From bagging fish to building one of the most respected names in print, Jeff Howicz’s story is a lesson in hustle, heart, and hands-on leadership. In this episode of Taktiful Tuesdays, Jeff, Chief Commercial Officer at Team Concept Printing, takes us on a journey from his humble beginnings in a saltwater fish store to the forefront of digital embellishment innovation. With two decades of experience, Jeff shares how a blend of curiosity, craftsmanship, and community involvement has shaped both his career and his company. 🎙️ Topics we cover: - How digital embellishments like foil and raised UV are changing the game - The importance of designers understanding production - Why tactile print creates deeper customer engagement - Sustainability practices that actually matter (no greenwashing) - Team Concept’s incredible partnership with Folds of Honor - Advice for young people looking to make an impact in print Jeff also previews what Team Concept will be showcasing at Amplify Print, including some special new brochures produced in partnership with Taktiful! 👉 Whether you're a print veteran, design geek, or just love a great story of personal and professional growth, this episode is for you. 🔗 Subscribe for more weekly insights at the intersection of print, tech, and creativity.

In this inspiring episode of Taktiful Tuesdays, Eric Vessels sits down with Jay Mandarino, President & CEO of CJ Group of Companies. Jay shares his incredible journey from overcoming childhood challenges to leading the world’s most awarded printing company. Discover how his passion for craftsmanship and community service led to the creation of CJ Skate Park, one of the largest indoor not-for-profit skate parks. From print innovation and digital embellishments to philanthropy and entrepreneurship, Jay’s story is a must-watch for anyone looking to make an impact. Timestamps: 0:00 – Intro & Meet Jay Mandarino 2:15 – Jay’s Personal Journey & Founding CJ Graphics 7:30 – Building an Award-Winning Print Company 10:00 – The Value of Digital Embellishments 18:20 – The Story of CJ Skate Park & Community Impact 26:00 – Advice for Entrepreneurs in a Changing Industry 35:00 – Cool Projects & What’s Next for Jay

Episode 22 is here - and it’s a strong one. I’m joined by the always insightful Morgan DiGiorgio, Chief Revenue Officer at DirectMail2.0 and Who’s Mailing What. We dig into what makes direct mail actually work in 2025 (hint: it’s all about integration). Morgan breaks down how omnichannel marketing is changing the game, what embellishments and sensory touches really do to lift response rates, and why marketers need to stop thinking about channels in silos. Plus, we go off-script (as usual) and talk about leadership, alignment, and walking away from opportunities that don’t serve your values. She even teaches me a thing or two about tarpon fishing and the life of a competitive gymnastics mom. This one’s loaded—don’t miss it. 🎯 More on DirectMail2.0: https://www.directmail2.com 📬 Connect with Morgan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgandigiorgio ☕ Grab your favorite beverage and join us!

In this special 21st episode of Taktiful Tuesdays, Eric Vessels sits down with April Lytle, Global Brand Innovation Manager at Scodix, to explore where creativity meets cutting-edge print technology. From holographic foil and glitter effects to SAT materials for the visually impaired, April breaks down why digital embellishment is so much more than “shiny gold.” She also shares her unexpected side hustle in the Renaissance Faire world. Topics include: - The power of SHD and smart print effects - Inclusive packaging and tactile print for accessibility - Design trends in foil, texture, and luxury print - April’s passion project: handmade leather armor Don't forget to like and subscribe to Taktiful Tuesdays!

What’s the future of foil, finish, and shine in print? 🤩 In this episode of Taktiful Tuesdays, I sit down with Jeff Peterson, Executive Director of FSEA, to talk all things print embellishment — from analog classics to digital disruption. We get into: How FSEA is adapting to a rapidly evolving print landscape Why they launched the Digital Embellishment Alliance (DEA) What to expect at Amplify Print this June in Chicago And of course, we peel back the layers on Jeff himself — Chiefs fan, country music lover, and all-around industry trailblazer. This one’s full of energy, insights, and some behind-the-scenes takes on where the industry is heading. You’ll walk away smarter (and maybe with a new concert playlist). 🎶 👉 Visit https://fsea.com and https://amplifyprint.org for more. #printfinishing #DigitalEmbellishment #FSEA #TaktifulTuesdays #AmplifyPrint

In Episode 19 of Taktiful Tuesdays, I sit down with the one and only Bill Gillespie - 40+ year print industry vet, master storyteller, and sales whisperer. Bill has made a career not just out of selling print, but understanding people. We talk about the evolution of sales, what really matters to buyers, and why asking the right question is often more important than pitching the perfect solution. Bill shares insights from his early days as a print buyer to now consulting with teams across the industry - plus, we dive into why empathy and authenticity still win the day. 💬 Topics we cover: ✅ What’s changed (and hasn’t) in print sales over 40 years ✅ How to move from “vendor” to “trusted partner” ✅ The power of better questions ✅ Lessons from teaching at Clemson ✅ Skiing, fly fishing, and getting schooled by your kids This one’s packed with value - and a few laughs along the way. Let’s go! 🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with your sales team!

In this episode of Taktiful Tuesdays, I finally sit down with the one and only Joanne Gore — B2B marketing strategist, print evangelist, and president of Joanne Gore Communications. We go deep into why print still deserves a seat at the marketing table, how to tell your story in a way that resonates, and what most companies get wrong when talking about themselves. Joanne brings decades of experience to the conversation, plus a sharp take on how AI is shifting everything from marketing workflows to how printers can stay relevant. We talk lumpy mail, sustainability that’s more than a checkbox, and how printers can stop selling capabilities and start selling value. Whether you're in print, marketing, or just trying to figure out how to stand out in a noisy digital world — this one’s for you. 🎧 Stick around for: - The biggest misconceptions about print - How to think holistically about sustainability - AI as a lifeline (not a threat) for marketers and printers - The best piece of marketing advice Joanne ever got - Why breathe might just be the best marketing message ever Connect with Joanne: 🔗 https://www.joannegorecommunications.com 📚 Thriving in Chaos - Now available wherever you read

What do rocket launches, snook fishing, and the future of inkjet printing have in common? Michael Poulin. In this episode of Taktiful Tuesdays, I sit down with Michael Poulin, Senior Manager of Inkjet Solutions at Fujifilm (after I totally botched his title… classic). We talk shop about Fujifilm’s big digital disruption moves, trends in embellishment, and the growing role of automation and AI in streamlining print workflows. Oh, and we also nerd out over SpaceX rockets and Everglades fishing. Whether you're curious about the next frontier for inkjet, looking to future-proof your shop, or just want to hear some fish tales, this episode’s for you. 🧃 Taktiful Tip: Don't miss the story about the business card that was too nice to throw away. 🎣 Featuring: — The evolution of digital embellishment — What’s next for inkjet (spoiler: it’s big) — How Fujifilm is automating the workflow — Michael’s favorite fish (and the one his son always catches better) Like, comment, and subscribe for more Taktiful Tuesdays!

In this special live episode of Taktiful Tuesdays, we're coming to you straight from the Xerox Partner Summit in Las Vegas. I sat down with my longtime friend and Xerox legend Kelly Leahy - Senior Global Product Marketing Manager - to talk about everything from digital embellishment trends and the Genesis Initiative to the psychology of print, AI in design, and how print service providers can better educate their customers. We also dive into career growth, continuous learning, and yes...baseball tournaments and dogs. If you're curious about where the print industry is headed, how digital embellishments can boost engagement, or just want to hear two print geeks talk shop (and dogs), you’re in the right place. 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of print, marketing, and innovation. Timestamps: 0:00 – Intro & Live from Vegas 1:30 – Kelly’s Xerox journey (26 years strong!) 3:10 – Digital embellishment adoption trends 6:00 – The Genesis Initiative: Design, Market, Price, Sell 8:30 – Why “no one’s asking for it” is a marketing problem 11:00 – The psychology of touch: Why print works 13:30 – What’s next: AI, accessibility & democratization 17:00 – Career advice for the next generation 20:00 – Life outside of print: Baseball weekends & rescue dogs

In this episode of Taktiful Tuesdays, we sit down with industry veteran Ken Huizenga, a print production expert with over 40 years of hands-on experience. From running sheet-fed presses in the ‘80s to embracing cutting-edge digital print and embellishment technology, Ken has seen it all. We dive into: ✅ How print production has evolved over the decades ✅ The growing demand for faster turnaround times and higher-quality print ✅ The role of digital embellishments in shaping the future of print ✅ The skills modern press operators need to succeed ✅ Why preventative maintenance is key to keeping your press running smoothly And on a fun note, we also talk car racing, whiskey, and the thrill of going fast - on and off the press! 🏎️🥃

Welcome back to another episode of Taktiful Tuesdays! 🎉 This week, we’re diving deep into the world of digital embellishments, print design, and creative innovation with none other than Matt Redbear - a design powerhouse and thought leader in specialty printing. From his roots in analog photography to pioneering modern digital embellishments, Matt shares his expert insights on: ✨ The magic of blending artistry with technology ✨ How to make print more impactful and interactive ✨ The importance of negative space and subtle embellishments ✨ How AI and automation are shaping the future of print If you're a designer, brand, or print enthusiast, you won’t want to miss this conversation. Plus, we geek out over vinyl records, creative inspiration, and more! 🎶🔥 🔗 Follow Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/redbear/ 🎧 Listen to Matt's favorite album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQLm_x6LH5c&list=PLiljtHvabeo2aHy9c9m_5ARKuZbtsBNgZ 📩 Want to learn more about digital embellishments? Drop us a comment or visit Taktiful’s website: https://www.taktiful.com/ 💬 What’s your favorite design trick for print? Let us know below! ⬇️ #printdesign #DigitalEmbellishments #TaktifulTuesdays #GraphicDesign #SpecialtyPrinting

Welcome back to another episode of Taktiful Tuesdays! 🎉 This week, host Eric Vessels sits down with the legendary Daniel Dejan - a graphic arts industry veteran, creative director at Dejan Associates, and co-founder of MarketWise Academy. With over four decades of experience in print production, paper selection, multi-channel marketing, and digital embellishment, Daniel brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. In this episode, we dive into: ✅ How print has evolved alongside digital media ✅ The profitability challenge for printers in a rapidly changing tech landscape ✅ The rise of digital embellishments (raised varnish, foil, haptics) and their impact on marketing ✅ Why the power of touch makes print more memorable than digital ✅ The future of print in a data-driven, AI-enhanced world 📢 If you're in the printing, design, or marketing industry, this episode is packed with insights you don't want to miss! 🔔 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes of Taktiful Tuesdays! #PrintingIndustry #DigitalEmbellishment #TaktifulTuesdays #Marketing #PrintMedia #AI #Haptics #GraphicDesign

Marketing has come a long way from the Mad Men era to today’s hyper-targeted digital landscape. But have we sacrificed creativity for data? In this episode of Taktiful Tuesdays, I sit down with Gee Ranasinha, CEO of Kexino, to talk about the evolution of marketing, the pitfalls of over-reliance on metrics, and the timeless principles that still drive success. We also dive into: ✅ The 95-5 Rule: Why most of your audience isn’t ready to buy yet ✅ Balancing brand awareness with sales activation ✅ How marketing lost its creative edge—and how to reclaim it ✅ Why bad marketing isn't a tech problem—it's a strategy problem Gee brings 35+ years of experience in branding, storytelling, and marketing strategy, plus a great sense of humor (and apparently, he plays piano too?!). 👍 Like & 🔔 Subscribe for more insights on marketing, print, and business growth. 📩 Follow Gee on LinkedIn for bite-sized marketing wisdom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranasinha/ 📌 Learn more about Kexino: https://kexino.com/ What’s your take on the state of marketing today? Drop a comment below! ⬇️

In this special episode of Taktiful Tuesdays, host Eric Vessels sits down with the legendary Frank Romano, a true luminary in the world of print. With a career spanning over six decades, Frank has played a pivotal role in the evolution of the printing industry—from hot metal type to digital printing and AI. 🚀 What’s Inside This Episode? - Frank’s journey from working at Mergenthaler Linotype to founding Typeworld and editing Pocket Pal - The impact of automation and AI on print and graphic design - The Museum of Printing’s latest acquisition: a 1700s English Common Press and a rare 1873 Sholes & Glidden typewriter - Why direct mail is making a comeback and the future of digital embellishment - Frank’s favorite place in the world and the one piece of history he treasures most 🖨️ Upcoming Event Alert! Join Frank Romano & industry leaders at the Museum of Printing in Haverhill, MA, for a two-day digital embellishment workshop (April 22-23, 2025). More details inside! 🔥 If you're passionate about print, history, and the future of design, this episode is a must-watch! 📌 Like, comment, and subscribe for more insightful conversations with industry pioneers!

Welcome to a special episode of Taktiful Tuesdays! We’ve hit episode 10, the dime episode, and I’m thrilled to have Bill Duerr, President of Hatteras, join me for a deep dive into leadership, innovation, and the future of print. Bill shares his insights on how Hatteras stays competitive in a changing industry, the power of listening to customers, and the company’s investment in digital embellishments with the new Harris & Bruno ZRX press. We also get into AI’s role in print, company culture, and - because we love a good story - Bill’s gnarly 11-day surf adventure in Indonesia. If you’re in the printing world, a business leader, or just love hearing about innovation and leadership, this one’s for you. 🔥 Topics Covered: ✔️ How Hatteras stays competitive in a consolidating print industry ✔️ The role of AI and automation in print workflows ✔️ Investing in new technology & digital embellishment ✔️ Building a strong company culture through leadership ✔️ Bill’s epic surfing and Jiu-Jitsu journey 💬 Drop a comment! What emerging tech excites you the most? 🔔 Subscribe for more insights on print, tech, and leadership

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/enricobarboglio/

Enfocus is one of the maybe most known names in the printing industry. In this interview Managing Director, Wim Fransen goes as far as calling PitStop almost a house-hold name in Europe and the US. In this interview directly ask Wim Fransen whether their in-direct sales channel is the right one for software such as Enfocus Switch. Wim Fransen, who has been Managing Director for a couple of years, tell that this business model is such an important core of Enfocus that he almost compared as important as PitStop itself. As usual watch, like, and share this film.

Maybe you remember, but back at DRUPA 2016, Enfocus announced a really interesting initiative called X-treme Switchover. The X-treme Switchover is a project that elects a printing company to get a free implementation of a workflow based on Enfocus Switch and, the lucky printing company who got this is Sign-Age in Clearwater, FL, USA. After Sign-Age was picked last year INKISH was invited to follow the requirements phase, the implementation phase and the 'after go-live' phase to document the ups/downs of this process. Almost a year ago we published the first film where you see the requirements phase and where we speak to different people at the company about what to expect. A year later the implementation is still on-going, but as both President Linda Levitan and Vice President Michael Quigley explains, is not because of difficulties or obstacles, but more because the company simply have been too busy. At the same time, Clearwater was hard hit by a hurricane which both gave power problems as well as extra work replacing signs. In this film, we speak to various stakeholders and here a year after results are starting to show and the staff is really positive. From an INKISH perspective, we find it interesting to see for several reasons. One is the positive response from staff. Second is the continued high expectations from management - and last and more from our perspective, how modest the demands are and what a huge impact it already has on the company. When Sign-Age discover how much more Enfocus Switch can do I am certain that they will appreciate their solution even more. Take a look and enjoy!

In this film, Robert Zegwaard explains how they use Enfocus Switch as the totally indispensable tool for managing more than 1,000 daily orders. Requirements from customers, combined with the requirements for efficient production, are handled by Switch. Wihabo has used Switch for a long time, but with more than a hundred flows, and an increasing need for automation, Switch is an essential tool enabling its growth! Enjoy!

Enfocus est présent dans la maison et a amené ses spécialistes au salon. Laurent nous met à jour, sans effort, tout comme leurs solutions logicielles comme ils le prétendent fièrement. — Enfocus is in the house and they brought their specialists to the show. Laurent brings us up to speed, effortless, like their software solutions as they proudly claim.

Peter Janssen is the CEO of Endless Branding from Beek, The Netherlands - and one of the interesting things Peter Janssen emphasize in his speech from Benelux Online Print Event 18 in Brussels is that we "pretty much produce the same things we have always done, however, the way we do it has changed a lot"... This is interesting since this is what a lot of printers experience and some are successful others are still struggling. Listen and learn!

Automation, automation, automation. The same word, repeated three times, pretty much describes what customers need and what Ultimate TechnoGraphics provide. In this interview, you will hear Andrew Bailes-Collins and Ray Duval talking about why automation is so needed, but also see what the software does and how it scales with your business. At the booth, Ulitmate TechnoGraphics also emphasized the importance of Binding Automation. If you are interested in workflow/automation, you should check out the options Ultimate TechoGraphics provide!

At PRINTING United, we got a chance to meet with Colin Flinn from Horizon USA. We first met Colin Flinn back at the Think Smart Factory event in Kyoto, where he surprised us by being fluent in both Japanese and English. We have also met Flinn at several online events LIVE from Japan, where he and his team has built up a comprehensive online/offline demo facility - but now it's at PRINTING United where Colin Flinn demonstrates Horizon's new Gauze, End Paper, and bar code printing capabilities, enabling customers to use the BQ-series binders for softcover AND book blocks for hardcover books - quite amazing, but see for yourself :-)

We have visited many great printing companies, but Rotolito is in its own league. It's among the biggest commercial printing companies in Europe, based in Milan, Italy, and it's a smart company. In this interview, we focus pretty much on the HP investments - counting a T380, T490, and an Indigo 100K, but besides investing in digital technology for print, Rotolito also invests in robot technology, workflow/automation, and talking to second generation owner Emanuele Bandecchi, you don't feel that we are even near the last investment. Smart company, great products, and a great example of how this industry can continue being interesting for decades to come! Enjoy!