Washington, DC printers are saying that packaging has become the most important type of advertisement for a brand, and it’s being done through print. 

Packaging includes most print processes, with gravure, flexo, screen, litho and digital all playing some part in the progression.  Substrates include corrugated, plastics, carton board, paper and foil – which are printed and finished to produce cases, cartons, flexible bags and labels and sleeves.

In the most recent study entitled “Packaging Printing and Converting: An Industry Assessment” conducted by the Print Industry Market Information and Research Organization or (PRIMIR), the findings for 2004 looks at the converting  and packaging industry in the United States and its four principal components: folding carton, flexible packaging, corrugated packaging and tag/label production.

The findings of the latest research study showed that converting and print packaging in North America was a $68 billion industry and their expectations were to have it grow to $83 billion by this year – the survey is only conducted every three to four years and released the following year.  Moreover, growth rates in each of these four sections are expected to match or exceed those of the commercial printing industry.

A Washington, DC printer offers a broad portfolio of products and solutions for a company’s labeling and packaging needs.  One of the driving forces behind press suppliers, the people who sell the printing presses, is to keep production costs down in a world largely controlled by retailers and their suppliers – the brand owners.

One thing a large local print shop owner or manager could do to help brand owners with their large projects is to offer suggestions on ways to cut costs by cutting packaging sizes down to a minimum.

In addition to cutting costs by reducing package sizes, the brand will also be able to announce they are helping the environment by reducing package waste once a consumer has brought the package home and emptied it of the contents.  An announcement like this would surely help the brand gain more notoriety which would lead to more customers purchasing the smaller packages.

As the economy takes its toll on middle wage America, more and more families are deciding to transform their backyard into an oasis of fun instead of traveling to some exotic beach location searching for sea glass to make sea glass jewelry.

Because people are choosing to stay home in order to save money, Las Vegas swimming pool builders have seen an increase in orders for built-in backyard swimming pools.  However what many people do not factor into their swimming pool plans is the maintenance of such a large home improvement investment.

Many homeowners purchase their new swimming pools during the summer months or in the spring just before swimming season begins and are not thinking about the winter time and whether they should empty the pool or leave it filled up.

Proper winterization is the key to having a clean, good looking swimming pool all summer long.  According to Atlanta pool builders it is important to leave some water in the pool structure for contractions and expansion reasons.   Another trick some pool designers and builders suggest is to put small pieces of wood in the water to help absorb any pressure that might build up in the cold temperatures.

Depending on the size of the swimming pool, approximately three feet of water is left at the bottom of the pool which also protects the underground lights from burning out.  One of the main reasons water is left in a swimming pool during the winter months is because the ground water levels could rise and literally float the concrete structure.  A heavy-duty cover, built strong enough to hold an individual if they mistakenly walk on it, should be used to shelter the pool from winter elements such as snow and ice.

Homeowners, apartment complexes and hotels and motels need to winterize their swimming pools in addition to the filtering systems so that a new one does not have to be purchased every year.  It is a good idea to vacuum out the lines to eliminate any potential problems with the filtering system because if the weather gets really cold and there is something in the lines, this could cause the lines to burst.