Serving Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming
November 18, 2015
Welcome New Member KDC Bindery Services

WSPA is thrilled to welcome new member KDC Bindery Services, Inc. from Tempe, Arizona.  KDC offers a full suite of bindery services including collating, drilling, eyeleting and grommeting, mechanical binding, index tabbing, perfect binding, saddle-stiching, die-cutting and extensive hand bindery work.  The company also provides direct mail services.  For more information, visit  www.kdcbindery.com.
Save On Postage While Promotion Lasts

The United States Postal Service has a number of promotions and incentives available to printers, particularly those that integrate direct mail with mobile technology.  Time is running out, however, for three promotions that provide a 2 percent discount on eligible postage.  You must register by November 30, 2015.

Color Transpromo Promotion

The Color Transpromo Promotion provides upfront postage discounts to mailers who use dynamic color print for marketing and consumer messages on their bills and statements. 

Emerging And Advanced Technology Promotion

The Emerging and Advanced Technology Promotion encourages mailers to integrate direct mail with technology, providing an interactive experience for customers.  Mailers who create mail pieces that use at least one form of approved emerging or advanced technologies will receive a postal discount.

Mail Drives Mobile Engagement Promotion

The Mail Drives Mobile Engagement Promotion provides business mailers with an upfront postage discount on Standard Mail letters and flats that include a mobile barcode or print/mobile technology that can be read or scanned by a mobile device and leads to mobile-optimized shopping website.

To register, CLICK HERE
Obama Amends Health Care Act - Again

Recently, President Obama signed into law a two-year budget agreement, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, which includes a health care-related section that repeals the automatic enrollment requirement under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Under ACA Sec. 1511, large employers with more than 200 full-time employees that offer job-based health insurance plans were required to automatically enroll their employees in a health insurance plan within three months of hiring. Employees would have had the right to decline coverage or select alternative policies, but in an opt-out manner rather than opt-in. While auto-enrollment is common, questions remained that the government never addressed in regulation, such as dependent status, refunds for opt-outs, etc.  There was pushback from both sides of the political spectrum with concerns about the difficulty of implementation or monetary impact on low-wage employees. Repealing the automatic enrollment requirement is expected to save $7 billion.
Avoiding Driver Distractions

More and more cars and trucks are being equipped with global positioning systems, digital maps-and even devices to check e-mail and surf the Internet. Add cell phones and drive-through meals into the mix, and you could almost run your business from your vehicle.

As the list of features for new vehicles expands, so do the opportunities for distractions.

More than ever, drivers must make a conscious effort to handle distractions and avoid driving mishaps. Take the following precautions to reduce the likelihood you will be distracted while driving:
  • Finish all food and beverages before driving.
  • Review paperwork, such as delivery orders, work schedules and directions, before getting behind the wheel.
  • Eliminate the use of cell phones while driving and allow incoming calls to go to voice mail. If a call is necessary, pull over and park in a safe location.
  • Before driving an unfamiliar vehicle, become familiar with controls, such as lights, mirrors, wipers, and cruise control, and make adjustments.
  • Review a map of the route before starting out or have a passenger navigate.
    Pull over safely to deal with passenger distractions.
Source: Federated Insurance
Ask The Tech Experts
    
Ask The Tech Experts is a resource of PIA's Center for Technology and Research that features the responses to questions covering a wide gamut of topics. 

If you would like to ask a technical question, simply email Dillon Mooney at   dmooney@printing.org or call PIA's toll-free hotline at 1-800-910-4283.
How does moisture affect ink drying time?

Moisture in general slows ink drying.  Conventional offset inks normally pick up 40-60% of their weight in fountain solution.  The amount of water (fountain solution) in the ink will affect ink drying time.  If the ink has absorbed a large amount of fountain solution, it will slow the ink drying.  High humidity will also slow ink drying.   Ink with a considerable amount of water in it along with high humidity can greatly slow the ink drying.  Lithographic printing works best with good ink-water balance - that is the least amount of ink needed to achieve the proper solid ink density, and the least amount of fountain solution to dampen the plate.

Can I measure using polarization with the M series color measurements?

M3 is specifically designed for use where polarization is important.  This will either remove or minimize surface reflections.  This will also have a UV component on the measurement that is compliant.
Smart Phones, Remote Work Raise Pay Issues

Smart phones, tablets and wi-fi are blurring the lines between work and non-work time, especially for non-exempt employees.  The question facing employers is whether or not to pay employees for time outside of the normal work day for periods spent on their smart phones, especially if it triggers overtime.

There is currently no national standard.  While some federal courts have weighed in, the U.S. Supreme Court has not.

The issue has caught the attention of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), which has announced plans to collect information on how the use of smartphones impacts hours worked under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The FLSA generally mandates that employers pay non-exempt workers for all hours worked, and overtime for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a work week. Time spent working outside the office on mobile devices and computers by non-exempt employees complicates working-time determinations made by employers and could ultimately affect overtime determinations.

While some employers already have policies in place regarding off-hours use of electronic devices by overtime-eligible employees, DOL's decision to open up this door suggests that any one particular policy may be subject to additional scrutiny in the future. Now is the time to think about your current policy (if you have one) and your current practices regarding electronic devices:
  • Adopt controls to prevent non-exempt employees from accessing your IT network remotely when they are not working; or monitor the activity of those employees who do access the network.
  • Adopt a clear policy about unauthorized work and overtime. Be prepared to enforce it through your disciplinary policy
  • Remind employees of the relevant policies by updating and reissuing them. Require employees acknowledge receipt of the policies. You might also consider providing employees with training on the topic.
  • Educate managers about the issue of non-exempt employees working remotely. Be sure the managers know your company policy with regard to including information on timesheets. They should also be alert to things such as employees responding to work sourced email(s) over the weekend or turning in assignments first thing Monday morning.
If this issue is already a problem, now is the time to address them:
  • Limit or deny the email or remote access privileges of non-exempt employees who violate policies.
  • Suspend telecommuting privileges for those not in compliance with your policy.
  • Revoke any employer-owned devices if they are being used to perform unauthorized work.
Start Assembling Your Best Work

It's time to start assembling your best print pieces for the Print Excellence Awards!  You know you have them - outstanding examples of ink on paper and other substrates, projects that wowed your customers that you are proud of, campaigns that differentiated you in the marketplace.

This year's Print Excellence competition is once again a regional competition with printers from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming all competing to be the best of the best.  Winners of WSPA's Print Excellence Awards are also automatically entered in PIA's Premier Print Awards Competition, the largest in the world.

Call for entries will soon reach your desk  - the rest is up to you!  Deadline for entries is January 31, 2015.

Award ceremonies will be held on April 7, 2016 in Phoenix (Rustler's Rooste) and April 28, 2016 in Denver (Embassy Suites Downtown).  Mark your calendars!
Phoenix Color Conference Just Two Weeks Away - Take Advantage of Special WSPA Discount!

Color 2015 is the conference for every critical person in the color management workflow -from production pros to brand managers, agencies to designers -to come together to learn, network, and communicate brand color.

Great color begins with you. Your clients depend on you to deliver their brand color across platforms-after all, that's why they're paying you for it, right?

At Color 2015, you'll discover tools and strategies to manage accurate brand color across the color management workflow. It's time to connect, break down the silos, and see color management as part of the whole creative loop, starting with design and ending with the final product.

Because this year's event is being held in WSPA's region at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak  (December 5-8, 2015), WSPA members are offered a special discount to attend the conference.

Use the special code listed below and receive $150 off the cost of the full conference.

Discount Code: 15Color150 

To see the Color 2015 Program CLICK HERE.
Weekly Photo Feature: Are you Kidding Me?!

Each week, E-Connects shares incredible photos on just how lax individuals can be when it comes to safety. 

The goal - to keep a safe work environment front and center on the minds of all of your employees.

Pictured: Getting a leg up.  Lazy and injury prone.

If you come across a funny safety pic you think should be featured, email Michael Makin at mmakin@wsprint.org.
Share Your News!

Have exciting news at your facility?  For example, recognized for community service or install a new press?  Hire a new employee you want to show off?

Let us know so we can share in a future edition of E-Connects.
 
Send your news to Michael Makin at  mmakin@wsprint.org. 
Quote For The Week

"He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery."

Harold Wilson
WSPA | 844-237-1550 | wsprint.org