Website First Impressions: Seven Factors to a Better User ... · EPCRA Compliance: Get Ready to...

April 2018Volume 3

Issue 4

Website First Impressions: Seven Factors to a Better User Experience

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Great Lakes Graphics Association — www.glga.info • 3

Website: www.glga.infoToll-Free Phone: (855) 522-2210

Joseph [email protected]

Bill GibsonIllinois [email protected]

Brent EckhartIndiana [email protected]

Sharon FlickCommunications ManagerEditorial [email protected]

Debra WarnerMembership Development and Engagement ManagerAdvertising [email protected]

Staff Contacts

Technical HotlineDo you have questions about a technical process? Call the PIA Technical Hotline at (800) 910-4283.

Free HR HotlineUse the free InfoNow line to get answers from MRA’s HR profes-sionals. Call toll-free 24/7 at (866) 275-6721, or email [email protected].

GLGA Hotlines

Events

GEAs

State News

The Anatomies of Acquisition: A Primer

Website First Impressions

EPCRA Compliance: Get Ready to Report Your Toxic Release Inventory

Member Questions

Ask the Technical Experts!

New Products and Services

Membership News

Calendar

The monthly membership magazine for the Great Lakes Graphics Association

Volume 3 / Number 4April 20184

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4 • Graphics Journal — April 2018

EVENTS

Calling All Golfers!It’s time to start making plans to attend our annual state golf outings - our most popular networking events! Come and spend a day networking with old friends and new.

GLGA hosts an outing in each of our three states. We hope you can make one or more.

Indiana – June 20, 2018, Plum Creek Golf Club, Carmel, IN.

Illinois – Sixth Annual Chicagoland Printers Scholarship Golf Outing, July 18, 2018, White Pines Golf Club, Bensenville, IL. Co-hosted by GLGA, the Graphic Communications Guild, and the Calumet Ben Franklin Club. This year’s theme is country/western.

Wisconsin – August 8, 2018, Lake Ripley Golf Club, Cambridge, WI.

Each outing features a beautiful course, delicious food, prizes, cold beverages and the opportunity to network with your industry peers.

Don’t wait to reserve your place - last year, two outings sold out and the third had a record attendance!

For more information and to register, please visit www.glga.info. Or, contact Sharon Flick toll-free at (855) 522-2210 or via email at [email protected].

Toxic Release Inventory Reporting: What Every Printer Should Know - May 3

Printers have an obligation to report certain toxic chemical releases to the USEPA through the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). Join us on Thursday, May 3, 2018, for this timely topic.

Cheryl Moran and Ann O’Brien of SCS Engineers will walk you through the step-by-step process from eligibility through reporting.

Whether you’re a TRI novice or a seasoned pro, this session will provide valuable tips that are unique to the printing industry.

Quarterly HR Update - May 2Need to keep up to date on what’s going on HR-wise? Tune in to the Quarterly HR Update webinar on Wednesday, May 2, 2018. Don’t miss your opportunity to keep up-to-date with the HR laws impacting your company.

Our presenter is Adriane Harrison, Printing Industries of America’s HR guru. Adriane is an experienced human resources professional with an extensive background in business, law, and non-profit sectors.

This program has been submitted for 1 General Credit Hour by the HR Certification Institute (HRCI).

Upcoming FREE Member Webinars - Register at www.glga.info

Check it out at

www.printing.org/ilearning

The co-chairmen of the Chicagoland Printers Scholarship Golf Outing Committee, Kevin Richards (left) and Stephen Richards (right) of Richards Graphic Communications, Bellwood, IL, get into the spirit of the event to invite GLGA members to attend the 2018 outing.


GEAS

Celebrate Print at the 2018 Graphics Excellence Awards Celebrations

Amanda Middleton and Eric Stein of AM Solutions, Edgerton, WI, accept the Gutenberg Best of Category award for their Direct Mail Campaign, Business-to-Business, entry at the 2017 Milwaukee Celebration.

Join us on May 23, 2018, for a celebration of the excellence of the craft of printing. Once again, there will be simul-taneous award ceremonies in two locations, the Medinah Shrine Center in Addison, IL, and the Wisconsin Club in Milwaukee, WI.

The evenings will begin a reception with cash bar and hors d’oeuvres. The Best of Category and Best of Division winning pieces will be on display so you can get inspiration - or perhaps find a partner for a project of your own. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite for the People’s Choice Award.

A delicious dinner with dessert leads up to the awards cere-mony. The awards for Best of Category and Best of Division will be presented locally, culminating in the announcement of the night’s top awards: Best of Show and Runners-Up, Best of State, and People’s Choice.

Celebration registration materials were included in every contestant’s Winners Packet. You also can register online at www.glga.info. For more information, contact Debra Warner toll-free at (855) 522-2210 or via email at [email protected].

Members of the Transparent Container delegation of Addison, IL, display their Best of Division wins in the Cartons and Containers and the Print/Graphic Arts Self Promotion categories at the 2017 Addison Celebration.

GEA JUDGING 2018: The judges begin the lengthy process of reviewing every Best of Category winner to select the Best of Show, Runner-Ups

and Best of State awards. This year 71 companies - a record number of participants- submitted entries in this year’s competition.


IndianaThanks and congratulations to our Indiana printers who participated in this year’s Graphics Excellence Awards program. We are adding more entrants every year; so, if this program is not on your company’s radar screen, I urge you to put a reminder note on your desk right now and join your peers in exhibiting your best products. The award banquet is May 23, and the award-winning products will be on display. It is a fun and inspiring event so plan to attend. I hope to see you there!

I recently spent the day at Ball State University participating in a planning session for the Graphic Arts Management program. We also got an opportunity to meet with some of the students in the program and hear about how they became involved and interested in pursuing a career in the printing industry. If you are interested in locating young, talented and enthusiastic new employees (and who isn’t), I encourage you to consider graduates from this outstanding program. Internship opportunities also are available. You may contact Hans Kellogg, Associate Professor at Ball State University, at [email protected] for more information.

Finally, I want to mention again our monthly Lunch With The Printers. We meet on the third Tuesday of the month, and usually have a group of between 10 to 15 printers and suppliers who stop in for a chance to talk shop or wherever else the conversations turns. Lunch is off the menu and à la carte. Feel free to bring guests and other of your team members. In today’s environment it is so easy to get sequestered behind your computer that we forget how rewarding it can be both informationally and psychologically to have that personal interaction with our peers.

STATE NEWS

By Brent Eckhart Indiana Director

Contact Brent:(317) [email protected]

Labor Relations

Collective Bargaining

Employment Counseling

Regulatory Compliance

Employment Litigation

Employee Benefits

Immigration

Work Injury Defense

Restrictive Covenants

411 E. Wisconsin Ave.

Milwaukee, WI 53202

(414) 273-3910

lindner-marsack.com

Highly Regarded by Clients and Colleagues

Alike for More Than 100 Years

PUTTING OUR PRINTING INDUSTRIES EXPERIENCE TO WORK FOR YOU


WisconsinRecently, there has been a number of reports of social media services and companies that sell your informa-tion to monetize your likes, preferences, searches and personal information. I realize for some, it isn’t a big issue – until it is a big issue. The last thing you want is a vendor, a partner or even a big data aggregate tak-ing your information and repurposing it to capitalize on it for their own benefit.

I want to take this moment to reinforce that the Great Lakes Graphics Association takes your confidential information seriously. We can all be better by sharing information, best practices and knowledge. However, the Association is serious in the steps it takes to sanitize personal and company information before it is shared with others. This includes surveys, member questions and any company information that should and is kept confidential. Heck, GLGA will not even sell its membership lists for any price. GLGA member lists are only provided to member companies with the express purpose of promoting members doing business with other members.

The Association is a partner with its members and the industry. We can all do great things together by shar-ing what works (and doesn’t) with others. However, monetizing it for a profit is something that the Asso-ciation will never do. This is the unspoken bond with members and the industry that has helped us stay in business for 132 years.

IllinoisThe Annual Graphics Excellence Awards Celebration is upon us on May 23, and the winners have plenty to boast about. The projects judged, by experts in the trade, prove that PRINT is alive and well in Illinois and companies are providing leading edge production techniques to keep their clients coming back for the next level of technical advancement on a plethora of substrates! Finishing techniques also have added to the “snap” in PRINT and provide a touch of uniqueness to the printed sheet that keeps clients wanting more.

The judges have now returned to their homes in various parts of the country and the GLGA offices have allowed the dust to settle after a long preparation for this annual competition. Without the dedication and love for PRINT of GLGA staff members and commitment of long days (and nights) to get the last minute entries entered and processed, this event would not happen. However, member companies are the heart and soul of this competition, bringing to the surface their creations that push the envelope (no pun intended, well maybe) for their clients. We are proud to make this event one of the largest in the country, sharing the talents of our members to others not only in the GLGA three-state area but nationwide through the Printing Industries of America Benny program!

Once again this year, scholarship recipients in Illinois also will be honored at the Graphics Excellence Awards Celebration in Illinois funded by the annual Chicagoland Printers Scholarship Golf Outing. The outing is scheduled for July 18, 2018, and has funded almost 60 scholarships totaling more than $100,000 since the beginning of the outing in 2013.

The evening of May 23 promises to be a stellar event both in Wisconsin and Illinois as we celebrate PRINT from Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana printers, finishers and mailers!

By Joe LymanPresident

Contact Joe:(262) [email protected]

By Bill GibsonIllinois Director

Contact Bill:(312) [email protected]


It’s an appeal for help that we’ve grown accustomed to hearing at New Direction Partners: “My sales are flat. We aren’t moving in the right direction as a business. I know I should be thinking about acquir-ing another company—but what kind of company, and how?”

Our first response is to congratulate the owner on having made the commendable decision to grow by acquisition. Then we try to outline the scenarios in which acquisitions most often take place, making sure that the client knows what to expect and what to watch out for in each case.

It’s essential to have a clear-eyed view of how acquisitions work, because sometimes they don’t. A company that acquires another company without fully understanding what it is buying can find itself saddled with a dead weight that does nothing but lose money. In some instances, what might have been a successful acquisition falls apart because of things the buyer failed to anticipate at the time the deal was closed.

Generally speaking, acquisitions that succeed conform to any of the five following models. They are all structured as tuck-ins with the exception of the final one:

• Model #1: The buyer acquires a company similar to their own to gain more volume of the kinds of work they are already doing.

• Model #2: The buyer acquires a company similar to their own because the company has better (i.e., more modern and productive) equipment.

• Model #3: The intent of the acquisition is to diversify the buyer’s product mix.

• Model #4: The acquisition is a technology play that will enable the buyer to move into new, technology-enabled areas of service or acquire updated, software supported services.

• Model #5: The objective is geographic expan-sion. (In this model, the target company is acquired as a going concern and continues operating in place. In the others, the buyer absorbs only active accounts and/or the desired equipment and technology.)

The main attraction of Model #1 is familiarity: the buyer’s and the seller’s capabilities, employee skill sets, and customer profiles are the same, or nearly so. But, there could also be differences to reconcile. For example, the acquired company might have a pricing structure different from the buyer’s. It could be paying more (or less) for paper and consum-ables. One company might be a pleasing-color shop, while the other caters to high-end customers with stricter color requirements.

By themselves, similarities between companies don’t guarantee a good fit. The volume that the acquired company brings to the table may be attractive, but what if most of it is concentrated in a few large accounts? The buyer also must ask whether the acquiring plant has enough capacity to handle the inrush of new work. These are all issues to address in the due diligence and negotiation phases, not after the sale is closed.

Model #2 could grow a half-size offset shop into 40” production, where it wants to be. There is commonality between the operations, but the buyer should be certain that the postpress department, for example, is equipped to handle the output of the full-size press (or presses) being brought in. The same consideration exists if the equipment being acquired is digital. Digital presses need to be supported by digital finishing lines—conventional postpress isn’t well suited to the smaller formats and volumes of digital production.

If gaining equipment is the goal, and if the existing footprint is at full capacity, it may make sense to structure the transaction as a reverse tuck-in in which the buyer shifts production to the acquired company’s plant. This affords the needed room for growth, and the acquired equipment can continue to operate in a space where it is known to run efficiently. Circumstances have to be right for a reverse tuck-in to work properly, however.

One key to success in Model #3 is retaining the people responsible for producing the diversified product mix that makes the acquired company attractive. Another is remembering that with new product categories come new customers—strangers with whom the buyer will have to develop sales and support relationships. Once these are formed, the buyer will have an opportunity to cross-sell the acquiring company’s product lines along with those of the acquired company.

MANAGEMENT

The Anatomies of Acquisition: A Primer

By James A. Russell and Jim Tepper

Partners

New Direction Partners


Web-to-print, MIS, and data-driven mailing services are among the capabilities that inspire technology plays in Model #4. It’s usually easier and faster to acquire these specialties than it is to home-grow them. Being able to offer them is a major plus for customer retention, and they increase the perceived value of the acquiring company as well.

Again, what’s crucial is keeping the expert personnel on board, especially in areas such as database management, personalization, and 1:1 multichannel marketing. Companies that make acquisition technology plays will find that they need trained programmers on staff as much as they need skilled equipment operators.

Our colleague Frank Steenburgh has written an informative post on our website (www.newdirectionpartners.com) about the advan-tages of geographic expansion under Model #5. As Frank says, the broader the territorial footprint, the stronger the appeal to Fortune 500 companies and other customers that buy printing on a national basis. A company stuck in a flat regional market can’t pick up and move to where the work is, but it can accomplish nearly the same thing by acquiring a complementary operation in a place where the market has more to offer.

Coordinating activity between the two sites is the main concern. Can the acquired company be managed remotely from the buyer’s location, or does it make more sense to send a management team there? How much personal time will the owner have to dedicate to the tasks of merging cultures and establishing customer relationships? These questions will be at the head of the list when considering a geographic expan-sion in the Model #5 scenario.

At New Direction Partners, our advice to every client is to be in either a buying or a selling frame of mind. We encourage acquisitions, but only when they are mutually beneficial, planned with care, and executed in ways that maximize the likelihood of success. A bad acquisition is worse for a growth-committed company than no acquisition at all. With proper advisement and attention to detail at every stage, no acquisition need be anything except a rewarding win for all concerned.

James Russell and Jim Tepper are partners in New Direction Partners (NDP), the leading provider of advisory services for printing and packaging firms seeking growth and opportunity through mergers and acquisitions. NDP assists its clients by giving them expert guidance and peace of mind at every stage of the process of buying or selling a printing or packaging company. Services include representing selling shareholders; acquisition searches; valuation; capital formation and financing; and strategic planning. NDP’s partners have partici-pated in more than 300 mergers and acquisitions since 1979. Collectively they possess more than 200 years of industry experience with transactions in aggregate exceeding $2 billion. For information, email [email protected].

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Have a pressing human resource question that needs to be answered? Use the HR Hotline powered by MRA.

Call today at (866) 275-6721


Information. It’s the reason customers and pros-pects visit you online. From trivia to specific busi-ness details, we get answers to questions from our desktop and smartphone. But whether a user knows you well or just discovered you for the first time, website first impressions dictate their next step.

In fact, your design and navigation have only a few seconds to convince your audience to dig further. Unclear or hard-to-find information turns a new opportunity into a lost lead.

Numerous factors influence website first impres-sions. But, ultimately, user experience rules:

1. Design

2. Unique Value Proposition

3. Navigation Headings

4. Capabilities

5. Contact Us Information

6. Loading Speed

7. Links

Improving each component increases user engagement. And, as that connec-tion increases, your audience learns more about your company and your services. Further, when

users have a positive experience after visiting your site, they depart with a favorable opinion of your brand.

So, don’t underestimate the impact of user experi-ence. Instead, evaluate your site. How does your website first impressions rate?

Design

Online perceptions shape audience attitudes about your business. A well-designed site means that people stick around and explore further. Conversely, a poor website design and user expe-rience stimulate rapid rejection. And, for the major-ity of your audience, it’s the number one factor in deciding the credibility of your business.

Rate Yourself: Old outdated images, flash splash pages and comic sans type equate to a 70s leisure suit. Implement regular design updates to create positive website first impressions.

Unique Value Proposition

What sets your company apart from competitors? Not all website visitors know. But, a unique value proposition provides that definition. Without it, your audience can only guess. A recent web usabil-ity report found that the majority of visitors don’t bother. Instead, they move to other sites.

Rate Yourself: Do you include a statement that details how you solve customers’ problems, improve their situation and define the specific benefits you deliver?

Navigation Headings

Delivering positive website first impressions increases the time a prospect will spend learning about you. And, 47 percent of the time the naviga-tion menu informs and guides their next step. Too many headings or confusing headings will termi-nate their stay.

Rate Yourself: Keep navigation headings at seven or fewer. Descriptive names, such as Direct Mail Products instead of just the generic “Products” term, help a user quickly understand what you do and where to click to learn more.

Capabilities

As user engagement increases so does their interest in your capabilities. Your audience wants easily accessible and clear details on what you offer.

Rate Yourself: Is your current product and service information up-to-date and accurate? Does it truly represent your current product offering? Or, do you use industry or company acronyms? Moreover, does it describe your capabilities in a way the aver-age user can understand?

Using detailed technical information peppered with industry acronyms will derail most users. Determine the type of information your audience values and include those details.

MARKETING

Website First Impressions: Seven Factors to a Better User Experience

By John Edmundson

Principal

InterEdge Marketing

“When searching for informa-

tion, users expect a friction-free

intuitive experience.”


Contact Us Information

After products and services, next on the user priority list is contact information. Essential elements include phone number, location address and an email or form that makes obtaining additional informa-tion easy.

Rate Yourself: Is your contact information highly visible and placed in multiple spots allowing a user easy access? And, does it contain the key information your audience needs including the phone number, address, contact method, map and maybe even directions for out-of-town visi-tors? Add bonus points if you provide an FAQ document!

Loading Speed

You’ll lose 40 percent of your traffic if your website takes too long to load. What’s too long? It depends on your audience and industry. However, strive for less than two seconds.

Rate Yourself: Test your site with Google Page Speed tools to deter-mine your website loading speed and improvement opportunities.

Links

Internal and external links provide driveways to other valuable information that can add clarity and understanding to your content. This improves engagement and builds the user’s understanding of your capabilities.

However, websites with broken links change that helpful driveway into a highway to hell - for you. Broken links disrupt interactions.

Rate Yourself: Use the Google Webmaster Tools to identify any broken links and FIX them. A custom 404 page creates a boomerang effect taking users back to your site instead of bouncing off of it. Plus, you guide the user to another page that satisfies their need.

Perform A Self Audit

In reality, these findings aren’t surprising. When searching for information we expect a friction-free intui-tive user experience. But, we often don’t apply this same lens to our own website. So, schedule a time to evaluate your site. Rate it in each of the above categories. Define and make changes that elevate your website first impressions.

If you lack the internal skill set to make the necessary changes, hire an outside company to perform an audit. InterEdge Marketing and other organizations provide this service.

What’s The Outcome?

When you take these steps it will improve the user experience and your audience understanding. When that happens, you generate additional leads and sales.

InterEdge Marketing provides B2B companies with online and offline marketing services. Utilizing methods include website optimization, content marketing, social media strategies, direct marketing and lead nurturing, the company helps organizations expand their audience, generate additional leads, increase conversions and drive revenue. Contact John at (630) 442-0040 or [email protected].

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It might feel like the July 1 deadline is far away, but it is time to start preparing to report your releases of toxic materials. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) indicates that printing and related industries are subject to this report. It is an important part of your environmental compliance strategy if you have a facility with at least 10 full-time equivalent employees in a covered NAICS code that exceeded a reporting threshold in the previous calendar year. Reporting releases of toxic materials on an annual basis is one aspect of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). Follow these tips to help you remain in compliance.

What’s in a Name?

This report is often referred to by a variety of names, including Toxic Release Inventory, TRI, SARA 313 report, Form R, or Form A. Do not be fooled by the nomenclature; these all refer to the same report.

There are two steps associated with the toxic release inventory.

Step 1

First you’ll need to determine if your facility is required to report by identifying the amount of the report-able chemicals or chemical categories that you manufactured, processed, or otherwise used in the previous calendar year. Use these definitions:

• Manufacture means to produce, prepare, compound, or import, including coincidental manufacture such as a byproduct.

• Process means to prepare an already manufactured product for distribution in commerce. This includes repackaging.

• Otherwise Use is defined as other chemical use that is not considered manufacturing or processing.

Some activities are not subject to reporting; among the exemptions are chemicals in items that meet the definition of “articles,” chemicals for personal use, chemicals used for building and grounds maintenance (the exemption does not apply to cleaning of process equipment), or for main-tenance of motor vehicles. There also is an exemption for “de minimis” concentrations, meaning that the chemical constitutes less than 1 percent of the formula or 0.1 percent if the chemical is a carcinogen.

There are more than 650 chemicals and chemical categories covered by Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). USEPA’s List of Lists (https://tinyurl.com/y9k5w9gs) can help you find reportable chemicals. Chemicals that are reportable under TRI are identified in the Section 313 column.

Chemicals that are considered persistent bioaccumulative toxins (PBT) can be found both in the List of Lists and on a dedicated web page at https://tinyurl.com/y7dfbjk2. Chemicals in this category that may impact printers include polycyclic aromatic compounds, mercury, mercury compounds, and lead. Be aware that the de minimis exemption does not apply to PBT chemicals.

Certain chemicals that are identified by category may not be listed in the List of Lists; the USEPA has published separate lists for many of these categories. Some cleaning solvents and other chemicals commonly used by printers – glycol ethers and water dissociable nitrates, for example – fall into chemical categories.

After you have identified the non-exempt chemicals and processes, you then need to determine how much of each was manufactured, processed, or otherwise used during the previous year. Each of these categories will be calculated separately for each chemical. The method for determining the totals differs from many other environmental regulatory calculations; USEPA does not require you to use the maximum concentra-tion in all circumstances. For instance, if the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) expresses the concentration as a range, you may use an average. Many chemical manufacturers provide more precise concentrations for TRI reporting in section 15 of the SDS.

ENVIRONMENTAL

EPCRA Compliance: Get Ready to Report Your Toxic Release Inventory

By Cheryl Moran

Project Manager

SCS Engineers

For more information about

TRI reporting, attend GLGA’s

FREE member webinar on

May 3, 2018.


Finally, check to see if you have exceeded any thresholds.

• Manufacture: 25,000 pounds

• Process: 25,000 pounds

• Otherwise Use: 10,000 pounds

• Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxins: Varies by Chemical

Complete the reporting in Step 2 for each chemical that exceeds a reporting threshold.

Important: Complete and document Step 1 every year, even if you do not have to file a report.

Step 2:

Forget (nearly) everything you did in Step 1. That step just helped you identify which chemicals are required to be on your TRI report.

For each chemical that exceeds a reporting threshold, the facility is required to calculate releases to the air, wastewater, storm water, the amount of the chemical recycled or treated on site, or sent off site for treatment during the previous calendar year.

Choose your form.

• Form A: Use this form if:

• You are not reporting any PBTs; and

• The amount manufactured, processed or otherwise used does not exceed 1,000,000 pounds; and

• The total annual releases do not exceed 500 pounds.

• Form R: Use this form if you do not qualify to use Form A.

Complete a TRI report through the USEPA’s Central Data Exchange (CDX) at cdx.epa.gov by July 1. Some states and tribes have additional reporting requirements. Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin state authorities are able to access your report through CDX; so, there is no need to send a copy to each state.

The USEPA makes TRI submissions available to the public, and you can access them through the Environmental Compliance History Online (ECHO).

Cheryl Moran is a Project Manager with SCS Engineers with more than 20 years of experience in the printing industry. She is a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) and has worked with air, water, and waste issues including permitting, environmental recordkeeping, reporting and monitoring programs, hazard-ous waste management, environmental compliance audits, and sustainability programs. For more information, contact Cheryl Moran at [email protected] at SCS Engineers in Madison, WI, or Ann O’Brien at [email protected] at SCS Engineers in Chicago.

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One of the most popular GLGA member benefits is advice from other members to questions you have. Do you have a challenge that you cannot find the answer to? Go ahead – ask a question! It is likely you will receive many different answers to solve your challenge. This ser-vice is confidential for both the individual asking the question and those who respond with an answer. Download the complete compilation of answers from the Members Only area of the GLGA website at www.glga.info. Ask a question by emailing Sharon Flick at [email protected].

A recent Member-Question asked: We are working on an active shooter drill for our facil-ity. We know we want to alert our employees if there is a shooter in the building. But, we are struggling with exactly how we can alert our staff if a shooter did enter the building, especially those running our presses or bindery equipment who wouldn’t be able to hear a warning. Are other facilities implementing active shooter procedures? Some responses:

MEMBER QUESTIONS

Get Confidential, Real-World Advice from Experts: Ask Your Question through our Member Questions Service

• I have noticed in plants and venues where a sound alert is not possible a distinctive colored (blue) flashing light mounted near each individual press with a power switch to be activated only during an Active Shooter situation.

• Well, I thought this was an Obvious question and the Internet would have the Obvious answer. Wrong! My search turned up nothing! So this is a great question…how DO you notify your staff so those who Can can get out fast. What a world we live in.

• I would be very interested in this for our company as well. I asked a school teacher friend last spring what drills and education they did as the school are ‘up’ on this. It was suggested to look at Alice Training Institute.

• We make an announcement over the PA system using a code word known by all employees. The page would ask “…..” to come to the lobby telling everyone to move away from that area except the trained armed first responders that will go directly to the announced area and take whatever actions are required to control the situation

• Unless someone has been living under a rock for the past several years, I believe we as business owners/managers have a responsibility to our employees to do our best when it comes to safety. My advice is to have a few trusted people within your company to have a CCW permit. Remember, “When seconds count, the police are minutes away.”

• I am wondering if you could do some kind of text alert like colleges do. I know not everyone in the facility would have access but would enough people that the word would be spread quickly?

• In the active shooter training I attended the instructor said most incidents last 6 to 9 minutes before first responders/police reply. Active shooter incidents are very fluid and change rapidly; it is impossible to anticipate exactly how the situation will evolve. In the initial phases of an active shooter situation, individuals will need to make decisions based upon their assessment of the situation. It’s important to at least develop or have an employee response guidelines in place and a phone contact list if the situation occurs.

• We have a secured facility through-out all areas except for the front door and one door in distribution. We just installed a panic lock at the front door that not only locks the main entrance but calls 911. We will be installing a similar system in our distribution area.

• The Dept. of Homeland Security has a number of free resources on their website including a web-based course. www.dhs.gov/human-resources-or-security-professional

There are several options that can be used to warn employees about an active shooter in the workplace. Not any of them may be the perfect solution, so a combination of them may have to be used.

The warning systems that can be used are:

• Email

• Text messages

• Desktop messages

• Digital message boards

• Visual such as a strobe or other flashing light

• Audible – Intercom or other type of alarm

• Verbal – in person communication

The challenge with any warning system in this particular instance is that there is very little warning provided prior to the incident. This does not give much time to initiate the warning, which means more than one employee needs to be able to actu-ate the warning system. In addition, the warning system needs to be actuated from more than one location as the shooter may not always enter the building through the front entrance.

Gary Jones Assistant Vice President, EHS Affairs

Printing Industries of America


PRINTING INDUSTRIES OF AMERICA

Ask the Technical Experts!One of the benefits of membership is the technical expertise provided by Printing Industries of America. The technical experts from the Center for Technology and Research help members with environ-mental, health, and safety concerns; consulting and on-site technical assistance; Technical Association of the Graphic Arts; technology training; and simulators. In this column, they discuss common production problems and issues.

Q: I received some logo artwork from a client in SVG file format. What is an SVG file?

A: The Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file format has been around since 2001, but is rarely seen by printers, mainly because it’s a web-based file. SVG files are basically Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) code that illustrates vector files in a browser. They’re used by web designers frequently because of their small file size and high-quality for vector graphics.

If you come across one as a printer, it’s recommended you contact the client and request new artwork. However, if that’s not possible, it’s as simple as opening the file in Illustrator and saving an EPS file. You will need to confirm and adjust colors with the client because SVG files convert all colors to RGB.

Q. We are spending too much time to stop and clean a stubborn buildup of ink and glaze on the impression cylinders. How can we reduce this downtime?

A. The ink and glaze buildup is ink/varnish, fountain solution gum, and even spray powder. If you run the same sheet size you can try this quick fix. Cut the blanket packing size to just smaller than the sheet size. The blanket outside of the packing will not contact the impression cylinder and transfer ink and fountain solution. Cutting the packing short can leave a score ridge in the blanket from the edge of the packing that would show up in the print if a larger sheet size is run on the same blanket.

Do not use this shortcut if you are having emulsification problems or printing on a non-porous substrate such as plastic. Since this buildup is difficult to clean, use a mixture of water and solvent, soak the glaze, and allow the mixture to soften the glaze before scrubbing the cylinder.

Q. What requirements exist for storage racks?

A. OSHA does not have a specific standard, but will use the American National Standard Institute ANSI MH 16.1-2012 Specification for the Design, Testing, and Utilization of Industrial Steel Storage Racks to evaluate racking systems. It requires that all columns be mounted to the floor per the manufacturer’s instruc-tions and that all racking be in proper alignment, plum, and level. Load limits should also be posted on each section of the storage racks to denote the weight capacity. The storage racks and their contents must maintain an 18” clearance from any fire sprinkler.

Q. Recently, while reading a magazine I noticed ink on my fingers. Why is this happening?

A. The ink that was used to print that magazine has poor squalene oil resistance. Squalene oil is human skin oil and is softening or dissolving the ink. Fingerprinting that appears on high gloss UV coatings is caused by squalene oil. Cold set inks have little or no dryer and the ink is absorbed into the uncoated stock and can smear when rubbed.

Q. In Photoshop, is it best to color correct images in the RGB or CMYK color space?

A. Many creatives will convert images to CMYK first and then try to color correct images. The most common reason for this is because they want to see what colors will be lost when converting from the larger RGB gamut to the much smaller CMYK gamut, then make color adjustments to compensate for the colors that are impacted.

Correcting images in the RGB color space will always yield the best results, mainly because you’re working with a much larger gamut, and unlike the CMYK color space, you have not generated the black separation.

Photoshop has a tool that shows an on-screen preview of what the image is going to look like when it’s converted to CMYK while working in the RGB color space. Simply select View > Proof Colors. This gives you the best of both worlds: The image remains in the RGB color space with the full gamut of colors for correction, while an on-screen preview shows what the image will look like when it’s converted to CMYK.

Offering unbiased and confidential results, Printing Industries of America provides a range of testing and laboratory services to help solve printing-related problems. For more information, please contact Jim Workman at (800) 910-4283, ext. 710 or direct at (412) 259-1710, visit www.printing.org/labservices or email [email protected] or [email protected].

Webinars

Did you know?Many of our webinar recordings are available in the Printing Industries Press Online

store and may be accessed by members at a discounted rate, or even Free. VisitVisit www.printing.org/store and click on Downloadable Products for more information.and click on “Downloadable Products” for more information


To have your company, product or service featured, contact Sharon Flick toll-free at (855) 522-2210 or via email at [email protected]. News will be published as space allows. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.

NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

EFI Launches New VUTEk HS Presses for High-Volume Signage and Graphics ApplicationsElectronics For Imaging, Inc. has announced the addition of the EFI VUTEk® HS125 F4 and HS100 F4 inkjet presses for “Fast Graphics” out-of-home applications to its industry leading lineup of hybrid flatbed/roll superwide-format products. The two new printers reconfigure the eight ink channels of the VUTEk HS series platform in a CMYK x 2 setup, efficiently addressing the need for cost-effective production on banners, billboards, building wraps and similar applications.

The new press models offer a significant speed increase, printing up to 225 boards per hour on the HS125 F4 and up to 190 boards per hour on the HS100 F4. Read more at www.efi.com.

Heidelberg Presents Its New Digital Press for Creative Commercial Applications – the Versafire EV

• “Invisible red” for entry level security applications

• First white then CMYK for special effects with colored paper

• Automatic inline color and excellent register measurement

• Simple integration into production workflow with the Prinect Digital Frontend

Read more at www.heidelberg.com.

MCT’s New VersaTech2™ Flatbed Laser Only Solution Breaks Price Barriers for Fabric FinishingAccording to MCT’s Co-founder and Chairman Steen Mikkelsen, the marketplace today feels much like it did when he introduced i-cut® to the early grand format UV printing market in the early 2000s. “I am seeing the same kind of acceptance for digitally printed fabrics as we saw in 2001 for vinyl and rigid materials, and everybody indicating they need a laser cutter to successfully achieve a profitable fabric operation.”

MCT has decided to streamline its solution without giving up any of the performance of its new “horizontal” laser, and provide a laser-only system at an attractive price. Learn more at www.mctdigital.com.

Sun Chemical Launches SunCure Accuflex UV Flexo Ink System for Various Food Packaging ApplicationsSun Chemical has launched SunCure® Accuflex UV, a new UV ink system for primary and second-ary food packaging that is not manufactured with Bisphenol A (BPA)-based materials and meets low migration specifications. The ink system specifically addresses concerns that brand owners face due to strict labeling laws like California’s Proposition 65.

Designed for both folding carton and flexible film packaging applications where regulatory compli-ance is critical, SunCure AccuFlex UV flexo inks offer good adhesion to a variety of film substrates and exhibit excellent UV cure response. Read more at hwww.sunchemical.com.


MEMBERSHIP NEWS

Welcome, New and Returning Members!AMERICAN PACKAGING CORPORATION100 APC Way Columbus, WI 53925 www.ampkcorp.com Jim Withers, Corporate HSE Director (920) 623-2291 [email protected]

Established in 1902, American Packaging Corporation (APC) is one of the leading flexible packaging converters in North America. We specialize in supporting many industries, including dry foods, seasoning and mixes, coffee and tea, refrigerated dairy, fresh produce, frozen products, confectionery, medical, personal care, nutraceutical, hard-to-hold products, liquids, and other markets. With experience serving some of the most well-known brands on the market, APC is capable of providing high-quality, innovative custom packaging solutions for a broad range of products.

bopi1705 S. Veterans Parkway Bloomington, IL 61701 www.bopi.com Tom Mercier, President/CEO (309) 662-3395 [email protected]

Since 1947, bopi has provided the Midwest with comprehensive print, mail, ecommerce, fulfillment and digital business solutions. bopi is a true hub for meeting a broad spectrum of expansive business and customer needs. Commanding QUALITY, complete CONVENIENCE and exceptional IMAGE execution help us breathe life into brands and energize marketing and sales.

Left: VISOgraphics, Addison, IL, installed a new 6 color RMGT 40” LED press this year and welcomed representatives from Ryobi (Graphco/RMGT) to their shop floor on March 16, 2018, to view some of the special techniques produced by the press. Pictured from left to right are Derek Gordon, Graphco/RMGT; John Dahlke, Bob Dahlke Sr. and Bob Dahlke Jr. of VISOgraphic; and Kozac Takata of Ryobi Japan.

Below: Gary Sackel of Nano Graphic Inks, Bill Tompkins of Tompkins Printing Equipment, Roger Buck of Emerging Solu-tions Now, LLC, and Steve Tompkins of Tompkins Printing Equipment display some fantastic 3D prints at the Embellish-ment Wide Format Day held at Tompkin’s printing equipment center in Schiller Park, IL, on March 14, 2018. The prints were created on the Sackel NanoGraphic Printer using Nano Graph-ic Inks. Also featured was the Duplo Digital Spot UV coater along with the latest in digital printing and finishing equip-ment. Visitors were treated to a lunch and an opportunity to speak with experts in the printing and finishing field.


CALENDAR

Upcoming GLGA Events and ActivitiesTo learn more or to register, visit GLGA’s website at glga.info.

Lunch with the Printers April 17, 2018, Indianapolis, IN

Quarterly HR Update WebinarMay 2, 2018

Webinar: Toxic Release Inventory Reporting: What Every Printer Should KnowMay 3, 2018

Graphics Excellence Awards CelebrationsMay 23, 2018, Addison, IL, and Milwaukee, WI

Indiana Golf OutingJune 20, 2018, Carmel, IN

Chicagoland Printers Scholarship Golf OutingJuly 18, 2018, Bensenville, IL

Wisconsin Golf OutingAugust 8, 2018, Lake Ripley, WI

Upcoming PIA EventsTo learn more or to register, visit PIA’s website at www.printing.org.

Webinar: Hiring, On-boarding and Managing SalespeopleApril 26, 2018

Automation Ready! Virtual ConferenceMay 10, 2018

Print & Packaging Legislative SummitJune 19-20, 2018, Washington, DC

OSHA Compliance for Printing WorkshopOctober 30-31, 2018, Warrendale, PA

Upcoming Industry EventsTo have your event added to this calendar, contact Sharon Flick at [email protected].

Zund Open House for GLGA MembersMay 16, 2018, Franklin, WI Contact Matt Rooney at (847) 602-9031 or [email protected].

It may be time to give your packaging solution the run.

Staying up-to-date with current print technology is your business. Your packaging should keep pace.

Packsize’s On Demand Packaging® brand of customized packaging solutions delivers benefits and

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Great Lakes Graphics AssociationW232N2950 Roundy Circle E, Suite 200Pewaukee, WI 53072

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