June 6, 2018
Serving Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Kern, Ventura & Clark Counties
Three Easy Steps to Increase Your Print Revenue

  1. Register for the SGIA Expo!
  2. Fly or drive to Vegas!
  3. Discover a world of new opportunities!

You may have recently seen that SGIA Expo registration is now open. Perhaps you have been to the Expo in previous years and are well aware of the value of attending. If not, why should you want to go the Expo?

Keeping up with the competition

The Specialty Graphics Imaging Association (SGIA) recently commissioned a study with NAPCO Research to better understand the extent to which printers are looking at other vertical markets to leverage growth opportunities ( download the full report .) Anecdotally, we know from the growing number of commercial printers attending the Expo that this is happening. Many printers have adopted some form of digital printing output. Once they have this equipment in place, and the workflows to serve it, adding another piece of equipment that allows them to create new products and sell into new markets or to their existing customers is a much simpler proposition. The barriers to entry are not as steep as if another printing discipline needs to be mastered, such as screen printing or flexographic printing.

In the study, 95% of commercial printers see opportunities to expand into other markets they don’t currently serve. A third have already started and are engaged with new markets based on new technologies acquired, and more than another third are actively researching these opportunities. Rounding out perceptions are 79% of commercial printers who see that the expansion into different products and markets will continue to accelerate over the next five years across all printers.

So where are commercial printers focusing their efforts?

  • 43% of commercial printers in the study are looking into label converting
  • 37% are looking into graphics and wide format production
  • 32% are looking into folding carton
  • 19% are looking into industrial products
  • And 17% are looking into garment production

And to see the broadest array of these technologies, they come to the SGIA Expo.

Selling more to your customers
The reality is that most of your customers are already purchasing various products from other printers. These same printers are adding to their arsenal of products and services to keep as much of their customer’s loyalty and attention as possible. And customers are much more interested in one stop shopping and consolidated purchasing and program management. The more you can do in-house for them, the less likely they are to find someone else who can.

Higher margins, lower costs
Each year technology changes and so does the best method for printing a specific product. Newer equipment with faster production speeds (presses, finishing equipment, even Print MIS systems) or other enhanced capabilities, such as automation or file handling, can decrease operating costs. Some markets have higher margins than others and provide a better return for each cap-ex dollar spent. There are many ways to assemble a new strategic business plan, and much of it begins with how to create higher value for the least cost. The SGIA Expo brings together not just the technology, but the minds and experience that can help you investigate and validate your new direction. Be it through networking with old or new friends, educational sessions, or meetings with the foremost suppliers in the market.

It’s Vegas, baby!
And, of course, Vegas can be a fun town. But don’t let that distract you from the job at hand – finding your next big idea!
How are other employers compensating their employees? What about benefits and policies?
Have you recently read an article or had a discussion with a business associate regarding company policies and benefits? As you consider the need to modify or add a policy, you may think, “What is everyone else doing?” The information is not easy to gather, but PIASC can provide a solution!

Our annual Wage & Benefit Survey can be your tool to help in making decisions.

Here are some interesting factoids from last year’s survey:

  • 94% of the firm surveyed in 2017 had written policy manuals.
  • 15% of firms surveyed have President's Day as a holiday and only 18% for Good Friday.
  • In 2017, 3% of the surveyed firms did not provide paid health insurance to their employees compared to less than 9% in 2016.
  • And much more.

How can you access this type of information? The easiest way is to participate!

The cost to participate is ZERO and the survey results (published in the fall) are FREE to participating companies!

If you do not participate you can still obtain a copy in the fall for $250 to members ($1,000 non-member cost). If you have questions, contact Cheryl Chong at 323.728.9500 x218.
FREE WEBINAR - Credit Card Processing Fees Demystified
Several factors affect the actual cost of accepting payment with a credit card, including industry, customer card type, processing method, settlement time and more. Which means that
there are many variables that impact what your customer’s card actually costs you.

On top of that, what do all the rates and fees on your monthly credit card statement mean?

Join us on June 14th at 10:00 am PST for this complimentary webinar with BASYS Processing to learn what action steps you can take to keep your rates and fees as low as possible.
Why Do So Many People Love Print on Paper?
In a recent infographic, research shows it's because it's safe, secure, sustainable...and trusted! Between 2015 and 2018 Two Sides North America partnered with global polling firm, Toluna, to conduct consumer surveys on how Americans feel about print and paper. The results may surprise you! Here is the first of three infographics they will be releasing in 2018 to highlight their findings.




20% Off Labelexpo Americas 2018 for Members Only
Your window into a whole new world of label and package printing possibilities.

Labelexpo Americas 2018 is your window to a whole new world of label and package printing possibilities.

See live demonstrations of technologies that match your ambition, including the very latest presses, finishing units, inks, dies and substrates from this planet's leading manufacturers.

| 3 DAYS | 5 HALLS | AUTOMATION ARENA | 12 CONFERENCE SESSIONS |
| 3 LABEL ACADEMY MASTER CLASSES | TLMI ECOVILLAGE |

Take the first step into a bold new future.

To get the code, contact Emily Holguin 323.728.9500, Ext. 262
PBS Showcases The International Printing Museum
You may be familiar with the phrase 'all the news that's fit to print', how about all the printers fit to exhibit… The International Printing Museum.
Aired: 05/14/18
Quote of the Week
Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.

~ Sam Levenson