BURLINGTON, MASS -- August 30, 2006 -- Nancy Plowman Associates, Inc. (NPA) today announced that NPA president and founder Nancy Plowman will be the keynote speaker at TAPPI’s 2006 Print Quality Symposium. The three-day conference is dedicated to helping professionals from all segments of the graphic arts industry to better understanding how to achieve print-quality and its value and impact to productivity and profitability. Plowman is a distinguished 37-year veteran of the graphic arts industry and founded NPA in 1986. NPA is considered to be the leading graphic arts tester of printing supplies and paper. The 2006 Print Quality Symposium will be held September 18th-20th at the Westin Cincinnati Hotel (21 East Fifth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202; T: 513-621-7700). For more information, go to: www.tappi.org/06PRINT. Nancy Plowman Quote “The Print Quality Symposium has been developed as a way to address issues more pertinent to the day-to-day business of printing,” notes Nancy Plowman, President and Founder, NPA. “TAPPI has always been a great educational resource for the paper manufacturing community, especially for issues concerning paper coatings, finishing chemistries, and machinery. However when polled at conferences, attendees identified printing and print-defects as the ‘hot topics’ that demanded more attention. The first symposium, held in 2004, targeted several critical and complex topics concerning the basic printing process and printing systems. Color, plates, inks, blankets, paper and ink interactions, varnishes and coatings, and printing defects were just some of the more popular subjects addressed. Although we originally targeted the paper community at the first symposium, the event has grown to become an excellent educational venue for printing professionals, as well as the one place where ‘print’ and ‘paper’ people can meet and exchange perspectives.” Benefits of Attending the Print Quality Symposium The conference aims to expand participant’s knowledge and understanding of critical issues. Attendees will learn how to increase their own productivity and profitability by: - Gaining a better understanding of the printing system; - Using this in-depth instruction on different raw materials; - Completing a better analysis of print defects with improved understanding of inks, fountain solutions, blankets, plates, etc.; - Improving planning abilities -- both for testing in the laboratory and on press; - Applying techniques learned during this symposium for troubleshooting print issues, and knowing what to ask clients in a complaint situation; - Networking with peers who confront the same challenges. About TAPPI’s Printing Week TAPPI’s Printing Week consists of two distinct conferences dedicated to the printing industry. The first, Print Quality Symposium, addresses topics related to understanding and impacting print quality, and will include a plant tour. It will run Monday, September 18th through the 20th, and be directly followed by the International Printing and Graphic Arts Conference beginning on the 20th at the close of the PQS. This event is co-sponsored by PAPTAC, TAGA and TAPPI. The IPGAC will focus upon issues as they pertain to “When Ink Meets Paper: Meeting Today’s Challenges with Tomorrow’s Solutions” and continue until Friday, September 22nd. For more information about this event, go to www.tappi.org/06IPGA.