Articles

Industry Influencer: Lisbeth Lyons Black

March 18, 2025

Lisbeth Lyons Black became the first-ever director of Women in Print Alliance in December 2022, following more than 20 years of representing the voice of business and industry on Capitol Hill – including 15 years focused on the print, postal and packaging sectors – as a federally registered lobbyist. In her current role, Black directs strategic industry initiatives designed to attract, retain, advance and advocate for women in the printing industry through education, personal and professional development, networking and community building.

How did your career develop in the print industry, and what is your role now?

I came to the printing industry two decades ago to serve as the chief US government and political affairs officer for a leading graphic communications trade association. As part of my portfolio, I advocated on labor and workforce development policy. (I lobbied many issues, like postal reform and tax provisions, but labor secretly was my favorite!)

When PRINTING United Alliance announced it would back the infrastructure – including hiring a dedicated, full-time director – to formalize the Women in Print Alliance volunteer effort into a key industry initiative, it was the perfect marriage of my policy background, industry experience and my personal passion to advocate for women in the workforce. I’ve been in this role since December 2022, where I direct membership, communications, programming, special events and basically anything and everything associated with the initiative.

Tell us more about the Women in Print Alliance and the reasons it was created?

Our origin story is very home-grown. Women in Print Alliance was founded by a small group of dedicated female industry professionals united in the belief that a career in the printing industry holds great opportunity for success, but that a formal initiative to attract, retain, advance and advocate for women in the industry was needed. These women started by hosting an annual breakfast in conjunction with PRINTING United Expo but pushed for a year-round effort to connect women – thus, the “official” Women in Print Alliance was launched in December 2022.

That annual breakfast, started by the volunteers, has turned into a premiere industry sell-out networking event; last year we had a standing-room-only crowd of 250 women. In August 2024, Women in Print Alliance elevated its offerings by launching a paid membership option for corporations and individuals, plus a complimentary student membership to help cultivate the next-gen pipeline of talent.

What are the goals of the Women in Print Alliance, and how do you believe the Alliance can be a positive influence for women in the printing industry?

Our goals are to attract, advance and advocate for women working in the printing industry at all levels and in all functions. At its core, Women in Print Alliance is an initiative geared toward two outcomes: workforce development and community building. By showing women the myriad career pathways available to them in print and then supporting them as a community through educational programming and networking opportunities to help propel their career success, we can fulfill our goal of attracting and retaining more women to print – and at the same time create an industry culture in which those women can grow, thrive and shine.

What are some of the biggest challenges women in the printing industry face? How can women meet these challenges and grow opportunities for themselves and others?

Many of the challenges are the same faced by women in the workforce broadly here in the US and even globally. Issues include career advancement, pay equity, working through pregnancies or menopause and balancing work with caregiver responsibilities while maintaining physical and mental well-being. Specific to print, there still is a feeling of being an “only” (or one of very few) – such as, the “only female” on a sales team, or on a production unit or in a C-suite – and this can lead to feeling isolated or falling susceptible to “imposter syndrome.”

Data show that younger women face challenges to climb that first rung of a career ladder in a predominately male-led industry. Anecdotally, older women are struggling to remain relevant and effective while managing intergenerational Millennial and Gen Z teams. It’s a lot! Women in Print Alliance has a wonderful advisory council that works to identify current challenges (and opportunities!) for women working in print so that we can tailor education, programming and events to meet the moment and help women advance both personally and professionally.

What trends have you seen emerging with women in print, and what changes do you believe will take place in the future for opportunities for women in the print industry?

Most of the trends have been driven by technology, namely the rise of digital printing. Printing companies are cleaner than they used to be. Automation has reduced some physical barriers of the job that may have turned women off from certain roles. And even shift work, which in another era may have been unfathomable to women responsible for traditional childcare roles while their husbands worked, now mirrors what workers of all genders say they want – flexible hours to better manage home life.

And the environmental sustainability strides the print industry is making should not be discounted as a “horn to blow” to attract new female workers – especially GenZ women, who are zeroed in on working for a company or industry that reflects their values. Generational shift also is present in the print industry, which still has many family-owned businesses. This is leading to more gender diversity in the C-suite, with more daughters or granddaughters taking the reins or executive positions, and that will continue.

Looking ahead, we should embrace and encourage educating women in STEM since so many production jobs rely on science; this is a public policy of interest to Women in Print Alliance. Ultimately, I believe the opportunities lie in the fact that there are so many career pathways and industry niches to explore, some of which even can pair work with personal interests, such as apparel decoration printing and fashion or wide-format and the entertainment industry. It also is highly mobile; print manufacturing is everywhere and offers women the opportunity to chart their course (or trail a partner) in a new city, state or even country, knowing they can find employment options.

The key here is to showcase the individual, unique pathways of successful women in print to inspire other women to become part of the industry – and then provide networking and mentorship to support those women to ensure they have long, rewarding, prosperous careers in our industry. In short – attract, advance and advocate – which is the mission of Women in Print Alliance.

Mass Production Printing of Holograms

March 18, 2025

By Liz Stevens, writer, PostPress

Holograms, those magical images that allow the viewer to see an image in three dimensions, have advanced from being rare, mesmerizing novelty items to offering practical applications and aesthetic touches on items and packaging everywhere. Unlike the earliest holograms that were produced as one-off laboratory specimens by optical scientists, today’s holograms can be manually produced via the traditional way – with lasers and mirrors and physical objects – or designed and digitally produced with nothing more than a computer and algorithms. Mass reproduction of holograms now is commonplace.

The eye-catching depth, color and beauty of holograms are put to use for a variety of purposes. They are used to authenticate product brands, to embellish packaging for high-end products and to create a tamper-proof packaging seal. Holograms are embedded in paper currency to thwart counterfeiting, affixed on identification cards and badges, reproduced on valuable documents as authentication and even stamped onto some metal coins. Event tickets, commemorative items and collectables feature dazzling holograms to reinforce their premium value. Other esoteric uses for holograms include data storage and interferometry.

Back in the Day

Credit physicist Dennis Gabor for inventing holography in 1948. The Hungarian-British scientist actually was aiming to improve that era’s electron microscopes; his unexpected invention of holography was patented and it earned Gabor a Nobel Prize in Physics. In the 1960s, laser holography was developed, eliminating the need for electron beam. Rainbow holograms soon were invented, allowing holograms to be viewed with natural light. White light holography and reflection holography came along soon after, advancing the science for displaying holograms. The emergence of dichromated gelatin – as a holographic recording medium to replace glass plates – was a development that allowed for recording holograms on any clear, non-porous surface.

A Crucial Development – Mass Print Production of Holograms

National Geographic magazine was one of the earliest publications to mass produce holograms. The magazine’s March 1984 cover featured the hologram of a bald eagle. Each copy of the magazine had an actual 3D hologram on its cover page, to the tune of millions of copies. The magazine featured a short description of how the cover images were produced (edited here for length).

How the Cover Was Made ¹

“The bald eagle you see on our cover began as a tiny sculpture, produced by Eidetic Images, Inc., in Elmsford, New York. Eidetic, a subsidiary of the American Bank Note Company of New York City, used the eagle to construct the hologram.

“To mass-produce rainbow holograms after exposure by the laser, the hologram’s special emulsion, called photoresist, is developed, rendering the interference pattern as a series of ultrafine ridges. By electrolysis, particles of nickel are deposited on the ridges to make a mold. The nickel mold impresses the interference pattern into plastic, and a thin aluminum coating is applied. Functioning like a mirror, the coating reflects white-light waves through the interference pattern to create the changing image of the bald eagle model.

“This process was repeated almost 11 million times to create the holograms on this issue of National Geographic, the first major magazine to reproduce a hologram on its cover. It is best viewed in direct sunlight or light from a single artificial source. Though the sculptured eagle looks to its left, the cover hologram faces right for heraldic tradition.”

Producing the Eagle Hologram Cover

Back in 1983, when the magazine issue was being prepped and produced, National Geographic (along with American Bank Note Holographics), worked with several companies that had the ability to foil stamp the hologram on the covers. With a quantity of 11 million, it took many presses and locations involved in the process to make it happen. The majority of all of the covers were being run on 14 x 22 Kluge presses using a foil and hologram system designed by Terry Gallagher and his son, John Gallagher. They would later start a new company from this venture, Total Register, which installed hundreds of hologram registration systems through the 80s, 90s and 2000s. The holographic foil that included the holographic 3D image of the eagle was produced by Crown Roll Leaf and was supplied to those companies involved with foil stamping the covers by its distributor at the time – Old Dominion Foils.

One of those trade finishers involved in the project was Graphic Converting Inc. of Texas in Dallas, Texas. During that year, in 1983, Founder and Owner Robert Graham, Sr. (now deceased) was approached by American Bank Note Holographics (Terry Gallagher), National Geographic and Old Dominion Foils to help with the eagle hologram set to be included on the cover of the March 1984 National Geographic issue. PostPress talked with Robert’s son, Robert Jr., who was working at Graphic Converting at the time and recalls many of the ins and outs of gearing up for the mass production of the 11 million eagle hologram covers.

“When we were approached by American Bank Note, we recently had purchased the first Gietz FSA 720 to come to the US in 1982, and we were asked if American Bank Note Holographics could come look at the press to see if a hologram foil attachment could be built and installed,” remembered Graham. “I remember an electrical and a mechanical engineer came to Dallas to look at all the drawings of the press. In one month, American Bank Note designed both the electrical and mechanical equipment needed to add a hologram foil attachment to the press. This was the first hologram attachment installed on a sheet-fed reciprocating-style machine.”

Graphic Converting Inc. of Texas in Dallas became the hub for all sheets produced in Texas. The running timeline for production was a little behind. The company was told that National Geographic had never been late with its monthly editions so Graphic Converting had to do what it could to make the deadline.

“I remember being called to the front office by my father, Bob Graham, Sr., so we could meet with the printing director for National Geographic, who said he needed us to work as many hours as possible,” continued Graham. “He also asked what it would take to run two shifts on Super Bowl Sunday. We came up with a proposal: a TV and everything else for a party (except alcohol) plus a $300 bonus for each employee.” Graham remembers the last sheets leaving Texas the first week of March 1984, and the producers in Texas overall ran close to 2,000,000 covers.

Graham went on to mention that Terry Gallagher was the man who really invented everything it took to put 3-dimensional holograms in hot stamping foil, from the actual-size epoxy eagle model to creating the shim that embossed the image in the foil. The embossing diffracts the light to create the image, and the colors created are naturally occurring in white light. The foil used for the eagle hologram was silver automotive trim foil, which at the time was on a heavier mylar carrier, had more silver and was formulated with a sizing suitable for paper. On the Kluge foil units, the chain drives were replaced by stepping motors and a control console to make adjustments while running. This also was designed by Terry Gallagher and his son, John – part of the retrofit equipment they later would market to the foil stamping industry through Total Register.

Robert Graham, Jr. still is in the industry today, working for FSEA member TPC Printing & Packaging
(www.tpcpackaging.com), which produces folding cartons, rigid set-up boxes and trading cards in Chattanooga, Tennessee. “I always have dedicated myself to trying and learning new things while in this great industry. [I’m] proud to be a part of it for so long,” stated Graham.

Holograms Today

The mass production of holographic images has endured, and new advancements keep the technology on the cutting-edge and continuously improved for efficiency.

Besides the foil stamping of holographic images in register for both aesthetics and security applications, there are processes today that include custom holographic images within an entire layout for products, such as folding cartons, labels, magazine covers, posters and more. These applications include specialized holographic processes that then are laminated to board or paper and can be overprinted with a 4-color process to create amazing results. This use of holographic images is available through companies such as K Laser Technologies (www.klasergroup.com) and Hazen Paper (www.hazen.com). With this process, custom holograms can be included on a roll or sheet and then printed inline without registration of an image, providing opportunities to utilize holographic images within a design without the use of special registration equipment on a foil stamping press.

References

“How our cover was made,” National Geographic, March 1984. Volume 165, Number 3.

Hazen Paper Hits a Game-Winner with Basketball Hall of Fame Yearbook

March 18, 2025

Edited by Cori Watkins, editor, PostPress

With March Madness in full swing, PostPress would be remiss not to highlight Hazen Paper’s Basketball Hall of Fame Yearbook. Hazen Paper Company (Hazen Paper), based in Holyoke, Massachusetts, has scored big with its impressive holographic Enshrinement 2024 Basketball Hall of Fame Yearbook. The 12th Enshrinement Yearbook cover for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, showcased new optical technology to produce a stellar example of trailblazing optically variable visual effects. The limited-edition 2024 cover, created with Hazen HoloJet®, features a free-form Fresnel Lens image of the Hall of Fame Dome as well as a multi-channel hologram of a floating basketball.

Hazen Paper, founded in 1925, is a paper converter specializing in holographic origination, film coating, foil and paper lamination, metallizing, gravure printing, specialty coating and rotary embossing. According to its website, Hazen Paper products enjoy a wide acceptance for use in health and beauty packaging, entertainment and media packaging, golf ball packaging, bookbinding, lottery scratch tickets, merchandise tags, product labels, photo mounting and ticketing applications. Still owned and led by John and Bob Hazen, Hazen’s custom holography is known worldwide for its use of holographic technology, including recent covers of the Super Bowl program.

High-Scoring Colors and Design

The yearbook cover for 2024 is striking with the rich fall colors of navy blue, gold and burnished copper; holographic spotlight beams emphasizing the words ‘Basketball Hall of Fame’; and the star of the piece – the floating holographic basketball. It includes Fresnel Lens technology utilizing Hazen’s deep-groove technology for sharper images and greater dimensionality. Appearing to move and change with the angle of light, the holographic treatment on the cover attracts attention and interaction with the book. It also serves as a validating seal to definitively authenticate the very limited number of 2024 Enshrinement Yearbooks. The 2024 Yearbook is a testimonial to the great achievements of the honored inductees to the Hall of Fame. It cannot be altered or tampered with and will stand guard over the 2024 inducted heroes through the ages.

Hazen Paper produced the holography and optical magic completely within its secure and vertically integrated Holyoke facility. The nano wave optics were created in Hazen’s laser lab, then micro-embossed and transfer-metallized onto smooth-as-glass cover stock using Hazen’s environmentally friendly Envirofoil® and HoloJet® process. The holography is created with an optical structure that is imparted on the surface of the paper (underneath the printed graphics) with an ultra-thin polymer layer that is less than 2 microns in thickness. Envirofoil® is a non-plastic paper that is as recyclable as paper.

President John Hazen described, “The Hazen holographic team has produced a unique seal and insignia that is secure and cannot be altered or replicated, as this book will be coveted by collectors from now until the end of time because of the inductees it honors.”

The yearbook cover was designed by agency GO of Hartford, Connecticut. Once the holographic design and Envirofoil® sheets were produced by Hazen, covers were printed CMYK with the addition of white ink, which is used in tonal areas to highlight around the holographic images, as well as opaque white where the design included print-only areas on the cover. This was needed for both the design of the Hall of Fame cover and the back cover advertisement.

“The white is an interesting conversation,” stated Hazen. “It is not necessarily opaque. Yes, in certain areas, it is opaque, but the whites also are used in half-tones or at various levels of translucence to create and augment 3D effects. The white layer is quite complex – opaque in some areas but tonal in others.”

The covers were printed and individually numbered for authenticity on a HP Indigo digital press by Starburst Printing, Holliston, Massachusetts. The back cover included an advertisement for Mohegan Sun Casino, which used a custom hologram that was overprinted to create a high-voltage graphic that radiates energy and enthusiasm.

Crowd-Pleasing Reviews

The 2024 Basketball Hall of Fame Yearbook clearly was a slam dunk. Attendees of the 2024 Enshrinement enjoyed the look and feel of the yearbook while securing autographs from their favorite Hall of Fame Inductees on its distinguished pages for an extra-special memento. “The customers coveted the books and collected autographs on the books at the Enshrinement,” reported Hazen. He added, “This is a very significant piece from so many perspectives. It deserves recognition because it is valuable to brand owners.”

Luxury Meets Sustainability: The Enduring Appeal of Embellishments in Luxury Packaging

March 18, 2025

By Erin Judge, contributing writer, PostPress

Simplicity is emerging as a key theme in today’s packaging trends, driven by consumers’ preference for modern, minimalist designs in combination with their heightened sensitivity to sustainability. This shift has extended into the luxury goods market, where brand owners and packaging designers must navigate the challenge of blending high-end embellishments with the increasing demand for eco-friendly, recyclable packaging that still conveys a sense of luxury. PostPress spoke with packaging converters and suppliers in the luxury goods market to unearth the latest embellishment trends that are attracting high-end consumers.

Appeal of Luxury

In today’s market of ‘non-essential’ luxury items – such as cosmetics, beauty products, wine, spirits and jewelry – packaging and labels often serve as the first point of contact with the consumer, playing a vital role in shaping their perception of the product. “Luxury packaging is about creating a sensory experience that aligns with the premium nature of the brand,” said Allan Quimby, head of marketing for KURZ, the world’s top producer of transfer foils and security solutions.

Luxury brand consumers, who typically are well-versed in quality and value, expect packaging to reflect a sense of high-end exclusivity. Their confidence in a brand increase when its packaging is elevated with embellishments like foil, embossing or soft-touch coatings. These enhancements not only elevate the product’s appeal but also add authenticity, which increasingly is important as counterfeiting continues to plague the luxury goods market, and anti-counterfeiting measures are crucial for brand owners.

“The enhanced tactile experience of packaging with specialty embellishments adds to overall perceived value of the product,” noted Kandi Johansmeyer, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Orlando-based SunDance, a multi-channel print and marketing solutions company that continues to grow in the luxury packaging space.

Luxury packaging isn’t just about a product looking expensive, though. Sabine Lenz, founder and CEO of PaperSpecs, an online hub for graphic designers and brand owners who print, said, “It’s about evoking desire, signaling quality and ensuring that from the very first touch, consumers feel they’re experiencing something truly special.”

While many consumer-packaged goods companies can be restricted by the cost of these value-add embellishments, Johansmeyer explained that luxury brand owners often have higher margins with their products, which enable them to enhance their packaging with more specialty finishes that align with their brand image.

These tactile finishes and visual foils are important in luxury packaging, not only for enhancing brand authenticity, but also for driving sales. Christine Takacs, holographics development specialist at ITW ShineMark, affirmed, “It’s all about the data. Purchasing habits demonstrate a direct correlation between foil embellishments and high-margin sales volume in certain premium categories.” Takacs’s company is a global leader in the manufacturing and distribution of high-quality foils, films and laminations.

With higher budgets come high demands: Consistency is key for strong branding and quality perception. “Perfect production results are mission critical, and even minor flaws can delay launch dates and potentially cause significant financial losses,” said Thomas Leikam, director of sales and marketing, Autajon Packaging West Coast.

Autajon, a manufacturer of folding cartons, labels, set-up boxes and POS materials, has a significant global presence, with luxury packaging making up the largest portion of its customer portfolio. Leikam added that luxury packaging cartons placed side by side on the shelf must have consistent color, precise registration and strong structural integrity, all of which contribute to the overall user experience. This level of perfection is why luxury brand owners dedicate more time to the concept stage than other packaging customers, and rigorous testing regularly is conducted throughout the production process.

Luxurious Trends

While they may seem similar at first glance, each foil and embellishment on a luxury goods package tells a distinct story. Leikam explained that “a shimmery foil helps brands stand out with its reflective quality, while soft-touch and other specialty embellishments keep customers engaged and intrigued by the look and feel of the product carton.” Lenz added, “Whether it’s subtle holographic effects suggesting innovation or textured embossing reflecting a brand’s heritage, finishing techniques are more intentional than ever.”

Holographic films and foils are making a major impact in today’s luxury packaging, thanks to their modern aesthetic and minimalist appeal. ITW ShineMark recently released its HoloFrost™ products, which, according to Takacs, “overprint beautifully without muddying ink saturation and color integrity. When left unprinted, they offer an intriguing new look.”

Haley Hutchison-Quick, vice president of Infinity® Foils, Inc., a UEI company, and a global leader in foil stamping products, emphasized that luxury packaging must strike a balance between elegance and opulence. She noted that each foil type – whether holographic, clear or security – offers its own unique appeal. In 2025, many luxury goods are turning to overprintable cold foils, like Infinity Foil’s MCOF Grade, which creates “striking designs and eye-catching effects when combined with printing and processes like refractive stamping,” said Hutchison-Quick.

Converters and suppliers agree that luxury brands are trending toward multi-step processes, such as layering foils with UV spot coatings or embossing/debossing. As Lenz observed, there’s a strong trend toward multi-sensory experiences, “where packaging feels as good as it looks.”

Personalization and customization also are becoming increasingly important in luxury packaging, with consumers seeking unique, tailored experiences. Products like KURZ’s Digital Embellishment Solutions, designed for both narrow web and sheet-fed markets, enhance packaging with high-quality, personalized designs and offer customizable metallic finishes at high volumes. Quimby added that digital embellishments in conjunction with augmented reality (AR) will transform how brands engage with their audiences through packaging, especially as technology improves. These improvements will give rise to hyper-personalization, limited editions and smart packaging, including invisible security features, to further brand stories and boost consumer engagement.

Merging Luxury with Sustainability

While foils and embellishments can convey a product’s value and capture a consumer’s attention, the way the world perceives packaging, even in luxury goods, has begun to shift. According to Leikam, “very elaborate luxury packaging may be seen as a brand’s disregard for sustainability and environmental impact.” Quimby added, “Brands are facing growing pressure to deliver eco-friendly solutions without compromising on premium aesthetics.”

Fortunately for luxury goods retailers, a study done by Trivium Packaging and Boston Consulting Group revealed that 74% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging, with nearly a quarter of them open to an additional 10% or more in cost.

For brand owners, that means creating carefully crafted designs that incorporate sustainable materials while also working to create awareness of sustainable practices at the consumer level. Switching from laminated foil board to cold or hot foil significantly can improve recyclability. However, Leikam noted that brand owners also should consider adjusting their design to clearly communicate this change to consumers. He mentioned that many of his luxury brand clients are choosing more subtle embellishments, like micro or sculptured embossing, varnishes and embracing a “natural look” with uncoated boards.

Suppliers, too, are seeing the demand for sustainability as they work to create more recyclable products. At KURZ, Quimby said, “We’ve expanded our offerings to ensure stunning aesthetics while supporting eco-conscious values. Our goal is to empower brands with premium appeal and environmental responsibility.” He emphasized his company’s investment in research and third-party certifications to ensure the company’s products are sortable, drinkable, compostable and truly sustainable. “This shift underscores an industry-wide trend where sustainability now is essential to both brand value and consumer trust,” he added.

Takacs said that sustainability plays a key role in all product development, manufacturing and policies at ITW ShineMark. Products like its filmless EcoShine total transfer and cold transfer products will continue to grow with a correlating decline in film laminations.

Creating awareness at the consumer level is crucial, as many of the materials used in luxury packaging are inherently sustainable. Hutchison-Quick clarified that when foil is applied to paper products, it remains recyclable and repulpable, provided the paper itself also is recyclable and repulpable. Cold foil also provides excellent production efficiency and substantial value for brands and makes foiling more accessible for high-volume, long-run applications. A study commissioned by the FSEA in collaboration with Georgia Tech’s Renewable Bioproducts Institute further supports the claim that transfer foil-decorated paper and board do not pose issues for recyclability or repulpability in standard repulping processes.

To promote their sustainability efforts, luxury brand owners should consider adding information to their packaging to educate consumers. Takacs highlighted the importance of improving eco-labeling so that consumers understand they still can “embrace the enduring craft and appeal of beautifully enhanced packaging.” Leikam added that effective communication and consumer education will play a crucial role in addressing common misconceptions, such as the sustainability of recycled board, and will help brands make true progress toward their environmental and sustainability goals.

Where Do We Go From Here?

US brand owners should be aware that the political landscape may reshape the luxury goods and packaging markets in 2025 and beyond. As new policies emerge, some brands will look to domestic suppliers to combat rising costs and improve speed-to-market. However, “the essence of luxury packaging will remain the same,” said Lenz, “creating desire, elevating the brand experience and making the unboxing as memorable as the product itself.”

Looking ahead, luxury brands will embrace modern and alluring designs that blend simplicity with eye-catching, eco-friendly embellishments. For brand owners, this means focusing on creating packaging that not only conveys high-end appeal but also raises consumer awareness of eco-friendly practices.

Direct Mail Study Reveals the Impact of Print Embellishments

March 18, 2025

Contributed by the Foil & Specialty Effects Association

With all the tools that marketers employ today, statistics clearly illuminate the power of direct mail. However, to make authentic connections with a targeted direct mail audience, brand managers need to utilize tactics that will resonate. Unless a direct mail piece strikes an immediate emotional tie through relevant personalization components and highly attractive designs that feature coatings/laminates, embossing or decorative metallics, the piece likely will not receive the attention desired or optimum results.

Consumers positively react to printed pieces that resonate with their emotions, needs and values, and the direct mail story must be designed so that the sales message is enhanced with visual and tactile effects that invite the recipient to connect.

Although there is plenty of evidence that special finishes and embellishments have helped with the response rate and performance of many direct campaigns (either as an embellished self-mailer or envelope), there are little to no facts available on specific results. Many companies simply look at the results and success as confidential information they would rather not share.

With this in mind, the Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) recently embarked on a study to specifically measure the results of a direct mail campaign and the impact of print embellishments on direct mail results. Through the partnership of Charlie’s Car Wash, a national car wash company located close to the FSEA offices in Kansas and with multiple locations throughout the Midwest, the company agreed to share the results from a postcard mailing to a targeted neighborhood surrounding the location of one of its newest car wash facilities. The results of the study, which differentiated between printed postcards and embellished postcards, are outlined below.

“I had been working for several years to find the right partner to create an embellished direct mail piece where we could measure the results of a plainly printed mailer vs. a printed and fully embellished mailer,” stated FSEA Executive Director Jeff Peterson. “The marketing department at Charlie’s Car Wash was wonderful to work with to create a program that we could track and would provide quality results.”

Methodology

Closely working with the car wash company, a postcard was designed to mail to approximately 7,500 residents in the neighborhoods surrounding the opening of a new car wash location. Of the 7,500 total postcards, 50% were digitally printed (4-color process) on the front side and 50% were digitally printed (4-color process) with the addition of offline digital inkjet embellishments. These print embellishments included spot raised and textured coatings and raised digital metallic decoration in gold. The postcards were printed and embellished by Salt Lake City printing company, Hudson Printing (www.hudsonprinting.com).

The backside of the postcard, also digitally printed using 4-color process, described a special offer for a free car wash if the direct mail recipient brought it to the car wash location within a certain period of time. Separate barcodes differentiated the two types of postcards – one for the printed postcards only and one for the embellished postcards, allowing the car wash to determine how many of each postcard type were redeemed.

Results

The response rates for each group were as follows:

Print-Only Postcard Mailers:

Total Sent: 3,750

Responses: 480

Response Rate: 12.8%

Embellished Postcard Mailers:

Total Sent: 3,750

Responses: 631

Response Rate: 16.8%

Conclusion

The result of this campaign clearly demonstrated that embellished direct mailers with tactile varnish and/or metallic finishes significantly are more effective in generating responses compared to standard print-only direct mail campaigns. The embellished car wash postcards with the free car wash offer achieved a response rate of 16.8%, which is a 31.25% improvement over the response rate of the printed-only postcard. The statistical analysis confirms the significance of these findings, providing compelling evidence to support the use of tactile embellishments in future direct mail campaigns to enhance engagement and response rates.

By continuing to innovate through the exploration of creative enhancements, new benchmarks can be established for success in marketing efforts. This direct mail study underscores the value of investing in embellished mailers as a strategic approach to improving campaign outcomes and achieving higher engagement from recipients.

For more information and further details on this study and other studies on the impact of embellishments on both direct mail and packaging, contact the Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) at www.fsea.com or call 785.271.5816. FSEA provides a wide range of resources to help companies remain profitable today and into the future. From cost-saving programs and educational opportunities to green initiatives proving the sustainability of foil decorated paper/board, the FSEA strives to provide its members with ideas, resources and solutions to grow in today’s marketplace.

New Tactile Promotion from US Postal Service

The United States Postal Service recently has reinstated The Tactile, Sensory & Interactive (TSI) Promotion that encourages mailers to excite their customers’ senses by incorporating innovative techniques into their First-Class Mail® and USPS Marketing Mail®. The new promotion runs February 1 – July 31, 2025. For more details on the promotion, visit Association News on page 75 of this issue of PostPress.

Metallic Embellishments for Print – Finding the Right Fit

March 18, 2025

By Jeff Peterson, executive director, Foil & Specialty Effects Association

As the FSEA Executive Director, one question continuously comes up: What method of applying a metallic finish is best for a specific application? Through my past experiences and continued communication with both our active and associate (supplier) members, I have achieved a basic knowledge of the different processes and usually can point a printer, designer or brand owner in the right direction.

I have told this story several times through presentations at events such as PRINTING United or our own FSEA events, but it wasn’t that many years ago when an application called for the addition of a metallic finish, hot foil stamping virtually was the only choice – at least 80% or more of the time. Today, however, these options have expanded and evolved, offering the end user a range of choices based on both aesthetic appeal and the most cost-effective approach, depending on the final printed and embellished product.

What is more interesting is that the new or improved metallic decorating processes (such as cold foil transfer or digital foil processes), for most applications, provide a solution that hot foil stamping doesn’t fit. In so many cases, newer processes have opened up opportunities for the use of metallics that simply were less feasible through hot foil – based on the process or the cost. Additionally, I’ve observed that with the growth in areas such as cold foil transfer and digital foil processes, doors have opened for more hot foil stamping because the increased exposure of metallics for print has elevated the overall demand.

Another interesting trend that I believe has contributed to the popularity of embellishments and overall growth is the investment of commercial print and packaging companies in embellishment processes – including cold foil retrofitted to a new or existing offset printing press or the addition of a hot foil stamping or offline digital embellishment machine. With all of these cases, the addition of in-house metallic processes provides a salesperson something new and exciting to sell. In the past, when all the printer offered was 4-color printing, that is what the salesperson sold. The addition of foil only came into play when a customer asked for it, knowing it would be sent out to a trade finisher to complete.

This might sound like bad news for our FSEA print finishing operations. In truth, it has not worked out that way. Because commercial printers and carton/label producers now have the capabilities in-house, they have learned more about adding embellishments and how to sell it. What this has done is help grow the pie and provide more opportunities for embellishments overall. A printer may have cold foil or digital foil capabilities in-house and the job may fit one of those processes, or the job might be a better fit for hot foil stamping that the printer cannot do in-house.

Advantages and Disadvantages

This brings me to the discussion on choosing the right metallic decorating method. As I previously mentioned, I receive this question quite often and have outlined key questions for inquiries and presentations that should be considered before deciding on the most suitable process.

What is the run length of the job that is adding the metallic effects?

Run length and the finished quantity are going to help eliminate certain metallic processes right away. If the run length is a massive quantity for something such as a folding cartons, trading cards or magazine covers, one option is to apply foil through cold foil transfer and print 4-color inline. The amount of metallic used within the image of the printed piece also can affect the best choice. Even for extremely large runs, if the foil image is a simple headline or in one area on the front of the printed piece, hot foil stamping may be the best option even though it is applied in a separate run on a large platen foil stamping press.

Another option for very large runs is utilizing a foil board that is provided with the metallic pre-applied (transfer process) or pre-laminated. In either case, this can be the right choice if the design incorporates the metallic look in several places, such as on a carton or magazine/book cover. One challenge with full metallic coverage is, in many cases, certain areas still need to be white. This is possible when a fifth station is available to apply the opaque white ink. However, there can be challenges with coverage and working with the foil board.

When quantities fit somewhere in the middle, whether on the larger side or leaning toward smaller runs, hot foil stamping likely still is the best choice. Again, the design and location of the foil image or images will help determine if hot or cold foil is best.

For smaller up to medium/large quantities, utilizing a digital inkjet metallic may be the best fit. Again, the placement and size of the image can affect this, but certainly for smaller runs, using a digital foil process can be the most cost effective, eliminating tooling and plate costs.

When discussing digital foil, it is important to point out that there are both digital inkjet embellishment processes where the varnish is used as the adhesive, and digital foil processes where toner from a digital printer is used as the adhesive. Toner-based digital foil typically is for shorter-run work. However, there are machines available today for production runs. The challenge with a toner-based process is that three or four separate passes are involved in the process, so smaller runs for such items as posters, short-run invitations or cards are proper fits.

Will the job have multiple metallic colors?

If the job incorporates several metallic colors and the run length is at a higher quantity, cold foil transfer will be the best choice – where silver can be applied in the first station of the offset press and then an infinite number of metallic colors can be created through overprinting translucent ink inline. While multiple foil colors can be applied using separate webs on a foil stamping press, this is limited to the design being compatible for it to effectively work. With digital inkjet, only one metallic can be applied at a time. With a toner-based system, multiple metallic colors are achievable by applying the silver foil over the toner in one pass and then digitally printing over the silver metallic areas to create a multitude of colors.

Will the job include embossing?

If the job is going to be embossed, whether embossing the print or the metallic image, it only can be accomplished through a secondary process, either separately or in conjunction with the foil stamping process. And, if the foil stamped image is embossed, this can be accomplished through foil stamping and embossing in one pass (combination). A cold foil transfer image can be embossed in a separate run, as well. Again, questions on quantity, image placement(s) and paper stock will determine this.

In a digital inkjet foil process, the coating/adhesive can be raised to a certain level to create a single-level embossed look to the foil; however, this is limited in its depth. The advantage of a raised digital foil look is that there is no indent on the backside of the printed piece from the embossing.

What type of paper stock was selected?

This can be a deal breaker when selecting the metallic finish for a printed piece. If the job requires a thick, porous, uncoated stock, especially a recycled stock, hot foil stamping may be the only choice for adding a metallic finish.

With both cold foil transfer and digital inkjet foil, an adhesive is applied first to the paper and the foil adheres to the adhesive in an additional section of the press. An extremely porous, uncoated stock will absorb the adhesive and make it very difficult for the foil to be applied. However, there have been new breakthroughs introduced for both cold foil and digital that are working with uncoated stocks, but there are limitations. Testing always is the best advice with paper stocks, regardless of which metallic process is chosen.

What is the design and overall coverage of the metallic finish?

As mentioned earlier, the placement of the metallic image(s) and the overall design and coverage of the foil can have an influence on choosing the best process. A larger image or coverage of foil is not as feasible for a digital inkjet process, especially in larger quantities. And, if the metallic image is in one specific area on the design, hot foil stamping or digital inkjet probably is the best choice. If the metallic design is incorporated throughout the entire design, the best choices would be cold foil transfer or a metallic pre-transferred or pre-laminated board/paper that then is overprinted.

The bottom line when selecting a metallic finish: It’s important to look at the job from several directions. Answering the aforementioned questions before moving forward is a good start. Depending on the application, it may be worth considering more than one option and then determining the best fit based on the customer’s expectations and overall costs.

The Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA), in cooperation with PaperSpecs (an online platform developed to communicate easy-to-understand tips and tricks on print and paper technologies), has developed its Foil Cheat Sheet – a go-to source explaining the different techniques available for creating metallic finishes. From hot and cold foil to toner-based and varnish-based digital foiling, the guide describes each technique and provides the advantages and disadvantages of each. Specific samples of each process are included in the guide. For more information on the Foil Cheat Sheet, visit www.fsea.com and click the Education link on the navigation bar. For more information on PaperSpecs, visit www.paperspecs.com.

PDP Creates Dazzling Self-Promotion Piece

March 18, 2025

By Liz Stevens, writer, PostPress

Precise Digital Printing, Inc. (PDP), of Bensenville, Illinois, is a leading wholesale supplier for the Chicagoland area of signs, banners, graphics, point-of-purchase displays and other printed and embellished materials. It offers an array of full-color print options from large-format flatbed printing to 10-foot roll-to-roll photographic quality signage and graphics. The company offers digital printing, installation, product development, quality assurance, lamination, banner finishing, fulfillment and kitting. About two and a half years ago, PDP decided to add digital print embellishments to its line of services and offer added value to the printed materials it provides with the addition of a Scodix Ultra 2000 digital embellishment press.

To showcase PDP’s embellishment offerings, the company recently created an impressive self-promotion piece for display at tradeshows, providing customers and potential customers with an example of what is possible. The self-promotion is a large two-piece box, including base and lid. The box is black with blue text, with a concentric 8-point chevron star design on the top of the lid, which is overlaid with the PDP logo. The lid’s front features panels of colorful geometric stained-glass designs with the PDP logo overlaid. The short sides of the lid display the company’s slogan in blue text. Joe Koritko, digital manager, gave PostPress more details on the making of the piece.

“The impetus for this piece,” Koritko explained, “was that we needed a promotional box for a tradeshow coming up. I wanted to make the box as large as possible, so the engineering team at PDP came up with the two-piece box style. They produced a dieline to the maximum size of the Scodix digital embellishment press, which is approximately 20″ x 30″.

Koritko took the project from there with the goal of producing a box that would catch the attention of passersby and stand out at a show. “I went through various samples that I had made before and incorporated some of them into the design for this box,” said Koritko. He also included two original samples of a stained-glass design. “The stained-glass samples were printed on decal material,” he said, “and mounted to 3/16″ foamboard. We wanted to show customers that a wide variety of substrates can have embellishments, and that they are not limited to only thin stocks. The stained-glass rainbow pattern looked really nice on this substrate.”

For this piece, Koritko used vinyl decal material, which was mounted to e-flute cardboard after the embellishments were applied on the Scodix machine. “To design the graphics,” said Koritko, “I ran various samples of optical illusions. I chose one – the star pattern – and modified it to fit the top of the box. Then I incorporated our logo into it. For the sides of the box, I took a stained-glass image and modified it in Photoshop. I separated the frame for the holographic foil and pulled the texture from the image for the spot UV.”

The specialty effects on this project included spot UV, textured spot UV, metallic foil, holographic foil and glitter foil. “The top of the box is a holographic rainbow foil with the PDP logo in blue metallic foil, along with spot UV over the logo to make it stand out,” said Koritko. “The sides are a light screen of blue foil over the letters with spot UV.”

The front of the box includes the unique stained-glass design created by Koritko, which first was digitally printed in 4-color to showcase the stained-glass panes in different colors. Then a pass of holographic diffuser foil was added to outline the panes and foil the PDP logo. The fill of the PDP logo is made using glitter foil. A final pass of spot UV using a diamond-like pattern was used to help make it glisten.

Production of the piece was all digitally done. “I used a HP R2000 for the decal print with latex ink,” Koritko explained, “and a Scodix Ultra 2000 for the embellishment of the decal.” Koritko used a Vanguard 300D-HS direct print to cardboard for the bottom of the box with UV ink and then used a Zund cutting machine to cut the box shape. “The box design was unique,” Koritko explained. “It was created to fold and hold its shape without tape or glue.”

The project presented a few design and production challenges for PDP but nothing that Koritko could not overcome. “There was a lot of trial and error,” he said. “In many jobs, I need to make adjustments after the first run. A piece may need more spot UV in some areas, or we may need to screen it back. Another common challenge is the number of times a piece will need to be put through the machine. This design had to go through a handful of times.”

Koritko’s hard work to design and produce the box handsomely paid off. “People loved the box!” he said. “It drew many people to visit our booth to see it. They picked it up, touched it and were able to feel the quality of the product. And it made for a great conversation piece.”

For more information, visit www.precisedigitalprinting.com.

Elevate the 401(k): Turning an Ordinary Plan into an Extraordinary Retirement Strategy

March 18, 2025

By Joseph P. Trybula, CFP®, AIF®, Printers 401K

For successful business owners and their employees, planning for retirement requires a strategic approach that maximizes tax efficiency and ensures substantial savings. Combining a Cash Balance Plan with a 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan offers a powerful way to achieve these goals – turning an ordinary retirement plan into an extraordinary plan, providing significant benefits that go beyond what standard retirement plans can offer.

Understanding the Basics

The 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan

A 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan is a retirement savings plan that allows employees to contribute a portion of their salary to a tax-deferred account. Employers can match these contributions and make additional profit-sharing contributions based on company performance. The contributions made to the plan are tax-deductible for the employer, and the earnings on the investments grow tax-deferred until withdrawal.

The Cash Balance Plan

A Cash Balance Plan is a type of defined benefit plan that acts like a hybrid between traditional pension plans and defined contribution plans, like the 401(k). In a Cash Balance Plan, each participant has an account that annually grows in two ways: first, through employer contributions (usually a percentage of salary or a flat dollar amount), and second, through an interest credit, which can be fixed or linked to an index. Unlike a 401(k), the investment risk is borne by the employer.

The Power of Combining Both Plans

Substantially Increase Contribution Limits

One of the most compelling reasons to combine a 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan with a Cash Balance Plan is the ability to significantly increase the total amount of contributions one can make.

For 2025, the employee contribution limit for a 401(k) plan is $23,500, with an additional $7,500 catch-up contribution for those aged 50 and older, allowing for a potential total contribution of $31,000 for individuals in this age group.

Under the SECURE Act 2.0, a higher catch-up contribution applies to employees aged 60-63. For 2025, this special catch-up limit is $11,250 instead of $7,500, increasing the potential total contribution to $35,750 for individuals in this age range.

A Cash Balance Plan, however, allows for significantly higher contributions – especially for older participants – providing a powerful opportunity for tax-deferred savings.

For example, a 60-year-old business owner might be able to contribute over $300,000 annually to a Cash Balance Plan, depending on the business owner’s income and the design of the plan. Combined with the 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan, the total potential contributions can exceed $350,000 annually, creating substantial tax-deferred growth.

Enhanced Tax Deductions

Contributions made to both the 401(k) and the Cash Balance Plan are tax-deductible, which significantly can reduce a business owner’s taxable income. This particularly is advantageous for high-income earners who are looking to lower their tax liabilities while simultaneously boosting their retirement savings.

Flexibility in Plan Design

These plans offer considerable flexibility in how they are structured. For example, profit-sharing contributions in a 401(k) can be allocated in a way that rewards key employees, while a Cash Balance Plan can be designed to provide higher benefits to owners and older employees. This flexibility allows business owners to tailor the plans to meet both their retirement goals and their business objectives, effectively turning what might be an ordinary plan into an extraordinary plan.

Attract and Retain Talent

Offering a combination of a 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and a Cash Balance Plan can make the company’s benefits package more attractive to top talent. Employees value the stability and potential growth these plans offer, making them a powerful tool for recruitment and retention.

Important Considerations

Plan Administration

Combining a Cash Balance Plan with a 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan adds complexity to the administration of retirement plans. These plans require careful management and compliance with IRS regulations. Working with experienced financial advisors and third-party administrators is crucial to ensure the plans are set up and maintained correctly.

Funding Requirements

Cash Balance Plans, as defined benefit plans, require mandatory annual contributions. This is different from the discretionary nature of profit-sharing contributions in a 401(k). Business owners need to ensure they have the cash flow to meet these funding requirements, especially during lean years.

Employee Communication

It’s important to clearly communicate the benefits and mechanics of these plans to employees. While they offer substantial benefits, the complexity sometimes can cause confusion. Providing educational resources and access to financial advisors can help employees make the most of these plans.

Conclusion

A combination of a Cash Balance Plan and a 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan represents one of the most powerful tools for building substantial retirement savings. By significantly increasing contribution limits, providing tax advantages and offering flexibility in plan design, these plans can help one achieve retirement goals while also benefiting the business. However, it’s essential to work with knowledgeable professionals to navigate the complexities and ensure the plans are tailored to everyone’s specific needs.

Whether a business is looking to maximize savings, reduce tax burdens or attract top talent, the strategic use of these plans can provide financial security and peace of mind for the future. By combining these strategies, anyone can transform an ordinary plan into an extraordinary plan, setting the stage for a prosperous retirement.

Joe Trybula, of Diversified Financial Advisors, is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary™ (AIF®) who manages the Printers 401(k) Plan in partnership with the Foil & Specialty Effects Association, making it available to eligible members. For more information on the Printers 401(k) Plan and strategies to maximize the benefits of a plan, email joe@diversifiedfa.com or call 800.307.0376.

Konica Minolta and MGI – JETvarnish 3D Web 400

March 18, 2025

Edited by Cori Watkins, editor, PostPress

Leveraging the worldwide success of the AccurioShine 3600 and the JETvarnish EVO sheet-fed embellishment units, Konica Minolta, with US headquarters in Ramsey, New Jersey, and MGI recently introduced the JETvarnish 3D Web 400 – the only stand-alone, single-pass, spot UV and digital hot foil web press in the market. With a print width up 420 mm and substrate compatibility up to 300 µm thick, rolls of toner, inkjet or flexographic prints can be embellished at speeds up to 42 m/min. The JETvarnish 3D Web 400 is 100% web-fed and seamlessly integrates spot UV varnish, hot foil stamping and variable data printing in a single pass.

Features

This modular system can be configured with an inline flexo station and semi-rotary diecutting and, like all Konica Minolta / MGI embellishment systems, is not bound to one upstream print technology. It enables converters and printers to reduce their customers’ time-to-market, while transforming the impact of their labels and packaging on the shelf, in full compliance with their environmental strategies.

The JETvarnish 3D Web 400 consists of a new digital hot foil stamping unit and heated roller. It is more compact and faster, which allows for improved productivity, and is compatible with one-inch or three-inch cores. This system contains exclusive inkjet technology with a piloting station, uses Konica Minolta’s genuine piezoelectric printheads and includes three drying technologies.

The inline hot foil system option can be installed at the time of purchase or in a future upgrade. The scalability of foil customization and personalization enables printers and trade finishers to expand into profitable new market segments. The JETvarnish 3D Web 400 and iFOIL W400 combination creates both visual and tactile excitement that print buyers, end users and brand owners are looking for to distinguish their products in the marketplace.

The AIS registration system eliminates more than 80% of the set-up time spent on the registration adjustment process. The system automatically calculates the need for adjustment and applies it without operator intervention and no drop in speed.

Completely upgradeable, with multiple added options, the JETvarnish 3D Web 400 is made up of modules that enable printers and converters to easily upgrade it as their finishing business grows. Available in four configurations – with one or two inkjet engines and with or without the hot foil unit – the system caters to diverse needs and budgets.

Promising Solutions

The JETvarnish 3D Web 400 technology is user-friendly, environmentally conscious and easily scalable. Tailored for the evolving needs of the self-adhesive label and flexible packaging sectors, the JETvarnish 3D Web 400 meets the most varied requirements for short, medium and long runs, by enhancing basic four-color production with digital spot UV varnish and hot foil stamping in fixed or variable data, flat or embossed, facilitating multi-runs and versioning.

Sustainability

The JETvarnish 3D Web 400’s 100% digital process eliminates the need for conventional intermediate consumables (clichés, plates and screens). Its small footprint and low power consumption immediately reduce CO2 emissions and its automatic on-the-fly makeready eliminates waste, optimizing raw material consumption. In parallel, JETvarnish 3D Web 400 UV varnishes and foils also meet the Ingede 11 de-inkability standard for certain substrates, allowing printed paper to be recycled. Additionally, it provides enhanced UV protection with lower energy consumption than traditional UV systems.

To learn more about the JETvarnish Web 400 roll-to-roll UV and digital hot foil technology, visit www.kmbs.konicaminolta.us/products/production-industrial-printing/decorative-print-and-embellishment/jetvarnish-3d-web-400/.

Industry Influencer: Jules VanSant

December 10, 2024

Jules VanSant is the executive director at Two Sides North America, located in Portland, Oregon, – a global non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the unique sustainable features of print, paper and paper-based packaging. VanSant brings a high-profile presence to her position, with experience in a variety of roles in manufacturing, nonprofits and associations in the print and graphic communications space. Her focus is on truth in messaging around sustainability and greenwashing issues through marketing, direct outreach and community building. VanSant also is a partner at Bubble & Hatch Marketing and serves on several industry boards.

Jules VanSant, executive director at Two Sides North America

What are the mission and goals of Two Sides North America? How did the initiative for Two Sides begin?

Two Sides North America (TSNA) is part of the nonprofit Two Sides global network, which includes more than 600 member companies across North America, South America, Europe, Australia and South Africa. TSNA’s member companies span the graphic communications and paper-based packaging value chain, including forestry, pulp, paper, paper-based packaging, chemicals and inks, pre-press, press, finishing, printing, publishing, envelopes and postal operations.

TSNA began in 2008 to fill a need to elevate the environmental truth about paper and paper-based packaging. In common purpose with members of the graphic communications and paper-based packaging industry, TSNA aspires to ensure that in a world of scarce resources, renewable, recyclable and sustainable products can be enjoyed for generations to come.

Using a straightforward, balanced approach, TSNA is telling the sustainability story of print, paper and paper-based packaging using specific research and facts in the US and Canada. TSNA tackles the relevant environmental and social issues head-on with factual, authoritative information that exposes the myths, explains the industry’s true sustainability capabilities and gives stakeholders a solid foundation for making well-informed decisions about the use of print and paper products.

How do you see the printing/finishing industry embracing global trends, such as the circular economy and sustainability demands from brand owners and consumers?

TSNA bases its approach and work on the premise that “Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

TSNA sees the printing/finishing industry embracing global trends around environmental responsibility, prioritizing eco-friendly practices and sustainable materials. Many aspects of the production and recycling processes are part of a greater circular economy. Sustainability demands from brand owners and consumers continue to push improvements, as do national and local legislation.

Companies increasingly are adopting circular economic principles by implementing processes that reduce waste, promote recycling and encourage using renewable resources. Today’s industry leaders continue exploring innovative technologies and eco-friendly alternatives to traditional print and finishing materials and methods.

What are the biggest challenges the paper and printing industry faces as it relates to sustainability? How should the industry respond to successfully grow and thrive?

It’s exciting to see the ongoing focus on advancing environmentally friendly inks, films, coatings and overall recyclability. It’s important to tell the story, share the facts and get these in front of manufacturers, employees and, most importantly, consumers. But no matter how the industry advances, one of the biggest challenges it faces are the misconceptions and misleading language used in greenwashing claims.

Greenwashing is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as, “Disinformation disseminated by an organization to present an environmentally responsible public image.”

Environmentally conscious consumers rely on messages from corporations, government agencies and other organizations to inform their communication choices. Yet it is not uncommon for these organizations to make unsubstantiated and misleading environmental claims that promote switching from paper to electronic communication as better for the environment, e.g., “go paperless – go green” and “go paperless, save trees.”

In a recent TSNA survey, 65% of Americans who had seen anti-paper greenwashing claims said they were influenced to switch to paperless communications.

What resources does TSNA provide Print Service Providers (PSPs) to help stop greenwashing and misinformation on print and paper?

TSNA provides Print Service Providers (PSPs) with a variety of resources to help combat greenwashing and misinformation surrounding print and paper. Some of the resources TSNA offers include:

Fact Sheets and Research: We create and keep updated informative fact sheets that debunk common myths and misconceptions about the environmental impact of print and paper. We also conduct in-depth research studies that highlight the sustainability and recyclability of print and paper products, providing the entire supply chain with data-driven insights to counter greenwashing claims while supporting sustainability messaging.

Campaign Materials and Industry Advocacy: We offer marketing campaign materials and messaging templates that PSPs can use to educate their customers and stakeholders about the sustainable attributes of print and paper. These include blogs, videos, social media posts, and print and digital ads. We also recently relaunched our Love Paper campaign (www.lovepaperna.org). In addition, we advocate on behalf of the print and paper industry, working to promote accurate information and challenge misleading greenwashing practices.

By leveraging these resources, PSPs effectively can combat greenwashing and misinformation, ensuring that accurate and balanced information about the environmental impact of print and paper is communicated to their clients and the public.

What are your predictions for the paper and print industry in the next five to 10 years?

TSNA already sees the paper and print industry evolving and adapting to prepare for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation and the impacts of the EU Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR). These will continue to influence consumer preferences and drive technological advancements and environmental considerations throughout the supply chain over the next five to 10 years. This will push a variety of trends in the print and finishing space, including:

Increased Focus on Sustainability: We anticipate a greater emphasis on sustainability throughout the paper and print supply chain, with manufacturers and individual companies continuing to expand their eco-friendly practices, material sourcing, utilization of renewable resources and reduction of environmental impact.

Digital Integration: The industry will see further integration of digital print technologies to streamline processes, improve efficiency and enhance customer experiences.

Innovation in Print Products: There will be continued innovation in print products and finishing techniques, focusing on the incorporation of embellishments that have improved the environmental footprint and can create a unique and customizable impact while providing value to customers.

Circular Economy Initiatives: The industry has continued to embrace circular economy principles, leading to increased recycling rates, reduced waste and a shift toward closed-loop production systems. This will continue well into the next decade.

Consumer Education: There will be a growing effort to educate consumers about the sustainability of print and paper, dispelling myths and promoting the positive environmental attributes of these materials. TSNA is at the forefront of providing fact-based data, resources and community to support these initiatives.

Overall, TSNA believes that the paper and print industry will continue to thrive and adapt to changing market dynamics, consumer preferences and sustainability challenges in the coming years, positioning itself as a sustainable, innovative and essential component of the modern business landscape.