July 2006

Dear Members:

I cordially invite members to take advantage of new education opportunities made possible by your association. One- and two-day ARA Regional Education Events, hosted by ARA supplier companies, are designed to help you expand your skills and acquire the same CEU credits earned at typical ARA shows. These events require nominal registration fees and will be taking place in several locations throughout the U.S. during the months of July, August and September.

All seminars will conform to ARA's standards for quality and adhere to its policy of non-product promotion and compliance with anti-trust regulations. Each seminar will be available for CEU credit for those who are enrolled in the ARA Certification Program.

Simply click on the following highlighted sponsoring companies' names to get a description of each event's educational offerings and daily schedule plan. These documents also include a registration form, and driving directions to the sponsoring companies' headquarters.

The first Education Event takes place Thursday and Friday, July 13–14, at Rowmark, Inc., Findlay, OH. The next host will be Quality One Engravers, Rancho Cucamonga, CA, on Monday and Tuesday, July 17-18.

Plastic Dress Up, South El Monte, CA, will host the third event on Friday and Saturday, August 11-12. The following month, events will be sponsored by Continental Trophies, Tucker, GA, on Saturday, September 9, and Victory, Chicago, on Saturday, September 30.

I sincerely encourage ARA members and non members to take advantage of these unique opportunities to strengthen your awards knowledge, meet fellow ARA members, and tour the facilities of the sponsoring companies. For more information, please call ARA Headquarters, 800/344-2148 or 847/375-4800.

Ahead of the Curve

Rich Zydonik

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ARA Seminar at the Texas Trophy and Awards Show
In addition to many exhibiting companies, The Texas Trophy and Awards Show, July 28–29, in Galveston, will feature an ARA sponsored seminar on CorelDRAW Graphic Suite X3. Come see the show and learn about X3's latest graphic tool improvements and the newest text and image editing features from Wes Pack, a professional graphics manager for Corel Corp. His seminar will take place from 8 to 9:30 am on Saturday, July 29, at the Moody Gardens Hotel in Galveston. ARA members enrolled in the certification program will receive .15 CEUs Technical for attending this seminar. To register and learn more details, visit the ARA Web site: www.ara.org.

Recognition Review Online Library
ARA now offers its members a growing library of the most popular and useful Recognition Review articles from the past several years. Stories covering CorelDRAW, show room design, customer service, engraving tips, and business issues are available for your review. Click here or log onto the the ARA Web site's "Members Only" section and click on the "Online Library" link. Please note: These articles are copyrighted by ARA and are not to be republished or distributed without the written consent of the association.

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July 11–13
ASI Show
McCormick Place Convention Center
Chicago, IL
Education Day, July 11
Exhibits Open, July 12–13

July 13–14
ARA Educational Event
Rowmark, Inc.
Findlay, OH
Click Here for More Information

July 17–18
ARA Educational Event
Quality One Engravers
Rancho Cucamongo, CA
Click Here for More Information

July 20–22
The Awards & Custom Gift Show
Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center
Long Beach, CA

July 23–26
Philadelphia Gift Show
Greater Reading Expo Center
Reading, PA

July 27–29
Texas Trophy and Awards Show
Moody Gardens Hotel
Galveston, TX
Set-up Day, July 27
Exhibits Open, July 28–29
800/433-0965

August 5–8
Orlando Gift Show
Orange County Convention Center
Orlando, FL

August 11–12
ARA Educational Event
Plastic Dress-Up
South El Monte, CA
Click Here for More Information

August 24–26
The Awards & Custom Gift Show
Baltimore Convention Center
Baltimore, MD

August 26–29
Miami Beach Gift Show
Miami Beach Convention Center
Miami Beach, FL

September 9
ARA Educational Event
Continental Trophies
Tucker, GA
Click Here for More Information

September 27–29
Las Vegas Souvenir & Resort Gift Show
Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas, NV

September 30
ARA Educational Event
Victory, a division of Planter, Inc.
Chicago, IL
Click Here for More Information

October 8–10
Galveston Gift & Resort Merchandise Show
Galveston Island Convention Center
Galveston, TX

October 14–16
Euro Trophex
MECC Exhibition Centre
Maastricht, The Netherlands
+44 (0) 1442 230431
E-mail: colingallimore@aol.com

October 15–18
Panama City Gift & Resort Mechandise Show at Destin/Ft. Walton Beach
Emerald Coast Convention Center
Ft. Walton Beach, FL

October 26–28
The Awards & Custom Gift Show
Charlotte Convention Center
Charlotte, NC

November 3–4
Western Awards & Gift Show
Embassy Suites Hotel
SF Airport/Burlingame, CA
800/276-8428

November 12-15
East Coast Resort Gift Expo
Ocean City Convention Center
Ocean City, MD

December 3–6
Grand Strand Gift & Resort Merchandise
Myrtle Beach Convention Center
Myrtle Beach, SC

February 21–24, 2007
2007 ARA International Awards Market
Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas, NV
800/344-2148

March 15-17, 2007
2007 ARA East Coast Awards Market
Atlantic City Convention Center
Atlantic City, NJ
800/344-2148

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In the July 2006 Issue:

Taming the Computer Beast
While it won't live forever, there are some things shop owners can be doing from the day they decide to buy a PC until it's ready for the scrap heap that will make the computing experience a little less nerve-wracking and reduce down time.

What Time is It?
While time management is a skill that can help us achieve better results, it really is not about saving time or getting more done. Good time management is about changing your focus and accomplishing what is important. Read more...

Spacing Out the Text Tool
The Shape tool is the most under-appreciated tool for editing text. This month, we continue our exploration of text and take a look at the various spacing controls.

The Art of Calligraphy
What I like best about my vocation: the design of letters, and to those who have devoted their lives to developing the fonts that appear on your monitor as if by magic. There are many societies that worship the art of calligraphy, especially carving alphabets in limestone and slate.

Laser Engraving Tips for CorelDRAW
The same tools that make CorelDRAW so useful for working with color also help it to create artwork that is well suited for a grayscale environment. This month Foster Coburn reviews some of the most important tips for getting quality output from a laser engraver.

Winner Takes All
Most ARA supplier companies would be thrilled to take home one award for a new product, so imagine how it would feel to be recognized with four first place honors. For Chicago-based manufacturer Victory, a Division of Planter Inc., the experience was thrilling when ARA honored the company with multiple first place awards at the 2006 ARA International Awards Market last March.

Good Communication Means Satisfied Customers
The appetite for speedy delivery is also part of the awards and recognition industry, where the customers' decision making and order turnaround times seem to get shorter every year. If the expected outcome appears "impossible," how do we find a way to produce the impossible? This is where communicating—with the customer and with our suppliers—becomes paramount. Read more...

Colorfilling Techniques
The folks at Acrylic Idea Factory have provided some tips for effective color filling of acrylic. Read more...

'Adding' Change to Your Sublimation Business
Today, customers can select from hundreds of high-value personalized products that can be created in minutes. Having new products allows retailers to offer exciting products to existing customers, and opens doors to new clients by offering them more value.

Lasers and Acrylic 2006
Acrylic offers many choices in products, colors, and shapes and can be used for a host of unique applications including awards, signage, displays, executive gift, ad specialty items, frames, and plaques.

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If you're an ARA member with computer access, simply visit www.ara.org, log in to the members-only section using your member number, and select ARA Ask an Expert. Find the topic and expert you're looking for, then ask your question(s). More often than not, the ARA expert will have the solution you need.

? I am new to laser engraving and would like some tips on working with glass. Is it really as challenging as some people have told me?

Diane Bosworth of Access Business Solutions responds: Laser engraving on glass may also be the most unique and, in some cases, the most challenging application for a laser. The laser does not penetrate glass—rather, it shatters the material to produce the engraved "mark." Therefore, the most important thing to remember is that a different approach is required when laser engraving glass.

Glass absorbs the laser's heat more than other materials do. This could potentially result in flaking, chipping, cracking, or breaking. Therefore, it is crucial to dissipate the heat as much as possible when exposing glass to laser heat.

Because not all glass engraves equally, be choosy about the glass you use. I typically recommend using high-end materials for best engraving results. With glass, I suggest the opposite: Non-leaded glass products do tend to present fewer problems.

Whenever possible, pick non-leaded products, always ask for extra pieces, and experiment to attain the optimal settings. Once you discover glass that engraves to your liking, stick with it. It makes it much easier to produce the same results if you work with familiar material.

Another factor to consider when engraving glass is the artwork. Finely detailed lines will look better on glass than large blocks of solid areas. This will help to keep the laser moving during the engraving process, and prevent heat from building up and adversely affecting the glass.

Sometimes the results may look rough due to recasting. The roughness can be smoothed out afterwards with a steel brush or Scotchbrite type pad.

If you're thinking of working with high-end crystal products, realize that the material absorbs more of the laser's heat and is more prone to result in shattering, chipping, cracking, or breaking—known as thermal shock. Engraving such items should be done with less power and great care or you could be "buying" some expensive broken glass pieces.

Engraving and sandblasting machine suppliers will be exhibiting at the 2007 ARA International Awards Market in Las Vegas (Feb. 21–24). Make plans to attend so you can see them demonstrate their equipment and have them answer your questions about glass engraving and etching techniques.

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