HP Educational Sessions and In-Booth AHappy Hours ll GRAPH EXPO 15 attendees are welcome to stop by Booth 1202, where HP is showcasing the latest HP Indigo, InkJet Web Press, and wide format solutions, as well as hosting a variety of educational sessions on topics such as: • New and innovative applications • Creating impact with special effects • Integrating Big Data • HP SmartStream Mosaic application • HP Latex: The new frontier in wide format • Folding carton production • Flexible packaging production • Service Advantage 2.0 • HP PageWide for commercial and industrial print production The HP Indigo 7800 Digital Press, HP Indigo WS6800 Digital Press, HP Indigo 10000 Digital Press, HP PageWide XL 8000 Printer, and HP Latex 3500 Printer are available for in-booth demonstrations, while HP “Discover” display areas in the booth highlight unique applications enabled by HP digital printing technology. As if that weren’t enough, HP is hosting in-booth happy hours today, Monday, September 14, from 4:00 to 5:00 pm. How Does a Commercial Printer Enter the Lucrative Packaging Market? How does a traditional commercial printer, with a sheetfed offset press, enter the lucrative packaging market? Investing in the right equipment and developing a solid business plan were key for Dale Skinkis, President of Graphic Edge Printing & Packaging. “The market for package printing is shifting with the growth of on-demand production. Serving the on-demand market requires focus upon quality and price. That’s how you get the business.” The company’s niche is quick prototyping and printing of folding carton retail packaging, from as little as 500 up to 20,000 units, within extremely quick turnarounds. Creating retail packaging typically takes four to six weeks or longer. Graphic Edge Printing & Packaging turns these jobs in as little as 48 hours. The staff at Graphic Edge is so customer-focused that when a packaging opportunity comes in they are able to quickly generate a packaging design and deliver a prototype within hours. “We are constantly studying the market for new and unique packaging designs and then reverse engineering the design to fit our production capabilities,” says Tashina Peplinski, Production Manager, at Graphic Edge Printing & Packaging. The gift box dilemma Just three weeks before last Christmas, a client requested 30,000 gift-wrapped packages with bows on top for a cellular phone promotion. The client was adamant on having the bows on top, but to physically gift wrap 30,000 boxes was going to be very time consuming and expensive. The solution was to create a folding box design to include a die-cut bow on the top and print the “gift wrap” design. Within a day, the customer received a prototype and approved the job. Design, printing, die-cutting, and gluing production occurred in-house and within a few days. What enabled a traditional commercial printer to enter the packaging market? “Having every process that is needed to complete the job under one roof is key,” states Skinkis. “One of our differentiators is that we can run packaging jobs on the same press as our traditional commercial print jobs.” The big secret In the summer of 2014, Graphic Edge Printing & Packaging installed a RYOBI MHI Graphic Technology Ltd (RMGT) (Booth 4213) 755XL-D Packaging Edition Offset Press. The new press features automatic deployment and retraction of transfer drums to accommodate stocks ranging from onionskin to heavy board. It also features a heavy-duty feeder, as well as an air-guide system to ‘float’ sheets through the 16,000-sph press without marking. RMGT’s SMART RPC technolog y drives makereadies down to just six minutes. “We were pretty sure the press was the one to help us grow our business, but we wanted to “After seeing the press in the Ryobi factory and running full-out on the printer’s floor we knew this was the press for us,” says Dale Skinkis, (left) President, Graphic Edge Printing & Packaging. see the retractable ‘skeleton drums’ in action—this is the critical technology that enables printing of heavy stock,” says Skinkis. “After seeing the press in the RMGT factory and running fullout on the printer’s floor we knew this was the press for us. We finalized the order right on the spot.” The press was sold by RMGT distributor Graphco, and its partner, Guaranteed Service and Supplies. “We see a very bright future for package printing,” Skinkis explains. “We also believe offset can effectively compete with digital printing for a long time to come, especially in the general commercial printing, package printing, and specialty printing realms. With offset, it’s all about great marketing and great service, and RMGT gives us the edge we need to excel.” EPremier Print Awards Continue to Showcase the Industry’s Best xquisite. Challenging. Impressive. These were just some of the expressions heard last night to describe the inspiring printed pieces on display before hundreds of the industry’s finest craftsmen. Held at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile on Sunday, September 13, Printing Industries of America’s 66th Annual Premier Print Awards Gala featuring the InterTech Technology Awards and the Product of Excellence Awards didn’t just impress the ballroom full of guests. For many winners the inspiring event gave them a competitive edge in the industry. Of those who were recognized with an award last night, 67 graphic arts companies earned a Best in Show or Benny Award—the highest honor of the Premier Print Awards competition. Multiple Bennys went to several companies as well, including ARTRON ART GROUP, Body of Work, HM Graphics Inc., and Premier Press, to name a few. “Involving a combination of digital and litho jobs, our winning pieces are examples that no job is too big or too small to win a Benny as long as there is quality behind it. One thing that sets the Premier Print Awards apart is that any company has the opportunity to compete and to win regardless of the company size,” said Jay Mandarino, President and CEO of The C.J. Group of Companies, which took home six Benny Awards for six individual pieces. Proving this point, 2015 saw an extraordinary number of Awards of Recognition, Certificates of Merit, and Benny awards— more than 1,200 in all. This figure speaks volumes about the importance of print. To be worthy of a Premier Print Award, pieces must be impeccable, and the experienced judges critique entries individually, giving detailed consideration to the unique characteristics of each. The InterTech Technology Awards shined once again at the gala as this year’s recipients accepted their commemorative stars. The 2015 recipients included exciting new print-to-mobile, inkjet, and color management technologies, all of which are predicted to have a major impact on the graphic arts and related industries. These innovations are a symbol of print’s continued integration with complementary technologies. For the first time, the BIA Product of Excellence Award recipients were honored alongside their peers at the gala. Representing the Best of the Best in postpress, 16 winners were recognized with an award. They will also receive promotion in Post-Press Magazine. Last night’s awarded companies all receive industry-wide promotion, including press releases and web links. Premier Print, InterTech Technology, and Product of Excellence Award winners are listed in the 2015 Premier Print Awards Supplement, which is distributed to 10,000 print buyers. InterTech recipients are also featured in the Printing Industries of America: The Magazine Forecast issue, which is sent to thousands of printers and graphic communications professionals. You can pick up a printed copy of each of these publications at Printing Industries of America’s GRAPH EXPO 15 Booth 3802. Congratulations to all of the 2015 award recipients! 12 September 14, 2015 | GRAPH EXPO Official Show Daily | PrintingNews.com
GraphExpo Show Daily September 14 2015
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