April 2nd, 2017
Posted in Label Printing | Comments Off on Commercial Printing: Digitally Textured Label Printing
I just read an article on PackagingDigest.com about textured inks used for package printing. I thought about the times I had picked up books at thrift stores and had been initially attracted not to their content but to the feel of the cover (or more specifically the texture of the coating). I’m especially fond of artfully printed and bound, dull film laminated books. I like the matte feel. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Label Printing | Comments Off on Commercial Printing: Digitally Textured Label Printing
March 27th, 2017
Posted in Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing: Kids Really Do Prefer Print Books
I was very pleased to come upon this article recently: “Kids actually like reading paper books more than screens.” It is from The News and Observer, 3/10/17, and it was written by Teresa Welsh. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing: Kids Really Do Prefer Print Books
March 22nd, 2017
Posted in Box Printing | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Shoe Boxes as Promotional Art
My fiancee and I stopped at a local upscale outlet store this week, a number of times, to collect designer shoe boxes for our autistic students. In art therapy we have been creating small shadow boxes (also known as dioramas), or miniature rooms decorated for Halloween. We’ve had our autistic members combine miniature skeletons (some wrapped as mummies), gauze, paint, Halloween stickers, and any other sculptural elements we could find. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Box Printing | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Shoe Boxes as Promotional Art
March 16th, 2017
Posted in Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing: Why Not Print Your Book in Asia?
I believe in synchronicity, or “meaningful coincidences,” as described by psychologist Carl Jung. Sometimes important things just seem to happen simultaneously, and if I’m aware at the time, I can learn from them. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing: Why Not Print Your Book in Asia?
March 5th, 2017
Posted in 3D Printing | 2 Comments »
I hadn’t done much research into 3D custom printing recently, so I thought I’d check out the current state of the technology. I was pleased to find that it is very much alive and thriving. I found three articles I’d like to share with you. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in 3D Printing | 2 Comments »
February 27th, 2017
Posted in Digital Printing | 2 Comments »
I read an article today in Print+Promo magazine about direct to object custom printing, and then I followed up with further research online. The idea intrigues me: printing directly on an object, like a mug, or a metal water bottle, or, as the article notes, even a football helmet. Label-less printing. The idea is not completely new to me. After all, I’ve seen videos of mugs and bottles (essentially regular cylindrical shapes) being spun around in a jig while images are screen printed onto the products. I know you can also use flexographic technology to print directly on objects. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Digital Printing | 2 Comments »
February 21st, 2017
Posted in Die cutting | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Laser vs. Rotary Die Cutting
I watched a video recently on YouTube. It showed a laser cutting machine producing a series of “kiss-cut” labels and then winding up the roll of labels while removing the scrap, or waste. I felt like it was the mid-’60s again and I was watching the original Star Trek TV show. The laser really has come of age. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Die cutting | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Laser vs. Rotary Die Cutting
February 12th, 2017
Posted in Digital Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing: Reap Savings with HP’s T410 Inkjet Press
I was helping a client recently with a high page count print book with a short press run: 500 copies of a 488-page, 8.5” x 11” perfect-bound book. The inside text was to be 4-color throughout. I assumed that due to the short run length, this would be a perfect fit for a digital press. Since I had worked closely with a printer with an HP Indigo, I approached my sales rep with the specs, but I was surprised by her answer. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Digital Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing: Reap Savings with HP’s T410 Inkjet Press
February 6th, 2017
Posted in 3D Printing | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Making Car Parts with a 3-D Printer
A close friend of mine is a car aficionado. He recently brought to my attention an article in the March issue of Motor Trend magazine that describes advances in 3-D printed car parts. I’ll have to admit that I was skeptical, as I was in the 1970s when I took a ride on my step-brother’s plastic motorcycle. But I was wrong then (it was a good bike), and in doing some reading now on 3-D printed car parts, I’ve become intrigued by the benefits. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in 3D Printing | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Making Car Parts with a 3-D Printer
January 30th, 2017
Posted in Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing: Divining the State of the Print Book
I read two articles online this week that have reinforced my belief that the print book is still going strong.
“Book Reading 2016”
The first article is from the Pew Research Center (Internet, Science & Tech) website. Dated 9/1/2016, this article, “Book Reading 2016,” makes a number of claims about the state of the print book and reading in general, which it then supports with charts and statistics. (Over the years I have developed an unreserved trust in the Pew Research Center.) Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing: Divining the State of the Print Book