2022 May/June

Top 10 Packaging Trends for 2022

June 20, 2022

By Nathan Dube

This article was originally published in September 2021 on the Industrial Packaging blog. It’s being shared with PostPress readers. Read the complete article at
www.industrialpackaging.com/blog.

In this article, we will be exploring the top 10 packaging trends for 2022. With the information in this article, you will understand the most important items of consideration for packaging come the new year.

1. Pandemic prepared certification for packaging lines and supply chains

As fall approaches, many businesses are once again taking a hard look at the COVID19 pandemic. With the delta variant expanding across the country and hot spot cases surging to numbers not seen since the beginning of the pandemic, companies are taking stock of what is essential. A focus on safety is front of mind for many businesses and their
supply chain.

One way companies can significantly reduce the effect of pandemics on their packaging lines is by becoming pandemic prepared certified. For instance, certification from a provider like AIB International gives your facility an upper hand in the battle against COVID19 and other potential viruses that could be problematic in the future.

2. Protective and tamper evident packaging

With health and safety being an essential item of consideration for many businesses, protective packaging and tamper-evident packaging are becoming ever more popular for many food and consumer goods
manufacturing companies.

Protective and tamper-evident packaging materials allow companies to enhance the safety of their current packaging containers and provide consumers with the ability to quickly identify whether their products have been compromised or tampered with.

Protective and tamper-evident packaging materials include items such as seal bands, lidding films, blister packs, and flexible pouches.

3. Contract packaging

As the “great resignation” continues to spread like a wildfire across the US, many businesses are concerned about their ability to keep their packaging lines running. And, while employment benefits ended in September, and many believe that will result in workers returning, others are not so sure. In this respect, there is perhaps no better time to consider outsourcing your packaging line and supply chain through contract packaging.

Co-packers specialize in taking packaging off your plate so that you can focus on your business’s core capabilities. Plus, they can leverage more extensive networks of temporary workforces or automation capabilities to keep your
business running.

In this way, co-packers can take two significant headaches away so that you can stop worrying about the future and focus on the success of your business.

4. Packaging automation

If you want to keep your packaging line in-house but want to ensure that your operation is as close to COVID-proof as possible, you may want to consider a more technically advanced tool for your arsenal. Automation is one of the best weapons you can have against COVID.

It is also the best way to increase and exceed your key performance indicators continually. With a partially or fully automated packaging line, you will have fewer people in the warehouse. This will help to prevent the spread of illness while resulting in a better-optimized packaging line.

Whether you choose to use fully automated packaging machinery by itself or in conjunction with collaborative robots, automating your packaging line will help you increase production, improve quality, and help keep your people, products, and brands throughout the supply chain safe.

5. Virtual and augmented reality packaging

One of the hottest trends we have seen in 2021 is the advancement of AR and VR in packaging applications. With the rise of the metaverse being one of the year’s major stories, it is no wonder that more brands are jumping on the AR/VR packaging bandwagon. From major brands like Pizza Hut to beverage companies such as 19 Crimes Wine, augmented and virtual reality applications are becoming more popular
by the day.

Part of the reason these digitally augmented forms of packaging are becoming so popular is that they offer access to special deals, coupons, games, and other interactive experiences that you cannot access unless you are using AR or VR devices such as smartphones, tablets, or virtual reality headsets. Using virtual and augmented reality packaging can give your business an edge over your competitors who are not implementing these technologies.

6. Transparent packaging

A new trend becoming very popular with consumers is transparent packaging. These include items such as flexible pouches that feature a transparent plastic window that allows consumers to see the product inside of the package.

By allowing the customer to feel the texture of the product while also seeing their items without opening the packaging, you provide an interactive packaging experience that entices the customer to pick up and inspect the product. This increases the probability of the consumer grabbing your products off the shelves and placing them in their shopping carts. Another popular form of transparent packaging includes flexible bagging such as poly bags.

7. Vintage packaging

A trend that we first saw in our article on top packaging materials for 2021, vintage packaging, is continuing its rise in popularity as we head towards the new year. With nostalgia being a popular marketing trope gaining consumer’s attention since 2020, vintage packaging has become more common in the marketplace.

By instilling a sense of “the good old days,” vintage packaging gives consumers a feeling of attachment to older generations and simpler times. Often treading the line of luxury packaging, vintage packaging’s aesthetics, color combinations, and typography have proven to be both eye-catching and appealing to consumers as time has gone on.

8. Luxury packaging

Speaking of luxury packaging, that is another form of packaging that continues to gain momentum in the marketplace. With the currently booming economy, it should be no surprise that many people are treating themselves. Those treats include items such as aged whiskeys, smartphones, watches, fine wines, gourmet foods and more.

An excellent example of luxury packaging would be a vintage scotch whiskey. These types of liquors often feature multi-layer packaging that combines a paperboard box, custom foam insert and high-quality glass bottle.

Luxury packaging exudes a sense of pure indulgence. It aims to produce a feeling similar to that of the product being packaged. And while this type of packaging continues to be a hit with well-to-do consumers, there are some concerns about luxury packaging’s environmental costs.

Between 2019 and 2021, luxury packaging saw growth of more than 3% in global sales despite those concerns. That number continues to rise as we head closer to 2022.

9. Minimalist packaging

Less is more, am I right? In stark contrast to luxury packaging, minimalist packaging seeks to use the least amount of materials, typography, ink and space as possible. This type of packaging appeals to consumers overwhelmed with the variety of pulsating colors, aesthetics, and other attention-grabbing forms of packaging materials.

Interestingly, by having such simple designs and often flat or monotone colors, minimalist packaging often stands out from the vast sea of multi-colored and multi-textured packaging alternatives on the market today. By regressing to simplicity, brands can stand out without resorting to using multiple materials, printing technologies, textures, and other popular “in your face” marketing techniques.

10. Flexible packaging

Finally, we come to flexible packaging. Flexible packaging is a type of packaging in which the shape can be manipulated or bent easily. Generally speaking, these materials are made from various plastic formulations, foils, paperboard and bio-polymers.

Flexible packaging is fast replacing more costly and less environmentally friendly forms of rigid packaging. With a lower carbon footprint and cost than their rigid counterparts, flexible packaging materials win consumers worldwide.

This article is reprinted with permission by Nathan Dube from the Industrial Packaging blog. Nathan Dube is a digital marketing specialist, podcast host, and voice actor, and he has been in corporate B2B marketing for 15 years. His work has been featured in various best-selling marketing books, including Return on Influence, No Bullshit Social Media, and Visual Marketing.

Finding & Keeping Good Salespeople

June 9, 2022

By David M. Fellman

This is the first in a two-part series. Part one focuses on hiring salespeople. Part two focuses on retention and will appear in the next issue of PostPress.

“As I look at the industry,” a printer told me, “I see great things being done on the printing end. We have fantastic capabilities. We’re just not very good on the selling end or at sales management. I think most of us struggle with finding and keeping good salespeople.”

It’s an age-old problem: Where do you find good salespeople, and how do you keep them? The answer to both of those questions starts with this one: What exactly do you want your salesperson to do?

The answer probably seems obvious: I want my salesperson to sell! But doing this right requires more thoughtful consideration. Do you want your salesperson to develop new customers or to service established customers? If the answer is both, what’s the mix between those two activities? Do you want your salesperson out looking for things to quote or selling innovative applications of your production capabilities? There are plenty of candidates for most good sales positions, but are they really good candidates for your sales position?

Hunters

The prime directive for most businesses is to grow the business, and for a printing firm, there are only two ways to do that: gain new customers and/or sell more to your current customers. It’s generally acknowledged to be easier to do the latter, which I think provides evidence that you need someone with special skills and attitudes to do the former. I don’t have any factual data to prove this, but my consulting experience suggests that maybe 10% of all current printing salespeople have well-developed hunter skills and attitudes.

Hunter skills include questioning, listening and negotiating. Hunter attitudes start with a very competitive nature, and a desire to avoid getting bogged down in details. Now, that should scare you, because the definition of a good salesperson for most printers would include being detail-oriented and working well with the production side of the business. You have to understand, though, that you don’t pay a hunter to get orders or to process them, you pay him/her to create a decision – the decision to give your company a chance. A pure hunter will do that and your company will (hopefully) benefit from the lifetime value of that customer. The (hopefully) part reflects the distinct possibility that it won’t be a long and full lifetime if you expect a real hunter to farm that account too.

Farmers

The hunter/farmer analogy is not as clean as I would like it to be because it’s based on the idea that hunters kill and farmers grow. A better analogy might be obstetricians and pediatricians; one is responsible for the birth of a relationship and the other is responsible for maintaining its health. The hunter/farmer terminology is pretty well accepted, though, so let’s continue to use it.

Farmer skills include questioning, listening and negotiating, too, but there’s a significant difference in the application of those skills. For the hunter, questioning and listening are essential to finding weaknesses in the status quo, and negotiations are mostly about positioning a higher price as the solution to a problem, or possibly a better way of doing something. For the farmer, questioning and listening are more about getting the specs on every project right, and the justification for a higher price can be tied to proven performance.

Farmer attitudes start with a commitment to customer satisfaction, and that should scare you a little bit too. As I tell salespeople in seminars, a large part of their job is to be the advocate of the customer to the company; in other words, the salesperson communicates the customer’s needs and wants to the company, and fights for the customer’s best interests. At other times, though, the job description shifts, and the salesperson has to be the advocate of the company to the customer; in other words, sometimes the bearer of bad news.

I have never been one who believes in the idea that salespeople should be called something else, because of a stigma attached to the sales profession in our society. I do believe, though, that account manager is a very good title for a salesperson whose primary responsibility is customer maintenance rather than new customer development. I think the combination of representing the customer and representing the company is well-defined by the phrase managing the account.

Where do organizational skills fit into all of this? From my perspective, strong organizational skills are a significant asset for a hunter but an absolute necessity for a farmer. To put that another way, I will tolerate some organizational deficiencies in a salesperson with a proven ability to develop new customers. I’ve found that you can’t tolerate the same lack of organization in an account manager, though, because the largely reactive nature of the position requires strong organization and prioritization skills.

Missionaries

My dictionary provides several definitions of the word missionary, one of which is: somebody who tries to persuade others to accept or join something. In our industry right now, there’s a pretty significant need/opportunity for missionaries who can sell innovative applications of our capabilities and technologies. From printing on textiles to what I like to call extreme personalization, 21st century printing capabilities have opened up vast new possibilities for business communications.

The problem, though, is that these applications don’t sell themselves, so we need salespeople who can sell them. Missionary skills certainly include questioning, listening and negotiating, but they also include an intellectual component that not all hunters have. To put it bluntly, you have to be smart enough to understand both the technical aspects and the communications potential. And then you must have both the patience and the creativity to develop and sell a program, not just a relationship or a product.

Missionary attitudes include that patience, and also a commitment to the concept of return on investment. A true printing missionary is almost always selling something that costs more than the status quo. That means his/her negotiation position will almost always be: “Yes it costs more, but it’ll work better and therefore be a better investment.”

Your Sales Position

The point of all of this, of course, is that the person needs to be matched to the position. If you have a need for a hunter or a missionary, you won’t be happy with the performance of a person with farmer skills and attitudes. So how do you know what skills and attitudes a candidate possesses?

First, all of your recruiting material should stress exactly what you’re looking for. Second, most of your interview and reference check questions should be about confirming these traits. Third, don’t ever hire a salesperson without first testing for the skills and attitudes the position requires.

Recruiting

It’s important to understand the difference between advertising and recruiting. One is mostly passive, the other is highly proactive. Most printers seem satisfied to list the job on one of the online services. That strategy usually fails, though, and the reason is simply that the person you really want to hire is not looking for a job right now.

Think about this for a moment. There are only two reasons why someone would be looking for a job. One is that there’s something wrong with the job they have, and the only other is that there’s something wrong with the person. Now, there certainly are good people in bad situations out there, including very good people who have become available through layoffs and business failures that were in no way their fault. But I still think it’s fair to say that the majority of job-seekers – especially sales job seekers – are job-hoppers or poor performers or very possibly both. I think the salesperson you really want to hire is working right now, and performing at a high level right now, and loyal to his/her employer … but smart enough to listen if something potentially better comes along!

How do you reach people like that? One possibility is to hire a search firm, but there’s a significant cost attached to that and no guarantee of success. A better strategy, I think, is simply to network through your family, friends, suppliers, customers, etc. Describe the opportunity in general terms and the skills and attitudes you’re looking for in specific terms and ask if they know anyone who might fit the bill. Hopefully, between advertising and networking, you’ll come up with a few viable candidates.

Interviewing

A job interview has both buying and selling elements to it. It’s fair to say, though, that most printers put the cart before the horse, trying to sell the job to the candidate before they’ve decided that they want to buy that candidate’s services. I urge you to focus on the buying side before you spend any significant time trying to sell the job.

My interviewing strategy is pretty straightforward, and it doesn’t include questions like, “what did you like about your last job?” Or “what did you not like?” I start with a statement, “Here are the skills and attitudes I’m looking for … ” and continue with a challenge: “Convince me that you possess these skills and attitudes!”

I would probably not be as direct if I were interviewing, say, a candidate for a design or prepress position. A salesperson, though – certainly a hunter or a missionary – should be able to handle this sort of situation. The way I look at it, the interview process is the first element of testing a candidate. By the way, I would never hire a salesperson on the strength of a single interview. I make it a point to have at least two face-to-face meetings, and I have talked with some candidates three to four more times on the phone. I’m also a very strong believer in having others in my organization talk to each candidate. The better you get to know a candidate before you make a hiring decision, the more likely it is to be a good hiring decision.

Testing

As noted, the interview process is the first element of testing, and I hope you see how my interviewing strategy puts a candidate in a selling situation. My requirement for testing goes well beyond that, though. Just as I would never hire a salesperson on the strength of a single interview, I would also never hire one without input from an in-depth psychological profiling tool. One such tool – and one I’ve been using for many years – is the Caliper Profile (www.caliperonline.com). Here’s a quote from Caliper’s own promotional material: “The Caliper Profile is a personality assessment instrument that objectively quantifies an individual’s competencies, and identifies candidates with the strongest potential.” I have found this to be an invaluable sales management tool.

Caliper tests for personality characteristics such as ego drive, assertiveness, empathy, self-structure, abstract reasoning and idea orientation. In other words, Caliper can tell you if a candidate is a hunter, a farmer, a missionary or some combination of all three. I can also tell you that, in my experience, Caliper has been uncannily accurate.

Here’s my proof of that statement. I have had clients over the years who didn’t want to take the time or spend the money to test candidates before hiring. I have always insisted, though, and in numerous cases where we ultimately hired a candidate we’d tested, I revisited the Caliper report with my client six months later. “OK, you’ve watched this person in action for six months,” I have said. “Now tell me if the Caliper Profile accurately describes the person you’ve gotten to know.” The response has always been the same: “This is amazing!”

No matter how carefully and thoroughly you interview, you’ll never know a candidate pre-hire as well as you will after he/she has been working for you for six months. Caliper – or any other in-depth assessment tool – can give you a look into the future. I hope you’ll agree that you have to be crazy to hire a salesperson without taking that look.

Part two of Finding and Keeping Good Salespeople will focus on retention and will appear in the next issue of PostPress.

Dave Fellman is the president of David Fellman & Associates, based in Raleigh, North Carolina, a sales and marketing consulting firm serving numerous segments of the graphic arts industry. Contact him by phone at 919.606.9714 or by email at dmf@davefellman.com.

Fragrance Box Matches Its Floral Sensation

June 8, 2022

Edited by Erin La Row, editor, PostPress

The Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb rigid box (a recent winner in the Foil & Specialty Effects Association’s 29th Annual Gold Leaf Awards) was a showcase of McLean Packaging Corporation’s production capabilities.

Established in 1961 as a small box manufacturing facility outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, McLean Packaging’s facility and expertise has grown over time, now operating three manufacturing facilities with over 200 employees. McLean’s specialty is helping its customers enhance their presence in the marketplace.

“Our customer wanted to create a set that showcased the product and created visual dimension and interest,” said Stephanie Deisley, McLean Packaging.

The award-winning rigid box included a pearl coating that was used on the pink background of the box to match the brand’s color. The flowers were created out of silver cold foil supplied by ITW Foils with a gloss coating all printed inline on McLean’s KBA offset press. It was then embossed to help show definition of the decoration on a Bobst using embossing dies supplied by Metal Magic.

The corner ribbon is printed black with silver cold foil to display the Viktor&Rolf logo. The ribbon also includes an embossed pattern to mimic a real ribbon. The cartouche was formed on McLean’s thermoformer and applied inline during production to give the seal a shiny, wax like look.

One of the challenges the team faced in the production of the display box was the intricacies of the floral pattern diecut around the window.

“From the original concept, we had to round a few corners and made less-severe angles to limit any concerns of tearing or lifting during production,” Deisley stated. “We worked closely with the customer on what needed to be edited and they supplied artwork to the modifications.”

The result is a box as enchanting as the now iconic fragrance. The lid is a heavier weight wrap for smoothness and firmness of material around the diecut glued to a 58 pt Wood White board. The window is .012 APET with 25% PCR. The cartouch seal is .017 Black rPET.

“In the end, the final production piece came together beautifully and showcased the product on shelf,” Deisley said.

Advancing Paper Recycling’s Success into the Future

June 8, 2022

By Jan Bottiglieri, editorial director, Tappi

Paper is one of the most widely recycled materials in the US. The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) is committed to investing in recycling infrastructure and educating about recycling best practices. Case in point: AF&PA commissioned the 2021 Access to Recycling Study, a comprehensive national report that tracks and measures the growth of access to community and paperboard recycling in the US.

AF&PA has created extensive resources to educate others about the importance of paper recycling. The association is also working with its partners to help reduce contamination and increase participation in recycling programs. Ahead of the Curve has pulled together some of these resources to bring you this column – make sure to share with friends and colleagues inside and outside of our industry to celebrate this “success story” about paper recycling.

And the survey says…

“The findings presented in the 2021 AF&PA Access to Recycling Study show us that community recycling programs for paper and paper-based packaging are well-developed and widely accessible. This is good news when so many individuals are looking to make a difference on behalf of the environment,” notes Heidi Brock, AF&PA president
and CEO.

The study shows 94% of Americans have access to community paper recycling programs. Also, 79% of Americans have access to residential-curbside recycling programs. That’s an increase of about 14 million people since 2014, the last time AF&PA conducted a study.

Many paper products used every day across the US have a high community access rate of 80% or more. This means that things like cardboard boxes, newspapers, paper bags, pizza boxes, and magazines are widely accepted for recycling.

“Remarkably, in 2020, during a period defined by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, almost two-thirds of paper was recycled and transformed into new sustainable paper products,” Brock says. “The resilience of our industry is clear, as is the active participation of consumers in making paper recycling the success it is today.”

Survey background

AF&PA’s 2021 Study measures curbside and drop-off community recycling programs provided through municipal or county governments, organized via contract or franchised through a private hauler, or available to residents via subscription services or privately operated drop-offs. This definition varies slightly from the 2014 Study which did not include subscription recycling programs or privately operated drop-offs. Below are a few of the survey method details available in the Report’s Executive Summary:

Similar to previous studies, the Project Team collected data on recycling programs from two research groups:

Largest recycling programs – This set includes approximately 3,700 of the largest recycling programs serving about 80% of the US population.

Small communities – For the population outside of the largest counties, a random sampling of communities (400) was searched with the results extrapolated to the remaining 20% of the US population.

Through a direct verification process, the survey evaluated guidelines for both curbside recycling programs and drop-off recycling programs available to residents. For each community in the sample, project staff evaluated recycling program information provided by the local unit of government either directly on its official web page or via other resource (such as newsletters or hauler and/or recycler websites), typically as directed by the community.

Using a five-point ranking system, the Project Team rated the resident guidance language of each recycling program to characterize its acceptance/exclusion of the materials in both recycling guidelines (such as images, lists, or PDF flyers) and lookup tools/apps/waste wizards (such as ReCollect or Recycle Coach) where available, to capture nuances between the sets of guidelines. The ranking system is as follows:

Explicitly Accepted: Specifically mentioned or pictured as accepted in the recycling program.
Implicitly Accepted: Not specifically mentioned or pictured but considered accepted based on broader acceptance categories and context of the material.
Unclear or Contradictory Information: Guidelines on material acceptance were contradictory or ambiguous.
Implicitly Denied: A proxy package (similar use or material) is specifically denied, or a detailed list of accepted items does not include this specific item.
Explicitly Denied: Specifically mentioned or pictured as prohibited in the recycling program.

The data collection was conducted over a 10-week period from June to August 2021, thus the study findings are representative of that time period. It should be recognized that programs and service availability in a given program are subject to change at any time.

A few other findings

Single-stream recycling – where all fiber grades and recyclable containers are collected commingled together in one compartment on the recycling collection vehicle – has been a growing trend for more than 20 years. The prevalence of single-stream collection was first evaluated in the 2000 Study and has continued to be evaluated in the subsequent studies. The growth in single-stream recycling has steadily increased. In 2005, only 29% of the population with recycling had access to a single-stream program. By 2021, that number has increased to 86%.

Overall, compared with 2014 results, the Project Team found recycling access rates for paper materials such as newspapers, office paper, magazines, etc. to be fairly consistent in 2021. Access to recycling of many of these materials fluctuated 1% to 3% since 2014, consistent with the 2% drop in overall recycling. However, all of these paper materials still have a population access rate of 90% or higher.

According to the study’s Forward by Heidi Brock, the pulp and paper industry “has planned or announced approximately US$5 billion in manufacturing infrastructure investments from 2019-2023 to continue the best use of recycled fiber in our products. That is nearly US$2.5 million per day in investments.”

What YOU can do

As mentioned above, you can start by sharing this article and continuing to educate yourself and others about the pulp and paper industry’s remarkable recycling success. In addition, the AF&PA encourages all industry stakeholders to “dive in and help amplify the good news” by accessing any of the following resources:

Downloading the AF&PA toolkit
Sharing the Update-in-Brief
Linking to the study
Reading Heidi Brock’s Industry Take

“Ours is an industry that has developed an effective and efficient system for recycling over the past decades. Producer responsibility is something we do on a voluntary and market-driven basis,” Brock adds. “Yet, the commitment to do more has strengthened. The AF&PA’s latest sustainability initiative (Better Practices, Better Planet 2030: Sustainable Products for a Sustainable Future) builds on our industry’s success and continues our commitment to manufacture sustainable products.”

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) serves to advance US paper and wood products manufacturers through fact-based public policy and marketplace advocacy. AF&PA member companies make essential products from renewable and recycle resources, generate renewable bioenergy, and are committed to continuous improvement through the industry’s sustainability initiative. Visit AF&PA online at afandpa.org.

This article originally appeared in the TAPPI newsletter, Ahead of The Curve. Subscribe for free at www.tappi.org/news/newsletters/ahead-of-the-curve/.

All You Need is Love – Playing Card Box Befitting of Music Icons

June 8, 2022

By Erin La Row, writer, PostPress

theory11’s special edition The Beatles playing cards and box set, made in collaboration with The Beatles, pays tribute to a band that has shaped the world’s music scene for decades – nearly 60 years after Beatlemania hit US shores. The individual card boxes represent the iconic Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band marching band uniforms worn by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

The project came together when Studio On Fire, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, was hired by theory11, a producer of luxury, designer playing cards, to plan and execute production of The Beatles playing cards. Another partner in the project, Mattson Creative, was tasked with designing graphics conveying that Sgt. Pepper’s flair in a cohesive way across the set.

“It was up to us to make sure the decks lived up to previous theory11 releases and that the special edition box felt luxurious and worth purchasing,” said Sam Michaels, creative manager at Studio On Fire.

The team got started by asking questions: What is the best way to achieve those bright colors? How can this be done on budget? Where was it worth the splurge?

Designing and planning

There are many physical production steps involved in a project of this scale, and equally the same amount of work happening in the studio before paper even enters the building.

The first step was to design the structure that would house the four decks of cards. Studio On Fire’s talented CAD department created several mock-ups that were reviewed and tweaked to get the final product. Questions had to be answered to settle on the final structure: How does this fit on a sheet, which would affect the press run and cost? Does budget allow for hand assembly? Does it hold the weight of the decks? Does it feel premium?

“That last nugget, does it feel premium, is a question we ask ourselves a lot,” Michaels said. “Small things go a long way to pushing something into ‘premium’ territory. For example, the satisfying ‘click’ of a closure, the heft of a thick stock or the sturdiness provided by a custom insert.”

The project’s graphics were designed by Mattson Creative. “Working with a studio that understands our capabilities helps the process, though we’re always pushing our boundaries and attempting things that really shouldn’t be attempted,” Michaels said. “But end up looking really cool, so it’s always fun to see what gets asked of us.”

Before the design process was complete, Studio On Fire looked at initial files to start planning for potential production problems – a must in today’s world of continuous supply chain issues. The team was able to guide some final material and design choices based on availability of papers, foils, etc.

Then it was the prepress department’s time to shine. Production processes go down one layer at a time, so it takes time to rip files into their specific passes. Michaels said the trapping, choking and altering of art all happens in this step when they’re creating the proof.

“The Beatles box set also has a beautiful emboss happening and it’s our prepress department’s job to call out how that works: What type of emboss? What pieces of artwork? They’re making sure things won’t crack or get too close to scores,” Michaels added. “It’s a really detailed, specific set of decisions that are made in order to set the production team up for success.”

The next step in the process is getting client approval of the proof. Then it is time to start buying materials such as paper, foil tooling, cutting dies and rolls of foil.

“What some folks don’t realize is that a good chunk of production planning is for materials to arrive in sync with when open press time will be,” Michaels said. “It’s truly a behind-the-scenes ballet.”

Production

The Beatles box set is comprised of five main components: four decks of cards and the outer special edition box that houses them. Before anything can hit the press, the paper must be cut down from parent sheet size to press sheets. Everything at Studio On Fire is run sheet-fed. From paper prep, the job starts its tour of presses at the shop. The selected paper for the box set and inner tray was the Neenah Folding Board Natural White Vellum Finish.

The outer box has three passes of foil – white, gold and black – all executed on a large format Saroglia press. After foils, the Saroglia completed the beautiful emboss, giving the artwork the tactility Studio On Fire pieces are known for. The foil for the project was supplied by Infinity Foils, Inc. and Kurz Transfer Products. The engravings for both the foil stamping and embossing were supplied by Universal Engraving. Inc.

Both the outer box and internal tray/insert were diecut on a second Saroglia before vending out for final assembling, including the addition of a magnetic closure.

A rare occurrence for Studio On Fire, the four tuck cases started with a vendor partner who laid down four colors of offset ink and a pass of aqueous coating before Studio On Fire took it in house. Once the sheets were on the floor, they took three trips through Studio On Fire’s Kluges to get gold, black and red foils laid down. A pass through the Saroglia for a beefy emboss before moving on to the second Saroglia to be diecut. The fold/glue team finished off the set of tucks, folding and gluing each of the four-color versions and getting them neatly packed.

“These were made with love,” Michaels said. “Each step, from planning to production, is painstakingly executed by a staff who cares deeply about making a quality product that can’t be made anywhere else.”

Embellishments and challenges

“So much foil” – that is how Michaels described the project. Layers after layers of foil were laid down on every type of foil press Studio On Fire has at its disposal. After the layers of foil, everything was hit with a heavy emboss, carefully as to not crack the layers of foil, but heavy enough for the team to question whether it was too much.

“It’s never too much,” Michaels said.

The Studio On Fire team initially was given a rigid box concept. Michaels said the team moved this to a folding carton structure to get a more tactile result by having the ability to hit the artwork with a deep emboss. The team also chose to keep the entire product paper instead of defaulting to a foam insert, which added complexities but produced a more environmentally friendly product.

Best of Show

The result: The most vibrant and eye-catching playing cards ever produced by theory11. Studio On Fire entered The Beatles box set into FSEA’s 29th Annual Gold Leaf Awards, winning “Best of Show” for all the Best Use of Foil and Embossing categories.

“Projects like this reflect a great relationship and effort between client, design, planning, and production,” said Ben Levitz, owner of Studio On Fire. “Focusing on projects with that synergy is what we love to do; we think that love is reflected in the final product and thus pushing it to ‘best of show’ level work. We’re honored.”

The Beatles cards are available for individual purchase or in the premium special edition box set at theory11.com.

An Extreme Touch with Digital Embellishments

June 8, 2022

By Lindsey Munson, writer, PostPress

Print Panther Direct, Oakville, Ontario, Canada, a standout in specialty print and technology advancements, has taken print to new heights with the creation of the Extreme Digital Guide III. Its theme, “Print so real you can feel it,” makes perfect sense.

The Extreme Digital Guide III has been an evolving creative project. It’s not the first of its kind for Print Panther Direct, but genuinely unique through a myriad of substrates. As an industry veteran with a global perspective, this guide carries the weight of Print Panther Direct’s most attractive pieces pulled from previous guides, ranging from invitations to labels.

Through this guide, users can see and feel the extreme beauty of each visual, focusing on single images rather than practical pieces. It carries an artisan quality of innovation and versatility that is achieved through the digital print and embellishment process.

Designing and planning

From the graphics and special design considerations to paper and specific cover material, the Extreme Digital Guide III became an enticing reality.

Presentation of the outer box and lid were a standout in an aluminum form that then was printed and etched. The belly band was 130 lb. Cougar paper delicately printed, laminated, embellished and scored for its elegant appearance. First impressions are everything so creating a stunning, sleek and modern outer box was a high priority.

Opening the guide, the inner images were constructed on 130 lb. Cougar as well and then duplexed with the visual arts spanning both sides for an endless textured impression.

Print Panther Direct has built its business on a “presentation is everything” mentality. Co-Owner and President Christine Yardley wanted this piece to be a keeper; sustainable and thought-provoking in a more avant-garde way with an end goal of luxury packaging. Print Panther Direct currently is in production with a mini box with the plan of keeping true to the guide’s original concept while introducing a paper-over-board version.

Production

The Extreme Digital Guide III was printed on a Konica Minolta AccurioJet KM-1e UV LED inkjet press, which can handle texturized, unusual substrates beautifully. The AccurioPress also was used throughout the print process.

The inclusion of metallics and fluorescents from the Xerox Iridesse production press demonstrated how combining digital effects can produce myriad specialty effects.

The foil and varnish effects were created on the MGI JETvarnish 3DS and iFOILs. The varnish reflects light and enhances the sharpness and saturation of the images. It gives the primary area of print an incredible look. The impact of the Extreme Digital Guide III’s foil and varnish leaves those who see it with a lasting impression.

Yardley said in a recent podcast, “We did our research, and liked that the MGI is more user friendly with one varnish, with the ability to use different foils, not just MGI foil, which is great for flexibility – especially lately when consumables are in such demand.” Print Panther Direct was the first MGI install in Canada, as well as the first to have an AccurioWide 160.

The final piece was constructed by placing all the duplexed images in the aluminum box with a translucent cover sheet. The theme, “Print so real you can feel it” was carried through from the box lid. The box lid was screen printed and etched. The belly band was the finishing touch and the holographic foil worked against the aluminum.

Embellishments and challenges

The Extreme Digital Guide III’s images were chosen to showcase the incredible color quality of the AccurioJet KM-1e UV LED inkjet press and the Accurio press. Combining textured stock, metallics, fluorescents and multiple foils and varnish gave each image a unique look.

The specialty effects and embellishments of this guide included gloss foils, holographic foil, spot varnish, metallic inks and fluorescent inks.

When users open the aluminum box, they’re greeted with a number of striking imageboards, and one in particular that stands out for its bold and eye-catching colors is the elephant imageboard. It’s worth talking about not just for its beauty, but for Print Panther Direct’s various approaches carried out to deliver the perfect visual effects across the board. Yardley had a vision and a desire to work with fluorescent ink, multiple foils and varnish for this particular image. The initial print was a matte lamination, but the result of the lamination muted the metallic ink. The science behind printing runs deep and, to get the elephant ‘just right,’ adjustments needed to be made. The result was to first use the fluorescent ink, then the lamination finishing, with the metallics, foil and varnish creating a stunning print that was fitting for the Extreme Digital Guide III. The pink is subtle, but that’s the beauty of a fluorescent – it adds liveliness. It does not have to overtake a printed piece, as illustrated with the elephant imageboard.

With every project, there are successful moments and there are challenges, but Print Panther Direct’s passion for print and a keen eye for the big picture has helped the company navigate the ever-changing world of print. The biggest challenge faced during the design and production of the guide was deciding which images to choose to best showcase embellishment and what outer packaging could be used that would be different, sustainable and useful.

Best of Show

Print Panther Direct entered the Extreme Digital Guide III into FSEA’s 29th Annual Gold Leaf Awards, winning “Best of Show” for Best Use of Digital Embellishments.

“I hope and think everyone will love it as much as we do,” Yardley stated. “So far that has been the case. I love the ‘Print so real you can feel it’ theme. I think that sums up precisely what we try and achieve with every job.”

Trends and Troubleshooting with Laminated Film Equipment

June 8, 2022

By Liz Stevens, writer, PostPress

Film laminating is an option that can offer both practical, functional as well as embellishment solutions for printers and finishers. In the past, laminating has posed several challenges for a variety of reasons, but today’s equipment makers have largely tackled and overcome these challenges and have engineered advanced film laminating systems featuring the latest in automation, which makes the addition of the newest laminating equipment an attractive consideration.

PostPress talked with representatives from three leading equipment manufacturers and distributors – Best Graphics Group, Nobelus and Skandacor – to learn about emerging trends in film laminating, how new technologies can solve common laminating problems and the value-add that film laminating can provide for printers and finishers. Best Graphics Group, Waukesha, Wisconsin, offers a full line of graphic arts, bindery, finishing and packaging equipment from 20 global manufacturers. Nobelus, Knoxville, Tennessee, is a lamination system integrator and specialty films innovator. Skandacor, Webster, New York, offers laminating, binding, folding and cutting equipment and supplies.

A popular feature of Skandacor’s commercial lineup of laminators is its automation, allowing the machine to be started with just one button and graphical icon-based user interfaces.

What are some of the hot markets right now for film laminating? Why has there been growth in these areas?
John Hower, marketing & business development at Best Graphics Group, identified several areas where film laminating is in demand. “One area,” said Hower, “is book publications. Book readership is at the highest it has been since 2008 and, therefore, so is book manufacturing.” Another hot market is in folding cartons and packaging. “In this sector,” Hower said, “laminating adds higher structural integrity to cartons and packaging, and this typically requires unique films. We also are seeing a lot of interest from the marijuana/CBD industry; this market is in its infancy stage. There is a high growth rate of demand from the vast number of companies vying for market control that are looking for unique packaging options.” Hower also noted increased use in the commercial sector. “Differentiation is key, right? Utilizing textured films to create a sensory experience for the end user helps companies stand out.”

Dragan Nikolic, business development manager at Nobelus, pointed to a trio of hot markets. “Prime labels,” he said, “are increasingly being utilized by major and boutique brands to engage the senses and help consumers form a connection with products. Start-up brands want to stand out and make their packaging experience more memorable. Both profiles have a growing demand for embellishments and tactile finishes on prime labels.” Nikolic highlighted the expanding opportunities in flexible packaging. “Many brands are moving to flexible packaging solutions,” said Nikolic, “to accommodate an expanding line of products and meet new standards for sustainability to leave a smaller footprint. With products like Nobelus’ line of unsupported films, flex pack manufacturers can also offer more finishes and effects than ever before.” And Nikolic noted that lamination can provide the luster formerly found in silver halide. “Because silver halide has fallen out of favor with many digital photo producers due to supply issues and price increases, a digital solution that doesn’t use traditional silver halide is of great interest,” he said. “Nobelus integrates sheet-fed and roll-to-roll lamination to replicate a silver halide luster on digital print, preserving the look and feel of a traditionally produced photo almost perfectly.”

Nobelus’ extensive catalog of automated systems ensures PSPs get products to market on time while still adding value to finished print.

Bob Rowden, product development at Skandacor, also sees the tactile quality of film laminating creating market opportunities. “Tactile films continue to be the hottest market right now for film laminating,” he said. “Growth in this area is due to consumer demand and the realization amongst designers that film lamination is no longer just for print protection and durability, but a key component of the graphic design that can make or break the impact of the finished piece.” Rowden commented that Skandacor provides soft touch films that are very popular for their tactile feels but even more so for the special formulation that make them work as an excellent base layer for further embellishments like spot UV coatings and/or digital foils. Rowden also noted that the embossed features of one of Skandacor’s lines of films provides dimension to otherwise flat printing and can link well with the intended impact of the printed piece. “For example,” said Rowden, “Skandacor offers an authentic woodgrain pattern that totally transforms a hardwood furniture marketing piece, giving the visual impact of real wood.”

What challenges are there currently with film laminating applications? What technology does your equipment have to overcome these challenges?
“Digital print,” said Rowden, “has always been a challenging application for film lamination, however progress in film and equipment technology have overcome this, with our UltraGrip adhesives for the films and improved heat and pressure systems on the equipment. It is common to see infrared heaters in the industry, but the issue surrounding infrared heat with air is that the hot air quickly dissipates. Our technology utilizes sealed system liquid heaters which maintain the heat much more effectively, eliminating cold cycles and reducing energy consumption.”

“Another common challenge,” Rowden said, “is producing sheets that are suitable for downstream processing through finishing equipment, with curl and lamination flagging being the most common culprits when issues arise. Design improvements to decurling, cooling the sheet under tension and sheet separation all play key roles in getting
effective output.”

Nikolic brought up rising costs and supply chain issues. “It can be hard for PSPs to keep up with increasing supply chain and cost pressures in lamination,” he said. “In a time when raw material and freight costs are constantly rising, we’ve found some ways to help our customers employ more creative solutions. For instance, we’ve discovered that we can help converters create foil board on-demand with our metalized silver, gold and holographic laminates. This can save money on several fronts: cost of finished material, scaling down paper weight and carrying zero inventory.”

“Another challenge for PSPs,” said Nikolic, “is knowing which adhesives and laminates are compatible with emerging printing technologies and the various inks they use. Nobelus is currently addressing this issue by offering adhesives designed specifically for digital inks – in addition to our traditional adhesives – but we also fund research and development to discover more comprehensive solutions, such as equipment features that can increase bond strength and adhesives that work with any type of ink.”

In Hower’s experience, the primary challenge is that finishers and printers want to offer a wider range of solutions or applications to end users. “Printers can overcome this challenge by using technology that allows them to choose from multiple film materials,” he said. “The hot-knife capability that our equipment offers allows printers to utilize a wider variety of films, such as polypropylene, nylon, polyester and metalized films.”

What advantages does your film laminating equipment offer to the companies looking to add film laminating to their services offering?
“At Best Graphics Group,” said Hower, “our Ecosystem Film Laminators have a wide breadth of offerings, from short run, small format digital offerings to high volume, long run work, to roll-to-roll water-based solutions. Simply put, there is no single-sided application or price point that we cannot fulfill.”

Nikolic said that automation, a range of production capacity and options make Nobelus equipment attractive. “Labor shortages are making automation more vital than ever,” said Nikolic, “and Nobelus’ extensive catalog of automated systems ensures PSPs get products to market on time while still adding value to finished print. We offer units that can support production volumes ranging from medium to extremely high and have single-sided and dual-sided options.”

Rowden also cited automation. “With an aging workforce being replaced by younger digital-first workers, as well as skilled labor shortages,” he said, “we strive to make our equipment easy to use. A popular feature of Skandacor’s commercial lineup is its automation, allowing the machines to be started with just one button and graphical icon-based user interfaces with touch screens that make job setup intuitive. Time is money, so quick set-up and effective operation have become the most important aspects.”

Equipment design and durability, said Rowden, are also prime features for Skandacor. “Shorter runs and higher customer expectations regarding fast turn times have brought the cost of downtime into sharp focus,” he said. “We’ve analyzed build quality component-by-component to address any weak links in the systems and to eliminate unnecessary design features, while keeping overall machine performance front and center. By stepping back from the competing options and taking a systematic, user-first approach to the machine design, our equipment far surpasses any others in the market, making Skandacor the machines of choice for progressive printers looking for well-built, versatile and compact machines.”

Many of our readers are involved with trade/print finishing services. Do you have any comments on why you believe a finishing operation should consider adding or upgrading their film laminating capabilities?
Nikolic said that finishers can benefit by adding laminating for a choice of finish/embellishment and speedy production. “Getting prints to market quickly is pivotal in giving trade finishers an advantage over the competition,” said Nikolic, “and this requires updated equipment that can optimize the lamination process for improved productivity. Having modern sheet-fed and roll-to-roll lamination equipment in-house also enables trade finishers to offer a broader variety of finishing services and to supply their customers with more options for finishes and embellishments, resulting in higher profit margins.”

Best Graphics Group’s Ecosystem Film Laminators have a wide breadth of offerings, from short run, small format digital offering to high volume long run work.

Rowden stressed that lamination and specialty finishes are becoming increasingly popular and that with the Great Retirement, shops may want to replace older equipment with new, automated machinery. “Since lamination complements and often is required as part of overall print embellishment, shops without film lamination capability will find it hard to compete as print consumer demands change,” said Rowden. “The growth of the packaging segment also is driving demand for film lamination. For those looking to upgrade, we often find that automation and ease of use are primary drivers as skilled labor retires. Older mechanical equipment is difficult to find operators for and harder to maintain. Also, increased versatility and the ability to apply specialty finishes like digital foils and coatings have driven adoption of
newer technology.”

Hower asserted that for finishers, “film lamination is a further embellishment or offering for users. The ability to offer film lamination is proven to engage the customer and increase margins. Being able to provide film lamination in-house makes for decreased lead times for finishers and gives them increased quality control on the products they produce.”

All three of these equipment providers will be exhibiting live at Amplify, the print finishing & embellishment event taking place June 14 – 16, 2022, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For more information on Amplify, visit www.amplifyprint.org.

Digital Embellishments Open Doors to New Business

June 8, 2022

By Hallie Forcinio, contributing writer, PostPress

Digital inkjet embellishment reproduces effects that are either not possible or prohibitively expensive on traditional analog equipment. Capable of creating physical, visual and tactile effects in one pass and economically handling short runs, digital enhancement capabilities open doors to new business. Options include tactile, foil, metallic, glitter, spot and holographic effects, as well as diecutting and embossing. These additional capabilities can be an excellent complement for trade print finishers and other Print Service Providers (PSP’s) and open up opportunities for short-run digital print work for embellishment applications.

Textured finishes, created with 3D varnish, capitalize on the sense of touch to provide a memorable impression for the consumer. Depictions of cobblestones evoke the texture of cobblestones, strings on a guitar feel real, tires feel like rubber and sand feels gritty. For example, a furniture catalog cover produced by Elite Print Finishing (EPF), Burlington, North Carolina, added texture to the pillows, a 3D effect to the windowpane and a metallic effect to the hardware. “Most folks pick up the printed piece and start petting it,” said Steven Roberts, president at EPF. “You achieve interaction with the consumer before one word is read.”

Digital enhancement technology allows printers and trade finishers to serve a fast-growing market, short runs, and also enables jobs that were digitally printed to be digitally enhanced, boosting efficiency and enabling greater personalization of the printed piece and quick production of prototypes. “A lot of times, we sample three or four options,” Roberts said. “So many projects could be so much better with digital enhancement,” he added.

Invitations, real estate brochures, book covers, packaging for cannabis products and trading cards are growing applications. A brochure for a luxury house being sold for $10 million provides an example. Digital enhancement can show what the tile floor feels like and economically accommodate the short run of 50-100 pieces.

Going digital

EPF, which handles both commercial print and packaging jobs, particularly for the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries, looked at the technology for three or four years before deciding to buy a digital embellishment system. Before making the purchase, the company considered return on investment, whether it would be a good fit for its customer base and how much business would be needed each month to make it profitable. It also looked at equipment from various suppliers.

Roberts recalled, “The printed sheets were beautiful, but I couldn’t see customers paying for it. Several existing jobs we showed to an equipment provider were deemed ‘not a good fit’ for the system. But we realized there was new business out there, and we could create a market for it. It changed the way we do business.”

For the annual Las Vegas Raiders Christmas card, Carlson Print Group combined cold foil done on its UV offset press with raised silver foil done on its Sense-ational system to provide contrast. The back of the card has digital raised embellishments as does the sleeve that holds the card. The design was well-received by both the Raiders organization and recipients.

The company chose equipment from MGI Digital Technology and installed it in February 2020 just before the pandemic started. With no personal visits possible to show off the operation and output of the new system, the company shifted to online meetings to spread the word about its new capabilities and sent out samples showing the effects the equipment could produce. “We had prospective customers calling us,” Roberts said. This was new business rather than existing business wanting to convert jobs to digital enhancement. He added, “All of a sudden, we could produce effects we couldn’t do before. That was the market we wanted to be in.”

Carlson Print Group, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, a division of American Spirit Corp., also wanted to be able to offer embellishments beyond its existing capabilities and installed a digital embellishment system from Scodix in 2021 so it could add embellishments more cost-effectively to the 28 x 40″ sheets printed on its ultraviolet (UV) offset printing presses. “It gives the sales staff another tool in their toolbox,” explained Earl Guinter, sales manager, at the specialty printer, which offers full finishing capabilities.

The Anstadt Company, print and marketing execution specialists in York, Pennsylvania, also chose a unit from Scodix. The fourth installation of its kind in late 2016, their Scodix Ultra2 Pro digital enhancement press with foil station has been fully operational since January 2017. The company’s goal was to expand options for creativity and “add value to print and make it … an exciting, viable means for our customers to communicate that could not be easily substituted by digital marketing channels,” recalled Matthew R. Doran, president and CEO at Anstadt. He adds, “We … have years of experience with creating and producing complex print materials that involve areas such as foil stamping, embossing, diecutting, etc., so this was a great next step in our evolution.”

While the ability to add effects such as embossing, spot ultraviolet varnish, 3D foil and specialty diecuts is impressive, implementation of digital enhancement presses is not without challenges. There’s a learning curve for the print sales team, operators and designers. “Artists don’t understand digital embellishments,” said Kevin Abergel, president at Taktiful, Melbourne, Florida, a consultancy of digital embellishment sales and marketing specialists with teams in the United States, Japan, Mexico and Canada. One of its services is teaching designers how to design for digital embellishments. This includes how to set up files correctly as well as tips for incorporating digital embellishments. “Creating a great file is 99% of the battle,” he noted.

Since virtually no designers were familiar with the capabilities of the equipment, EPF hired a design firm and trained the designers. Roberts explained, “We outsource the design to them. They understand the capabilities of the machine and design
specifically for it.”

Guinter agrees education about digital embellishments is essential. “Customers and consumers might see the end result, touch it and feel it, but they are not sure how it was accomplished and don’t understand what it entails,” he said. The terminology is unfamiliar, and it can be difficult to discern differences among effects like clear polymer versus foil or cast and cure. To solve this problem, Carlson Print Group is developing a marketing kit and adopted its own brand name – Sense-ational – to showcase the different polymer effects it can achieve on its Scodix Ultra 6000 unit. “We also are taking some previous artwork from clients that have used specialty print in the past, adding embellishments and sending it to them to show what the equipment can do,” Guinter said. “We’ve had some success with that.”

EPF has taken a similar approach. “We’ve developed a brochure that provides a tutorial about [our Elite3D] technology and what we need from customers to ensure a successful run,” Roberts said.

Another challenge to implementing digital enhancement technology is a lack of standards. “Everyone interprets workflows differently,” noted Abergel.

Another issue is the temptation to price according to the usual cost-plus model. “Don’t commoditize the technology,” warned Abergel. “Pricing should be in accordance with the value it delivers.”

Finally, care must be taken to select the right papers, films, foils and coatings and understand what the machines can and cannot do. Typically, coated or laminated sheets are required. Uncoated sheets tend to be too absorbent and must be primed or otherwise treated.

Implementing digital enhancement has increased EPF’s customer base. It’s bringing in 20 or 30 more jobs per week and the equipment sometimes runs 24/7. Some of the jobs must be cut on the guillotine cutter, stitched or diecut and glued. So, it’s increased workflow across the shop. It’s also created a challenge because a job with 10,000 sheets may be followed by one with 250 sheets. “One of our objectives this year is to find some equipment better suited for short runs,” reported Roberts.

Digital or analog?

Digital embellishment complements rather than competes with analog technology. “It’s not one or the other,” Abergel said. Sometimes, the two are complementary. Digital enhancement technology can provide a rapid prototype and help sell jobs that will run on analog equipment. Jobs may start on a digital embellishment machine but as quantities grow it may be more feasible to move to more conventional foil stamping or possibly cold foil. “Being able to see what the final piece will look like helps make the sale,” he added.

When deciding whether a job should be finished digitally or traditionally, several factors must be considered including substrate, format and quantity as well as the level of embellishment. “Generally, the sweet spot [for digital] is under 10,000 sheets,” Guinter said. However, the breakeven points can vary from 5,000 to 20,000 depending on the level of embellishment involved.

Conclusion

Despite the capabilities of digital embellishments, conventional foil and spot coating have not declined. Roberts explained, “There aren’t that many jobs where it’s practical to switch from analog to digital [embellishment]. Digital opens new doors. You have to quit concentrating on the business you have, to concentrate on the business you don’t have. Adding digital embellishment technologies has actually increased the work moving through our shop.”

Digital print embellishment capabilities have generated new business for Anstadt too. All of their core product categories from packaging, direct mail and signage to marketing and promotional collateral have benefited. Doran reported, “We have been able to create new, exciting areas of opportunity involving print … that may otherwise have never come about. Ultimately, print embellishment has opened doors to new customers looking to extend their brand appeal … in market-differentiating ways.”

Reactions to digital enhancement capabilities have been extremely favorable. Guinter said, “We need to keep pushing it and creating a buzz around it. When people see digital embellishment, they gravitate to ideas of what it can do.” What that does is generate sales.

Company Folders, Inc. Works to Help Ukrainian Employees

June 8, 2022

Submitted by Company Folders, Inc.

In the weeks since Russian forces invaded Ukraine, the owner of a US printing company has devoted much of his time and resources to keeping his employees safe and helping get aid to Ukraine. Vladimir Gendelman, founder and CEO of Company Folders, Inc., was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and immigrated to the US, where he started a printing company that specializes in presentation folders. His staff includes seven Ukrainian graphic designers, software programmers and quality assurance engineers, and he continually is working to support them and ensure they have what they need to wait out the war.

As soon as the invasion began, Gendelman reached out to a former US Army colonel to provide guidance on military tactics and potential strategic targets. They searched employee addresses to see who was close to potential areas of conflict and determine where they might go that would be safer. One employee was able to cross the border to Poland, but four were trapped by the shelling in Kharkiv. Gendelman helped guide them to western Ukraine, away from the fighting and provided salary advances so they would be able to leave their homes and get to safety. Two more employees have since managed to leave the country. Another employee was evacuated from a dangerous area near a strategic railroad bridge. And one was in Mykolaiv caring for his elderly parents and chose to stay there.

In 2014, the Company Folders team was based in Donetsk during the Russian separatist uprising there. Gendelman knew from experience that anything could change quickly in a conflict zone. To make sure he could continue to communicate with his employees, and they could stay in touch with each other, they created channels on Slack, Skype, Telegram, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger. He assured them all that, regardless of whether they were able to work, they would continue to receive their salaries and their jobs were secure. He also established a Crypto business account as a backup payment mechanism in case the banking system collapsed.

For the first few weeks, the company was in emergency mode. The US staff picked up the pace and ensured client work was completed on time, but they postponed all internal and non-essential projects.

Now that each team member has found a place they can stay for the time being, work is returning to a new normal and Gendelman is turning more of his attention to Real Help for Ukraine the non-profit he helped form to send humanitarian aid to the over 14 million Ukrainian refugees who have fled their homes to escape the conflict. Working with an international network of entrepreneurs, Gendelman is collecting medical supplies, and raising funds to support efforts to provide shelter, food, and other necessities to those displaced by the war.

Learn more about Real Help for Ukraine by visiting realhelpforukraine.org.