And the Winners of the 2020 Gold Ink Awards Printing Contest Are … (piworld.com)

The Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP) is proud to announce that A3 Visual, a Los Angeles-based integrated visual solutions and event resource management company, has completed the rigorous process required to receive an SGP certification. “Companies like A3 Visual are standard bearers for the rest of the industry,” said SGP Board Chair Theresa Vanna. “Meeting SGP’s robust standards requires dedication, and the A3 Visual team has repeatedly demonstrated their dedication to sustainable practices across the full breadth of their operations.” Earning and keeping an SGP certification speaks to A3 Visual’s strong belief in creating a more sustainable future.

The SGP Partnership, announced Simpson Print of Bloomingdale, ON, Canada has achieved its sustainability certification. From wide format to UV offset, digital and more, Simpson Print has a range of printing capabilities from packaging to retail displays, signage and fixtures. “Simpson Print has long since recognized the significance of sustainability within the marketplace,” said Carla Johanns, Simpson Print president. “SGP certification offered the most credible and robust resources to align our staff and customers, as we plan for a cleaner and more efficient future. Our primary objective is to be leaders in reducing our carbon footprint and taking the courageous steps required for the brands and retailers that demand sustainable action from their supply chain and vendors.”

It’s been hard to avoid the conversation around postal rates in the commercial and direct mail printing industry during the past few years. As Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has made aggressive moves to bring the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) into profitability after the requirement to pre-pay the organization’s pension fund was finally relaxed, printers have borne the brunt of those rising prices. Print buyers have started pushing back when it comes to higher mailing costs, especially as the costs of everything from the inks, to the paper, to the labor running the presses have also been on the rise. But what does the actual landscape look like for print providers on the postal rate front? And how are they managing the increases? Unfortunately, the bulk of those increases seems to have come rapidly during the past couple of years, leaving commercial/direct mail printers and print buyers alike scrambling to compensate for costs that are significantly higher. A few cents per piece spread out across thousands — if not hundreds of thousands — of pieces adds up fast, after all, and can take a huge chunk out of the direct marketing budget before anyone can blink. And that impact is being felt as buyers pull back on the number of pieces they’re mailing to compensate for those higher costs.