November 2005 Issue
An Unforeseen Destiny
A friend talked Dan Johnson into accepting a job at Jonco Die Co. Inc. Twenty-six years later, he's still there, and can now add the 2005 IADD Diecutter/Diemaker of the Year Award to his list of achievements. "IT WAS NEVER my goal to be a diemaker," said Dan Johnson. "As far as that goes, I didn't even know what I was getting into." But on May 19, 1979, only 48 hours out of Northwestern Bible College with a major in ministries and a minor in psychology, Johnson found himself hired at Jonco Die Co. Inc. as a flat die knifer. Once he got
Cost Reductions - The Pressure Sensitive Way
With energy costs soaring, CPCs may be looking for additional ways to attract consumers' diminished spending power. AS IF BUSINESS wasn't tough enough already, the drastic rise in oil prices over the last several months will test the fabric of people and companies throughout every stage of the supply chain. The pain will be felt everywhere, starting at the end of the supply chain—the consumer—who supports the flow of money throughout the long, complicated supply-chain trail. The typical consumer is going to have noticeably less hard cash left in his or her pocket after putting gas in the car and staying warm
Dirty Static Problems
Contaminants and static create big problems for printers, but the right system will protect employees and increase production yields. ANY PRINTER KNOWS there are several things that can ruin a job and harm the company's reputation. Dust, contaminants, and static electricity are just a few—but a costly few. Static not only zaps press operators, but also attracts dust particles, hair, and other contaminants to the web, which leads to unsightly errors on the finished printed product. Brand owners don't want to package their products in dirty and poorly printed boxes or labels, and printers don't want to be the ones to supply such
JDF - Recipe for Soup ... and a Sandwich
PDF (portable document format) may be the greatest thing since sliced bread (or at least since PostScript), but it takes more than bread to make a sandwich that will satisfy a hungry customer. TODAY'S SHORTER PRINT runs depend on reliable, high-quality print output, delivered with minimal turnaround. The addition of JDF (job definition format) production language to PDF-based workflows increasingly is seen as a way to dramatically reduce print production time and costs while ensuring consistent, reliable output—even when last minute changes are required. In packaging applications, the benefits of JDF-enhanced or JDF-enabled workflows show up in better customer service; faster time to
Plate Mounting on the Mark
Plate mounting has improved dramatically in the past few years and can now cause less headaches in the pressroom. ONE FALSE MOVE and hundreds of dollars of substrate can find itself taking the long and winding road into the scrap bin, all because the plate was a fraction of an inch off. Any number of press operators will tell you that getting the plate on straight is frustrating, yet is a very important part of the job. Why not make it easier for your operators by offering them plate mounting tapes and equipment that practically do the work for them? Plate mounting
UV - It's Good ... But Be Careful
UV inks are a great addition to the world of flexographic printing, but knowing the simple do's and don'ts will keep converters' blood pressure under control. AHHH, ULTRAVIOLET (UV) flexographic printing … it's great! The use of UV materials in general, is making the printing market a bit more rewarding for some, as long as they are used correctly in particular applications. For instance, there are different rules for medical applications than for food applications. packagePRINTING spoke with some experts in the field to find out what printers need to know to incorporate UV flexographic printing in their arsenal. You are what you eat
