Printing Industry Declares War on Germs

We all want to feel safe, right? That is especially true in 2020 as COVID-19 continues to be a huge presence around the world. You’ve, no doubt, seen the images of the grocery store, showing aisles of paper towels, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer completely sold out. Protecting yourself and customers from potentially harmful, and even deadly, viruses, diseases and bacteria has become more important than ever. Well, out of necessity comes innovation. Several companies in the print and packaging industry are capitalizing and unveiling antimicrobial products.

We’re talking about antimicrobial paper, antimicrobial wipes, antimicrobial ink, and even antimicrobial varnish.  It’s not exactly a new concept. You can find references online to antimicrobial products dating back as far as 2007. But, with health experts announcing new safety measures almost daily, our personal care has never been more important, and the demand has never been higher. Remember when it was considered “state of the art” that an Apple iPod could hold 50 songs? That’s almost laughable now. And I’m not talking about some of the songs you might have downloaded back then.

Quite simply, the technology is light years more advanced. That’s why companies within the print and packaging business keep trying to build a better mousetrap. Marabu is the latest company to develop an antimicrobial product. It’s an additive that’s put in its Clearshield Coating, designed to protect you from bacteria, viruses, and other disgusting microorganisms.  We’ve got more details about Mara Ban HERE.

There’s even more antimicrobial products in development across the industry and you’ll see some of them very soon. It will, no doubt, add tons of money to bottom lines everywhere. But will also do something even better; give customers the peace of mind that industry leaders care about their health and safety.

Get the Best Results When You Hire an Installer

If you outsource your wide-format graphic installations, you may think that bringing an installer in at the end of the process to do that last part of the job makes sense, but installer Greg Schopmeyer of Greg Schopmeyer Enterprises in Tarpon Springs, Fla., says that could be a devastating mistake for the project.

With a 30-year career under his belt, Schopmeyer has worked on all sides of the print business, from screen printing to transit advertising to all forms of installation, which he solely focuses on now. He’s paired a wide variety of media with the surfaces they need to be installed on — from the windows to the walls and beyond.

“In a perfect world, the installer would be involved at the very beginning, when the printer is bidding on the job,” Schopmeyer says, because an experienced installer will bring ideas on which media will work best for the project, how the media can be attached, what stipulations there might be on the job and different types of hardware that can be used with the chosen media.

“We’re the final line,” he says. “If you print on the wrong stuff and it’s not working, it doesn’t make any of us look good.”

Some of the key things Schopmeyer needs to know when coming into a job include:

  • Location
  • Measurements
  • Customer expectations
  • Required longevity of the graphic
  • How it will be paneled
  • If he needs the graphic printed with a bleed

“I’ve been in the industry such a long time, and I’ve done a lot of crazy different installs,” Schopmeyer says. “You have to be able to look at all the perameters when planning to do a job. Along the way, I’ve figured out processes for how to make things work. And the most important thing is: Get the installer involved as soon as you can with any sort of project.”

Take a look below at the gallery of installation jobs Schopmeyer has worked on in recent years.

Photography and Inkjet Printing Renaissance at Limited Editions Maui

Randy Hufford, owner of Limited Editions Maui, does and has done just about everything related to photography, art and printing. Hufford started shooting and developing film at an early age and by the time he was 16 he picked up his first professional paycheck for $500 from Hobie.

Surf photography
Randy Hufford pioneered nighttime surf photography in the 1970s.

“I took pictures of a pro skateboarder sponsored by Hobie skating in a pool with the tuxedo he got married in, and Hobie paid me for one 35mm slide from the shoot,” recalls Hufford. “I got a clue that this was fun and I started doing a lot of surf photography.”

But Hufford wasn’t content with run-of-the-mill surf photography. He pioneered nighttime surf photography, building a strobe inside a water housing for unique stop-motion action photography. He was recognized for his work by Surfing Magazine as a progressive surfing photographer.

Around that time, Hufford met his wife, Becky. They lived in a camper and camped out wherever the surf was good, capturing the surf scene and basically living a Bohemian lifestyle in Hawaii.

Hawaii landscape photography
Much of Hufford's fine art photography captures the majesty of Hawaii's landscapes.

The Huffords traded their camper for a more permanent abode in a guest cottage, where they turned a closet into a darkroom. Though they weren’t actively seeking out enlargement and photo processing business, people found them and their demand necessitated a larger and more operational lab.

“People were knocking on my door at 10 at night, so we moved down to central Maui and opened a photo lab,” says Hufford.

From there they built a growing and successful photo lab business to not only meet demand on the island, but to control their own images.

Photographing Hawaii“The main reason I opened a photo lab is because as a photographer I didn’t have control over the entire image process. I wanted control over my image: dodge and burn, lighten and darken, adjust the color, make corrections and changes,” says Hufford. “The photo lab made me excel as a commercial photographer: shooting interiors, food, aerials. I could also provide finished mounted prints. Most photographers don’t realize that we’re in the most exciting time of photography because of the control you have with Photoshop, calibrated monitors, printers and all the stuff we can print on.”

With the advent of inkjet printing, Hufford says everything changed, mostly for the better since he was able both simplify and expand his offerings.

Photographing trees“After 25 years all that processing equipment was basically useless. We liquidated most of our equipment and I moved my studio to a rural area on Maui in a pole house. We replaced a big photo lab with one 44” inkjet printer,” says Hufford. “A lot of people don’t realize how powerful one inkjet printer can be. Those machines are like printing money; you can output so many prints without the labor. I can generate as much income as a $5 million lab with just one 44″ printer.”

As mentioned earlier, Hufford has done just about every type of photography and every aspect of the process, from capture to finishing, but he says his passion is education. Hufford holds classes each year at a facility called the Institute of Visual Arts.

Big surf photography“All we do is go out and shoot. It reminds of when we lived in our camper, because I forget everything else and just go out and shoot and create images. We just did a class on shooting HDR panoramas and in a week I shot around 60-80 panoramas, each composed of 70-150 images stitched together,” says Hufford. “It’s so much fun to create such powerful images. When I shot interiors in the past with film it meant 300 to 500 bucks in Polaroids and a whole slew of strobe lights. Now I can go in and shoot HDR, pick up the ambient light of the room and see the exposure outside the window which I couldn’t do with film.”

In addition to the Institute of Visual Arts, Hufford has produced a number of educational DVDs on finishing, inks and media, digital art enhancement, marketing giclees, calibration, fine art photography and processing HDR panoramas. Hufford has also come up with a product called the Dual Edge Ripper to create unique deckled edges on fine art papers.

Educational DVDs on photography and printing
Hufford has produced educational DVDs on everything from processing HDR panoramas to color calibration and inks, inkjet media and finishing.

“It’s amazing the amount of things we can output now. I’ve been testing a backlit panel with LEDs that light the edge of the Plexiglas so it lights evenly. The LEDs are ten times brighter than they used to be, they’re full spectrum so there’s no color cast and the images have more dimension, plus they’re dimmable,” explains Hufford. “We’ve been experimenting with it in the fine art market where we put the art in a frame and just plug it. They have so much dimension that it feels like you can walk into them.”

Hufford is obviously busy with everything a photographer and educator can possibly do, but he’s not too busy for his favorite pursuit: creating photographic art.

“There’s a place down the road called Grandma’s Coffee House with the best breakfast in town, which is decorated with my images. The heliport nearby has hundreds of tourists come in every day. I put some of my prints and backlit panels there as well, and having my work at both places helps sell my work. I’ve been working with other businesses where I help them by decorating their offices from which I get additional exposure,” says Hufford.

Printing for a Cure

Printing for charity with window graphicsWhen Rick Hillbrand’s neighbors set up a non-profit to find a cure for Fanconi anemia (FA), the owners of Cottrell Printing in Centennial, Colo., pitched in with pro bono printing, which the company has been doing since the Kendall and Taylor Atkinson Foundation (KATA) was created about seven years ago.

The Atkinson’s lost two children, Kendall and Taylor, to the rare bone marrow disease and have dedicated much of their lives to eradicating it and helping others who have been diagnosed with FA.

“They’ve raised over $1 million and the money goes directly to research. The money they’ve raised has also benefitted cancer research since there are similarities in the treatments,” explains Hillbrand, one of Cottrell’s owners. “It’s not just cash donations that help worthy non-profits like KATA; print shops like ours can really help defray their advertising costs and get the word out.”

Cottrell Printing’s latest project for KATA was at a local McDonald’s, which is donating proceeds from its food sales on Dec. 15 to KATA. Cottrell Printing created two window graphics for either side of the McDonald’s, and printed about 20,000 flyers, to encourage the neighborhood to participate in the drive on Dec. 15.

Cottrell Printing used LexJet Simple Perforated Window Vinyl (60/40), which was printed with the company’s HP Designjet L25500 and then applied to the outside of the windows. “The printing went well and the installation was easy with two people. There were no complications at all, particularly since they were installed at street level,” says Hillbrand.

They also added a QR code to each print: “We’re using QR codes on our prints more often now; it’s a good way to get people to go to a site and find out more about it. A lot of people will scan it just because it’s there if they have that app on their phone. They don’t have to remember a website; it’s just snap and go,” adds Hillbrand.

For more information about KATA and how you can help, go to www.katafoundation.org.

Free Webinars for Photographers in November from X-Rite

X-Rite Photo Marketing just announced its schedule of November 2012 Webinars, developed to address specific color management topics and designed to appeal to both professional and serious amateur photographers. Webinar attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions of the live trainers.

Landscape photography editing with Photoshop“This month’s webinars provide color management tips not only for photographers but videographers as well,” said Mark Rezzonico, vice president, X-Rite Photo Marketing. “From learning about professional color management applications for video as well as still photography to creating images with amazing colors or gorgeous landscapes, one of X-Rite’s November webinars is sure to provide the expert advice and education that photographers need.”

Tuesday, Nov. 6, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. EST, Professional Monitor Calibration for Still & Video: As more still photographers move into videography with DSLR cameras the need for color management solutions specific to those output environments has become obvious. X-Rite’s i1Profiler software now includes video presets for popular video formats including NTSC, PAL-SECAM, and Rec. 709. The introduction last year of the new i1Display Pro colorimeter combined with these presets in i1Profiler makes the X-Rite i1Display Pro the perfect solution for calibrating and profiling monitors for video editing and output. When i1Display Pro is combined with X-Rite ColorCheckers the combination provides a capture to output solution for video editing that allows exceptional control over white balance in any scene. This brief webinar will review how to access and utilize the video presets in i1Profiler software and will briefly look at use of ColorCheckers in the video footage as a visual reference. For those shooting, editing, and preparing video for output this webinar will provide the insight into X-Rite color management solutions that can streamline color control in video.

To register for this webinar at 10 a.m. EST, visit: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/897514314
To register for this webinar at 1 p.m. EST, visit: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/337121170

Thursday, Nov. 8, 3 p.m. EDT and 7 p.m. EST, Simply Amazing Color. Take control of your monitor, printer and camera: The ColorMunki Family of color management solutions provides advanced control for a photographer’s digital workflow. This webinar will review the individual ColorMunki solutions including software demonstrations and discussions of how each solution is used. From monitor and projector to printer and camera, the ColorMunki family provides choices and solutions for any photographer’s needs.  All options are small and portable for travel. This live webinar gives users the opportunity to ask questions and understand each solution in detail so they can make the right decision on what ColorMunki family solution is for them. Attendees will enjoy special discounts.

To register for this webinar at 3 p.m. EST, visit: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/702231450
To register for this webinar at 7 p.m. EST, visit: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/718015994   

Thursday, Nov. 15, 11 a.m. EST and 1 p.m. EST, Landscape Editing and Enhancements with Photoshop CS6: During this hour-long webinar featuring professional photographer Joe Brady, attendees will learn how to enhance landscape images using Adobe Photoshop. In this free webinar Joe Brady will share some of his favorite techniques and processes to bring out the beauty in landscape photography. There are times when photographing landscapes when the weather and atmosphere just doesn’t seem to want to cooperate. During this session, Joe will share his workflow, decision-making process and enhancement techniques to bring life into image files that just don’t match the beauty and spirit of the scene the way the photographer envisioned it. Following a short discussion about workstation color and calibration, Joe will show attendees step-by-step Photoshop edits that they can put to work right away to bring life and drama back into their landscape images. Topics that will be covered include:

  • Monitor color for consistent results
  • Image edits from minor to major
  • Using Adobe Camera RAW, even with JPEGs
  • Exposure, contrast and light shaping
  • Global and local color adjustments
  • Compositing new skies
  • Composition
  • Removing unwanted elements from an image
  • Image sharpening options
  • Preparing files for printing

To register for this webinar at 11 a.m. EST, visit: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/959824538 �
To register for this webinar at 1 p.m. EST, visit: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/734153922

For more information on all X-Rite Photo webinars visit the Webinar page found under the Learning section on XritePhoto.com. All webinars are also archived for online viewing any time.

Louisville Slugger: How Spectra Imaging Built a Thriving and Growing Business

Window graphics for a grocery store chain

Brian and Leslie Rogers started Spectra Imaging in their 500-square-foot garage about seven years ago with a Mac mini and a Canon iPF8000. Since that time, Spectra Imaging has grown exponentially, eventually occupying 6,000 square feet of space in a Louisville, Ky., office building, adding additional employees and ramping up its production capabilities.

Main identification sign for a companyWhile Spectra Imaging’s success is based on the usual ingredients – high-quality output, customer service and finding the right products for production – it’s the intangibles that have helped set the company apart.

First, Spectra Imaging is debt-free. All of its equipment purchases are paid for, alleviating the additional burden that debt payments can have on a company. Second, Spectra Imaging emphasizes a show-and-tell approach to sales.

“The growth of our company is attributed to our drive and determination and just getting out in front of people,” explains Brian Rogers. “You can’t just walk in there, hand them a brochure and tell them that this is what you can do. When our salespeople meet with customers they have a sample case and an iPad. There’s an image on our site of a very large sign on the front of a building for a hardware company, for example, and our salespeople have a smaller version of that exact sign, printed on the same material and applied to the same substrate. That way, they can see how the material works and what it looks like when it’s done. A brochure is not good enough.”

Wall decor graphicsRogers says this is especially effective with Photo Tex PSA Repositionable Fabric from LexJet. Customers can see first-hand how easy it is to work with and how versatile it is in a variety of applications.

Whatever the material used, Spectra Imaging is armed with physical samples and various options for a collaborative, consultative and ultimately productive meeting.

“Customers are looking for something different and unique; they don’t want the same stuff they’ve been getting. LexJet has been instrumental in keeping us updated about new products we can add to our sample case so we can show customers what’s available and what they can do with them,” adds Rogers.

Spectra Imaging can provide just about any imaging product and service to its customers, including graphic design, scanning original artwork, printing and stretching canvas, custom framing and practically any large-format application.

Photo reproduction for interior decorNow armed with two HP 9000 solvent printers, two HP Designjet 5000 aqueous inkjet printers and two Canon iPF8000s, as well as fabrication and finishing capabilities with a CNC router and a laminator, Spectra Imaging is well positioned to make its next move: hiring an additional salesperson and production specialist as well as adding more printer fire power.

Rogers says his favorite materials are the aforementioned Photo Tex PSA Fabric (both Aqueous and Solvent), LexJet Simple Adhesive Vinyl (Semi-Matte and Gloss), LexJet 10 Mil Opaque Display Film, LexJet Production Satin Photo Paper PSA and LexJet Sunset Fine Art, Photo and Canvas media.

“The great thing about Sammi [Spectra Imaging’s LexJet customer specialist Samantha Calabrese] is that she’s familiar with the products we’ve used and is quite helpful about making recommendations and letting us know about new products,” says Rogers. “Even if we’re not buying a product from LexJet, like our HP 9000, Sammi did some research and helped us find other LexJet customers who had one so we could get some feedback from them about the printer before we bought it.”