Slowing down and following a "Best Practices" method to paper trials and qualification will save you time and ink costs by focusing on ink and paper surface compatibility. As your cost for a better inkjet paper and print quality go up, your ink usage should go down. But only if there are best practices in place.
Each year about this time I look back and remember all the wonderful people I’ve met in the printing industry. From owners and management, to operators and salespeople, this is truly the friendliest industry there is. Each year I have the privilege of being contracted to work with some of the most talented press operators and designers there are. These tireless folks endure constant industry change.
This was another great year for GRAPH EXPO in Chicago. Although the hype was low key, there were many new inkjet technologies.
Growing up, my crazy uncle used to say “You can call me whatever name you like, just don’t call me late to dinner.” A clear name is important and I think of my uncle whenever someone asks me "Why does a paper change its name when used in different markets?"
We talk continuously about how important it is to design to the right process. Recently, I had the chance to help a talented designer from Chicago do just that.
Each year, I am proud to be a part of the Inkjet Summit. It is the only industry event where competitors (printers and vendors) can come together and really share their experiences and technology offerings to advance inkjet adoption.
With no yoga required, you, as a manager, can sense changes in your facility and start a conversation with senior management.
Inkjet has created wonderful personalization and marketing options for customers. How does your sales team “work it” to benefit your customers’ marketing message?
Production inkjet is a wonderful technology for many types of printing, but it is not right for everyone. The print requirements must direct the process. Or, in medical terms, you cannot "treat" something properly if you don’t have an accurate diagnosis.
I had the pleasure speaking at the Digital Book Printing Conference co-hosted by Printing Impressions and Book Business magazines on Nov. 19th in New York City. Although I spoke about the technical aspects of integrating inkjet printing into their digital printing processes, it was very evident throughout the conference that “printed” books are decreasing.
Technology is moving forward, and production is integrating new processes and equipment into the workflow. More often than not, though, creative departments are not being properly trained about these new processes that they must design for.
This year, more than ever, I’ve heard about printers having issues with the water resistance of prints produced on their high-speed aqueous inkjet printers. Printing companies are hearing from their customers that the ink on the bills and statements, when received in the mail, are bleeding, wicking and offsetting to other mail, or are totally illegible.
Although I love summer, I really look forward to the fall season and the print shows each year at McCormick Place in Chicago. It is a truly exciting time seeing all the new technologies and devices. It is like being a kid in a candy store.
For those of you who are investigating high-speed inkjet, when talking to your OEM, be sure you request your supplier’s best and brightest when discussing how to best integrate high-speed inkjet into your existing operations. Or align yourself with an industry expert who can help with the evaluation, qualification and justification process. Your production department will certainly thank you for it.
During the course of almost two decades, the more inkjet I got involved with, the more I needed to incorporate inkjet into my daily life, oh, I mean production. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest “suppliers,” I mean ink chemists, who have made creating great color and print quality the easy part of my job. Working with UV platforms gave me the extra rush I needed, for the time being.
