Printing Industries of America Forms Center for Technology and Research
PITTSBURGH—As part of the transition from PIA/GATF to Printing Industries of America, the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF) has been renamed the Center for Technology and Research.
"We are rebranding the technology and research arm of Printing Industries of America to eliminate confusion in the marketplace," says Michael Makin, president and CEO, Printing Industries of America. "We want our members to think of the Center for Technology and Research as their one resource for information on cutting-edge technology, research, and consulting services."
Printing Industries of America's Center for Technology and Research offers the same products and services that GATF provided to the industry, including:
• Laboratory Services: Conflict resolution, print quality analysis, and materials testing. Customers use this expertise to resolve disagreements, evaluate materials, troubleshoot projects, and save in wasted downtime and consumables by making sure the same mistakes aren't repeated.
• Private/Contract Research: On-press testing in Printing Industries of America's state-of-the art printing and binding facility. Services like custom research, materials testing, and problem replication assist manufacturers and printers with product assessment and benchmarking, and help printers achieve consistent quality.
• Public/Industry Research: Reports, magazine articles, conference and workshop presentations, and online resources. The Center for Technology and Research tests and analyzes processes, materials and equipment; surveys the industry, and communicates this information to the public, often releasing their findings free to members.
• Environmental, Health, and Safety: The Center for Technology and Research offers resources and assistance on EH&S and sustainability issues related to the printing industry. The Center's experts help printers and manufacturers with disaster planning, OSHA issues, the latest environmental regulations, and implementation of sustainability processes.
• Training and Education: Technical training is offered in a variety of formats, including conferences, workshops, seminars, symposia, and webinars. Technical topics range from lean manufacturing and color management to digital printing and pressroom issues, plus much more.
• Technical Publications: Printing Industries Press publishes over 200 titles (including CD-ROMs and audiovisuals) covering nearly every aspect of print each year. These include handbooks, primers, textbooks, market studies and surveys, white papers and special reports, research and technology reports, turnkey training curriculums, as well as Printing Industries - The Magazine.
• Quality and Process Controls: These are essential to achieving consistent, better quality printed pieces, increased efficiency, reduced waste and miscommunications, and satisfied customers. The Center offers a full range of quality and process controls.
• Consulting Services: Specializing in lean manufacturing, color management, environmental, digital and variable technology, sheetfed and web production, and much more—the Center's consultants and staff assist printers in solving production problems, accelerating throughput, minimizing waste, and reducing costs.
• Computer-Integrated Manufacturing: The Center for Technology and Research offers practical solutions for working with JDF, such the JDF User Group—the premier solutions and implementation forum for printers and suppliers—and as JDF certification which tests products for interoperability.
• InterTech™ Technology Awards: An awards program with a 30-year tradition of predicting which new technologies will impact the industry. An InterTech Award normally leads to commercial success for a manufacturer and helps printers with buying decisions by identifying technologies that have increased efficiency, productivity, sustainability, or ROI.
• Technical Hotline: Free to members, Printing Industries of America's Technical Hotline handles any print-related inquiry, including those related to prepress, press, and bindery; color management; digital and W2P; human relations; economics; and green and sustainable printing.
"GATF was known as perhaps the definitive resource for information on the latest technology through research, training, publications, and consulting, and the new Printing Industries of America Center for Technology and Research will do the same. We are excited to say that this Center will not only help printers and manufacturers, but the advancement of the industry as a whole," says Mark Bohan, vice president, technology and research, Printing Industries of America.
