For over 11 years, the Color Management Group (CMG, www.colormanagement.com) has served as an independent consortium of experts, consultants, and integrators in the challenging field of color management. Now, CMG has announced that industry luminary Mike Ruff has decided to join this elite group of color experts, bringing a new level of vertical market experience to CMG’s color science think tank.
For over 11 years, the Color Management Group (CMG, www.colormanagement.com) has served as an independent consortium of experts, consultants, and integrators in the challenging field of color management. Now, CMG has announced that industry luminary Mike Ruff has decided to join this elite group of color experts, bringing a new level of vertical market experience to CMG’s color science think tank.
"The Color Management Group is a unique organization," Ruff said. "It is perfect for individual consultants, allowing us to reach and serve our customers, both nationally and internationally. They provide the marketing, sales, and software delivery and support that individuals like me simply cannot do on our own."
A Welcome Addition
CMG President Lida Jalali Marschke was very pleased to welcome Ruff into the group. "We seek out members where there is a mutual benefit to be realized, and Mike clearly fits that scenario," she said. "He has a wealth of strategic and practical experience in digital wide format, and is well connected at a very high level. He really rounds out our team and will help us focus on the needs of this growth industry."
Ron Ellis, a long-time CMG member and chair of the IDEAlliance GRACoL technical committee, added, "Mike Ruff is an expert on many specialty print processes, and has expert knowledge. I have often seen him tackle problems and issues in areas such as screen and wide format that other print consultants would not know how to handle. His skill and knowledge makes him a valuable member of the Color Management Group."
SGIA President and CEO Michael Robertson also had high praise for Ruff. "Mike Ruff is a valued instructor at SGIA. His knowledge of production workflows and color management is a great benefit to our program."
A Colorful Background
Mr. Ruff has over 43 years of experience in the graphic arts, and is the principal of Mike Ruff Consulting in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Formerly the owner of a grand format screen printing company, he now offers consulting and color systems training to prepress and production personnel, as well as managers and sales staff around the country. Some of his clients include IDL Worldwide, Coyle Reproductions, and DuraColor. He has been an active member of several industry associations, and is the incoming chair of the Academy of Screen and Digital Print Technology.
In addition to his consulting and training work, Mr. Ruff has contributed significantly to color standards groups, including ISO TC130 and the IDEAlliance Print Properties Committee. He is also a Certified G7 Expert Trainer and a Certified G7 Process Control and Conformance Expert, and was instrumental in writing the current G7 certification curriculum, according to fellow color management consultant Steve Smiley.
"Mike is my go-to guy for digital and screen printing," Smiley said. "He’s one of the strong leaders in our industry. He worked with Larry Warter and myself to develop the ISO 12647-5 Screen and Digital printing standard in record time. I know he’ll bring tremendous value to the Color Management Group."
Mr. Ruff is the author of expert articles on productivity, color management, technical printing, and color standards, and is a frequent contributor to publications such as SGIA Journal, Screen & Display Graphics, Specialty Printing Magazine, Flexo Magazine, Grafica, and Screen Printing magazine. In 2010, he won the IDEAlliance Leadership Circle Award, and is a two-time "Swormstedt Award Winner" for the best technical article in the specialty imaging industry.
About Us
Founded in 2003, the Color Management Group is a growing worldwide "think tank" consortium of premier independent consultants. Color Management Group offers these members the ideal environment for sharing and developing technical ideas and concepts, and working together to improve the industry. Empowered by Color Management’s distribution, the Color Management Group has access to a growing portfolio of best-in-class graphic arts solutions. Armed with technology, Color Management Group members provide pre-sales consultation, product sales, integration, training, and technical support for all color management solutions, including the latest G7(TM) technologies. The groups’ alliance companies bring years of experience supporting its global customer base, strengthening the group’s relationship with leading vendors. CMG members hold a myriad technical certifications (including G7 Expert, G7PCC, PSA, ISO, FIRST level I and FIRST level II) and host a broad array of educational activities including WebEx sessions, seminars, and events that provide knowledge and insights into the newest techniques and best practices. Learn more at www.colormanagement.com