charm City," but for the printing industry it's the site of PSDA's annual Print Solutions Conference and Expo from May 24 to 26 at the Baltimore Convention Center.

A little change never hurt anyone. With that in mind, this year’s big show promises a change of pace, a change of scenery and a change in demand. The newly revamped PSDA (formerly DMIA) will host its annual Print Solutions Conference and Exposition on Oct. 23-25 at the Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore. This year’s featured general session keynote speaker will be Charlie Pesko, founder and president of InfoTrends, a leading market research and consulting firm in the digital imaging and document solutions industries. Technological advances and refined marketing strategies are just some of the issues gaining momentum in a slowing economy. To encourage print

Manufacturing state-mandated prescription forms since 1995, Printco, Omro, Wis., is ready for the new Medicaid mandate. Under the new policy, hand-written prescriptions for Medicaid outpatient drugs will only be reimbursable if written on a tamper-resistant prescription pad. Effective April 1, a tamper-resistant prescription pad must contain at least one of the following characteristics: • Features preventing unauthorized copying of a completed or blank prescription form • Features preventing the erasure or modification of information written on the prescription by the prescriber • Features preventing the use of counterfeit prescription forms Beginning Oct. 1, tamper-resistant prescription pad must contain all three

Enough with the declining markets already. There’s actually a vibrant, emerging market for printed paper business documents, and it’s being driven by technology. While the migration from paper-based forms to electronic formats has been the undoing of many in the industry, Chris Ruback, marketing manager for Phoenix-based Greenleaf Paper (www.greenleafpaper.com) said the proliferation of hand-held printing devices within the past five years is significantly growing sales of roll paper products, particularly for direct thermal applications. Greenleaf Paper produces blank and custom pre-printed roll paper used for point-of-sale receipts, automatic teller machine records, credit card processing, travel itineraries at airport kiosks and a

Headquartered in Omro, Wis., Printco offers a “Paper Knowledge” webinar at www.printco.com, showing how characteristics of different papers not only impact the look of projects, but bindery operations, as well. “I always tell people to first consider how [a piece] will be used, then the budget of the customer,” said Ken Sperling, president. As for a paper’s finish, a glossy stock is best when showcasing attention-getting graphics. When dealing with a lot of text, Sperling recommended a matte or dull finish, since any glare on the sheet may impede the reader’s progress. Application also dictates the proper weight of the paper. For instance,

DMIA’s annual Print Solutions conference and exposition will be held Oct. 3-5 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. The conference will provide three days of educational sessions, including a presentation by this year’s keynote speaker, Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House and co-author of “Contract with America.” Join Gingrich as he analyzes the current political climate in Washington, DC, and educates attendees on effective leadership. This year’s conference will feature equipment demonstrations, offering distributors better insight into how various applications are produced. In addition, exchange centers will be located on the show floor with more than 34 hours of