June 6, 2019
Serving Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Kern, Ventura & Clark Counties
New Event Breaks Down Segment Boundaries, Brings Printing Community Together!
Registration is open for  PRINTING United  (Dallas, October 23 - 25, 2019), the new event from the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) and NAPCO Media.

“There’s a transformation taking place in the printing industry, a blurring of segment boundaries as print service providers (PSPs) seek out new products and technologies to better serve their customers,” said Mark Subers, President/CRO, Printing and Packaging, NAPCO Media. “Convergence is changing how PSPs and their suppliers do business, the technologies they choose and the information they need to stay ahead of the competition.”

“PRINTING United represents a sea change in event strategies for addressing the industry environment. Rather than focusing on a single industry segment, it’s welcoming in the entire community,” he added.

Bigger.
PRINTING United brings the universe of printing under one roof, serving markets including apparel decorating, graphics production and installation, functional printing, commercial printing, packaging printing and in-plant. More than 570 suppliers have committed to exhibit, bringing the show floor to 93% sold out.


Registration for PRINTING United will be free through September 10.
Some events have additional fees.
Independence Day Celebration featuring “The Confounding Brothers”
DATE: June 29, 2019
TIME: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
LOCATION: International Printing Museum

Celebrate the Country’s Birthday at the Printing Museum’s annual Independence Day Celebration event with our Founding Fathers, otherwise known as “The Confounding Brothers!” Ben Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson will give a humorous and thought provoking account of the creation of The Declaration of Independence and how our nation came to be.

The day’s festivities include special working tours of the Printing Museum collections, including the opportunity to print your own Declaration on Franklin’s Colonial press. Take home lots of patriotic souvenirs printed on our authentic tabletop presses.

Your admission includes a lunch of Freedom Dogs, American Apple Pie, and Colonial Punch in Madame Brillon’s French Garden de Liberte, all while being serenaded by our 18th Century musicians The Colonial Roses. Activities for the whole family are throughout the day in the Museum galleries.

In the Museum’s Heritage theater there will be the entertaining show “The Confounding Brothers” written and performed by our own Phil Soinski. Franklin, Jefferson, and Adams lightheartedly examine the events leading up to this Day of Independence. The show is suitable for all ages 10 and up.

General Admission is $15 per person, or a group rate of $50 for up to 4 people
Safety-Toed Shoes Required Around Forklifts
If you use a forklift in your facility, you’re probably already aware that the forklift operator must wear safety-toed shoes. What you might not realize is that everyone else who works in heavy equipment use areas—such as areas where forklift traffic is present— must wear safety-toed shoes, too. As the employer, it is your responsibility to provide and enforce the use of this footwear.

The California Code of Regulations states that appropriate foot protection is required for employees who are exposed to potential foot injuries from a variety of sources, including the crush hazard presented by industrial truck operations. Cal/OSHA has recently stepped up enforcement in this area, issuing citations when employees who are not wearing safety-toed shoes are seen operating, working around or even passing through areas where forklift traffic is present.
State Happenings by RJ
Monthly Update from Our Lobbyist in Sacramento
The May 31 “First House” Deadline
The Legislature is a very deadline-driven organization, and right now we’re very close to an important one: The May 31 “First House” Deadline. This is the deadline by which bills that originate in one house (i.e. either the Senate or the Assembly) must pass a vote in that house so as to move on to the second house. Bills that either don’t get voted on at all or do not pass the floor vote in the first house by this deadline will not move forward this year. In other words, they “die.”

At this deadline juncture we are very actively lobbying to get the “good bills” passed and see the “bad bills” fail, so that they do not move on to the “second half of the game” in the legislative session. While there are many bills that we are working on, three of the most important ones are as follows:

Workforce Development
On the “good bills” side one of the big items that is of great important to our members is workforce development. We’ve got to make sure our industry has the workers of tomorrow! As it happens, there’s a major bill this year dealing with career technical education and incentive grants. AB 1303, which was authored by Patrick O’Donnell, Assembly member from Long Beach and Chair of the Education Committee, would provide $450 million each year to school districts and community colleges for career technical education. On May 16th AB 1303 was unanimously passed by the Assembly Appropriations Committee, so hopefully it will advance to the floor of the Assembly before the May 31 deadline.

Skip the Slip: A great example of how bills change over time
One of the bills that we’re lobbying hard to kill is AB 161, the “Skip the Slip” bill. When this bill was first introduced it would have completely banned paper receipts for sales transactions at retail establishments. Now the bill has been amended to where it would only apply to businesses with gross receipts of over $1 million per year, and then these businesses would have to give consumers a choice between paper and electronic receipts.

Ultimately I think AB 161 has a good chance of being stopped before the May 31 deadline. In addition to us, it seems like everyone and their mother is lobbying against it. The groups that want to kill this ill-conceived bill include the California Retailers Association, the California Fuel and Convenience Association, the American Forestry and Paper Association, the California Chamber of Commerce and more.

SCAQMD Sales Tax
We have been lobbying hard against another bill that could have a severe negative impact on the economy, SB 732. This bill would authorize the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) to impose a regional sales tax to fund environmental incentives, primarily in the transportation sector. The exciting news is that we have won at least a temporary reprieve! As this issue went to press SB 732 became a two-year bill. It is dead for this year, but may be acted upon in 2020.

This is just a small sample of the many bills we are lobbying for or against. If you would like to get involved with our industry’s lobbying efforts, please plan to join us in Sacramento for the upcoming PIC Legislative Action Day on June 18th & 19th. For more information, CLICK HERE >>
It's Official. Print is Dead.
By Lou Caron, PIASC President/CEO
So, it’s official. Print is dead. I know this because the Washington Post said so. The headline read, “Stop the presses: Commercial printers and other vanishing jobs the Labor Department can’t track anymore.” Does anyone find it ironic that this headline appeared in the print edition of the Post?

According to the Washington Post, each week nearly half of Washington metro area adults read the print edition. Print circulation within the paper’s Washington Designated Market Area (DMA) is over one million daily papers and nearly 1.5 million on Sunday. I guess it’s the “newspaper fairies” that produce the paper.

According to washingtonpost.com, the website reaches nearly 1.7 million adults in the Washington DMA each month. So, if I’m reading this correctly, the print edition of the paper reaches almost as many people every Sunday that the online version reaches every month. Interesting.

I’m not a guy with his head in the sand. I know newspaper circulation is not what it used to be. But I also know that you can’t judge an entire industry by just one segment of that industry.

What’s Behind the Actions from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics?
A lot has been written about the facts and figures behind the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) decision. In my opinion, the actions of the BLS are the ultimate example of a problem that has plagued our industry for years. While we promote and advertise every product and service under the sun, we never promote ourselves.
JUNE UPCOMING WEBINARS
Hiring the Next Generation
Tuesday, June 11, 2019 - 11:00 am - 12:00 pm PDT

Finding, hiring, and retaining new talent is a challenge for all businesses, but can be especially difficult in manufacturing industries like printing. We desire technical and specialized skills in our employees, which seem to be increasingly difficult to find. Additionally, we have a perception problem with young people and their parents-they think the printing industry is contracting and that career opportunities are scarce. In this session, Donna Painter an Assistant Professor at Millersville University, will share information about hiring challenges and strategies to positively change perceptions of our industry. This session will also identify multiple sources, within the education sector, that you can use to find the types new talent you need to sustain and grow your business.
DTC: Easily Track and Manage Employee Performance
Wednesday, June 12, 2019 - 11:00am to 12:00pm PDT

Performance Management has never been a favorite activity for employees, managers or HR. Current standard processes have failed to produce quantifiable or even accurate results to help employees improve and companies run better.

Quix PM  is a start up that aims to solve that problem using a mobile based continuous feedback app. Whether you are using paper forms, a current system or no process today, Quix is a simpler and more insightful approach that will provide significant value to your company. Quix PM is as simple for employees and managers to use as an app like Uber or Lyft. In return for this simplified approach, feedback is measured more frequently, generating a more accurate picture of performance. For HR, the increased measurement opens the door to use performance management results to build a more nuanced and complete picture of employee performance over time, identifying high-performers, problem employees, potential management issues and even hidden biases.
Prop 65: Where Are We Now?
Thursday, June 13, 2019 - 11:00am to 12:00pm PDT

With the new warning regulations coming into effect last August, questions still exist regarding Prop 65 and how it applies to our inks, coatings, substrates and products! Do you need to certify for Prop 65? What testing needs to be done? When do I have to label? On top of this, citizen suits continue to rise! Join us for a lively discussion on these and other issues surrounding Prop 65 compliance!
Boost Sales And Margins With Cutting Edge USPS Services
Thursday, June 20, 2019 - 2:00pm to 3:00pm EDT

Direct mail remains an essential marketing channel and an important source of revenue for printers. New Postal Service programs offer a way to add value to your direct mail offerings and improve your margins. Informed Visibility allows you and your customers to follow each piece of mail through the postal system to delivery. Informed Delivery gives consumers a daily email preview of what to expect in their mailbox that day. Learn how these programs can benefit you and your customers.
The Changing Landscapes for Foil and UV Coating Decorating Options
Tuesday, June 25, 2019 - 11:00am to 12:00pm PDT

The landscape for both metallic foil and specialty UV coating decorating has changed dramatically in recent years. Only a few years ago, foil decorating was limited to offline foil stamping. Today, foil is applied through digital processes and sheet-fed cold foil, as well as conventional methods. And, new technology and products have opened up new opportunities with specialty UV coatings, including spot profile (raised), spot glitter UV, soft-touch and much more — available through digital inkjet and offline screen coating processes. This presentation will discuss the technology behind these processes and how they are creating new and exciting applications in the graphic arts community.
Luxury Wallpaper Printing
These wallpapers are 100% recyclable, made with responsibly sourced paper as well as eco-friendly water-based paint.

Quote of the Week
"Your mind is a garden. Your thoughts are seeds. You can grow flowers or you can grow weeds."