Art Litho is hiring an MIS Director

Art Litho is a marketing production services company located in south-west Baltimore with a core competency in direct mail, print and related services that seeks a Management Information Service Director to manage and develop all our information technology requirements.

Job Description:
Experienced professional needed with a minimum of 5 years of MIS management experience within a commercial environment. The MIS Director’s primary role is to make sure that our information systems are maintained at world class levels. This individual will support all departments which include manufacturing, business development and administration by acquiring and deploying resources to meet their MIS and IT goals. This candidate will also be responsible for maintaining all our hardware and software and for collaboration with IT partners including the installation of new hardware and software.

Requirements:
This individual has proven experience in some or all of the following services: troubleshooting, recovery, tuning of the database, software installation and upgrades, resolving errors and failures, auditing activities, and resource utilization as well as creating database solutions, data analytics and performance reporting.

• Self-starter with the drive and initiative to create and manage IT solutions
• Working Knowledge of SQL and relational databases, administration, installation, configuration, support, maintenance ,trouble shooting, disaster recovery and documentation of the MS SQL Server,
• Work with team members on a daily basis to resolve technical issues as they occur.
• Excellent presentation and time-management skills. Must be able to communicate technical concepts effectively.
• Hardware and software deployment and management experience
• Ability to establish rapport and develop credibility as MIS.IT  expert
• Experience in Direct Mail or Data Analytics is a plus

Bachelor's degree from four-year college or university in Computer Science or related IT field or relevant professional experience.
Contact:
Interested applicants should complete our online application and email your resume to vcrowe@artlitho.com or contact Vincent Crowe at 443-457-7871. 

Art Litho to Open up New Markets with KODAK MARKETMOVER

When Art Litho President Pat Crowe saw new and different kinds of competition enter her Baltimore, Md., marketplace, she knew that her 60-year-old commercial printing company needed to expand its offerings to customers.

"We're now competing against different companies, like fundraising organizations, for example," said Crowe. "Our capabilities gave us an advantage over other print and mail shops, but the marketplace is changing. It's more and more about data, and targeting campaigns more effectively."

Crowe saw the growth opportunity in the digital printing and variable-data services she already offered, but Art Litho needed a partner that could provide the data mining and analysis services her customers needed to maximize the value of every campaign.

A longtime customer of KODAK Products and Services, Crowe found a ready-made solution in KODAK MARKETMOVER Managed Campaign Services. Print service providers like Art Litho can use this program to get the necessary support to bring to market and sell data-driven, multichannel direct marketing campaigns to their clients.

Kodak has assembled a team of experts to provide marketing-related consulting and customized KODAK Solutions. These experts bring extensive knowledge in data analytics, marketing, and marketing science that enable print service providers to deliver multichannel campaigns that differentiate their business and build customer loyalty.

Using Managed Campaign Services, Art Litho can present a full-service marketing solution to its customers, while attracting new customers with this significant competitive advantage over other print service providers.

"The idea is that you take your client's data and analyze it, and reveal to them information about their customer that they didn't realize," said Crowe. Then together with the client, you can focus the campaign around this insight."

"It's important for print service providers to establish deeper, more sticky relationships with their clients, but they don't always have the marketing and quantitative expertise to take their services to the next level," said Stuart Grossman, Service Line Lead, KODAK MARKETMOVER Business Advantage Solutions. "That's where we can really help. We can act as an extension of their expertise and bring in the right support staff to round out their service offerings."

MARKETMOVER Solutions consultants work with printers to identify the strongest candidates among existing clients, then help to market and deliver value-added marketing services. This helps printers move toward new account acquisition while minimizing their resource and capital investments.

"Early results have demonstrated a great deal of customer interest in Managed Campaign Services. It puts us in a different competitive marketplace," said Crowe. "We're definitely getting into prospects we haven't gotten into before. In the past we said, 'Here's a way to revise your piece to save on postage,' but now we can give them marketing advice about testing different approaches."

Already, Art Litho can report increases in business as a result of this consultative approach.

"Because we came in with this solution, we won some print and mail campaigns," said Crowe. "We had one customer who did not have the data for a full, managed campaign, so we said, 'Let's do a campaign to accumulate the data.' It's getting us in the door with more prospects-getting people to listen to us."

Art Litho also credits their core business success to the optimized production platforms enabled by their KODAK Workflow Solutions that include KODAK PRINERGY CONNECT Workflow, KODAK INSITE Prepress Portal with Rules-Based Automation, KODAK Platesetters, and KODAK TRILLIAN SP Plates.

Kodak is a global advisor and provider of integrated services to help companies transform and optimize their businesses. Through a network of service professionals in 120+ countries, Kodak provides technical, professional, consulting and managed services to enable customers to focus on growing their businesses, maximize productivity, and more effectively manage risks. All KODAK Products and Software are backed by KODAK Service and Support. To learn more, visit www.graphics.kodak.com.

Happy Thanksgiving from Art Litho!

Ahh, Thanksgiving. The time of year we all reflect on things for which we are thankful. Especially thankful we are when our travel plans work out smoothly. We are also thankful when we still have room for that slice of pie after dinner, or when our favorite football team pulls out the win in the end. It's also nice to be be around family and be thankful for those close to us and for the traditions we hold dear year after year.

Here at Art Litho, we are thankful to YOU: Our customers. We are thankful you depend on us to deliver your job on time. We are thankful that we can help you analyze your marketing data, and plan your next successful campaign. We are thankful when we can advise on the proper way to fold a brochure, or suggest a more efficient mailing method. We are especially thankful when we get feedback telling us how successful your campaign went, and how we were a big help. These are the kinds of things we strive to bring to our customers. We know if you aren't successful in what you do, then we haven't succeeded. So, from everyone at Art Litho, a big Thank You for your continued partnership. Have a great Thanksgiving.

How to have a successful Press Check

A Press Check, or Press Inspection gives you an opportunity to really see your printed project come to life! Catching potential errors at this stage can literally save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.  To ensure your next press check is a successful one, please follow the tips below:

• Have the following available: Printed samples if the job is a rerun, printed samples of companion pieces (you should supply these to your printer in advance), printed samples of same PMS colors and photos/illustrations. 
• Carefully scan the entire sheet. Match it against the Prepress proof. Verify that all copy and photos are in place, and that all corrections from previous proofs have been made.  
• Verify register. Examine the copy; check crossovers and backups.  
• Check for any mechanical errors.  You want to make sure that the size is correct and verify that the paper is the same brand, color, finish and weight that you specified. 
• Check registration. Determine if any dots are hanging at the edge of a four-color photo.
• Verify screen tints. Ask yourself, are all screen tints the right color? 
• Verify Colors. For process color, check overall color, neutral colors, memory colors, and contrast ranges against the color (Prepress) proof. Remember to use the correct lighting conditions. Also remember that ink colors used are a reasonable match to the supplied swatch. 
• Verify that small flaws are not present. Look for hickies, ghosting, scumming, roller marks, broken type/tules, pinholes, and other flaws.
• Determine if content aligns properly. Check rule-up for correct fold, trim and alignment of die cuts.
• Evaluate the fine details. Are the separations, halftones, and duotones sharp and clean? Proof read headlines and display type one last time. 
• Ask yourself, are there any last minute corrections to the copy? 
• Ok the sheet. Number each check sheet. Sign, date and note time on the final ok’d sheet. Confirm shipping instructions and delivery dates. Discuss binding and finishing to anticipate any problems or delays. Take several ok’d sheets back with you. 

By simply following these handy reminders, will most likely make your next press check smooth and enjoyable!

Why is the 4th of July Such a Great Opportunity for an Cross-Media Marketing Campaign?

Holidays such as the 4th of July provide an ideal time for getting your marketing message out to your customers. Keep in mind that the message you send doesn't need to carry offers or even sell anything! Customers like to feel a part of a community, and holidays are a time when most Americans share the same spirit of togetherness. Next time you're planning to reach out, consider holiday themed messages and keep engaging your customers with spirit, community, and fun!

Art Litho has claimed it's business page on Yelp!

Art Litho - Baltimore, MD

Surf on over to Yelp! and check out Art Litho business page. Leave a review if you like. Looking forward to Yelping with you!

Art Litho: Overview | LinkedIn

Art Litho: Overview | LinkedIn

Visit Art Litho on LinkedIn. Follow and join in our Discussion Group. Let us know if you have questions, because we have Solutions!