IPMA Report: Success in Wide-Format Applications
Wide-format printing was a big focus of the 2024 In-plant Printing and Mailing Association conference in Des Moines, Iowa, with sessions covering the topic from various skill levels. To keep the wide-format train rolling, Al Goranson, director of Campus Printing and Mailing Services at Western Carolina University, led a breakout session titled “Success in Wide-Format Applications.”
Al Goranson led a breakout session titled “Success in Wide-Format Applications.”
During the session, Goranson detailed the work his in-plant does for the Cullowhee, North Carolina-based university’s commencements ceremonies. He also shared how doing that work successfully landed him a recommendation for another large project that can now be added to his in-plant’s portfolio.
Goranson explained that during commencement season, which occurs each fall and spring, his eight-person team produces:
- Corrugated plastic hanging signs with grommets
- 108 ground stickers for each ceremony
- Directional signage
- Expand stands
- Banners that go on the outside of the stadium and other campus buildings
The bulk of the wide-format printing is done on just two wide-format machines: a Roland LEJ-640 Hybrid, and a Roland TrueVIS VG2-640 roll-fed printer. His team also provides the labor that goes into setting everything up and breaking everything down.
Even though it is a lot of work, sometimes requiring his employees to work on the weekends, Goranson said it's an essential part of making sure his in-plant is involved with the university.
“It's a significant part of our integration into the university’s mission. And it shows the university our value. So, if you can get hooked into this kind of thing, I highly recommend it,” Goranson says.
Al Goranson led a breakout session titled “Success in Wide-Format Applications.”
Because of the hard work his team puts in for the commencement ceremonies, Goranson said the university’s chancellor took notice and recommended his in-plant to the Ashville Arboretum, in North Carolina for a display that was going to be a collaboration between local producers and global designers.
“At first we couldn’t help but ask them ‘You have 50 other printers within 20 miles, why us?’ And then our chancellor called my boss one day and said ‘If you don’t want the job just tell them, but just know I recommended you guys.’” Goranson said. “So of course after that, we took the job.”
Goranson said the project was a challenge with tight deadlines and ever-changing requests, but in the end, his in-plant got it done, and ended up billing the arboretum almost $73,000.
“And to think it all came from the commencements,” Goranson concluded. “This all happened because of visibility. Make your in-plant visible.”
