Showing posts with label commercial printing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label commercial printing. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
YouTube - Plaxo talks about OpenSocial Networks
In the Printing or Publishing Industries?
Join the PrintingPublishing Industries group on www.plaxo.com
Friday, May 09, 2008
Printable | Self Guided Tutorials
FREE library of FusionPro Desktop training videos!
Basic Functionality l Advanced Functionality l Impositioning l JavaScript Rules l
Here you'll be able to find an abundance of on-demand, detailed, and narrated videos to help you use the full power of FusionPro Desktop. Please be sure to contact us if there are additional topics where a video tutorial is desired. Enjoy!
Basic Functionality
This set of videos covers the typical day-to-day use and functionality of FusionPro Desktop. Topics include working with data files, wizards, and colors, these short tutorials will get you up and running in a matter of a couple of hours."
Advanced Functionality
Moving beyond the basics, this group of videos helps the viewer learn to use the extra features and power of FusionPro Desktop. After spending an hour or so watching these tutorials, the user should start to become more comfortable with creating complex templates and rules.
Impositioning Functionality
The final step for most printers is also one of the powerful features of FusionPro Desktop - the ability to impose the output, regardless of format, during composition. The RIP's resource time is expensive and these videos show how easy it is to use FusionPro Imposer to deliver imposed output to your RIP, resulting in shorter 'first page out' times.
JavaScript Rules
Don't let the name fool you! These videos are designed for everyone from the brand new user who knows very little about business rules to the experienced programmer who simply needs information on the FusionPro-specific functions and objects.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Staples Ends Ties With Asia Pulp & Paper
Green-Minded Staples Ends Ties With Asia Pulp & Paper: "Green-Minded Staples Ends Ties With Asia Pulp & Paper
Source: Copyright 2008, Wall Street Journal
Date: February 7, 2008
Byline: Tom Wright
"Office-supplies giant Staples Inc. has severed all contracts with Singapore-based Asia Pulp & Paper Co. Ltd., one of the world's largest paper companies, in a move that shows concerns over forest destruction and global warming are having an impact on big U.S. paper buyers.
Until recently Staples sourced about 9% of its total paper supply from APP and used the paper for its own Staples-branded stock, mainly photocopy and office paper. Staples had stuck with the company even as other large paper sellers in the U.S., Europe and Asia, including Office Depot Inc., stopped buying from APP in recent years because of alleged environmental misdeeds. Staples had hoped that continuing to buy from the company would prompt APP to improve its environmental record."
Source: Copyright 2008, Wall Street Journal
Date: February 7, 2008
Byline: Tom Wright
"Office-supplies giant Staples Inc. has severed all contracts with Singapore-based Asia Pulp & Paper Co. Ltd., one of the world's largest paper companies, in a move that shows concerns over forest destruction and global warming are having an impact on big U.S. paper buyers.
Until recently Staples sourced about 9% of its total paper supply from APP and used the paper for its own Staples-branded stock, mainly photocopy and office paper. Staples had stuck with the company even as other large paper sellers in the U.S., Europe and Asia, including Office Depot Inc., stopped buying from APP in recent years because of alleged environmental misdeeds. Staples had hoped that continuing to buy from the company would prompt APP to improve its environmental record."
Monday, December 10, 2007
Continuous learning is key
Continuous learning is key
--
Bob Dale wrote: I am sad to announce that this will be my last estimating column for Graphic Monthly. I am proud to have been associated with this fine publication since I started writing this column 10 years ago.
The key message that I have tried to convey is the need for continuous learning. If you arrive at work, keep your head down and work hard without learning something every day, you will find in a few years that you have been left behind. I once did a study of a conventional prepress department with 16 professionals who did great work. But it quickly became clear that their knowledge level was at 30% of where it needed to be to stay current in today’s world of electronic prepress.
Continuous learning does not always mean that you have to attend night school for 13 weeks for years to get a certificate, although that is an excellent way of learning. Continuous learning comes from reading magazines like Graphic Monthly, and participating in trade associations like the Craftsmen Club, which is open to all, regardless of whether there is an active club in your community. Visit IAPHC.org for details.
Attending trade shows should be more than getting posters and free samples. Seminars, demonstrations and meetings are all great ways of learning. Attending seminars, and participating in online forums are great ways of keeping current without investing a significant amount of time. Formal designation and training records are important and should be tracked and kept in your employee file and included on your resume.
Thank you, Graphic Monthly readers for allowing me the wonderful opportunity to stay current on technology, process and management issues and to share these experiences and thoughts with you.
I leave you with a quote from Dave Mainwaring, who leads excellent forums on PrintPlanet.com:
--
Bob Dale wrote: I am sad to announce that this will be my last estimating column for Graphic Monthly. I am proud to have been associated with this fine publication since I started writing this column 10 years ago.
The key message that I have tried to convey is the need for continuous learning. If you arrive at work, keep your head down and work hard without learning something every day, you will find in a few years that you have been left behind. I once did a study of a conventional prepress department with 16 professionals who did great work. But it quickly became clear that their knowledge level was at 30% of where it needed to be to stay current in today’s world of electronic prepress.
Continuous learning does not always mean that you have to attend night school for 13 weeks for years to get a certificate, although that is an excellent way of learning. Continuous learning comes from reading magazines like Graphic Monthly, and participating in trade associations like the Craftsmen Club, which is open to all, regardless of whether there is an active club in your community. Visit IAPHC.org for details.
Attending trade shows should be more than getting posters and free samples. Seminars, demonstrations and meetings are all great ways of learning. Attending seminars, and participating in online forums are great ways of keeping current without investing a significant amount of time. Formal designation and training records are important and should be tracked and kept in your employee file and included on your resume.
Thank you, Graphic Monthly readers for allowing me the wonderful opportunity to stay current on technology, process and management issues and to share these experiences and thoughts with you.
I leave you with a quote from Dave Mainwaring, who leads excellent forums on PrintPlanet.com:
“To succeed, stay focused.
Do what you do best,
up-skill, prepare for
new challenges,
make time for learning”
Bob Dale is president of Pilot Graphic Management Services Inc., a management-consulting and custom-training company. He is also on the executive of the Toronto Club of Printing House Craftsmen. Bob can be reached at (416) 410-4096, or via e-mail at pilotmanagement@rogers.com
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Books don't just appear on the bookshelves by themselves.
Mordy Golding wrote:
Books don't just appear on the bookshelves by themselves. Thanks to all the folks at Sams Publishing, and to Betsy Brown, Jon Steever, Krista Hansing, and Seth Kerney for their professional and untiring help in publishing this book. Special thanks to Kate Binder, who not only helped make sure this book was technically accurate, but offered valuable advice as well.
This book is a work that finds its words shaped from years of experience and friendship. Thanks to Sharon Steuer, Sandee Cohen, David Blatner, and Bert Monroy for your continued support.
There's no way that I could have possibly completed a project of this magnitude without the support from my friends at Adobe. While it's impossible to list everyone, there are some folks for which a blanket "thanks to everyone at Adobe" statement simply won't do. Thank you to Lydia Varmazis, Leon Brown, Will Eisley, Bob Schaffel, John Nack (congrats, Tiny Elvis!), Addy Roff, Kevin Connor, George Arriola, Ted Alspach, Paul Kim, Ron DiTorro, Lynn Grillo, Joe Smith, and Julieanne Kost.
I can't offer enough thanks to Dave Mainwaring and the entire membership of the Print Planet forums. It's a fun place to be, and I guarantee that I learn more from you guys than what you learn from me.
To the Wrotslavsky family, who welcomed me as one of their own over 12 years ago (and who still willingly admit to that fact today).
For all the times I asked him silly questions, like why the sky is blue, my father has forever earned the right to ask me how to create a mask in Photoshop (and other assorted technical support questions). My mother continues to serve as my role model for everything I do.
Of course, this book would not have been possible without the love and support of my wife, Batsheva, and my children, Chayala, Simcha Bunim, and Chavi. I'm one lucky man.
Mordy :)
Books don't just appear on the bookshelves by themselves. Thanks to all the folks at Sams Publishing, and to Betsy Brown, Jon Steever, Krista Hansing, and Seth Kerney for their professional and untiring help in publishing this book. Special thanks to Kate Binder, who not only helped make sure this book was technically accurate, but offered valuable advice as well.
This book is a work that finds its words shaped from years of experience and friendship. Thanks to Sharon Steuer, Sandee Cohen, David Blatner, and Bert Monroy for your continued support.
There's no way that I could have possibly completed a project of this magnitude without the support from my friends at Adobe. While it's impossible to list everyone, there are some folks for which a blanket "thanks to everyone at Adobe" statement simply won't do. Thank you to Lydia Varmazis, Leon Brown, Will Eisley, Bob Schaffel, John Nack (congrats, Tiny Elvis!), Addy Roff, Kevin Connor, George Arriola, Ted Alspach, Paul Kim, Ron DiTorro, Lynn Grillo, Joe Smith, and Julieanne Kost.
I can't offer enough thanks to Dave Mainwaring and the entire membership of the Print Planet forums. It's a fun place to be, and I guarantee that I learn more from you guys than what you learn from me.
To the Wrotslavsky family, who welcomed me as one of their own over 12 years ago (and who still willingly admit to that fact today).
For all the times I asked him silly questions, like why the sky is blue, my father has forever earned the right to ask me how to create a mask in Photoshop (and other assorted technical support questions). My mother continues to serve as my role model for everything I do.
Of course, this book would not have been possible without the love and support of my wife, Batsheva, and my children, Chayala, Simcha Bunim, and Chavi. I'm one lucky man.
Mordy :)
Monday, April 30, 2007
Senior essays go from printer to printing press
http://www.yaleherald.com/article.php?Article=5570
BY SARAH FOOTE
After spending hours in the bowels of Beinecke and the stacks of Sterling, most seniors gain a great deal of satisfaction merely by handing their senior essays. Every year, though, some seniors refuse to let their projects go so easily. Determined to see their essays live on, some seniors forge determinedly into the world of publishing, seeking to immortalize their essays in real-world publications and to make them visible to the world outside of Yale.
COURTESY KARISSA ZIMMER
Alan Kennedy-Shaffer, DC ‘06, originally had no plans to publish his senior essay.
Publishing, however, isn’t ordinary for Yale College seniors. Unlike academics, undergraduates do not face the “publish or perish” maxim; few seniors actually embark on their senior essays aiming to publish the finished project. Alan Kennedy-Shaffer, DC ’06, a somewhat infamous former Political Science major, did not intend to publish his essay when first he began to write. Months after turning in his paper, though—and through a combination of hard work and personal investment—the new grad became the author of Denial and Deception: A Study of the Bush Administration’s Rhetorical Case for Invading Iraq.
The fact that so few students publish lends a certain mystique to the process. The very idea of publishing work as an undergraduate seems to imply an impressive intellectual capacity. However, as students who have gone through the process know, published is more about determination and persistence than an extraordinary level of intellectual genius. Getting work published requires serious legwork.
For students like Yood and Kennedy-Shaffer, who are willing to seek out publications for their work, one of the main obstacles to publishing seems to be the nature of the senior essay itself. The awkward length of the senior essay—generally from 25 to 50 pages—makes it difficult to translate into a publication. In their original form, the essays are too long to be published in scholarly journals, but too short to be printed as independent manuscripts. Yale’s own University Press said that they would be unlikely to publish senior essays due to issues with length—like most publishing companies, the Press is generally only interested in full-length manuscripts. No matter which route students take to publication, though, they will need to be willing to commit many more hours of work to their essays to condense or extend them.
BY SARAH FOOTE
After spending hours in the bowels of Beinecke and the stacks of Sterling, most seniors gain a great deal of satisfaction merely by handing their senior essays. Every year, though, some seniors refuse to let their projects go so easily. Determined to see their essays live on, some seniors forge determinedly into the world of publishing, seeking to immortalize their essays in real-world publications and to make them visible to the world outside of Yale.
COURTESY KARISSA ZIMMER
Alan Kennedy-Shaffer, DC ‘06, originally had no plans to publish his senior essay.
Publishing, however, isn’t ordinary for Yale College seniors. Unlike academics, undergraduates do not face the “publish or perish” maxim; few seniors actually embark on their senior essays aiming to publish the finished project. Alan Kennedy-Shaffer, DC ’06, a somewhat infamous former Political Science major, did not intend to publish his essay when first he began to write. Months after turning in his paper, though—and through a combination of hard work and personal investment—the new grad became the author of Denial and Deception: A Study of the Bush Administration’s Rhetorical Case for Invading Iraq.
The fact that so few students publish lends a certain mystique to the process. The very idea of publishing work as an undergraduate seems to imply an impressive intellectual capacity. However, as students who have gone through the process know, published is more about determination and persistence than an extraordinary level of intellectual genius. Getting work published requires serious legwork.
For students like Yood and Kennedy-Shaffer, who are willing to seek out publications for their work, one of the main obstacles to publishing seems to be the nature of the senior essay itself. The awkward length of the senior essay—generally from 25 to 50 pages—makes it difficult to translate into a publication. In their original form, the essays are too long to be published in scholarly journals, but too short to be printed as independent manuscripts. Yale’s own University Press said that they would be unlikely to publish senior essays due to issues with length—like most publishing companies, the Press is generally only interested in full-length manuscripts. No matter which route students take to publication, though, they will need to be willing to commit many more hours of work to their essays to condense or extend them.
Friday, April 20, 2007
The Battle for Color Supremacy
WhatTheyThink.com
WhatTheyThink.com - Print's Home Page: "The Battle for Color Supremacy
Commentary by Andrew Tribute
April 10, 2007 -- Three trends show up if one looks at the market figures of digital color printers and presses over the past year. The first is an explosion in sales in what may be termed the “Light” products. These can be classified as color printers that have a performance of between 41 and 60 Letter size pages per minute and which cost less than $100,000. The second is a drop in sales of “Mid-Market” products. These are products with a performance from 41 to 80 pages per minute and which cost under $300,000. The third, “Press” classification of products are ones with a performance in excess of 60 pages per minute and which cost more than $300,000. This area saw an increase in sales. The first “Light” classification is mainly made up of copier printers with an inbuilt scanner. Infotrends reports sales in the USA in 2006 of 26,000 such products, and 60% of these were sold into the office rather than production markets. The leading products in terms of sales in this area of the market come from Ricoh and are sold either by them or their OEM partners. Their 2006 sales have increased on 2005 figures by around 277%."
--
Andrew Tribute, is recognized internationally as one of the world's leading authorities on these subjects.
Attributes' client base comprises a large number of publishers and printers as well as a significant number of industry vendors. In most cases consulting is carried out at high level to assist such organizations in the selection and adoption of technology, or to define ongoing business strategies covering the likely future directions of the markets.
Andrew Tribute is a visiting Professor at University of the Arts London.
Reach Andy via email: tribute@attributes.co.uk.
Commentary by Andrew Tribute
April 10, 2007 -- Three trends show up if one looks at the market figures of digital color printers and presses over the past year. The first is an explosion in sales in what may be termed the “Light” products. These can be classified as color printers that have a performance of between 41 and 60 Letter size pages per minute and which cost less than $100,000. The second is a drop in sales of “Mid-Market” products. These are products with a performance from 41 to 80 pages per minute and which cost under $300,000. The third, “Press” classification of products are ones with a performance in excess of 60 pages per minute and which cost more than $300,000. This area saw an increase in sales. The first “Light” classification is mainly made up of copier printers with an inbuilt scanner. Infotrends reports sales in the USA in 2006 of 26,000 such products, and 60% of these were sold into the office rather than production markets. The leading products in terms of sales in this area of the market come from Ricoh and are sold either by them or their OEM partners. Their 2006 sales have increased on 2005 figures by around 277%."
--
Andrew Tribute, is recognized internationally as one of the world's leading authorities on these subjects.
Attributes' client base comprises a large number of publishers and printers as well as a significant number of industry vendors. In most cases consulting is carried out at high level to assist such organizations in the selection and adoption of technology, or to define ongoing business strategies covering the likely future directions of the markets.
Andrew Tribute is a visiting Professor at University of the Arts London.
Reach Andy via email: tribute@attributes.co.uk.
Demand Aggregators, Commerce Networks, a printers feedback
From: Dave Mainwaring http://www.printplanet.com/
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2007 5:45 AM
To: Data Driven Printing-Publishing, VDP
Subject: [vdp] Demand Aggregators, Commerce Networks
Listening to the 2007 OnDemand show videos on whattheythink.com I am hearing terminology that is new to me. I can understand EFI's new "Print to Win" tag line. However, others vendors interviews are referring to "Demand Aggregators", "Commerce Networks" as ways for printers to increase sales. What are Demand Aggregators, Commerce Networks and how do they fit into your businesses?
What Do You Think about that?
Asks
Uncle Dave Mainwaring
--
A printer's Reply:
Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2007 10:35:38 -0700
Subject: RE: Demand Aggregators, Commerce Networks
Fundamentally DA's and CN's are e-commerce attempts to make money (in this case) by 'getting in between print buyers and printers.' As such, they "succeed" by ultimately reducing whatever services they e-list to commodities. Think "Priceline" vs. "Hotwire" for hotel rooms. When you think of using these, what are you searching for? Right, lowest price.
And how loyal are you that hotel you once stayed in if they don't have the lowest price next time? Exactly.
Printers interested in serving customers in one-to-one, lasting relationships are generally unimpressed by those actually promoting "commoditization." Aside from fans of dubious IPO's, still fantasizing "mindshare" guarantees profitability, "jargon of the month" doesn't impress. In the case of equipment sellers, it's a means to stimulate sales and leases of their systems/software...by implying they will generate significant business for the equipment one is being encouraged to acquire. Simply having the newest techno-print system doesn't guarantee a lessor's expertise, and savvy print buyers know this...or learn it quickly (the hard way). Those thinking these e-platforms will 'make their sales for them' are in for an unpleasant surprise: what business they may generate is typically going to come from buyers loyal only to the lowest price.
Goes back to a comment I made earlier: these folks (the system manufacturers now also touting DA's & CN's) would do better in the long run (for themselves and the printers they serve) to educate the buying public on the benefits of their technology. If you buy Brand Z...on the proposition they will generate orders for you (Wow - "no cost of sales!"), get a grip. The more equipment they place, the more printers they must list...to the point where being on any given list becomes essentially meaningless. Printers doing well are not foolish enough to rely upon aggregators...but work hard to promote their own companies and capabilities. If something floats over the transom from an aggregator, fine, but it's no kind of "plan" for success in the printing business.
--
From a Posting To: "Data Driven Printing-Publishing,
"Data Driven Publishing, VDP-PLus" is a special interest discussion forum.
This SIG is available 24x7 world wide for on-line discussions concerning
data driven publishing, (also known as : VDP, a catch-all term for any
data-driven document production technique or methodology).
The forum is FREE and a venue for:
Un-biased, real world opinions on VDP software tools from end-users.
Another, less formal (back-channel) venue for technical support from
software and hardware vendors.
Commentary from printing industry pioneers, educators and non-printing
companies adding VDP into their internal document workflows.
Discussion where all parties want to learn, discuss and debate both the
enabling technologies and the
value-creating applications that are based on the technologies.
Discussions cover very broad categories:
"What VDP "is," "how it works," "help!"' - PSP-industry dialogs.
"What VDP does" client-oriented dialogs.
Some members don't care "how;" they just want the "what it does it for me"
information. Others want to know tricks and tips, and the latest updates
and technologies in technical detail. Both are valued members.
Data driven printing is a group of process enabling technologies, nothing
more and nothing less. Generally speaking, VDP enables the "mass
customization" of documents - the ability to use mass production tools and
techniques to produce large or small quantities of documents, each of
which can be unique. DDP enables a diverse range of applications that use
customized documents in some way. The application might be a direct mail
program in which each mail piece contains information that is tailored to
address the specific interests or needs of the individual recipient. Or
it might be an application that produces a customized product brochure
based on information obtained from a prospective customer during a call
center contact. Or it may be a cross media application.
Membership is free to qualified applicants.
What better place to do industry networking.
Details on www.printplanet.com
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2007 5:45 AM
To: Data Driven Printing-Publishing, VDP
Subject: [vdp] Demand Aggregators, Commerce Networks
Listening to the 2007 OnDemand show videos on whattheythink.com I am hearing terminology that is new to me. I can understand EFI's new "Print to Win" tag line. However, others vendors interviews are referring to "Demand Aggregators", "Commerce Networks" as ways for printers to increase sales. What are Demand Aggregators, Commerce Networks and how do they fit into your businesses?
What Do You Think about that?
Asks
Uncle Dave Mainwaring
--
A printer's Reply:
Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2007 10:35:38 -0700
Subject: RE: Demand Aggregators, Commerce Networks
Fundamentally DA's and CN's are e-commerce attempts to make money (in this case) by 'getting in between print buyers and printers.' As such, they "succeed" by ultimately reducing whatever services they e-list to commodities. Think "Priceline" vs. "Hotwire" for hotel rooms. When you think of using these, what are you searching for? Right, lowest price.
And how loyal are you that hotel you once stayed in if they don't have the lowest price next time? Exactly.
Printers interested in serving customers in one-to-one, lasting relationships are generally unimpressed by those actually promoting "commoditization." Aside from fans of dubious IPO's, still fantasizing "mindshare" guarantees profitability, "jargon of the month" doesn't impress. In the case of equipment sellers, it's a means to stimulate sales and leases of their systems/software...by implying they will generate significant business for the equipment one is being encouraged to acquire. Simply having the newest techno-print system doesn't guarantee a lessor's expertise, and savvy print buyers know this...or learn it quickly (the hard way). Those thinking these e-platforms will 'make their sales for them' are in for an unpleasant surprise: what business they may generate is typically going to come from buyers loyal only to the lowest price.
Goes back to a comment I made earlier: these folks (the system manufacturers now also touting DA's & CN's) would do better in the long run (for themselves and the printers they serve) to educate the buying public on the benefits of their technology. If you buy Brand Z...on the proposition they will generate orders for you (Wow - "no cost of sales!"), get a grip. The more equipment they place, the more printers they must list...to the point where being on any given list becomes essentially meaningless. Printers doing well are not foolish enough to rely upon aggregators...but work hard to promote their own companies and capabilities. If something floats over the transom from an aggregator, fine, but it's no kind of "plan" for success in the printing business.
--
From a Posting To: "Data Driven Printing-Publishing,
"Data Driven Publishing, VDP-PLus" is a special interest discussion forum.
This SIG is available 24x7 world wide for on-line discussions concerning
data driven publishing, (also known as : VDP, a catch-all term for any
data-driven document production technique or methodology).
The forum is FREE and a venue for:
Un-biased, real world opinions on VDP software tools from end-users.
Another, less formal (back-channel) venue for technical support from
software and hardware vendors.
Commentary from printing industry pioneers, educators and non-printing
companies adding VDP into their internal document workflows.
Discussion where all parties want to learn, discuss and debate both the
enabling technologies and the
value-creating applications that are based on the technologies.
Discussions cover very broad categories:
"What VDP "is," "how it works," "help!"' - PSP-industry dialogs.
"What VDP does" client-oriented dialogs.
Some members don't care "how;" they just want the "what it does it for me"
information. Others want to know tricks and tips, and the latest updates
and technologies in technical detail. Both are valued members.
Data driven printing is a group of process enabling technologies, nothing
more and nothing less. Generally speaking, VDP enables the "mass
customization" of documents - the ability to use mass production tools and
techniques to produce large or small quantities of documents, each of
which can be unique. DDP enables a diverse range of applications that use
customized documents in some way. The application might be a direct mail
program in which each mail piece contains information that is tailored to
address the specific interests or needs of the individual recipient. Or
it might be an application that produces a customized product brochure
based on information obtained from a prospective customer during a call
center contact. Or it may be a cross media application.
Membership is free to qualified applicants.
What better place to do industry networking.
Details on www.printplanet.com
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