This week I am in East Lansing, Michigan. A few interesting things are happening up here. First it would be hard not to notice the concerns about the auto industry as the big three ask the government for a bail out. Regardless of where you stand on this issue, no one can deny the pivotal role that the auto industry plays in the Detroit Metro and Michigan economy.

The auto industry is one of the deep vertical markets that drives much of the economy as well as the graphic arts business. That includes everything from design to print production. Last year I had the opportunity to meet with a Detroit design agency and learned of their work using variable data printing to promote car sales. As you may know, automobile sales and local car dealership repa...Read More

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iPods are tougher than you might think. I learned that after my 17 year old left his iPod in his pants pocket in the laundry - and it continued working. But you may be surprised to learn that getting an iPod or cell phone wet or submerged is not as unusual as you might think. If you do some Google searches you will find quite a bit of information written about washing iPods in the laundry or dropping cell phones in the toilet (YUCK!).

Some people talk about using hair dryers or ovens to help dry their iPod or cell phone. And some say to put it in a bag of rice because the rice will absorb the moisture. From my experience the best strategy is to just turn it off and let it sit. If the battery is r...Read More

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An article entitled 10 Tips for Communicating in Tough Times written by Market Wire was posted on the Wall Street Journal Digital Network last week. This article discussed how to address bad news (which some people refer to as "spin doctoring”) during bad times. The article recommended the following 10 Tips.

1. Prepare a Communications Plan – If there is an issue that needs to be addressed make a plan, set a time table and train a spokesperson.

2. Rip the Band-...Read More

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Last blog we asked, “How do you monitor changing customer demand?” Examples of changing customer demand include the shift from direct mail to email or from long runs of offset printing to short runs of digital printing. Different companies do this in different ways. Here are a few examples and some pros and cons.

In some companies someone at the senior management level has sales responsibilities and learns first hand from their customers. This works best when they have a fair number of customers across a wide variety of products and the senior level person meets with them as opposed to just taking orders from them.

Some companies are active in peer groups or associations and hear f...Read More

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In an earlier blog entitled “Industry in Transition” (August 12) we talked about the transition from the idea that printing is a craft to the idea that printing is a science. Another transition in our industry is the shift from only making marks on paper, to offering new alternative technologies that help customers communicate better.

I have some questions:  first “Are our customer's needs changing” and the second, “If they are changing, how do you monitor how your customer's needs are changing?”

I ask these questions often and hear three typical answers:

• Some say they think their

...Read More

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During my Digital and Variable Presentation at Graph Expo someone asked about DI Presses. I mentioned that existing users loved them, that this is a wonderful niche for some digital printers who need things like color colors on digital books, and inplants use them frequently because they have a need 4 color small format printing.

However compared to industry predictions that were made when they were first introduced - the market for them never developed as originally predicted and has declined over the years. This prompted questions about how many units are installed and how much are they used.

To answer this question I had to think about published numbers and my own experience. Frank Romano my coauthor of a Digital Prin...Read More

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So as many of you can see some of the blogs on GAM (mine and Rays) have become sponsored. I first heard about this at Graph Expo when I ran into Bill Elser walking out of the Show Daily office. The idea of sponsoring blogs is someone new, at least to me, but not unheard of. After hearing about this I did some research and found the following online postings:

The Best Way of Making Money on a Blog is Through Sponsorship

$25K Monthly Blog Sponsorship Deal

...Read More

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As Graph Expo starts to fad from our memories I look back and see a show that was not as bad as many people predicted. Some had predicted that the economy would have a devastating effect on attendance and or vendor booth space. While the economy did have an effect it was not anything like the effects after 9/11.

Like I said in my presentations, if you walk around with a hammer then many things look like a nail. As a digital printing fan – one thing that stood out for me was the first digital press to incorporate in line aqueous coating.

Why is this significant? Aqueous coating can add a shine to printed pieces but more importantly can protect direct mail cards from the typical scratches that occur in the mailing process. And one ...Read More

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During a presentation at Graph Expo earlier this week I discussed the importance of leadership and how that helps create and maintain operational and technical direction in a sometimes turbulent sea filled with challenges. I was asked to define leadership and then proceeded to list attitudes and attributes that attempts to answer that question. But as most people know - actions speaks louder then words. So I want to share a note that a CEO of a company that attended Graph Expo sent to their staff after the show– which helps to demonstrate and define leadership.

"Here are my observations and reflections on the week that just concluded. Graph Expo, as always involves so many members of our team pulling together in so many ways.  At a time when there are significant external challenges, this Graph Expo will very likely result in the highest revenue nu...Read More

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I just finished my first day at Graph Expo and would like to echo some of my follow GAM blogger reports - there is some Cautious Optimism. In my first presentation on workflow for the show company (GASC) there were about 70 people, as opposed the 100 I typically see on the first day of the show.  Clearly there was more interest in procedural and training solutions to increase productivity as opposed to new equipment solutions.

However, there was interested conversations about web to print solutions and integrated PDF solutions. These same conversations continued at a Heidelberg Print Media Academy presentation I made later that day. In both presentations there were some frustrated users with the changes due to the consolidation of several MIS systems. But on the other hand there was excitement at the EFI presentation about new Fiery RIPs.

...Read More

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Have you seen the press release on the Must See ‘EMS. For the third year in a row, the Committee has named management information systems (MIS) as the most critical technology for printers to employ for success in this changing print market.

MIS topped a list of the six technologies deemed most important for printer survival in 2009 and beyond. In order the next on the list were IT technologies, color management, workflow, digital printing and web to print. Click here to see the announcement.

If you have not heard of the Must See ‘EMS they are a part of the preschool event known as the EXECUTIVE OUTLOOK Conference, which takes place October 25. Personally I am a huge fan of the Must See ‘EMS because they take months to look at new product announcements that hel...Read More

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Last blog we talked about the most cost effective investments that deliver the greatest bang for your bucks for these tough economic times. Specifically we recommended computer to plate products if you have not already adopted that technology. or those of you who are not investing in new equipment this year I think you should keep you eyes on the the latest developments with digital presses: both electrophotographic (toner) based and inkjet presses.

As discussed in the Drupa blogs, I don’t think the inkjet presses will have an immediate impact on our work, but could have a significant impact in our future. And while you may not be ready to buy a new digital press this year it is possible you will be interested by Graph Expo next year.

So here are some of the major players and products:

• electrophotographic (tone

...Read More

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