July 2009

Toward the end of the month, I’ll be touring Grays Harbor Paper to learn more about how a paper mill works. Grays Harbor Paper offers paper made with 100% post consumer waste in qualities that rival traditionally manufactured paper from virgin fibers.

Here’s what David Quigg, Director of Marketing for Grays Harbor Paper had to say about supporting his community.

This month’s exciting project is an article for Fabric Graphics magazine about printers who are using digital technology to print on textiles for a variety of niche markets. As a result I’ve fallen over several companies who print fabrics by the yard, on demand, with any design. Here are a few that will be included:

Spoonflower: Taking the concept of books on demand to fabric on demand, the founders of Lulu.com have come up with another winner! Upload an image – custom design, kid’s drawing, or a photograph – and they will print yards and yards of nice weight cotton for you.

Fabric on Demand: You can broadcast your own movies or radio show, print your own photos or even photo books, and even publish your own novel; now you can design your own fabric for home or fashion. Going one step further than Spoonflower, Fabric on Demand offers a wide range of fabrics, including:

• Cotton - 100% Cotton custom-weave
• Poly/Cotton – Polyester/cotton broadcloth
• Cotton Duck - Upholstery weight 100% cotton
• Fleece - Super plush polyester fleece
• Suede - Polyester micro-denier suede
• Linen/Cotton – White, creamy, durable linen
• Lycra® The most popular brand of spandex available today
• Athletic Jersey Polyester eyelet mesh suitable for sports uniforms and the like

KarmaKraft: Extend the fabric options even further with KarmaKraft to include 3 weights of cotton, linen and a linen/cotten blend, 2 weights of silk, a light weight polyester, and a polyester suede. KarmaKraft offers a full range of cut and sew services from fashion and interior products to scarves and bags.

Watch for the article to appear in the September/October issue of Fabric Graphics magazine.

June 2009

June looks to be a busy month! On the calendar for a visit this month is Labels West, producer of flexo and digital labels and packaging.

We’ll be talking about how digital, flexo, and litho label production complement each other. I’m especially interested in personalized and customized labels; has the time finally come when these are cost-effective and commercially viable?

On the “green” side, we’ll be discussing labels and packaging as part of the “total product” and the move to recyclable and recycled materials for labels and packaging.

Watch for the “up close and personal” profile and virtual plant tour!

April 2009

April brings more visits to regional printers, including AllpakTrojan, in nearby Renton.

AllPakTrojan, a large package and commercial printing plant in Renton, just south of Seattle, gave me a real education about packages.Packaging is more than just a pretty box that sits on a retail shelf. Packaging is an entire eco-system consisting of science, art, and technology to contain, protect, preserve, transport, inform and sell products.

AllpakTrojan combines graphic and structural design, lean manufacturing, and complex software and hardware to produce packaging that not only enhances the image of the product in the hand of the consumer but also provides protection for transporting products around the world.

To find out more about printing on ceramic tile, wall paper, and rigid panels, I visited Lynn Krinsky at Stella Color. Highlighted in the November 2008 issue of Digital Output magazine, Stella Color produces a huge variety of items including: posters, fine art prints, textiles, wallpaper, trade show displays, banners, point-of-sale items, and vehicle graphics. All with an eye to being more environmentally friendly with a full line of specialty substrates.

Lynn is one of the first printers in North America to install an HP Designjet L6550. which uses water-based inks. Unfortunately named “Latex ink,” the ink used in the printer is actually a water-based ink similar to water-based paints that we call Latex paint.

March 2009

This month I’m preparing for OnDemand Expo 2009, to be held in Philadelphia. What do I expect to see there? All the technology that I use to help my clients promote their businesses, sell their products, and speak to their customers, online and off.

• 1:1 Communications
• Bindery, Finishing and Mailing Equipment
• Color Digital Printing Equipment
• Document Creation Software
• Innovations in Paper Usage and Substrates
• Web To Print Solutions
• Workflow Solutions

February 2009

Recently I’ve been visiting printers of all “stripes” – wide-format, traditional commercial, and strictly online – and it makes sense to start talking to print buyers. It is estimated that more than 35% of all print is purchased by marketing professionals and creative services, and I will be asking them about a number of issues including their focus on sustainable print.

Watch for my comments, complete with photos, on my blog – Your Nickel’s Worth – and at WhatTheyThink Going Green.

January 2009

It may be the dead of winter, however this month I am exploring the many ways wide-format printers are creating applications that are both decorative and architectural..

Rainier Industries, Seattle WA

Fabric graphics, architectural graphics, and the use of fabrics in architectural applications are specialties that Rainier Industries offers. For everything from building wraps to yurts (yes!), Rainier offers “Display, Fabric, and Shelter Solutions.” We will also be discussing Rainier’s sustainability efforts such as:

• Use of wood harvested only from sustainable forests treated with non-solvent preservatives.
• Use of PVC-based fabrics are being minimized.
• Use of UV-cured water soluble inks.