PGAMA
Newsletter Change
PGAMA is proud to announce that effective
with the next issue, our Print Matters newsletter will be printed
on FSC certified, 100% recycled stock; specifically, 80#text Rolland Enviro
100% Recycled. In
addition, the quarterly publication will feature an Environmental Impact
Statement detailing how little an impact the selected paper had on the environment.
Calculations about the number of trees saved, as well as the amount of water,
energy, solid waste, and greenhouse gases saved, will be featured. (Impact
estimates are made using the Environmental Defense Fund Paper Calculator, www.edf.org/papercalculator.)
As an added bonus, the new paper costs the same as the stock previously
used--going green without using more green! You can check out the paper in
the next issue of Print Matters, coming in October.
Adobe
Launches Acrobat.com
Adobe
has launched Acrobat.com, an online document collaboration
tool
that the software company is pitching as a competitor to
Google Docs. The cloud-based service allows business users
to collaborate on presentations and spreadsheets that are
updated in real-time. In the Fall, Adobe plans to begin
an Acrobat.com smartphone service compatible with iPhone,
Nokia, Blackberry and Windows Mobile smartphone operating
systems.
E-mail
Etiquette
Careless e-mail can do a
lot of damage to business relationships. Some of the most
frequently seen taboos are not capitalizing
words, not using punctuation, not using spell check, not
using paragraph breaks and typing in all capital letters
(this is considered SHOUTING in e-mail language - don't
do it). Also don't forget to include
a subject in the subject box that is short and to the
point -- that is the first thing the reader will
see. Perhaps one of the most difficult parts of an e-mail,
though, is the closing. How you sign off and type your
name sets the tone of an email. As a general rule, include
your first and last name for first time
contacts, but not in subsequent
communications. And as for the closing---avoid ending
messages with words such as "Cheers" which can
come across as too
casual; or overusing phrases like
"Best" or "Best Always," which may
appear insincere.
A
recent survey showed that 25 percent of participants close
business emails with "Sincerely" while 20 percent
use some variant of "Thank you." 17 percent use
no closing at all. Other
popular sign offs are: Cordially, Regards, and Continued
success.
Article excerpted from "Best for Last" by Ruth McCann from
the Washington Post (8/30/09) and www.netmanners.com.
Spam-Proof
Your Inbox
Did you know that spam makes up 90 percent
of emails? Protect your inbox from unwanted messages by using
a complicated name for your email address. Adding numbers,
underscores, and other characters are tricks to try. Multiple
accounts are also good to have. Additionally, addresses starting
with letters at the beginning of the alphabet receive more
spam, so it is good to use other letters if possible. Of
course an email filter is another helpful tool. Free versions
such as MailWasher, POPFile, Spamato or SpamBayes are worth
a look. Finally, some spam can be avoided by unchecking
the "receive the newsletters and updates" box that often
appears when signing up for something online. If despite
all efforts the email address receives spam anyway, delete
it. You can also forward spam to the Federal Communications
Commission. Learn more at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/canspam.html or http://www.ftc.gov/spam/.
Find
the
Right Type for the Job
The purpose of any
printed piece is to communicate an idea, tell a story,
pitch a product or provide help. The images are a great
part of this, but at the core are the words. The key to
effective presentation of the words is good typography.
Probably the best book in print on this subject is Typography
Primer by Anthony Faiola. This 144-page goldmine is
available for only $5 at the Printing
Industries of America online store.
Short
Runs A Growing Market
There is a growing market
in very short run (frequently only one item) printing. Examples
include parts and repair manuals; out of print books that
are scanned into a database and printed as needed; and individual
manuscripts such as a novel or family history that may not
have commercial value, but are of immense value to their
creators. All of these can be decent revenue sources, especially
when priced competitively.
Member
News
Two more PGAMA members
joined the Maryland Green Registry this month: Spectrum
Printing & Graphics and Printing
Specialist Corporation. EU
Services and Independent Can Company became members in June.
Maryland Green is a FREE self-certification program
that promotes a business' sustainability efforts. Registered
members are listed on the website and can use the logo. The
website also offers tips and resources to help minimize impact
on the environment. Learn more at http://www.mde.maryland.gov/MarylandGreen/default.htm.
Nick Kollman, proprietor of
member Insertco
Pharmaceutical Printing Group, and
board chair of Dixie
Printing & Packaging Corp. has established the
Kollman Family Scholarship Endowment, a need-based
scholarship fund that Loyola College will award to deserving
Calvert Hall graduates. Nick is a graduate of both schools.
Upcoming Events
| September 3 |
CSR Training Webinar
Series Part 5: Improving Customers' Trust, Loyalty,
Work Won & Margins, Noon-1:00pm. Improve
your clients' customer service experience, and
you gain loyal clients and MORE clients! This broadcast
will touch on improving account profitability,
capturing alteration charges, negotiating production
time, handling bad news, and more. Cost is $90
per connection--train your entire CSR team for
one price! Register on pgama.com. |
| September 11-16 |
Special Event: PRINT
09,
at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. PRINT 09 is
where top executives come to learn, network and
make informed intelligent purchasing decisions.
From design to delivery you'll see the full spectrum
of equipment and services for: Commercial Printing,
Creative Services, Quick Printers, Book Printers/Publishers,
Mailing & Fulfillment, Package & Specialty
Printers, Wide Format Printers, In-Plant Printers,
Print Buyers, and MORE! Over 650 leading manufacturers
and suppliers will be exhibiting at the show and
80% of them will be showcasing newly released products,
technologies and services. More info and registration
at http://www.print09.com/My-Print.aspx. |
| September 16 |
Free Seminar: Protecting
Customers, Key Employees and Confidential Information, 6:00-7:00pm at
Intelligent Office (300 E. Lombard Street, Baltimore,
MD 21202.) In this economy,
it is critical for employers to protect their customers,
employees and business secrets from unfair competition.
In this presentation you will learn
how to effectively draft employee agreements; discover
the practical steps to protect customer lists and business
information; become familiar with the strategies for
enforcement and deterrence; and discuss strategies
for safely hiring employees who have non-competition
agreements with competitors. Presented by Scott Kamins.
RSVP to: coordinator@intelligentoffice.com.
Be sure to mention that you are a PGAMA member and
the $20 attendance fee will be waived. Light refreshments
and parking included. |
| September 18 |
Special Event:
GreenTech Conference & Expo, 7:15am-1:30pm
at the Crowne Plaza Hotel (2004 Greenspring
Drive in Timonium, MD 21093). The Regional Manufacturing
Institute is sponsoring this event to help Maryland
manufacturers learn about becoming more sustainable.
More than 60 speakers and exhibitors will be there!
Cost is $60.
Fee includes lunch. Register online at GreenTech
Maryland. |
| September 20-22 |
Conference-Label
Printing Industries of America Fall Management Conference at
the Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg,
VA. "Get Back to the Basics of Business" is
the theme of this conference, and educational programs
will show you why and how to become an
expert in your customers’ businesses
and guide the strategic
direction of their enterprise. More info and registration
online, http://www.printing.org/page/5307. |
| September 22 |
Free Webinar: Making
Sense Out of the Forest Initiative Programs-Environment
and the Paper Industry, 2:00-3:00pm.
This webinar will cover the various forest initiative
projects, including Sustainable Forest Initiative
and Forest Stewardship Council. Led by Jim Kohler,
RIT alumnus, and a graphic
arts and printing consultant who has worked for
both the printing and paper industries. He will
discuss the purpose of each organization, what
they do, and the myths and realities of each. To
register, visit www.seminars.cias.rit.edu and click
on the Webinars tab. |
| September 24 |
MAGE Crab Feast, 6:00-10:00pm
at Ten Oaks Ballroom in Clarksville, MD. Come to the
biggest MAGE event of the year and enjoy LARGE crabs
all night, plus a dinner buffet. By popular demand
there will once again be Blackjack 21 gaming tables--play
for prizes! New this year: your ticket stub enters
you into a drawing for a Garmin GPS system. Tickets
are the same cost as last year: just $60 per
person for ALL YOU CAN EAT LARGE CRABS! ($575
for a table of 10.) Reserve
your seats by 9/18. Call
PGAMA, 410-319-0900.Thanks to our current sponsors:
ASI, EnerNOC, Heidelberg, Kline, Prisco, sappi, Xerox,
& xpedx. ***Only ONE sponsorship spot left---contact Paul at
PGAMA for more info. |
September 30-
October 2 |
Workshop:
Total Immersion VDP, at Printing Industries
of America in Sewickley, PA. VDP is no longer an
interesting possibility—it
is now a driving force behind marketing campaigns everywhere
and it offers printers higher margins and great opportunities
to differentiate themselves from their competition.
The trick is in the execution. Find out what you need
to succeed in this workshop. Member
cost is $695 per person. Complete details and registration
at http://www.printing.org/vdp. |
| October 1 |
FREE Seminar: 10 Things
Keeping CEO's Up at Night, 10:00am-Noon
at PGAMA (9685 Gerwig Lane, Columbia). If you're
a printing company owner, president or manager
wondering how to increase profits in a down economy,
this is the best two hours you can possibly spend.
Member firm Heidelberg will give concrete answers
to questions like: "How can I reduce make-ready
times and save on labor and material costs with
the equipment I already have?" "Am I
really making money? How do I calculate actual
production costs for specific customers?" "How
do I get G7 certification?" This is a FREE
presentation for PGAMA members! Register
online at http://sso.us.heidelberg.com/pgama. |
| October 13-15 |
Employee Education
Event: Intro to Printing Class, at
PGAMA, 9685 Gerwig Lane, Columbia, MD 21046. Give
your CSRs or managers an understanding
of how the entire printing process works with
this 2-and-a-half day course. A great training
tool for new employees! Cost is $295 per person
for members/$495 for non-members. Includes all
course materials, lunch everyday, and a field trip
to a printing plant. MAGE members get a $100 discount
on fees! Sign up at pgama.com or call the office,
410-319-0900. |
| October 14 |
FREE Seminar: Employers'
Rights in the Age of Social Networking &
Blogging, 6:00-7:00pm at Intelligent
Office (300 E. Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21202.)
This seminar will give employers timely information
about their rights concerning employees online behavior,
policies related to social networking, and more. RSVP
to: coordinator@intelligentoffice.com.
Be sure to mention that you are a PGAMA member and
the $20 attendance fee will be waived. Light refreshments
and parking included. |
| October 30 |
Special Event: ASI Advantages
Roadshow, 9:00am-1:00pm
at BWI Marriott (1743 W. Nursery Road, Baltimore,
MD 21090.) The Advantages Roadshow is a sales-building
experience like no other. Enjoy one-on-one conversations
with leading companies, attend FREE educational seminars,
and find hot new items to show your clients. Visit
www.advantagesroadshow.com for more details. |
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