Andrew Oransky
For years we’ve talked about creating a user conference to inspire and educate Roland DG owners. To provide them with priceless tools to grow their business and, of course, have some fun doing it. Our vision of creating this one-of-a-kind experience finally came to fruition this year.
Video Killed the Radio Star
If you grew up around the same time I did, you probably know that this 1979 song from the Buggles is the answer to a trivia question. The trivia question is, of course, “What was the first video ever played on MTV?”
Off to Japan
Votes have been counted, and samples have been securely packed. While the Roland DG Creative Awards have been closed to entries for months now, final judging hasn’t taken place yet. In the next few days, regional winners from around the world will be headed to our headquarters in Japan for a tour, celebration, and awarding of the grand prizes, which include Roland DG hardware.
Vote for Roland DG!
Here in the US, the 2012 elections are almost a year away, but you can vote for Roland DG right now in what will also undoubtedly be a hotly contested race. Don’t worry, I’ll never use this space to discuss politics, but Roland DG products have been nominated for the 2012 Wide Format Imaging Readers’ Choice Top Product Awards in 5 categories.
We’re here to help
I had breakfast with Jack, one of Roland DGA’s service managers this morning. We do this occasionally when he is in town from his home base of Wisconsin, and since greasy spoons are in pretty short supply here in southern Orange County, we always seem to wind up at The Snooty Fox. If you’re ever visiting us for training or a demo, I recommend it.
Labor Day, or how we build your Roland DG
I hope you all had a good holiday weekend. While Labor Day has come to mean the end of summer, and the day we put away our white pants and take out our corduroy, it was originally a celebration of people who make things. In that spirit, I thought I would share this segment from a few years ago that demonstrates how we build Roland DG devices. It is a fascinating process called Digital Yatai, and quite different from many other manufacturing techniques. Enjoy.
Take the Time
After a break that stretched too many years, I have been riding my bike a lot lately. Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be a preachy post about the value of exercise, or good nutrition. There’s a lot out there on that, and everyone should make their own choices in life. No one who has met me would mistake me for a long-lost Schleck brother, and I’ve got a very long way to go before anyone’s likely to ask me for fitness advice.
One Machine or Two? The Print & Cut Dilemma
In show business, a triple threat is someone who can sing, dance, and act. At Roland DG, we’ve mastered the three disciplines of printing, cutting, and printing and cutting together. Like many Hollywood triple threats, we have found that one aspect of our talents has often overshadowed the others. In our case, we have become very well known for integrated print/cut devices. We offer a wide variety of sizes and configurations, and have been the leaders in the segment since we introduced the first integrated machines over 18 years ago.
Going To The Dogs
Quick, look at the clothes you’re wearing. If anything you are wearing has been embellished with printing, embroidery, a heat transfer, rhinestones, studs, or a host of other techniques, then it is officially decorated apparel. The ISS Long Beach Show opened today, and as usual, I saw some exciting and unexpected things. There were lots of blanks, including T-shirts, hats, bags, jackets, sweatshirts, and athletic gear, but there was also a booth full of slippers, and one full of dog clothing.
Greatest Hits
This is the time of year that everyone seems to have a list. Best books, best movies, best dressed celebrity dogs. You get the idea. A lot of them seem pretty arbitrary, but did get me thinking about the past year, and it turns out it has been an awfully busy one here.