What Is Drupa and Why Should I Care?
By Frank Romano Drupa is the name of the largest print-related exhibition in the world. It is sort of a cross between a world’s fair and the storming of the Bastille. It is the place where new printing technology is introduced. Sometimes, it even works. The first thing that hits you is the sheer size [...]
Continue Reading →Why It’s Harder & Harder to Source Print Professionally
It used to be pretty easy to find commercial printers – compared to today, that is. Their company names identified them as printers. Maybe they had a form of the word “lithographer” or even “graphics” in their name, but one way or the other, you knew who you were dealing with. Today you have to [...]
Continue Reading →Buying Print? Same As It Ever Was
I’m honored to be one of PIworld.com’s many bloggers. Most of the time, I blog about print buying issues, but I’m also passionate about printers’ marketing efforts, so I use my PI blog to share opinions and suggestions for printers as well. Recently I posted this blog, a reaction to a PBI BOSTON session that [...]
Continue Reading →PBI Scores High with Attendees, Sponsors at PBI BOSTON
CHESTNUT HILL, MA — April 26, 2012 – The leading independent organization for people who purchase, design for, or market with print and e-media triumphed on its home turf once again with the 2012 PBI Print & Media Boston Conference. Print Buyers International (PBI) returned to the Hub on April 11, 2012 with a new-to-Boston, [...]
Continue Reading →Two Savvy Print Buyers Talk Shop
In the past several months I’ve written quite a bit about printers’ equipment lists and why they’re important to print buyers. The feedback I got convinced me to offer a session devoted to this topic at our recent PBI BOSTON conference. Both speakers have tons of experience. Mariah Hunt, Senior Production Manager at Digitas, has [...]
Continue Reading →Top 10 Reasons to Attend PBI BOSTON
Top 10 Reasons to Attend PBI BOSTON You know you need the education & professional networking we’re offering at PBI BOSTON on April 11th – but does your boss understand where the value is? Check out these Top 10 Reasons to Attend. I think they’ll help you state your case. 1. You’ll learn the Best [...]
Continue Reading →Compostable Me!
Get a Load of These Natural Substrates When an unusual product comes in the mail, I jump on it (so to speak) for a Print Tip. That’s how I came to chat with a Massachusetts “expat.” The samples that caught my eye were from NatureWoven™, in CA. They were a couple of flexible, 8 ½ [...]
Continue Reading →Margie Dana Publishes 3rd Book: Advice for Printers
Print Selling Made Simple Offers Real-World Advice for Print Service Providers “…a master class in the psychology of print buying” CHESTNUT HILL, MA – March 9, 2012 – Margie Dana, founder of Print Buyers International and well-known champion of print and those that work with the industry, has published her third book, Print Selling Made [...]
Continue Reading →Guess Who’s Coming to Boston?
Guess Who’s Coming to Boston? It’s pretty amazing. The professionals signing up for our PBI BOSTON on April 11th represent so many industries – colleges and universities, health care, software, medical imaging equipment, creative agencies, financial services, retail, insurance – even America’s leading brewer of handcrafted beers! Oh, the things I do for print buyers. [...]
Continue Reading →You’d be nuts to miss PBI Boston!
Calling all print buyers, designers and marketers within the sound of my voice: do yourself a favor and come learn from the industry’s FINEST on April 11th. No kidding: the 3 main speakers we’ve booked for April 11th’s PBI BOSTON are among the best-respected experts in their fields~ Daniel Dejan has always garnered the highest [...]
Continue Reading →PBI Offers Educational Extravaganza at Print & Media Boston
CHESTNUT HILL, MA — FEBRUARY 13, 2012 – Print Buyers International (PBI) will host leading experts in the print and e-media field for PBI’s Print & Media Boston Conference on Wednesday, April 11, 2012. The event takes place at the Inn at Longwood in Boston, MA, from 8 am to 6 pm. PBI Boston is [...]
Continue Reading →Your car can now Tweet. God help us all.
I couldn’t make this up: automakers are adding social media capabilities to new cars. Right there on the front page of today’s WSJ Marketplace section was an article that sent a crude, 3-letter cyber code to my lips (and it wasn’t “LOL”). Yes, folks, there are cars with 17-inch dashboard screens, cars that can check [...]
Continue Reading →Pantone® Color Forecasts Make Mouths Water
Every year, Pantone announces Fall colors they think will be hot-hot-hot, based on polls of designers as well as orders they’ve received for certain color swatches. This year’s colors were revealed recently in a WSJ piece. Each color was described by Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute and a well-known color expert. [...]
Continue Reading →I Got 3 Rock Stars to Speak at PBI Boston!
A large part of what attracts attendees to any conference is who’s speaking. Duh. I know that it’s one of the first things I look at when considering whether or not to attend an event myself. So it’s with incredible pride that I share with you why our April 11th PBI Boston show ROCKS. In [...]
Continue Reading →PBI Print & Media Boston Open for Business!
The program’s built, site pages are live, sponsors are signing up, and we’re tickled pink. On April 11th we’re hosting PBI Print & Media Boston, a full-day conference for print customers, designers and marketers who work with print & digital media. We haven’t had a show in New England since 2010 and, like The Terminator, [...]
Continue Reading →What Exactly Does a Print Manager for a Major Metropolitan Newspaper Do?
Professional print buyers have dozens of different titles and a wide range of responsibilities. It’s part of the role’s allure. No two buyers are alike. Many work within Marketing. Others are part of Purchasing/Procurement, Corporate Communications, or Publications. My background is in corporate print buying, and I’ve never worked for a newspaper except as a [...]
Continue Reading →PBI Print & Media Boston Conference Opens for Registration
CHESTNUT HILL, MA — January 9, 2012 – Just seven months after rocking Chicago with the 6th Annual Print & Media Conference in September, Print Buyers International (PBI) will touch down in Boston with a one-day Print & Media Boston Conference for professionals who purchase, design for or market with print and e-media on Wednesday, [...]
Continue Reading →PBI Scores a Win at 6th Annual Print & Media Conference in Chicago
CHESTNUT HILL, MA — October 6, 2011 – The best and brightest minds from some of the country’s biggest organizations converged on McCormick Place in Chicago last month for the year’s most important Conference for print buyers, graphic designers and marketers: the 6th Annual Print & Media Conference. The one-of-a-kind event, produced by Print Buyers [...]
Continue Reading →Make Print Your Launching Pad to Online Content and Greater ROI
By Guest Contributor and PBI Sponsor Jeff Hopp PBI Sponsors are invited to write a Print Tip. Today’s Print Tip is by Jeff Hopp of Ripon Printers (www.riponprinters.com) in WI. Ripon was a sponsor at our Print & Media Conference in Chicago recently. They have been PBI conference sponsors for several years. The question today [...]
Continue Reading →Things I Learned from Print Buyers
By Margie Dana This is not an official recount of our Print & Media Conference by any means. I got home from Chicago at 1:30 am this morning (as I write this) and needed to share some of my reflections before another week passed. The vast majority of our 100 attendees were print/media customers, not [...]
Continue Reading →Print Buyers Love Printers Who
By Margie Dana This is a blog post I wrote earlier this year for PIWorld.com. I’ve edited it a bit. Apropos of my flying off to Chicago for our annual PBI conference, I thought I’d list some of the reasons why print buyers love their printers. Consider it a public shout out to the printing [...]
Continue Reading →Top 10 Reasons to Do a Plant Tour
By Margie Dana I know you’re busy. Who isn’t? But if the responsibility for getting things printed is yours, you need to get out and visit printers’ facilities. Plenty of professional print buyers and creatives wouldn’t think of giving a printer a job until they’ve done the plant tour and seen for themselves the equipment [...]
Continue Reading →Who in the World Is D. Eadward Tree?
By Margie Dana For the past few years, I’ve been intrigued by one very mysterious blogger, D. Eadward Tree. Surely, you’ve read his work. He’s got the best name in the biz. His blogs pop up in various trade media as well as in several LinkedIn groups. This is what his official profile says: “By [...]
Continue Reading →Follow the Leaders: Join Top Media Buying, Marketing & Creative Pros at the 6th Annual Print & Media Conference
CHESTNUT HILL, MA — August 16, 2011 – Where do senior-level print and media buyers, marketers and graphic designers gather to explore the secrets of corporate communication success? The 6th Annual Print & Media Conference in Chicago on September 13th – 14th. This one-of-a-kind Conference from Print Buyers International (PBI) draws high-ranking professionals from high-profile [...]
Continue Reading →Learning about Color Management
By Margie Dana Daniel Dejan is one of those names I use as a litmus test in this industry. If someone’s not heard of Daniel, it means they are fairly new to the field or not really serious about it. He has been a constant at our PBI events because he’s the best. Experienced, well [...]
Continue Reading →Direct Mail and Baby Boomers
Baby Boomers, Ergonomics and Direct Mail By Guest Contributor Paul Prisco From time to time, people in the industry send me articles. Designer Paul Prisco wrote today’s article about designing mail for Baby Boomers. I relate because, well, yes, I’m a Boomer. I chuckle at the suggestion that Boomers might not be dexterous enough to [...]
Continue Reading →What’s New in Digital Printing?
By Margie Dana Everywhere I turn, print customers ask me about digital printing. What’s changed? What equipment should we know about? Tell us about some really innovative applications. Is digital quality really as good as offset? Digital printing is one of the topics we address at every event we produce. This year’s conference is no [...]
Continue Reading →Shape Up Your Print Buying Skills at Print Buyer Boot Camp!
CHESTNUT HILL, MA — July 28, 2011 – If you’ve ever longed for a way to learn everything you need to know about printing and print buying in one place, you can stop wishing and start learning on September 12th at Print Buyer Boot Camp!™ from Print Buyers International (PBI). This one-of-a-kind program will kick [...]
Continue Reading →How a FORTUNE® 500 Transportation Company Uses Integrated Communications to Drive Organic Growth
By Margie Dana Using print as part of your corporate media strategy is one hot topic. The more we can learn from companies who are doing this effectively, the better chance we have at implementing good integrated strategies ourselves. That’s why I have added a couple of sessions on this topic at our September conference [...]
Continue Reading →Major Challenges for Today’s Print Buyers
By Margie Dana From time to time in our PBI LinkedIn Group*, I initiate general discussions to get a sense of current challenges faced by print customers. I posted this very discussion recently. The comments were a mix of client issues, career issues, and provider issues. Can you relate to any of these? Client Issues [...]
Continue Reading →Got Print & E-Media Questions? Get Answers from the Pros at the 6th Annual Print & Media Conference
CHESTNUT HILL, MA — July 14, 2011 — If you’re a professional who purchases, designs with or markets with print and digital media, you need new ways of thinking to stay current and relevant in your career. You’ll find them at the 6th Annual Print & Media Conference on September 13th and 14th, 2011. As [...]
Continue Reading →From Digital to Analog? All Hail the Past!
By Margie Dana In the glorious heat of the summer, we should slow down long enough to give a shout out to our past – past communicating methods, that is. Last week I came across a couple of news items about earlier days of printing and publishing that tickled my fancy. I couldn’t make this [...]
Continue Reading →Attendee Registration Now Open for 6th Annual Print & Media Conference
CHESTNUT HILL, MA— July 5, 2011— For print buying pros, creatives and marketers who want to benefit from the insights of thought leaders in the graphic arts, digital printing, and content marketing, Chicago is the place to be this September. The reason? PBI’s 6th Annual Print & Media Conference takes place on September 13th and [...]
Continue Reading →Incoming! Young Professionals in the Graphic Arts
By Margie Dana Q&A with Nicholas Knowlen It’s high time we meet some of the young professionals in the graphic arts. So I’m on a mission to interview people under 30 who are making printing and related graphic arts their chosen career. Today, meet Nicholas Knowlen. I met Nick in the spring when I was [...]
Continue Reading →The Bold & the Beautiful: Look What Came in the Mail
By Margie Dana Every once in a while something slips through the mail slot that catches my eye immediately. It may be a design, or a unique size or shape, or a headline that calls out my name. Last week, it was a petite 4 x 6” postcard that – despite its diminutive size – [...]
Continue Reading →Bypassing the Print Buyer
By Margie Dana Almost every time I speak to an audience of printers, this question comes up: Should print service providers go around print buyers to get to C-level executives? If I ask print buyers this question, the answer is always no. If I ask printers, the answer is usually yes. Here’s what I think. [...]
Continue Reading →Sponsor Registration Opens for 6th Annual Print & Media Conference
CHESTNUT HILL, MA— June 17, 2011— If you serve people who work at the intersection of print and digital media, now is the time to grow your business by sponsoring PBI’s 6th Annual Print & Media Conference. This 2-day Conference on Tuesday, September 13th and Wednesday, September 14th, is the year’s most important professional program [...]
Continue Reading →Show Us Your Mobile Barcodes!
By Margie Dana One of the industry’s leading experts in direct mail marketing is Christine Erna, whom I like to call the “Diva of Direct Mail.” She knows more about direct mail and the USPS than anyone else I know. She’s spoken at several of our PBI conferences and is my #1 go-to resource for [...]
Continue Reading →PBI Scores a Hit with First-Ever Print & Media Conference Midwest
CHESTNUT HILL, MA — June 8, 2011—The votes are in, and the first-ever PBI Midwest Conference was an unqualified success. The one-day Conference, produced by Print Buyers International (PBI), was held on May 19th in Chicago for print buyers, production managers, creative directors, graphic designers, marketers and other people who work “at the intersection of [...]
Continue Reading →The Future of Print Buying
By Margie Dana Everyone involved in the print industry seems to be focused on the future of printing – not (as Seinfeld used to say) that there’s anything wrong with that. But I’m interested in the future of print buying. What will the roles of professional print buyers (whatever title they hold) look like? How [...]
Continue Reading →Print Buyers International (PBI) Launches New Web Site
CHESTNUT HILL, MA— June 2, 2011—In a year filled with milestones for Print Buyers International (PBI), the organization has added another landmark achievement to its growing list: the complete makeover and re-launch of the PBI web site. Located at www.printbuyersinternational.com, the new site picks up where the former Boston Print Buyers (BPB) web site left [...]
Continue Reading →I’ve met the future of the print industry. His name is Matt.
By Margie Dana One of the best things about working in this field is meeting new people. When I produce events or get invited to speak for a group or trade association, it’s something I most look forward to. Listening to other peoples’ stories. Learning what got them into the print business. Uncovering other passions [...]
Continue Reading →Random Highlights from a Print Buyers’ Conference
By Margie Dana The beauty of having a one-track conference is that you can attend every session. As an event producer, it means I can listen to some of every session, which is a gift. At bigger conferences, such as PBI’s 6th Annual Print & Media Conference at Graph Expo in September, we offer concurrent [...]
Continue Reading →Creating a Successful Multichannel Marketing Campaign
By Margie Dana At PBI Midwest on May 19th in Chicago, Heather Gims will be speaking on a very hot topic: multichannel marketing and how print fits in the picture. Heather is the Director of Marketing & Business Development for b+p+t Communication Solutions in Cincinnati, OH. I asked her to answer 5 questions about her session. Check it [...]
Continue Reading →Unlocking Your Understanding of GRACoL®, SWOP®, G7® and Other Must-Know Definitions
By Guest Contributor IDEAlliance I believe print customers – including production managers, print buyers and graphic designers – need to know more about things like GRACoL and G7. For today’s Print Tip, I went to a major source of information on this topic: IDEAlliance. IDEAlliance is the first association I think of when I think [...]
Continue Reading →A Peek into Printed Electronics
By Margie Dana My Google News section for all-things-print collects content of a certain nature: articles about laser printing, commercial printing companies, or, most intriguing of all, something called printed electronics. I admit it: until recently I was pretty clueless about this last category. About six weeks ago, I got my February 2011 issue of Canvas [...]
Continue Reading →Take a Second Look
By Margie Dana I was chatting with an industry educator about the qualities I seek when selecting presenters for our annual conference. Subject matter expertise is a given. But strength as a public speaker is right up there. If you want to wow your audience, you must be engaging and animated. You need stage presence. [...]
Continue Reading →What Is a Print Buyer?
By Margie Dana One of the hardest things I do when telling strangers what I do is define “print buyer.” In fact, I found out recently when speaking at a trade event for printers that I should have defined the term right at the beginning of my speech. I presumed everyone in the industry defined [...]
Continue Reading →6th Annual PBI Print & Media Conference to Co-Locate at Graph Expo 2011 in Chicago, September 13th – 14th
CHESTNUT HILL, MA — April 15, 2011- Print Buyers International (PBI) has announced the 6th Annual Print & Media Conference will be held at GRAPH EXPO in Chicago, Tuesday, September 13 – Wednesday, 14, 2011. Leading into the Conference will be the popular, full-day PBI Boot Camp™ on Monday, September 12th. The news, which creates …
Continue Reading →What’s a Nice (Print) Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This?
By Margie Dana Although I don’t recall who sent me the email invitation to a Content Marketing Summit recently, I’m sure glad they did. Fifty or more people joined me at this half-day event hosted by ten24 Web Solutions. I hadn’t heard of them before, but many of you may have. Visit www.ten24web.com for more information. [...]
Continue Reading →Knowledge Gaps of Print Buyers
By Margie Dana At our PBI Print & Media Midwest in Chicago on May 19, elite buyers Melissa Clemente of Draftfcb and Jeff Dickerson of State Farm Insurance will present together. I selected them not only for their experience and wisdom, but also because they represent two very different industries. Their topic? The Knowledge Gaps of Print Buyers. [...]
Continue Reading →Why Choosing Printers Is an Important Decision
By Margie Dana You hang around print professionals for years – like I do – and you forget what it’s like being a new customer. Imagine an individual who has to get something printed, or a corporate employee who’s just inherited the responsibility. It’s probably the first time such a person has had to think [...]
Continue Reading →Six Simple Rules for QR Codes
By Guest Contributor John Parsons If it weren’t for sites like Twitter or LinkedIn, I might never come across great articles like this one by John Parsons. Hopefully, I’ll get to meet him one day. John Parsons, formerly the Editorial Director for Seybold Publications, is the principal of Byte Media Strategies, a business, graphic communications and [...]
Continue Reading →Meet the Inventor of G7
By Margie Dana Don Hutcheson will be one of our speakers in Chicago at the inaugural PBI Print & Media Conference Midwest on May 19th. Perhaps you know him — as thousands do — as the inventor of G7, which is now the standard for printing and proofing. With over 40 years’ experience in photography, design, [...]
Continue Reading →What Print Buyers Expect
By Margie Dana I write a regular column for Printing Impressions about print buyer issues. The current one, entitled “Buyers’ Great Expectations” can be read here. It started out as a blog – you know, short and off-the-cuff. But I couldn’t stop myself from listing all of the critical points that print buyers seek in their favorite print [...]
Continue Reading →Star-Studded Cast Headlines First-Ever Print & Media Conference Midwest in Chicago on May 19th
CHESTNUT HILL, MA — March 2, 2011 – The leading names in printing, print forecasting, print buying, and color management will take the stage at the first-ever Print Buyers International (PBI) Print & Media Conference Midwest in Chicago. Hosted by PBI founder Margie Dana at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare, the one-day Conference …
Continue Reading →A Poor Excuse for an RFQ
By Margie Dana Attention, please: I am not a printer. I got an email inviting me to bid on printing 40M catalogs. It’s not the first time someone mistook me for a printer or a broker. The 15 other email addresses (all visible, BTW) were those of commercial printers as far as I could tell. [...]
Continue Reading →What Is a Chromolithograph?
By Guest Contributor Frank Romano It all began because of a small note I sent to Frank Romano, who’s teaching at Cal Poly this term. He responded by saying that my note was a beautiful reproduction of a chromolithograph from the 1800s. I hadn’t heard the term in years, and I had never written about [...]
Continue Reading →Print Buyers Can Stay Plugged In
By Margie Dana Print buyers can really help themselves and their careers by doing one thing really well: keeping plugged in. Regardless of courses you take or seminars you attend, you need daily news about printing, paper, design, and communication trends and technologies. What you learn will inform you in ways that propel your career [...]
Continue Reading →More On Calibrating Your Monitors
By Margie Dana A 2010 PBI Print & Media Conference attendee emailed me some queries about monitor calibration. I reached out to two experts for their thoughts, and I heard back from James Lockman of Adobe and Daniel Dejan of Sappi Fine Paper. Last week, I shared James’ answers. Today, we hear from Daniel. Daniel Dejan is an [...]
Continue Reading →Margie Dana’s Print & Media Conference Midwest Touches Down in Chicago in May
CHESTNUT HILL, MA — February 4, 2011 — If you work at the intersection of print and digital communications, this event is calling your name. Print Buyers International (PBI) is expanding west and will host its first-ever PBI Print & Media Conference Midwest at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare on Thursday, May 19th, 2011. This groundbreaking …
Continue Reading →On Calibrating Your Monitors
By Margie Dana A 2010 PBI Print & Media Conference attendee emailed me some queries about monitor calibration. I reached out to two experts for their thoughts, and I heard back from James Lockman of Adobe and Daniel Dejan of Sappi Fine Paper. Today, I’ll share James’ answers and next week, Daniel’s. Here’s what a print customer [...]
Continue Reading →Dr. Joe Webb Talks about Disrupting the Future
By Margie Dana Mention the name “Dr. Joe Webb,” and printers will take notice. One of the industry’s most talked-about – and listened to – consultants and thinkers, Dr. Webb was the draw for over 100 print company executives at a dinner event hosted by PINE last week. PINE is the New England affiliate of PIA, [...]
Continue Reading →Using the PANTONE PLUS SERIES CMYK Guide
By Guest Contributor Tim Young One of our 2010 Print & Media Conference attendees (she called it “fabulous” – had to share that) got in touch last month with this request for information: “I just returned from a production meeting. The question of how Pantone’s DS color system compares with the PMS color system [came up]. [...]
Continue Reading →A Small Piece about Large-Format Printing
By Margie Dana Last week I got a request from a reader to define “large-format.” The term wasn’t yet in our online Print Buyer Glossary – nor could I find it on the Internet in any industry glossaries I located. Peculiar, right? I reached out to one of our 2010 Print & Media Conference sponsors: [...]
Continue Reading →30 Reasons Why Printers Should Produce a Newsletter
By Margie Dana I’m currently a blogger for Printing Impressions’ site at www.piworld.com. Here’s one of my posts from a little while ago. If I did a survey of all US printing firms, I’ll bet you anything that the majority of them don’t have a customer newsletter. Talk about a wasted opportunity to shine. Printers hear [...]
Continue Reading →I Am a Printer
While walking through the amazing Museum of Printing in North Andover last week, I spied the following text on a small poster on a wall. The title stopped me in my tracks. I read it and was very moved. Frank Romano is the author. He gave me permission to reprint it. It is truly food [...]
Continue Reading →Steven Schnoll on the Topic of Cross-Media Strategies
I love my job. Through it, I get to meet all sorts of interesting people in the industry. In October, I chaired the Print Buyer Forum at Graph Expo in Chicago. One of our Forum speakers was Steven Schnoll, the Managing Director of Schnoll Media Consulting. His topic? Using Cross Media Strategies to Improve Your [...]
Continue Reading →Nobody Puts Print Buyers in a Corner
Professional print buyers are too often underestimated. I’m not talking about newcomers who’ve yet to learn the business. Give them time. I’m not talking about occasional print buyers who are asked by a manager (usually against their will) to get something printed a few times a year. And I am most certainly not talking about [...]
Continue Reading →Acclaim Abounds for 5th Annual Print & Media Conference
CHESTNUT HILL, MA — December 2, 2010 – A cold New England drizzle didn’t dampen the spirits of attendees at Margie Dana’s 5th Annual Print & Media Conference in November. More than 115 print buyers, marketers and graphic designers from 21 states came together at the Westford Regency Inn & Conference Center last month …
Continue Reading →Say Hello to SmartMail
Do you know what print buyers and graphic designers like? New things. A concept, product, process or technology that they haven’t heard of or seen before – something that sets a light bulb off over their heads. Something they can show to their marketing team or creative director, who are also hankering for innovative concepts. [...]
Continue Reading →Why I’m Thankful for Printed Goods
As I finalized our Thanksgiving dinner menu for my guests, I flashed back to memories of the Gallo Family Thanksgiving extravaganzas all those years ago. There was jumbo shrimp cocktail, an antipasti platter the size of a sled, my mother’s famous lasagna, followed by the turkey, several vegetables, glistening bowls of black and green olives, [...]
Continue Reading →Sound Bites that Struck a Chord from the 5th Annual PBI Conference
As I write this Tip, it’s too soon to say with certainty that our print & media conference last week was a grand slam, but it felt that way. Unsolicited feedback I received within two days include these comments: “I was impressed by the quality of the discussions and presentations. I truly believe you take [...]
Continue Reading →Margie Dana Publishes 2nd Book: Print Buying Made Simple Offers Real-World Advice for New Print Customers
CHESTNUT HILL, MA — November 15, 2010 – Margie Dana, founder of Print Buyers International and well-known champion of print and those that work with the industry, has published her second book, Print Buying Made Simple. Available for purchase at Lulu.com for $19.95 plus s/h ($3.99 for an e-book), this 138-page book is a …
Continue Reading →You’re a Martian
As a professional print buyer, you’re part of an elite group that operates below the radar. People outside of the graphics field don’t know what a print buyer is and won’t understand what it is you do. Even your family and friends won’t “get” what it is you do. It’s as though you’re part of [...]
Continue Reading →Things I Learned from Print Buyers
The more I interact with professional print buyers, the more I learn about so many things. Like, how they think. What they need. Where they’re heading. And how I can possibly be a linchpin for helping them get where they need to go and be what they need to be. At this year’s Print Buyer [...]
Continue Reading →Top 10 Things You Might Not Know About Paper
You may already know Jack Miller, the “Paper Guru.” I met Jack several years ago when he attended one of our events, and I recognized back then that he truly is a paper expert. Ever since then, I count Jack among my top resources when it comes to questions about the paper industry – and [...]
Continue Reading →I Know What Print Buyers Want
Today’s Print Tip originally ran as a blog post for Printing Impressions (www.piworld.com) a short while ago. Earlier this summer, a printer emailed me to ask if I had a handy list of what print buyers want. A “simple list” is what he actually called it. There’s nothing simple about such a list, because print [...]
Continue Reading →I Know What Print Buyers Don’t Want
A couple of times a month, I blog for Printing Impressions (www.piworld.com) on print buyer issues. Here’s a post of mine from several weeks ago. In an upcoming Print Tip, I’ll share a list of what buyers DO want. Last week a printer emailed me, asking if I had a handy list of what print [...]
Continue Reading →Go Outside
Thank God for new media. It’s through these e-channels that I’ve recognized how important it is to look beyond what I know and be open to all that I don’t. Take the printing industry. Those of us in and “of” it need to get outside more. We need to branch out in terms of what [...]
Continue Reading →Life with Print
Whether you’ve never heard Daniel Dejan speak, or you count yourself among his army of groupies, I encourage you not to miss his visit with us in Westford this year – our 5th conference and his 5th appearance. Daniel, the North American ETC Print & Creative Manager for Sappi Fine Paper, is famous in the [...]
Continue Reading →Do Yourself a Favor & Don’t Drop In
I admit it: I’ve never sold printing. But I can speak as a print customer. When I bought millions in commercial and financial printing from the mid-eighties to late nineties, it was totally acceptable for print reps to drop by unannounced. “Skip Jones from Nimrod is here,” said the receptionist. “Send him back!” I’d reply. [...]
Continue Reading →Spotlight on Sponsors: X-Rite and Solo Printing
One of the unique benefits we extend to our PBI Conference sponsors is the chance to be featured in Margie’s Print Tips. As companies sign up for the Conference in November, we send them the same five questions. We’ll share their answers here, in the order in which we receive them. In today’s Print Tip, [...]
Continue Reading →Labels of a Different Dimension: Doming!
One of the greatest things about print manufacturing is that no one knows everything about it. I love learning about new processes. It happened recently when an email from Doug Billings of Empire Screen Printing in Onalaska, WI, popped up in my inbox. He’s the VP of Sales & Marketing at Empire. Doug mentioned that, [...]
Continue Reading →Insights from a Professional Print Buyer
Our print buyer panel at this fall’s 5th Annual Print & Media Conference has a different twist than previous ones. This year, I selected print production pros who have initiated or been largely responsible for specific successes in their departments or organizations. They’ll share their success stories on Wednesday, November 3rd. When you register for [...]
Continue Reading →It Takes a Team
Every summer we produce direct mail pieces to promote our fall conference. A postcard and a brochure get sent to specific audiences – people who’d make ideal attendees – like print buyers, graphic designers, and marketing professionals who oversee media campaigns. Our postcards and show brochure are typical in that a team is involved. So [...]
Continue Reading →Print Buyers As Persons of Influence
Jeffrey Dickerson is someone I consider an “elite” print buying professional. He’s been on several print buyer panels of mine and has always impressed me (and the audience) with his wisdom and intelligence. He is currently the Procurement Specialist for State Farm Insurance Companies in Bloomington, IL, responsible for a team that buys millions of [...]
Continue Reading →Resume for a Print Rep
It’s occurred to me that print reps should have two resumes: one for prospective employers and another for prospective customers. Think about it: what if print reps had to show you their qualification on paper? What would impress you? Let’s look at the typical sections of a traditional resume and think how they’d be handled. [...]
Continue Reading →Directed Buy Programs (Part 3): The Paper Guru Speaks Out
In this third and final Print Tip on Directed Buy Programs, I asked for the insights of Jack Miller, aka the Paper Guru. Jack is one of the most knowledgeable paper experts I know. He will be presenting “The Mystery of Paper Prices Explained” at our 5th Annual Print & Media Conference on November 3rd. [...]
Continue Reading →Directed Buy Paper Programs (Part 2): Customers Speak Out
Last month, I wrote Part One of a Print Tip about directed buy programs. To read that Tip, please visit our Print Tips Archives page for 2010, where you’ll find it listed for May 10, 2010. In the briefest of explanations, think of directed buy programs like so: Most of the time, printers purchase the [...]
Continue Reading →BPOs in the Print Space
On May 12th, I hosted my first Print Buying Basics webinar, which included a look at the six models for sourcing print. One of these six – the BPO – stood out like a sore thumb for two reasons: 1) many attendees were unfamiliar with the concept; and 2) this model is very different from [...]
Continue Reading →Standout Printers
A few times a month, I get to sound off in a blog for Printing Impressions over at www.piworld.com. I’m one of many bloggers for PI. I thought that my latest post would generate comments from my Tips readers. You can agree or disagree: I’d love your comments on this one. Here’s that post, which [...]
Continue Reading →A Little-Known Specialty: Graphics Installers
Teach me something that I think print customers would benefit from, and I’m happy to write about it. Dan Marx, VP of Markets and Technologies for SGIA (Specialty Graphic Imaging Association), did just that two weeks ago. He wrote to me about something called “graphics installers.” I knew nothing about them and picked up the [...]
Continue Reading →The Power of Unexpected Service
Not once, not twice, but three times in as many months I have been delighted by unexpected gestures of great service during purchasing transactions. First, there was the “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” near-miss. My favorite computer games are the Harry Potter series. When I needed to replace this particular CD, I bought [...]
Continue Reading →Recipe for a Successful Conference? “Get with the Program”
If you’ve spoken with me over the past few months and found me preoccupied, please forgive me. Producing an annual educational conference is like having a wedding once a year – without the gifts or having to squeeze into a white gown. While finding the venue is absolutely key, that step’s a breeze when compared [...]
Continue Reading →Getting Creative Using Digital Printing for Your Marketing Materials
I’ll bet that print materials are a major factor in your firm’s marketing campaigns. These days, it’s a safe bet that some of those materials are produced on digital presses. It got me to thinking: Why not interview a printer about a project in which some or all components were printed digitally? For today’s Print [...]
Continue Reading →Making Sense of Directed Buy Paper Programs
Me and my big mouth. Following a presentation I made to a group of print CEOs, a comment made by an audience member intrigued me. We’d been discussing the sourcing behaviors of corporate print buyers when he said, “Buyers think they’re getting great deals when they take part in directed buy programs – but printers [...]
Continue Reading →Defining Print? Not So Fast. Not So Easy.
It’s no one’s fault that most people don’t understand what we mean when we say, “We work with printers.” Or, in my case, “I write about printing.” (Cue standard reply: “What is there to write about?”) Defining printing when you discuss your work is tricky, n’est-ce pas? The word printer means something entirely different to [...]
Continue Reading →Buying Print As a Nonprofit: Are There Special Concerns?
Earlier this year, I read an article in the Boston Business Journal entitled, “Nonprofit Annual Reports Cut the Flash, Save Cash,” by Mary Moore. Without reading one word beyond this headline, I knew (and you know) what was coming: companies are scaling back the once-mighty and glossy annuals in order to reduce expenses. Maybe they’re [...]
Continue Reading →What to Look for on a Printing Plant Tour
Last week at Boot Camp for Print Designers!™, the topic of doing a printing plant tour generated an interesting discussion. Some of the attendees agreed that a tour is important – but others saw little value if any in going to the trouble of visiting a printing plant. As long as their job was done [...]
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