Foil & Specialty Effects Association

Economic indicators suggest that the economy is slowly recovering. So what does that mean for the print finishing industry? It’s time to rethink strategies and open up to new trends, markets, and ways of doing business! Simply surviving is no longer an option. It’s time to re-evaluate, investigate, and implement a smart business plan to move the business forward. And that is the exact focus of the 2010 FSEA National Convention, April 9-10 at the Loews Hotel in New Orleans. Attendees will gain practical ideas and valuable industry knowledge from veterans in the field who will share what is working in today’s marketplace – and what needs to change!

FSEA Gold Leaf Awards - Call for Entries

Unmask Your Extraordinary Work in the
17th Annual FSEA Gold Leaf Award Competition

Unmask your extraordinary work in foil stamping/embossing, specialty coatings, film lamination, laser cutting, and more in the Foil & Specialty Effects Association's 2009 Gold Leaf Awards Competition. Entries will be judged on design, execution, and level of difficulty in over 20 different categories (including some new additions in specialty, 'green', and cold foil processes) with a gold, silver, and bronze award presented in each category. All winners will be announced at the Gold Leaf Awards Banquet at the 2010 FSEA National Convention in New Orleans, La., April 9-10, as well as highlighted in promotional campaigns, trade publications, the FSEA website, and at industry events throughout 2010. Learn More...

FSEA Named Gold Ink – 2009 People’s Choice Award Winner

The Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA), Topeka, Kan., recently received the Gold Ink Awards’ “People’s Choice Award” for its 2009 Membership Directory. For the first time, all of the Gold Ink Award winners were put on display at the Gold Ink Awards and Hall of Fame Banquet held in conjunction with PRINT® 09 at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill. Each banquet guest was asked to cast a single vote as to which Gold Award Winner should receive the “People’s Choice Award” for outstanding printing. During the reception, the entries were carefully examined; votes were cast; and from among 48 Gold Award winners, the FSEA 2009 Membership Directory emerged as the overall favorite.

Special thanks go out to FSEA members and staff who contributed to the project: Brightmarks, LLC, Lenexa, Kan., for its superb planning and execution of the foil stamping and UV glitter processes; Laser Excel, Santa Rosa, Calif., for producing the delicate laser-cut butterfly wing; and FSEA Art Director Eric J. Carter, Topeka, Kan., for the cover’s clever design and concept. According to FSEA Executive Director Jeff Peterson, “This type of publicity and beautifully crafted directory cover is made possible only through the backing of dedicated FSEA members. It is a great example of a collaborative effort that really paid off in the end!”

The Gold Ink Awards Competition, co-sponsored by Printing Impressions and Book Business magazines, has earned the respect of the industry’s most import producers and creators of printed work for more than 20 years. This year’s Gold Ink Award winners were chosen from over 1,000 entries submitted within 48 different categories. Winning pieces surpassed their competitors based on print quality, technical difficulty, and overall visual effect. The exquisite butterfly directory cover was foil stamped in three passes (one with refraction and one with 2-D holographic foil) in tight registration, spot coated with a specialty glitter UV coating, and wire-o bound with a laser-cut butterfly wing tipped on to the front. To learn more about membership in the FSEA, click here.

Social Media Sites Expand FSEA Outreach

The Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) has expanded its outreach and education to the social media sites Facebook and Twitter. Followers can get the latest news on the upcoming FSEA National Convention, learn about graphic finishing techniques, and join the conversation as designers, printers, and agencies connect with what’s new in today’s print world.

The association’s print publication, InsideFinishing, provides quarterly education through technical articles and industry news. Now, the FSEA also will have a more immediate impact through social media. By communicating through both print medium and the Internet, the FSEA hopes to reach a broader audience, including the social media-savvy generation of designers who may not be aware of the many possibilities available in the world of graphic finishing.

FSEA Now Foil & Specialty Effects Association

The Foil Stamping & Embossing Association, Topeka, Kan., is pleased to announce an exciting expansion in the direction of its association. As of March 1, 2009, the association’s name is now the Foil & Specialty Effects Association – although still the FSEA. The continuous emergence of print-enhancement technologies in the marketplace such as cold foil technologies, specialty coatings, laminates, and laser cutting has created a wealth of opportunity for growth in the print finishing industry. It is the goal of the Foil & Specialty Effects Association to embrace these emerging technologies that complement foil stamping and embossing. The use of foil and its counterpart, embossing, will remain an integral focus of the association. It remains the lead in the new association name.

The Foil & Specialty Effects Association plans to serve as a resource and educational platform for many of these new decorating technologies, as well as continue its support of existing ones. According to FSEA Executive Director Jeff Peterson: “New technologies to apply foil, such as the cold foil process, continue to develop. As an entirely different foil process that requires no stamping, cold foil technology has its own set of applications and is not viewed as competitive to conventional foil stamping is most situations.” Furthermore, common ground does exist, particularly in growing the use of foil in the marketplace – a main objective of the FSEA.

Many FSEA members currently engage in several value-added processes, which offers even more reason to unite. Now a cohesive resource for all decorative finishing needs, a sounding board that covers a wide range of processes, and an even greater opportunity to connect and network on a broader scope will exist for current and prospective FSEA members.

“Keeping the acronym FSEA was important to this change, because it is recognized nationally and internationally, drawing more than 10,000 hits to the FSEA website each month,” Peterson continued. “We are the same FSEA but with a broader, unified focus.” The FSEA officially launched its name change at a press conference on February 27, 2009, at Graphics of the Americas. For more information on the Foil & Specialty Effects Association or on becoming a member, call (785) 271-5816 or visit www.fsea.com.

FSEA Offers Lean Training through Net Results

The Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) and Net Results, Inc. have developed a new program together to offer FSEA members Net Results Lean Enterprise training courses at a discounted rate. These training courses are based on the Lean Enterprise Memory Jogger series published by GOAL/QPC. The Lean Enterprise courses offer a practical knowledge base to transform your company into a Lean Enterprise, retaining valued customers when price and cost pressures continue to be a challenge. Course content emphasizes identification and prevention of waste (i.e., extra time, labor, materials, motion, etc.). The Lean Enterprise courses include the following: Introduction to the Lean Enterprise, Error Proofing, Visual Management, Quick Changeover, Mapping the Value Stream, and Total Productive Maintenance. Rich MacInnes, CEO of Net Results, Inc., and author of the Lean Enterprise Memory Jogger series, gave two presentations at the FSEA National Convention in April.

2007 Wage and Benefit Survey

Following a similar survey conducted in 2001/2002, the 2007 survey is designed to provide FSEA members and others with detailed statistical information regarding the foil stamping and embossing industry. The 2007 survey also includes information regarding benefits, as benefits are increasingly an issue in employee recruitment and retention. The survey has been completed by companies actively involved in the foil stamping and embossing/trade finishing industry, allowing others in our industry to benchmark their own policies. This survey is FREE to members of the FSEA and can be accessed through the Members Only section of the site. Non-members can purchase this document through our FSEA Bookstore.

Members Only Section

Current members will be able to access valuable information in our Members Only section – information that can be utilized internally to increase productivity and efficiencies, such as with archived InsideFinishing technical articles and reports and ‘Question and Answer’ technical articles. Information also can be accessed and utilized to ‘sell the value of foil and embossing’ such as with case studies and research studies – formatted and designed as presentations – just print and you’re ready to go! Updated continuously, this section will be a valuable source of information to help our members increase their bottom line. Other items you will find in this section in the future include survey results, benchmark studies, and more.

FSEA Bookstore

Visit our online Bookstore. It has all of the offerings from the Foil & Specialty Effects Association available and will soon include links to publications from our members.

Designer's Guide 2nd Edition

"A Different Breed: The Designer's Guide to Foil Stamping and Embossing" reference guide will take you on a journey through an exotic world of color, texture, and dimension. An informative sample-oriented book for designers and printers – and a unique marketing tool for foil stampers and embossers – the 2nd Edition includes updated information and a new section on preparing artwork.

Employee Recognition Program

The FSEA Employee Recognition Program is a great way to show appreciation and recognition to your employees for a job well done. It’s easy, affordable, and available now through the Foil & Specialty Effects Association.