Print Solutions Magazine, February 2003 -- 433 E. Monroe

Facing a Problem? No Sweat(shirt)

Last month, in a futile attempt to support my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL playoffs, I decided I would drive to the mall near my twin sister's house in Greensburg, Pa., to buy a new team sweatshirt. I hadn't been to a shopping mall on purpose for a long time. This is because I'm far from a fashion connoisseur, which I define as "any person who foams at the mouth with eager jubilation upon hearing the term accessorize."

When it comes to clothes shopping, I'm just your basic male dolt. I'm proud when I remember my shoe size. And wear them. Both. On my feet.

My plan for "Operation Buy a Steelers Sweatshirt So They Win the Super Bowl" was simple and enumerated: 1) Get an XL. 2) Make sure the XL includes some sort of fabric. 3) Make sure the fabric hasn't been tainted by close proximity to anything related to the Cleveland Browns. 4) Maybe grab some lunch.

I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize to the good people of Pittsburgh. The black-and-gold didn't play in the Super Bowl because I never purchased the sweatshirt. I never purchased the sweatshirt because--and here's where the dolt thing kicks in--I experienced some difficulty actually locating the mall. In my plan, I mistakenly forgot to include "Know how to get there."

Truth be told, I gave up. I never asked the employees at the Exxon gas station--the one I passed on the left approximately 37 times--for directions.

My troublesome saga exemplifies why I tip my hat to printing professionals: Distributors and manufacturers solicit help from peers all the time, and you're more solidified because of the communication. You call each other. You discuss mutual problems at industry events. You post messages and responses on DMIA's members-only broadcast email system.

"Going Forward Instead of Crazy," the cover story beginning on page 38, features three distributors who overcame sales challenges largely because they sought advice from others. They didn't allow unexpected roadblocks to deter them from their main objective--offering valuable products and services to end users.

One of those valuable services is helping end users thwart document fraud. This issue includes two pieces about the subject. "Secure Documents With a Unique Dot," a feature article beginning on page 15, introduces a new technology that involves magnetic ink. "Counterfeiters: Catch Them If You Can," the Manufacturing department beginning on 24, offers insight about the importance of document-security education.

Also, check out our "2003 Ink, Paper and Equipment Suppliers Buyers' Guide" beginning on page 54. It includes contact information, product listings and brief comments from the suppliers.

I've decided to get that Steelers sweatshirt before the playoffs next year. But I'm not going to buy it. I have a birthday this month and a twin sister who, rumor has it, lives very close to a "mall." She could go there and maybe grab some lunch.

Darin Painter

Managing Editor

dpainter@PSDA.org

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Table of Contents

Editor in Chief

Peter L. Colaianni, CAE

Vice President,
Publications & New Media

Brad Holt

Managing Editor

Darin Painter

Assistant Editors

Kara S. Carpenter

Kara Gebhart

Rita Tiefert

Circulation Manager

Diane Saunders

Art Director/
Production Manager

Roxanne Rash

Contributing Editors

Mark J. Trumper

J. Buster Weinzierl, CDC

Publications Committee

Gary W. Nelson, Chairperson

Allen Conway

Ric Fisher

Ginger Garrett

Dennis King

Kevin Lombardo

Marvin A. Makofsky, CFC

Markus Marfurt

Dominic Mencarini

Donald D. Patteson, Jr.

Nick Nesci, CFC

Jeffrey P. Townsend, CFC

Mark Trumper

Advertising Sales

Jack Burris

The Townsend Group Inc.

4920 Elm St., Ste. 325

Bethesda, MD 20814

Phone: (301) 215-6710

Fax: (301) 215-7704

jburris@townsend-group.com

Print Solutions Online

Print Solutions, the only industry magazine to win awards for writing and design excellence, is available online at www.printsolutionsmag.com. The site includes daily news, a comprehensive archive of Print Solutions articles, a complete media kit, links to industry companies and other features not included in the magazine.

Print Solutions is the official publication of the Print Services & Distribution Association (PSDA), the Association for Business Printing Independents. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome. Please address all submissions to: The Editor, Print Solutions Magazine, 433 E. Monroe Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301-1693. Phone (703) 836-6232, fax (703) 549-4966. You can reach us via email at bholt@printsolutionsmag.com. Visit our World Wide Web site at www.printsolutionsmag.com.

Volume 41, Number 2, February 2003. Print Solutions (USPS 205-400, ISSN 1535-9727) is published monthly by DMIA, 433 E. Monroe Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301-1693, (703) 836-6232. Subscriptions: $29 per year for DMIA members included in dues, $49 for non-members (plus postage for Canada and foreign). Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, VA, and additional mailing offices.

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Statements of fact and opinion are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply approval on the part of the Publications Committee, Officers or Membership of DMIA.

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