Printing and Imaging Management at a Glance
- Covers all facets of running companies involved in traditional and new media
- Involves understanding how to relate budget limitations to achieving desired outcomes
- Emphasizes the importance of managing and training personnel to produce high-quality work efficiently
Printing and Imaging Management in Depth
Printing and imaging management includes all facets of running companies involved in new and traditional media. This includes all segments of the printing industry such as prepress, press, and post press for commercial printing, publication printing, packaging, and related areas. It also includes management issues faced by equipment and supply vendors as well software and hardware developers for the graphic arts. The printing and imaging management specialist knows how to relate budget limitations to achieving desired results, as well as how to manage and train personnel to produce high-quality work efficiently. These specialists understand planning, management and systems analysis, quality control, and production control. They are versed in price estimating and financial controls, marketing and sales strategies, personnel relations, statistical process control (SPC), and total quality management (TQM).
Printing and imaging management professionals enjoy working with both people and financial figures, and have a firm grasp of the various business aspects of running and growing a company. Through such management involvement, they provide products and services needed by customers of printing and imaging companies.
Some of the most important aspects of printing and imaging businesses are the products and services that flow to the customer. They must be produced at the lowest possible price, at the highest possible quality, as quickly as possible. Effective management helps achieve this.
Another important aspect of management in the graphic arts is cash flow analysis and ensuring that there is sufficient cash coming into the company to cover all expenses, overhead, salaries, equipment, and supplies, plus a reasonable profit. Marketing and sales are crucial to this and to the overall success of printing and imaging companies. Knowing how to market and sell in the graphic arts is particularly important in light of new digital technologies that provide printing on-demand and variable data products. Selling the new technology of printing and imaging takes special skills.
Effective printing and imaging management involves setting and carrying out goals; understanding appropriate workflows and digital file management; and being able to make the right decisions quickly. Perhaps most important, it involves motivating people and communicating effectively and thoughtfully.