ASU Print Lab Stays Innovative

In 2016, in its annual survey of college presidents, provosts, and admissions deans around the nation, U.S. News & World Report magazine selected Arizona State University as the country’s “most innovative” school, in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology, and facilities.

That approach to innovation could very well apply to the university’s in-plant printing department. The ASU Print and Imaging Lab doesn’t just serve as a print center for the university, but also as a hands-on educational experience for students, faculty, and staff.

The Print Lab is run by students — no strangers to innovative ideas — and after graduation, Print Lab alumni are well-prepared to become successful professionals.

Cathy Skoglund, Director of the Print Lab, ASU.

The Print Lab offers a wide variety of print marketing collateral materials. The Lab’s HP Indigo 5500 produces business cards, bookmarks, brochures, postcards, booklets, window clings, door hangers, posters, invitations, announcements, journals, and much more. The Lab’s Memjet inkjet envelope printer and PSI digital envelope printer can handle virtually any size envelope.

The Lab’s three 60+" wide-format printers can produce photo-quality prints, interior and exterior banners, posters, flags, yard signs, wallpaper, floor graphics, wall decals, window clings, door wraps, asphalt art, carpet graphics, vehicle magnets, and write-and-wipe boards.

In addition, the Lab produces dye-sublimation printing, producing one-off T-shirts, mugs, luggage tags, mouse pads, aluminum photo plates, smartphone cases, dog tags, and many other personalized products in quantities from one to 40.

The Lab also offers graphic design services and Web-to-print, and even non-print services such as Web design and maintenance and social media marketing.

ASU's Cathy Skoglund leads of tour of the Print and Imaging Lab for visiting attendees of ACUP 2014.

Cathy Skoglund, director of the Print Lab, is attending PRINT 17 this week with the goal of updating the Lab’s existing equipment, as well as evaluating new technologies to expand what the Lab offers. “We are in the market to update our HP Indigo, increase our dyesub products, and add more templates to our Web-to-print,” says Skoglund. “We also want to find a solution for real-time estimating, and we’re looking for a solution to handle the bidding process.”

She is specifically looking at the HP Indigo 7900, but is also checking out wide-format inkjet printers, dye-sublimation printers and products, software, and “creative packaging.”

Skoglund finds shows like PRINT 17 to be a great way to stay connected with the industry and become familiar with the latest and greatest equipment and software. “I come for knowledge, to grow vendor relationships, catch up with friends, meet new peers, stay up-to-date on technology and brainstorm,” she says. “And visit Chicago.”