Currents - March 4, 2025

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Office - (262) 522-2210 / Fax - (262) 522-2211

Welcome to Currents , the Great Lakes Graphics Association's weekly e-newsletter, bringing you information and education you can use to run your businesses. Currents is published every Tuesday.

National News and Education

Tariffs

USPS Postal Standards

Greenhushing Packaging

Abolish OSHA?

Bluesky and Your Brand

Women in Print Exhibit

Video -Sales Tip of the Week

GLGA Association News

Printing Industry Survey

Upcoming Briefs

GLGA Print Academy

GEAs

Member News

H&H Graphics

Royle Printing

Tactive

The Growing Impact of Tariffs on the Print Industry

With new tariffs set to take effect soon, manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and resellers must evaluate how these changes will influence their costs, supply chains, and pricing decisions. From Keypoint Intelligence.

Understanding the New USPS Service Standards and How They Apply to Your ZIP Code

Starting April, 1, the RTO will discontinue the end-of-day collections at most post offices. From Save the Post Office.

Greenhushing Isn’t the Right Move Today

Other tasks might be distracting brands from their sustainable packaging projects now, but don’t stop telling consumers why your sustainable packaging efforts matter. From Packaging Digest.

Federal OSHA Be Abolished? EHS Professionals Weigh In

Whether or not H.R. 86 moves forward through Congress, we wanted to hear what the EHS community thinks of the idea - and we heard from more than 1,100 EHS professionals. From EHS Today.

What is Bluesky and How to Use It for Your Brand

With its growing popularity on a global scale, it’s clear that something about this platform is capturing attention. From SocialBee.

University of Chicago Hosts A Pressing Call: 500 Years of Women Printing

Visit the free exhibition to learn the stories of women drawn to the printing professions, from its infancy in the early modern period to the present day. Can't visit in person? View the university's online exhibit.

Sales Tip of the Week: How to Communicate More Clearly

Steve Martin once said, "Some people have a way with words. Others not have way." True, but why do so many of the latter go into sales? In this week's Short Attention Span Sales Tip, Bill Farquharson gives tips for organizing ADD-laden thoughts into coherent information. From the Sales Vault.

Last Chance to Participate: Please Answer the “Printing Industry Performance and Insights” Survey

A note from our survey coordinator, Dr. Ralph Williams of Middle Tennessee State University:

Our “Printing Industry Performance & Insights” survey is open through the first week of March, and we need your input.

This survey covers crucial topics impacting your business, including:

✔️ Revenue changes (2023-2024)

✔️ Employee turnover trends

✔️ The demand for different printed products

✔️ The effects of mergers, closures, & acquisitions

✔️ Performance of companies offering non-traditional printing services

✔️ Inflation & its impact

✔️ Win percentages & printing plate costs

Your insights will help us create a comprehensive report that will help you improve your firm's performance; so, we’d love for you to participate in our survey.

Deadline has been extended to this Friday, March 7.

Take the Survey

Editor's note: the Great Lakes Graphics Association is among 15 regional printing associations partnering to sponsor the Performance and Insights studies. GLGA members can download reports from previous studies for free from the Members Only area of the GLGA website.

Upcoming Briefs - FREE for GLGA Members:

Thursday, March 6 – March 2025 Marketing Brief: The Rise of Video in Marketing for Print and Graphic Arts
Wednesday, March 12 – March 2025 Talent Report – Artificial Intelligence and HR
Thursday, March 13 – March 2025 Company Culture Brief: What If Your Interns Ran the Company?
Tuesday, March 18 – March 2025 Sustainability Brief: Energy Efficiency

GLGA Print Academy Featured Course of the Week - FREE for GLGA Members

VERTICAL MARKETS FOR PRINT - Vertical Markets for Non-Profit

Editor's note: You will need a user name to the GLGA website to view. GLGA members, register for yours by clicking here.

Winning Starts Tomorrow in the 2025 Graphics Excellence Awards

The judges fly in tomorrow to evaluate the entries in this year's Graphics Excellence Awards. Participating companies, expect your Winners Kits by the end of March.

Now, mark your calendar for Wednesday, May 27 (Milwaukee, WI) AND Thursday, May 29 (Bensenville, IL). Once again, the Awards Celebrations will not be held on simultaneous nights. More info will be coming soon.

Best of Luck to All of This Year's Competitors!

Member News

What's new at your business? Send your press releases and social media post links to Sharon Flick.

Find more news about and featuring GLGA members on our LinkedIn networking group page.

H&H Graphics: A Dunkable Promotion for a Sweet Line of Doughnut-Scented Body Products

Posted on their website blog by H&H Graphics, Vernon Hills, IL.

Royle Printing Celebrates the Charm of Vintage Print

Posted on LinkedIn by Royle Printing, Sun Prairie, WI.

Tactive Project Spotlight: Live Screen Printing for IndyGo’s Purple Line Launch Event

Posted on their website blog by Tactive, Indianapolis, IN.

About Us

The Great Lakes Graphics Association is the trade association dedicated to representing the graphic arts industry throughout Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin through education, promotion, and public affairs. It represents approximately 13 percent of the total print market in the United States with its three-state region, accounting for combined annual shipments of nearly $19 billion. Founded in 1886, GLGA celebrated its 135 year anniversary in 2021 and continues to be the oldest print trade association in North America.

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