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Keeping Pace with Demand

Published: May 1, 2011
Frequently I refer to myself as a puppy who thinks the whole world is my newspaper. Do you get the image? I'm easily excited like a puppy, but at times

Dancing Bravely on the Edge

Published: April 1, 2011, By Yolanda Simonsis, Associate Publisher/Editor
Ask my daughters. They think my dancing style needs some help. [Perhaps that's one of the reasons I insisted they take dance as adolescents.] And we all

Where Can I Find?

Published: March 1, 2011, By Yolanda Simonsis Associate Publisher/Editor
In August 1944, just two months past the June 6 Normandy Invasion that took place on what became known as D-Day, The Converter one of several title predecessors

ICE-ing | The Best Part

Published: February 1, 2011
Who would argue that the best part of any cake is the icing? There must be a study someplace that suggests, for most practical matters, the icing is the

Staying on Task

Published: January 1, 2011, By Yolanda Simonsis Associate Publisher/Editor
Don't know about you, but as I look forward to this new year, I'm starting to feel behind the eight ball already. For me, making a list of things to do

Year Finishes Upbeat

Published: December 1, 2010, By Yolanda Simonsis Associate Publisher/Editor
From the looks of things from my small window to the converting world, 2010 is finishing upbeat. If the co-located Pack Expo and CPP (Converting & Package

Outside Your Comfort Zone

Published: November 1, 2010, By Yolanda Simonsis Associate Publisher/Editor
This past October 17-20 at the Tag & Label Mfrs. Inst. annual meeting at the Boca Raton Resort in Florida, I witnessed through speaker Roger Crawford

An Integrated Perspective

Published: October 1, 2010, By Yolanda Simonsis Associate Publisher/Editor
When it comes to achieving market success, I've learned from many of you over the years that there are at least four basic tenets that will deliver results:

Web Lines: Web Length per Roller Revolution=?

Published: October 1, 2010, By By Timothy J. Walker Contributing Editor

When a roller rotates, how much web does it feed forward per revolution? At first, the answer seems obvious: It feeds forward a length of web equal to

Labels and a Whole Lot More

Published: August 1, 2010, By Yolanda Simonsis, Associate Publisher/Editor
Having the pleasure of sharing these past 32 years with you and watching the label industry change and morph into what it is today has helped me appreciate

'Patiently' Awaiting Labelexpo

Published: July 1, 2010
Patience is a virtue I've tried to cultivate, but I admit that, for me, it's frequently elusive. My family would be among the first to testify to the

Industry Is on a Roll

Published: June 1, 2010, By Yolanda Simonsis Associate Publisher/Editor
The saying goes: Timing is everything. As Lady Luck would have it, this year's edition of the Foundation of the Flexographic Technical Assn.'s Annual

Silver Lining Starts to Shine

Published: May 1, 2010, By Yolanda Simonsis Associate Publisher/Editor
Those gray clouds that have been hovering over our global economy are starting to lift, allowing the silver lining to shine through. For many, it can't

Wanderlust for Tomorrow

Published: April 1, 2010, By Yolanda Simonsis Associate Publisher/Editor
I feel a bit like Alice after she awoke from her adventures in Wonderland a bit befuddled but utterly amused and amazed. While the characters who led

Keep Moving Forward

Published: March 1, 2010
Walt Disney has been credited with a host of traits, but he's most frequently noted for his creativity and imagination. His contagious fondness for technology

At Least You Have a Job!

Published: February 1, 2010, By Yolanda Simonsis Associate Publisher/Editor
As my friend Vince DiTrolio of DiTrolio Flexographic Inst. (DFI) said to me just last week, It's one thing for an employee to say, At least I have a job

Ringing in the New Year

Published: January 1, 2010, By Yolanda Simonsis Associate Publisher/Editor
As we enter the final year of the new millennium's first decade, I'm hoping your holidays were joyous and comfortable and filled with exciting anticipation

Web Lines: What Is a Tension Zone & How Many Are Needed?

Published: January 1, 2010, By By Timothy J. Walker Contributing Editor

Tension and speed control are the two most fundamental purposes of any web handling system. Speed control is easy for most people to understand, since

Static Beat: The Best Places for Static Bars

Published: January 1, 2010, By By Dr. Kelly Robinson Contributing Editor
Static bars are highly effective in controlling static charge in film production, coating, and converting operations. To achieve good static control performance,

Expo News Raises Eyebrows

Published: December 1, 2009, By Yolanda Simonsis Associate Publisher/Editor
The pace of exhibition news has quickened and raised some eyebrows as the year draws to a close, but I have to wonder if it comes as the result of needed

A Converting Renaissance?

Published: November 1, 2009
Late October brought people out of early hibernation to association meetings. PFFC editors made the rounds at two annual gatherings — both held October 18-21 — for the Assn. of Industrial Metallizers, Coaters & Laminators (AIMCAL) and the Tag & Label Mfrs. Inst. (TLMI).

Catching Up, Looking Up

Published: October 1, 2009, By Yolanda Simonsis
First, thanks to all who sent me well wishes. The pelvis is on the mend, and the wheel chair no longer is in use — nor the pain meds! I'll be able to abandon my title as armchair philosopher soon.

An Armchair Philosopher

Published: September 1, 2009, By Yolanda Simonsis Associate Publisher/Editor
News flash: I've become an armchair philosopher, although not by choice

Accentuate the Positive

Published: August 1, 2009, By Yolanda Simonsis Associate Publisher/Editor
Eliminate the negative. Latch on to the affirmative. Don't mess with Mister In-Between. How many of you are familiar with this sage advice written in

Where Were You?

Published: July 1, 2009, By Yolanda Simonsis Associate Publisher/Editor
An 800-pound gorilla is in the room, and it's time to ask why it's there. I may be figuratively burying myself for asking this, but why didn't you come to CMM?

Trending Upward Proactively

Published: June 1, 2009, By Yolanda Simonsis Associate Publisher/Editor
Last month I asked in my editorial, Are We There Yet? I proceeded to report my experience at a recent association meeting where attendance was somewhat

Are We There Yet?

Published: May 1, 2009, By Yolanda Simonsis Associate Publisher/Editor
What’s the best description of our industry right now? From 30,000 feet above the tumultuous markets that have slid down (and in some cases, off) the economic Richter scale, let’s just say we’re in a mixed transition with improvement awaiting on the horizon.

Hit the Apex at CMM

Published: April 1, 2009, By Yolanda Simonsis Associate Publisher/Editor
There's something about a trade show that gets me all fired up. Although I admit that over the years I've also been known to say, Not another one! No

Balancing Bad News with Good News

Published: March 1, 2009, By Yolanda Simonsis Associate Publisher/Editor
First, thank you, PFFC readers and subscribers, for allowing us to enter your professional lives. Between this print edition, our digital edition, the

Examining Recession Resistance

Published: February 1, 2009, By Yolanda Simonsis Associate Publisher/Editor
In PFFC's December 8 edition of E-Clips e-newsletter, I asked readers this question: With consumers opting to eat at home more and spending down, is the