Printing's Alive

Welcome to Printing's Alive—the podcast that explores everything print and beyond! From traditional techniques to modern innovations, we dive into how print shapes industries, businesses, and our everyday lives

Jeff Bauer on Print Embellishments and Elevating Client Engagement

S1 E78 • Jul 14, 2026 • 47 mins

In this episode of Printing's Alive, Warren Werbitt and Jeff Bauer explore print embellishments and the challenges of finding local printers with these capabilities. Jeff shares his journey with technologies like Scodix and MGI, and the struggle of contacting OEM representatives. They discuss Takitful's role in bridging industry gaps and the importance of showcasing embellishments to clients. The conversation covers USPS discounts for embellished mail, Jeff's transition from web to print, and the need to educate end users and salespeople. The episode wraps up with insights on networking and presenting new print techniques to clients.

Key Points

Designers often struggle to find local printers with the capabilities to produce embellished prints, highlighting a gap in communication and accessibility within the industry.
OEMs are failing to respond promptly to inquiries about their embellishment technology, which hinders designers' ability to explore and utilize these advanced printing techniques.
Platforms like Tactifull provide invaluable resources and education for designers looking to incorporate embellishments, bridging the knowledge gap left by OEMs and printers.

Speakers

Warren Werbitt

Host • 59%

Jeff Bauer

Guest • 41%

Chapters

0:00	Introduction and Jeff Bauer's background
0:30	El Nino weather and its impact
0:46	Jeff's passion for print embellishments and technology
2:00	Struggles finding local printers with embellishment capabilities
2:33	Learning about Skodix, MGI, and industry options
3:29	Difficulty contacting OEM reps and industry response times
5:51	Discovery and impact of Tactifull
6:58	Seeing samples to understand embellishment capabilities
9:12	Critique of OEMs' response times and industry implications
17:23	Showcasing embellishments to clients
22:30	Comparing embellishment samples to paper company samples
25:05	Jeff's client sectors: nonprofit and education
25:16	USPS discounts for embellished direct mail
27:27	Approaching designers for embellished direct mail
28:17	Jeff Bauer's journey from web to print
30:31	Technological advancements in print
32:47	Educating end users and salespeople
34:04	Tactifull connecting printers, OEMs, and designers
35:32	Tactifull's designer sessions and resources
37:22	Urgency in customer service from OEMs and printers
39:23	Presenting new print techniques to clients
41:37	The significance of unique business cards
43:09	Open houses for showcasing print equipment
44:10	Jeff Bauer's location and networking
45:41	Final thoughts and call to action

Transcript

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