VersaUV Technology Earns an A+ from Top Packaging Schools
In a retail environment flooded with competing advertising messages, how does one package cut through the clutter?
Graph Expo, Pack Expo, Great Expos!
You know it’s fall when trade shows seem to be back-to-back all the way through October, and 2011 is no different. GraphExpo’s been around for some time now, and while it’s changed (see Jim Raffel’s blog about the history of Graph Expo), this year was a good show for us with quite a bit of interest around our VersaUV lineup with a specific interest in what LED-UV curing inks allow you to print on. Packaging and labels were high on the interest list, as well as being able to print onto commercial print stock for proofing. Also at the show, we had the VS-series units showing metallic proofing applications, which really pave the way as a replacement of aging Kodak Approvals out in the field (at a dramatically lower per print cost).
You Need More Than One Cow
In a recent article in the Harvard Business Review, Barnes & Noble was commended for their innovation and risk taking in their attempts to revive the struggling book business. They are fearlessly expanding their offering and moving away from selling printed books. The author equates this strategy to that of the dairy farmer who acquires a second cow instead of trying to get more milk out of his single cow. Its the same in durable graphics inkjet printing: if the only products in your catalog are PVC banners and stickers, printing them faster and cheaper won't expand your profits. You'll simply spend more of your time figuring out how to milk the same cow harder and faster while your business (and your profit) shrinks. Simply put, you need more cows.
Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto
For all the negative news we hear in regard to the American school system – budget cuts, teacher strikes, drop-out rates, graduates that can’t write – it is certainly nice to hear about some smart kids that are excited and motivated about learning and about school programs that teach students real-world skills and experience. Here’s one such example.
Secrets Revealed
No, this isn't a follow-up from my last post where I actually "reveal secrets" from my recent trip to Japan. It's a reference to an event here at Roland DGA that we've had after the last 2 Pacific Design & Engineering/West Pack shows.
Realistic Packaging Prototypes - Without an Arts & Crafts Session
How much easier would it be to sell your package concept to your client or your superiors if you could make new mock-ups every day as your design evolves?
Please Don’t Drool on the Machines
We took our package prototyping technologies to Pack Expo last week and despite our distant booth location in the "More Exhibits" area at the end of the North Hall, on the far right aisle, almost to the back, you found us. Brand owners, package designers, contract manufacturers and even other exhibitors were oogling over our product offering, telling us how revolutionary our equipment is. That's right, they were telling us! As if we might not realize what we have here.
A Global Award for the VersaUV LEC
Hey! Our Roland DG VersaUV just earned the Label Industry Global Award for new Innovation at Label Expo this week! How ’bout that!?! The VersaUV has been around for a few years now and although it’s gained some momentum recently, it remains for the large part unknown among most of our target audience.
30,000 package prototypes
In the category of “a picture is worth a thousand words,” this one might be worth 30,000! We’ve been working on a big summer project in our graphic production department. It all started when we were trying to figure out a way to get an actual box prototype – typically, a one-off – in the hands of the readers of Package Design Magazine. We struck on the idea of inserting one in every issue – which presented a monumental task: