April 6, 2004, San Luis Obispo, Calif. -- The Graphic Communication Institute at Cal Poly is announcing an aggressive new schedule of workshops for summer and fall 2004, covering a variety of important prepress, pressroom, business and workflow issues. Presenters will be drawn from an impressive roster of industry luminaries, including professors from Cal Poly and RIT as well as internationally known independent consultants. In addition to private training programs for printing companies, graphic arts vendors and associations, the GrCI's educational offerings include a wide array of three-day workshops for the public. The new summer workshop schedule kicks off May 19 and includes 17 different subjects, repeating 17 weeks later as the fall workshop schedule. (The GrCI workshop calendar is divided into spring, summer and fall schedules; there's no winter schedule in recognition of San Luis Obispo's temperate coastal climate.)   "Although tradeshow seminars can be informative, having three days to thoroughly examine one topic is a completely different experience," points out Frank Kanonik, former Xerox training specialist turned independent consultant.   "Because of the small class size, attendees will receive individual attention and get the answers they need to be successful," says Kanonik. "As an added bonus, attendees will be able to see and touch the most complete lineup of digital printing equipment assembled anywhere, short of a trade show!"   Training will come directly from the best instructors the industry has to offer: top consultants (including Clint Bolte, Sandee Cohen, Frank Kanonik, David Dodd, Brian Lawler, Lou Prestia, Patti Russotti) will be joined by seasoned professors and lecturers from Cal Poly (Lorraine Donegan, Malcolm Keif, Penny Osmond, Phil Ruggles) as well as GrCI director Hal Hinderliter, an experienced prepress consultant and prolific author. Topics will include the hottest issues facing the printing and publishing industry as well as standard production methods, and each workshop will deliver practical insights on best practices for today's marketplace.   "I am honored to be teaching at the GrCI in California," enthuses Sandee Cohen, popular author and trainer on prepress and design topics. "I am especially pleased that Hal Hinderliter has put together this program as I know he can create a world-class set of courses."   Controlling costs and maximizing your time are especially important in today's business climate, so the Graphic Communications Institute has structured its workshop schedule to be as flexible as possible. Courses are modular, with each day offered as a stand-alone program. Discounts apply as the number of days increases, and users may buy blocks of training days for even greater savings. Course customization and content development services are also available. Contact the GrCI for more information.   "Competition in the printing industry is becoming more intense," notes David Dodd, business consultant and host of the Activity Based Costing for Printers program at GrCI. "Printers are responding to this increased competition by diversifying the products and services they provide.  In these circumstances, it is critical that printing company managers have a clear and accurate understanding of what drives costs and profitability in their companies."   While other venues also provide training programs for the graphic arts industry, the Graphic Communication Institute's location on California's beautiful Central Coast adds an extra dimension to every attendee's experience. Students are invited to schedule a Saturday-night stay over, then enjoy their Saturday touring San Luis Obispo on a mountain bike, surfing at Pismo Beach, wine tasting in Paso Robles, whale watching at Morro Bay or enjoying a tour of Hearst Castle.   "Silicon Valley was a driving force behind many of the early fulfillment innovations, but that ended with the dot-com bubble bursting," according to Clint Bolte, noted industry consultant on mailing and fulfillment issues. "Increasingly, general commercial printers throughout North America are picking up the fulfillment baton and continuing to move forward. Benchmarking leading practices will be discussed during my GrCI workshop on implementing fulfillment services," promises Bolte, "You don't want to miss it!"   Clint Bolte, Sandee Cohen, Frank Kanonik and David Dodd are just a few of the industry luminaries featured in GrCI's workshop offerings. The new schedule includes these information-packed, high-value 3-day courses:   -  Printing Industry Overview (May 19-21), presented by Hal Hinderliter, GrCI Director   -  Selling, Marketing & Producing Digital Print (May 26-28), presented by Frank Kanonik, consultant   -  Photoshop & Digital Photography (June 2-4), presented by Patti Russotti, Rochester Institute of Technology   -  Digital Prepress for Flexo (June 7-9), presented by Penny Osmond, Cal Poly (in cooperation with the Foundation of the Flexographic Technical Association)   -  Adobe InDesign for Print Production (June 16-18), presented by Lorraine Donegan, Cal Poly   -  Adding Mailing & Fulfillment Services (June 23-25), presented by Clint Bolte, consultant   -  Illustrator and Freehand (June 30-July 2), presented by Sandee Cohen, author and trainer   -  Adobe Acrobat for PDF & PDF/X (July 7-9), presented by Hal Hinderliter, GrCI Director   -  Estimating & Costing for Print (July 14-16), presented by Phil Ruggles, Cal Poly (also featuring noted consultant David Dodd and Cal Poly prof Malcolm Keif)   -  Flexographic Certification Level 1 (July 19-21), presented by Malcolm Keif, Cal Poly (in cooperation with the Foundation of the Flexographic Technical Association)   -  Color Management (July 21-23), presented by Lou Prestia, consultant   -  XSLT for Multi-Channel Publishing (July 28-30), presented by Hal Hinderliter, GrCI Director   -  Digital Proofing (August 4-6), presented by Brian Lawler, consultant   -  Digital Workflows for Publishers (August 11-13), presented by Hal Hinderliter, GrCI Director   -  Implementing CTP (August 18-20), presented by Hal Hinderliter, GrCI Director   -  Flexographic Certification Level 2 (August 23-25), presented by Malcolm Keif, Cal Poly (in cooperation with the Foundation of the Flexographic Technical Association)   -  Graphics Bootcamp for Business Users (September 1-3), presented by Hal Hinderliter, GrCI Director   -  QuarkXPress for Print Production (September 8-10), presented by Hal Hinderliter, GrCI Director   More program information and instructor bios are available on the Workshops page of the Graphic Communication Institute's web site: http://grci.calpoly.edu/workshops.html   The Graphic Communication Institute (GrCI) is a unique facility dedicated to the study of graphic communication technology and management, and is located on the campus of California Polytechnic State University in scenic San Luis Obispo. Established in June 2001, the institute benefits from the participation of Cal Poly faculty and students as well as leading consultants from the printing industry. GrCI's educational programs are presented in partnership with Cal Poly Continuing Education, which provides on-line registration and administrative support.   More information on activities underway at the Graphic Communication Institute may be found at http://grci.calpoly.edu. Inquiries to the GrCI can be made by phone at (805) 756-2645, fax at (805) 756-2733 or email, [email protected]