Blog
Let's Play: Fact or Fiction? Test your knowledge about OSHA and EPA in print.
August 9, 2018
Press play to play along! PIA's Environmental, Health, and Safety experts are specifically trained to identify issues in the printing industry. When it comes to OSHA compliance problems, preventing violations, and responding to enforcement actions or citations, we know the answers. Services include: Consulting Compliance audits and other assessments Customized training Enforcement and legal response SGP-certified printer Let us help you keep... Read More
California’s Proposition 65 New Warning Requirements
August 9, 2018
Starting August 30, 2018, businesses that sell consumer goods to Californians will be subject to new warning requirements. Through its one-of-a-kind labeling law, California regulates thousands of businesses, whether through e-commerce or retail outlets in the state. The changes to the warning requirements under Proposition 65 (Prop 65) have triggered a lot of questions and requests for compliance guarantees and statements by print customers.... Read More
The Right Platesetter for Process Free Plates
July 31, 2018
More printers than ever are using process free plates, such as KODAK SONORA Plates, and many of them are wondering if it matters what platesetter they're using. The answer is yes. Process free plates are imaged the same as any other thermal plate, but because they are not put through a plate processor or clean-out unit, the platesetter is the only device to touch the plate prior to the press, making it especially important. Although SONORA... Read More
Call to Action: Aluminum Tariffs/Cost Impact on Printing Plates
July 24, 2018
On June 1, President Trump issued Section 232 Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum imported from various countries, including those in the European Union. Because the highest-quality aluminum used to produce lithographic printing plates is sourced from the EU and generally not available to equipment manufacturers domestically, our industry is hit hard by this tariff. The reaction by suppliers in our industry--and the pain felt by PIA printer members--... Read More
Rising Temperatures—A Threat to Safety
July 20, 2018
With summer in full swing and temperatures rising, heat-related illnesses can pose a serious threat. In areas of the United States, the outside temperatures climb to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and depending upon the circumstances, production and warehouse areas without air conditioning can become equally hot and potentially dangerous. Heat exposure can lead to headaches, cramps, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and even seizures or death.... Read More
Saving Energy in Prepress
July 10, 2018
Becoming a more environmentally sustainable printer means looking at every piece of the business for opportunities, and more and more printers are setting environmental performance goals and regularly measuring performance in areas such as recycling and water usage. Other initiatives include switching to vegetable-based inks, using low-VOC solvents, and offering recycled paper or paper that has been sourced in an environmentally friendly,... Read More
EPA Launches E-manifest System
July 10, 2018
On June 30, 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) formally launched its new electronic manifest (e-manifest) system. This system will electronically track and store information of companies shipping hazardous waste throughout the nation. The new filing structure will ensure a more accurate, streamlined way of tracking hazardous waste through each stage of disposal. Hazardous waste is managed under the Resource Conservation and Recovery... Read More
Benny Award Winners
June 19, 2018
For several months, the offices here at Printing Industries of America (PIA) have been overflowing with the Premier Print Awards pieces--over 2,000 entries submitted to categories like Posters and Cards, School Yearbooks and Novelty Books, Product Catalogs and Popular Culture Magazines, even Point-of-Purchase Materials. The amount of talent expressed through craftsmanship and creativity was overwhelming, though the rigorous judging process... Read More
Optimize Offset Profitability…. with Digital
June 7, 2018
You know it. We know it. Offset is not always the most productive option for certain types of jobs. If you could move short runs, reprints, and challenging projects to a digital press, wouldn't that give you the flexibility to go after the types of offset projects that generate the most profit? With no-compromise quality and exceptional reliability, Kodak's digital sheetfed presses enable you to do just that, so you can grow your business the... Read More
Broudy Printing Upholds Sustainability Practices
June 6, 2018
Earlier last month, a Democratic assemblyman in California introduced a bill to reduce the waste created by one-time use plastic straws in sit down restaurants as a way to "raise awareness about the detrimental effects of plastic straws on our environment." [1] Increasingly, it seems as if no environmentally responsible decision can be too small, but for some small businesses, being environmentally conscious comes at no small cost. The practices... Read More
