Every summer we head to Japan for what we affectionately call, Summer Camp. The similarity it has with most summer camps is that it's typically very hot & humid in Japan at this time of the year, about 85 degrees and 85% humidity!

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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.

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It was announced recently in the news that McDonald's had received a letter in the form of full-page ads signed by 550 health professionals and organizations demanding that they stop marketing to kids and retire Ronald McDonald. My overall impression is that we've given up on moms and dads taking responsibility for what their children eat.

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So we were preparing for a show the other day – the Dieline Conference. Our creative team came up with a great design for our booth and Bryan in our service bureau went to work creating it. The design required a second-surface image on clear acrylic. The chosen tool for the job? The VersaUV LEJ-640 flatbed/roll to roll hybrid printer of course. Only one problem. Our VersaUV was out on the road at a few tradeshows. Second choice? Print to high gloss paper and apply it facedown (2nd surface) to the acrylic using an extremely thin, double-sided adhesive, optically clear laminate. Piece of cake!

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Attached is a survey that ISA recently distributed that I think you’ll find interesting, and a very positive outlook for the sign business going forward. It was compiled after ISA spoke to 200+ CEO’s or shop managers at the recent 2011 ISA show.

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Though many consider laminating a dark art, here are a few easy-to-follow best practices for great results.

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Do you want an easy way to calculate the costs of printing? Simply export the job log in VersaWorks. This powerful feature contains the figures you need to manage your business. The printer’s entire print history is given, along with the size of each job and the volume of ink consumed per job. This helps accurately track your expenses, ensuring that you price jobs competitively and with the bottom line in mind. You can find the job log under “View Menu” in VersaWorks.

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What is it about the Italians that makes them so cool? The romantic language? The fast cars? The creamy gelato? The Italians certainly have a way.. they seem to draw attention without even trying. What makes them so different? Certainly their style. But I also think they are especially creative and have an exceptional commitment to quality. Earlier this year, my Roland DG colleagues in Italy contributed to my theory about Italians.

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In show business, a triple threat is someone who can sing, dance, and act. At Roland, 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.

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We rarely have dull days around the sign shop, and yesterday we received a request for a long time satisfied customer at the local Chevrolet dealership. He needed to advertise four sizes of tires, with a “Good”, “Better”, and “Best” option. These tires would be on display in the service drive area of the dealership. I was presented with the necessary copy and was told to “get busy-we need these before closing time today”. Ok, deadlines can be met….so back to work I go!

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