Big Picture - August 2017 - 10

WHO ARE THE
WOMEN IN PRINT?
The breakthrough Women in Print Alliance was created in fall 2016 to attract the
next generation of gifted women to the printing industry, retain and recognize
those who are successfully serving the industry, and advance or promote talented
women in print whose success would benefit the industry as a whole.
First on the Women in Print agenda: a wide-reaching survey to generate a
snapshot of women's experiences, expectations, and priorities working in the
printing industry. Women in Print will share survey results at its breakfast on
Wednesday, October 11, at the 2017 SGIA Expo (see pg. 8 for more details).
Here's a peek at what the data is saying about women in printing.
MOST RESPONDENTS FALL INTO THE PRINTER, RATHER
THAN THE SUPPLIER, CAMP, BY A RATIO OF ABOUT 3:1.
More than two-thirds of respondents (67.5 percent) "use printing/imaging
technologies to produce a product or contribute to a fi nished product," and
22.4 percent "provide equipment or consumables to the printing/imaging
industry."
SURVEY RESPONDENTS ARE EVENLY SPREAD BETWEEN
SALES/MARKETING, MANAGEMENT, AND DESIGN.
The top three areas represented by our respondents are "Sales & Marketing"
(23.3 percent), "Senior Management & Leadership" (20.5 percent), and "Art &
Design" (17.8 percent), and the most popular job functions are "Senior Management" (24.7 percent), "Business Management" (19.2 percent), and "Art/Design
Personnel" (16 percent).
MOST WOMEN GET INTO THE PRINTING BUSINESS
BY HAPPENSTANCE.
Circumstances led 37.9 percent of respondents into the printing industry. That
said, 19.2 percent started their own businesses and 16.9 percent followed their
passion for graphics.
WOMEN IN PRINTING ARE STAYING WITH PRINTING.
To date, 36.8 percent of respondents report more than 20 years in the business.
"It's a perfect industry for women, whether in production as a printer or an
artist. All jobs can be handled by either a man or a woman. Most industries
aren't like that," said one respondent.
Here are some top words to describe what's attractive about printing as a
career field: creativity, challenging, interesting, changing, and people.

THE 2017
DIGITAL PRINT
FOR PACKAGING
EUROPE
CONFERENCE
Smithers Pira's sixth annual Digital Print for Packaging
Europe conference will be hosted in Berlin from December
5-7, 2017. Smithers Pira reports more than 150 brands,
converters, and equipment providers in the packaging and
digital print industries are expected to attend the event.
Under the theme of "getting closer to the consumer,"
conference presentations will cover topics such as smart
packaging, digital print for packaging success stories, brand
owner and retailer case studies, direct-to-shape printing,
personalization and customization, corrugated printing,
converter experience in digital print, innovations in equipment and workflows, and more.
Check out a recap of the US edition of the event, held in
Atlanta in June, at bigpicture.net/digitalprintweek17.

TOP VALUE FABRICS
ACQUIRES PACIFIC
COAST FABRICS
Top Value Fabrics has acquired California-based Pacific
Coast Fabrics, effective November 1. Goals of the move
included expanding the company's distribution network,
expertise in printable textiles, and supply chain around
the world. Karen Stuerenberg, marketing director for Top
Value Fabrics, says in a release that all existing products
will remain part of the combined product line for the
foreseeable future. Top Value Fabrics is 100-percent
employee-owned; the Pacific Coast Fabrics team will
join the ownership plan, as well.

BIG PICTURE

August 2017

GIRLS OR BOYS.

All jobs in print can be handled by a man or a woman, but that doesn't mean
that men and women are being considered for all jobs. Many respondents
voiced a perception of printing as a "boys' club."
"[The industry is] very male-centric. The majority are not very accepting of
women in leadership or technical roles," said a respondent.
Another expanded on that theme. "The treatment of women in a 'men's world'
within our industry can be disheartening at times," she said. "The inability to
move up and advance led me to consider leaving before I started my company
and took charge of my options and future within the industry that I love."
CHANGE IS UNDERWAY.
"The industry has traditionally been run by men. The participation of the
woman is already greater today. This is already an incentive for women to stay
and grow," another respondent said.
-Kate Achelpohl, SGIA

APPLETON COATED
ACQUIRES
SPECTRA JET
Wisconsin-based Appleton Coated, a manufacturer and
distributor of paper products, has announced the acquisition
of Spectra Jet, a developer and distributor of sublimation
transfer papers out of Illinois. The deal is set to close by the
end of this year. Both entities will immediately begin
promoting the Spectra Jet Silverback3 family of sublimation
papers, which Appleton Coated has produced exclusively
since 2015.

http://www.bigpicture.net/digitalprintweek17

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Big Picture - August 2017