On Stage — Tom Polischuk
The Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute (TLMI) has had the bright lights of the stage shining on it for these last two months. In September, the association held its 2007 Technical Conference. Following close behind (especially for the TLMI staff who perform yeomen’s work in pulling these events off), the Annual Meeting takes center stage on the beautiful Kohala Coast of Hawaii.
TLMI’s Technical Conferences always provide a wealth of information on important topics impacting the industry. This year’s conference, co-chaired by Art Yerecic of Yerecic Label and Mike Buystedt of XSYS Print Solutions, again hit the mark. It included a variety of sessions covering digital plates, color control, brand protection, and printed electronics. In virtually all of the sessions, the presentations included valuable perspectives provided by converter members.
During the sessions I attended, a variety of experts presented a wealth of information, including practical advice for those printers new to a particular technology. For example, in the session on color management, Drew Miller, technical manager, prepress for Multi-Color Corp. and Bill Pope with RIT, pointed out the importance of quantification in accurate color control. Miller stressed the need for color data using densitometers, spectrophotometers, and L*a*b* plots, while Pope called spectrophotometry the “cornerstone of color management.”
The session on brand protection included an excellent view of the issues from Paul Fox, ERI leader for global operations at Procter & Gamble. He said that among many other initiatives, consumers will be getting a lot more education on counterfeiting. For example, he made a point that it is not a victimless crime. There is strong evidence that the sale of such items as counterfeit clothes and handbags (and maybe that $10 Rolex) are being used to fund organized crime and terrorist activities.
These are just a few points that I took away from this technical conference. It was a valuable two-day investment. The TLMI Annual Meeting promises more valuable learning opportunities. Coverage of the TLMI Label Awards begins on p. 30. Congratulations to Taylor Made Labels for winning Best of Show and to John Pedroli for his well-deserved selection as packagePRINTING’s 2007 TLMI Converter of the Year.
Tom Polischuk, Editor-in-Chief
