Since the 1950s, the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM) has held its annual National Printing Ink Research Institute (NPIRI) Summer Course with an eye on providing education and training to graphic arts professionals.
 
The five-day course is evenly broken into paste and liquid ink modules and provides classroom and hands-on experience in formulating and testing inks and running presses, while also providing the latest information on key topics including regulations, color matching and more.
 
The 2018 NPIRI Summer Course just completed its second year at the Sonoco Institute at Clemson University, the home of an excellent graphic arts program that features outstanding educators and facilities, including offset, flexo and digital presses. This year, 50 attendees gathered for the classes, which were taught by industry experts.
 
Judging by the attendees, the NPIRI Summer Course is ideal for learning more about the world of inks.
 
“I really enjoyed the summer course and learned quite a few things I can use, especially flexo related,” said Mike Tobak of Sun Chemical. “The speakers were very informative and held my attention throughout the various lectures.  I have already suggested this course to others here at Sun Chemical.”
 
Attending the NPIRI Summer Course is a must and essential training event for professionals in the ink and printing industry,” added EFI’s Terry Clayton. “It is an intense learning opportunity and great value for both employers and employees.  The course is led by the leading industry experts and the content is packed with core fundamentals as well as the latest technology advancements.”   
 
A wide range of instructors was on hand for this year’s session, covering inks, raw materials, equipment and printing. David Aynessazian, SVP technical and marketing at Kustom Group, was among the instructors on the paste ink side. A longtime instructor, he offered his insights into the benefits the class offers.
 
“I have been involved with the summer course since the 1990s when it was at Lehigh,” said Aynessazian. “I believe that the summer course is a great service that NAPIM/NPIRI is providing the industry. Packed into one week, a student can get a terrific overview of the printing industry from its history, to the present day to where it is headed in the future.
 
“The lessons are taught by extremely knowledgeable people who the students can make contact with to answer questions during the week but also who they can contact in the future as questions arise in their careers. The costs involved are very reasonable for the amount of information provided and the contacts that can be made by the students not only with the instructors but with other students,” Aynessazian added.
 
“The students are given a book that contains all the presentations that they will receive throughout the week,” Aynessazian noted. “Some of the sections may not apply to what the student does currently but as they progress through their career it is an excellent reference tool to be used. Past students have told me how valuable the book has been to them even many years later.”
 
George Fuchs, NAPIM’s director – regulatory affairs and technology, reported that the 2018 Summer Course was a success.
 
“Attendance at this year’s course was excellent with 50 registrants from a varied assortment of graphic arts related market areas,” said Fuchs. “The Sonoco Institute continues to be an excellent venue for this highly regarded graphic arts training program. The first-rate classroom/instructional facilities and state-of-the-art pressroom resources have dramatically enhanced this excellent and unique training program.”
 
“This is our second year at Clemson and we were very happy having it there,” added John Copeland, executive director of NAPIM. “We had a group of about 50 students and 24 instructors.  We had a great group of students this year with people from Canada, Thailand, Nepal and the United States. All of our instructors are from the industry and have a wealth of knowledge.  It was a very nice event and the only one of its kind being offered anywhere.” 
 
Aynessazian noted that the ability to learn all of this information while meeting with many fellow industry members is invaluable.
 
“The equipment shown and the hands-on demonstrations are quite expansive and would be hard to duplicate in a one week span,” added Aynessazian. “Again, one of the biggest benefits of the course is the people that the student will meet, both faculty and other students, that they are likely to run into over and over as the years pass. Meeting during the summer course, in a relaxed setting, is a great way to begin relationships in the industry. Without the summer course, students would have to take years of travel to see and learn a similar amount.”
 

NPIRI 2018 Summer Course attendees. (Source: NPIRI)