Big Picture - September 2019 - 30

finishing
TOUCH

How to streamline the post-production process.

BIG PICTURE

September 2019

BY A DR IE NNE PA LME R

nce it's been printed, it's not the last step," says
Julia Kaufman, color production supervisor,
Cushing (cushingco.com). "There's so much
that happens after. We're really keen on
making sure - before that last step, before
leaving the door - we've done all we can do."
Kaufman is talking about the post-production process.
While the design and printing of graphics is extremely important
- this industry wouldn't exist without it - we can't forget about
the time, people, and effort that are necessary in the final stages
of production. We're talking cutting, laminating, sewing, kitting,
and more, plus ultimate approval from the client.
Kaufman began her Cushing career five years ago as a
color digital/prepress operator. Her current role includes
overseeing color operators and finishing operators, monitoring job statuses, setting and meeting deadlines, and getting

orders out the door in a timely manner. For her clients,
ranging from interior designers and architects to commercial
real estate brands and higher education, this can be the most
important part of the production process. That and quality
control. Post finishing, her team confirms the printed graphics
match those sent from the client and have the correct color
resolution. They double check that the lamination, cutting,
and hardware involved are as requested. "Once that's been
confirmed, it gets the 'ok' and it's ready to go," Kaufman adds.
The team at Thysse (thysse.com) calls it "critical party
collaboration." "Our production management, prepress, and
project management teams always evaluate workload for the
day and prioritizes it with pack-out and ship dates and work
complexity in mind," says Brooke Barney, director of marketing and strategy.
Thysse is a third-generation design, printing, and manufacturing company in Oregon, Wisconsin, specializing in visual
communication. The 92-employee business services national,
mid-sized to large companies in the manufacturing, retail, higher
education, sports facilities, restaurants, healthcare, and financial
services industries with a focus on retail signage, promotional
displays, environmental graphics, and tradeshow exhibits.
"We save time, labor, and materials by having the
subsequent action steps in a workflow considered and planned
for at the beginning of the process," adds Scott Reed, Thysse's
large-format production manager. "How we prep files helps
printing and cutting efficiencies. How we print and cut files
supports finishing and packing efficiencies. Yield is the
ever-important consideration, but a close second is a workflow
that drives successful product finishing and limits verbal
communication, which is often a poor substitute for documented details and proper planning."
"We plan pack-out prior to production and produce
everything with that in mind. We look at the transit time from
one work cell to the next," says Emma Lyons, project
manager, Thysse. "Producing via transit time helps eliminate
bottlenecks as we put the priority on the stores/locations that
have a longer transit time."

http://www.thysse.com http://www.cushingco.com

Big Picture - September 2019

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