Dallas – At PRINTING United (October 23-25, Booth 5005), IntuIdeas will launch a new program for print service providers and graphic communicators: the opportunity to create customized versions of the book, Introduction to Graphic Communication, for internal training purposes. Two prototype books will be on display at the booth.

The customized books will include chapters from the 2018 textbook by Cal Poly Professor Emeritus Harvey Levenson and industry writer and editor John Parsons. As with the original book, the customized versions will utilize Ricoh’s Clickable Paper technology to access related video and other content on mobile devices.

Similar to “course packs” used at colleges and universities, individual chapters can be selected and combined with other, company-specific materials for training new employees, franchisees, and customers. In addition to the online companion material already associated with each chapter, companies may also use the Clickable Paper app to connect trainees with the company’s own videos, existing online learning systems, and other resources.

On-Demand Training

Levenson said, “We live in an on-demand society and this extends to the graphic communication industry, whether franchise walk-in storefront locations or large commercial printers. Customers want their printing at the lowest price, highest quality, and as soon as possible. On-demand training of employees goes hand-in-hand with on-demand requests of customers. Custom chapters developed from the book, Introduction to Graphic Communication, provide this training opportunity.”

A high percentage of the North American population lives within a few miles of a walk-in on-demand printing company, according to Levenson. Such companies represent one of the fastest growing segments of the graphic communication industry in customers and workforce. “While much of the commercial printing industry is in retrenchment, on-demand walk-in stores are expanding as a resource for printing services in nearly every community. It’s a rebirth of the neighborhood “print shop” in a new and improved digital form. This is good for customers, good for the vendors, and good for the printing industry as a whole.”

Workforce Enablement

“Larger printing companies are facing similar issues,” Parsons said. “With unemployment levels at historic lows, printers have difficulty finding and training entry-level workers—people who are likely to stay and grow with the company. Basic knowledge of printing is essential to this process. Selected chapters of our book provide such a foundation.

Introduction to Graphic Communication has become a “go-to” book for education and training in the graphic communication field, Parsons said. “By publishing the most relevant chapters, on demand, as their own, branded ‘Answer Book,’ each company’s employees will be better able to understand the expectations of their customers and how to meet them.”

A complete list of the available chapters is available on the book website: https://igcbook.com/table-of-contents/. 

Levenson and Parsons will also be conducting a related learning session at Printing United:
Solving the Workforce Crisis at Printing Companies
Date/Time: Thursday, October 24, starting at 12:45 PM
Length: 30 minutes, including Q&A
Location: Booth 5816, PRINTING United Expo Floor

For more information, contact IntuIdeas at (206) 842-4154 or by email: [email protected]. To learn more about the book, go to https://igcbook.com.