2023 TAGA Conference Celebrates 75 Years of Innovation
The TAGA Annual Tech Conference, held March 12-15, brought together nearly 100 printing industry professionals for an information-rich roster of keynote and technical paper presentations, held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
The Technical Association of the Graphic Arts (TAGA), now in its 75th year, is an international community of professionals and academics dedicated to both scientific research and technological innovation in the graphic communications industry. About TAGA, Ford Bowers, CEO of PRINTING United Alliance, said, “For those looking beyond the current state of commercially available technological innovation in printing, TAGA is essential in seeing the horizon of possibilities. Its forward focus on R&D makes TAGA a bellwether of future development.”
The TAGA conference provides one of the premier platforms for industry leaders, innovators, researchers, scientists, and end users to provide and evaluate the latest research and learn how it can impact printing business.
At the outset of the event, John Bodnar, research assistant with PRINTING United Alliance, and TAGA Administrator, said, “People are happy to be back. We did the digital version of the conference [during COVID], but nothing compares to doing this in person.”
About the value the annual conference brings to the printing industry and the community it fosters, Mark Bohan, direct color solutions with Konica Minolta Business Solutions, and current president of TAGA, said, "Each time I attend, I come away with new insight into where the industry is headed and what I can expect to see in the upcoming years. TAGA's members are group to which I turn when I come up with unexpected challenges, for no doubt someone has knowledge and experience, and is more than willing to help."
PRINTING United Alliance CEO Ford Bowers addressed the crowd.
Keynotes Provide Context, Vision
The conference kicked off with a series of thought-provoking keynote presentations designed to provide the pulse of the graphic communications industry, and to provide an informed vision of where technology will take the industry. These sessions were effective in setting the tone for the broader conference, and providing valuable “food for thought”.
Dr. Kate Stone, founder and CEO or Novalia, described how sensory experiences – using elements such as interactive electronics and touch-sensitive inks – had been used to heighten the effect of advertising campaigns. Dr. Volker Jansen, academic dean at Stuttgart Media University, discussed current trends in printing technology and extrapolated upon them to create a view of how the would affect the printing industry in the long term. Kerry Maguire King, senior director, process innovation for textiles and wallpaper at Shutterfly discussed recent developments in process and workflow in the digital textile printing space, and provided a view into how these developments will affect areas such as speed, cost, and design options. Finally, Greg Palm, executive vice president, business development at Mark Andy Companies, discussed developments in printing in the label-printing space. His presentation covered if, and how, labels can do more to increase customer interaction, and unlock additional value. Technology, scale, and process all play a role, he said.
Dr. Volker Jansen talked on the topic of Innovations in Biometric Printing.
Charting Innovation, Viewing the Future
The second and third days of this year’s TAGA Conference dug deep into printing technology research and its findings with the presentation of 33 science and technical innovation papers. These papers, presented by an international mix of industry and education professionals, addressed developments in analysis, process, color, and workflow, with specific segments highlighting flexography, package printing, and digital printing. A “technical focus session” served as an open forum, allowing attendees to exchange thoughts and ideas with members of TAGA’s advisory committee. Information presented during featured concepts that will define the industry’s future.
Krzysztof (Kris) Krystosiak presented the Comparison of Two Processless Offset Printing Plates in a session.
Dawn Nye, program manager at PRINTING United Alliance and managing director of TAGA, said that among the many topics presented, she was most interested in technical paper presentations on printing on medical-grade Tyvek for packaging, and lively discussion on whether Gutenberg did (or did not) publish the first book in Europe.
Providing Recognition
A highlight of the conference’s Honor Awards Reception and Banquet was the presentation of the Michael H. Bruno Award to David Niles, senior print and converting scientist at Sappi. In addition to his nearly four decades of research for Sappi, a paper manufacturer, Niles is also a G7 Expert, a past president of TAGA, and a veteran of the PIA Research Advisory Committee. Further, Niles holds Bachelor of Science degrees in paper science engineering from the State University of New York, and engineering from Syracuse University. The late Michael H. Bruno, for whom the award is named, was the co-founder of TAGA.
Mark Bohan of KMBS (left) presented the Michael H. Bruno award to David Niles of Sappi (right).
Also presented was the Kipphan Cup, the top award of the Helmut Kipphan Student Chapter Competition, which was awarded to team from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. The student competition challenges teams of university students to develop, design, and produce their own research journals, which are then judged by the TAGA Advisory Committee to determine a winner. Further, the competition includes subcategory awards for technical writing, which was awarded to Clemson University; publication design, awarded to Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU); production quality, awarded to TMU; digital enhancement, awarded to Clemson University; and the favorite of conference attendees, which was awarded to a team from Rochester Institute of Technology.
Students from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo took home the Kipphan Cup.
Learning and Experiencing First-Hand
The final day of the conference featured a technology-focused tour of Vox Printing (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma). Over more than 50 years, the company has become a leading producer of tray liners, sandwich wraps, French-fry containers, and other bakery and produce items. Recognized as a leader in the use of Lean principles for process improvement and cost reduction, the company produces 180,000 tray liners per hour and packs 40,000-50,000 finished products per hour. The tour included a view of Vox Printing’s extensive production facilities, which have been carefully optimized for both quality and profitability.
Vox Printing, it should be noted, is not only an exceptional printing company, it is also an excellent place to work. The company has received a Best Workplace designation from PRINTING United Alliance and a Best Places to Work recognition from The Journal Record, an Oklahoma City newspaper.
Those who attended the tour received an essential view into how innovation, fostered by TAGA’s 75 years, has transformed the graphics communications industry.
Dan Marx, Content Director for Wide-Format Impressions, holds extensive knowledge of the graphic communications industry, resulting from his more than three decades working closely with business owners, equipment and materials developers, and thought leaders.
