Your friend in the printing business

Digital vs. Offset Pricing

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:42:00 +0000

By now most people are familiar with the capability of digital print production; that it's fast, high quality, and, at low quantities, very affordable. Those of us who work in printing are so enthusiastic about this process that people probably wonder why we print anything with plates anymore. The answer is that the low-quantity price advantages of digital don't scale up very well and, past a certain point, offset printing is still the best value. Here's why.

Any price for printing is a calculation of fixed costs, which are incurred regardless of quantity, (e.g. proofing or machine set up), plus running costs which are directly tied to the amount to be printed, (e.g. paper, press or copier time). The key to understanding the dynamics of print costing is to examine the main driver for each type of production. For digital it's the ubiquitous "click charge", or cost per impression. For offset they are proofing, plate making, and machine setup.

There are three factors which limit the digital print model's ability to render a low unit cost at medium runs.

The first factor is that digital printing costs almost nothing to set up but is expensive per impression, due to high purchase, maintenance, and consumables costs. The second is that digital is usually limited to a smaller sheet size (e.g. letter size 2-up) whereas offset is often twice or four times that size, cutting the run length proportionately. The third factor, not unrelated to cost, is speed. In an environment oriented to a high quantity of small jobs it's not cost effective to tie up a slow digital system for an extensive run. They just plain don't run fast.

Let's look at theoretical pricing for a job which can be easily printed by either method; a 16 page saddlestitched booklet, 8.5 x 11 with bleeds, full CMYK color on 100# gloss text. This is a typical annual report or catalog and we do a lot of them. You can see that the crossover point is about 1,000 copies, which is a pretty good rule of thumb.

In a nutshell, digital printing starts quick but runs slow, has expensive consumables, and the unit price hits a plateau quickly. Conventional offset is just the opposite; once you're over the big hump of getting the job set up the unit cost continues to decline nicely. The real treat is that a modern print shop can now provide affordable prices across the entire spectrum at a level of quality customers love. As I've said before, there has never been a better time to buy printing!

Best Wishes for your New Year as we embark on 2012,

Hugh Butler
Your Friend in the Printing Business.

Variable Data: Printed just for YOU

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:14:00 +0000

Recently, at the end of a particularly frustrating week, my wife and I visited a favorite local jewelry store. Given that we were in a bad mood, it came as something of a surprise when Melinda spotted something attractive and modestly priced. To make a long story short, we walked out of the store happy and satisfied customers. The more interesting part of the story however, from a printing point of view, arrived a little more than a week later.

In the mail came a beautiful card from Pandora thanking Melinda for the purchase. The card was remarkable in that her name was incorporated into the printed design, both outside and inside, and that it arrived so soon after the purchase. This is an example of what the industry calls "Variable Data Printing", and I'm going to call "Personalized Printing".

I'm sure you've all seen cards like this, and Melinda said it was no surprise that Pandora could produce something creative and clever. The point of this post is that variable data technology is available at the local level, and does not have to cost a fortune. The key to cost effectiveness can be as simple as thinking small, and insuring your list is extremely fine-tuned; for example, people who made a purchase, registered for an event, or sent your organization some money.

One question that comes to mind is "why market to someone who already made their purchase"? The answers are manifold: To reinforce your brand; lay the groundwork for their next purchase; and fight a rear guard action against competition and brand dilution. All this can be done for an up-front single fee for the layout, and a per piece rate of about $3 including the card, an envelope, and postage.

The mechanics of this process could not be simpler, because once the layout is developed all that's required is to email a data file for each mailing and get back to more important tasks. The file could contain as few as 10 names or as many as 1,000. Once the project is in the hands of a qualified printer your worries are over.

Most importantly, with the production handled off-site the mailings will go out quickly and regularly no matter how busy your enterprise becomes. This is how our card came from Pandora so quickly; our name was part of a batch sent weekly by the retailer and that whole process took the local people maybe five minutes and cost them nothing. This is nimble work indeed; getting a personalized message from a large company within such a short time.

Once you begin thinking about "Personalized Printing" the list of good ideas, beyond Thank You cards, is almost overwhelming: book covers, packaging, direct mail just to name a few. The results reported by marketers are overwhelmingly positive. These are all examples of how our industry is offering cost effective and environmentally responsible ways to reach exactly the people you need. You'll be hearing a lot more about this from Your Friend in the Printing Business.

With Best Wishes as we head into the Holiday Season,

Hugh Butler

Person to Person Communication

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:12:00 +0000

I recently discovered a remarkable device on my desk. It's similar to a cell phone, only much larger and attached to the wall by a wire. (This may explain why, unique among my desktop objects, I have never misplaced it.) I've used it several times lately to communicate with people without the need for email. Someone even told me a joke while we were talking and we both had a good laugh.

People should reach for this handy item more often, if for no other reason than a sense of frustration while surveying the current landscape of electronic communication. It seems as if staying current with the myriad of electronic message sources could become a full time job. Perhaps, if a picture is worth a thousand words it may be that a conversation is worth about six emails.

I have been writing this blog for about three years. It's tied to my facebook page and I send out about 600 emails when I update it. It's RSS, facebook, and Twitter friendly and I enjoy the nexus it provides and the feedback I get. A year ago I felt up to date social media wise, but lately that universe is getting incomprehensible. Does anyone besides me feel that way?

In this renewed spirit of "person to person" communication I have gone around the next logical corner (as opposed to around the bend) and printed some Graphateria note cards. I tell people all the time that printed material works because it cuts through the electronic clutter and arrives "in person". If this advice is good enough for my customers why not for myself?

At any rate, our shop has some new services to offer, and some new accounts. I think they deserve a thank you note...or at least a call. Email can be so, you know, virtual.

Hugh Butler
Your Friend in the Printing Business

Do You Know These People? Of course not, and neither does anyone else.

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:36:00 +0000

What is the first thing you notice about this picture? People see thousands of images every day and intuitively sort them. What pile does this one go in?

My first reaction is that no meeting of business people actually looks like this. Beyond that I don't know what to make of it, because there is no real context and it could have been taken anywhere. For me, this image would go into the "void" pile.

If you are trying to convey a sense of presence for your "brand" why limit yourself to sterile and generic images?

The answer, of course, is that they are low cost (or free), of reasonable quality, and easy to obtain. The problem is that your material will look just like everyone else's. Remember; people are constantly sorting the images they encounter, and dismissing those that are uninformative. The general public has become exceedingly image savvy and they know phony when they see it.

A modest additional investment can dramatically increase the impact of your marketing material, digital or printed.

The investment is to have a local photographer spend an afternoon with you to build a library of your own images. This is not free, and involves an investment of time as well, but the quality will be excellent and the connection to your organization will be direct. People will notice this, and have a better sense of who you are and how you relate to them...which is what you're trying to accomplish in the first place.

The two images below (from separate jobs) sum up what I'm trying to say; one says indisputably who the people are and ties them to their pet-related business. The second conveys a sense of community, because anyone in Tallahasse knows it was taken at the beloved Maclay Gardens, and a sense of motion because the orchestra was moving to temporary quarters.
(Click on image to view full size.)

My good friend Michael Calienes explores this topic with more experience and perspective than me here. I recommend his blog and this post wholeheartedly. (At the end of his post he lists several Tallahassee area photographers.)

There is always a role for high quality, carefully chosen stock images in that they can provide an idealized notion of what you want to look like, but they can't do that by themselves. Such images must be an integral part of a strong, coherent layout. My point is that using generic pictures as a crutch or shortcut is just plain selling yourself short by telling only half of your visual story.

The extra effort can help you win the message race in the mailbox or inbox...Remember; People will notice!

Hugh Butler
Your Friend in the Printing Business

Acknowledgments: Per the terms of use for the free image at the top of the page here is the contributors link. The image of the two ladies and Mojo the dog was taken by Robin Adams. The TSO cover layout was done by Rob Gelhardt.

What it means when we say "Off to our Conference"

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 08:42:00 +0000

When I took this job in 1993 I had never worked with an association. I had been to conferences, (my wife, Melinda was President of the New Hampshire Telephone Association), but never knew the inside story. Then I moved to Tallahassee.

As a new sales rep, on the advice of my new boss, I joined the Tallahassee Society of Association Executives (TSAE), went to see anyone who would give me an appointment, and eventually closed the deal to print some conference material. My customer was a very nice young woman we'll call Christy, because that was her real name.

I, and almost every association I have worked with since, owe her a lot.

I owe her a lot because, as she related the timetable for her project, she must have sensed a certain inattentiveness on my part; it was clear I did not understand what her world would be like when this deadline approached. She didn't want anything else to worry about, so she stopped and took a moment to straighten me out.

She related the myriad details which surround conference planning and the consequences of things getting out of control. She shared the stress she and the association staff experience when there was no time left to fix problems. She mentioned that for them, unlike us as a vendor, packing the truck was just the beginning, and that they would be working twenty hour days until the last member checked out and they had to pack the truck all over again. It was one of the most frank and concise ten minutes I've ever spent with a client.

I think about Christy often, and mostly during this time of year as we send one client after another off to their conference. I am always amazed at the skill, dedication, and true good humor our association friends display as they go about this critical part of their year. There always seems to be a good idea to squirrel away for next year to make the process even smoother.

So, to all the TSAEs, FSAEs, CMPs, CAE's and SGMPs out there; have a safe trip, and take a well deserved break when you get back!

Hugh Butler
Your Friend in the Printing Business

The Deal You Make

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Wed, 11 May 2011 12:13:00 +0000

People doing business can make an agreement about almost anything. If a problem occurs one party may be entitled to a remedy because the other side didn't hold up their end of the deal. Make sense so far? Of course it does.

Not so fast. What happens when an agreement is made that does not contain important information, or is based on differing assumptions? Nothing good, I assure you. This is often the only time that people examine closely what they agreed to in the first place. Consider the following:

Hadley v. Baxendale 1854
Mr. Hadley, a mill owner in jolly old England, needed to ship a certain part away for repairs, and contracted with Mr. Baxendale for the transport. The part failed to arrive at the repair shop by the agreed date, and Mr. Hadley sued for lost profits because his mill was idle in the meantime. Mr. Baxendale maintained he was not responsible for the "consequential damages" of the delay because he did not know, and was not told, that the mill would be idle.

The Court of Exchequer Chamber, led by Baron Sir Edward Hall Alderson, (picture left), found on appeal that Mr. Baxendale was not liable for the "special" damages because they were not contemplated within the original agreement. You might call it the "I don't have a crystal ball" defense.

So much for legal trivia; but I will confess that Mr. Baxendale comes to mind from time to time in my dealings with printing clients. Here are some issues which sometimes lead to misunderstanding, (or what I refer to as "agreement via post-mortem"). Please note that these are all firsthand accounts of actual events.

QUANTITY

Customer Said: "I need 10,000".
Customer should have said: "My mailing list has 9999 names.
Discussion: Be aware that, on occasion, print runs come up a little short. Standard practice is to pro-rate the invoice amount down by the quantity short, (up to about 5% at which point we need to back to press). Many people think this is just hogwash, but our entire industry disagrees. This tiny bit of flexibility saves the print-buying public an enormous amount of money because the alternative would be to overrun every single job.
Suggestion: If your quantity is critical specify "No Unders".

PROOFING

Customer Said: "I have to make changes but I don't need to see another proof".
Customer should have said: "Don't make another proof because I don't want to pay for it, and I'm too busy to look at it anyway. If anything goes wrong, however, I'll make you print the job over again at no cost".
Discussion: When you choose not to see a revised proof you are deputizing someone else to check the work, but the responsibility for approval stays with you and you will have to live with their decision. If you are unwilling to take that chance why would you expect the printer to do so?
Suggestion: When in doubt go for the proof.

USE

Customer Said: "I need some stickers".
Customer should have said: "I need some parking stickers for outdoor use, (in the Florida sun and rain), which need to last for an academic year without peeling or fading.
Discussion: It's almost impossible to give the printer too much information about how your printed item will be used. Chances are that the more you tell them, the more the printer will be able to suggest appropriate stock, inks, and finishing.
Suggestion: In addition to verbal specs, a sample you can provide, which would meet your needs, is invaluable.

DUE DATE

Customer Said: "Can I get them by Friday"?
Customer should have said: "I need them on Friday at noon, when my Chairman will be at the airport boarding a plane to New York. If they are not in his briefcase I'll lose my job".
Discussion: He really needed them Thursday at noon, for sure.
Suggestion: This one needs no elaboration.

PAYMENT

Customer Said: Well, nothing, actually.
Customer should have said: (and eventually did) "If this campaign isn't successful we won't have the money to pay you for the printing".
Discussion: Beyond the obvious, let me add there is nothing more aggravating than having a customer pay slowly for a rush job.
Suggestion: This one also needs no elaboration.

DELIVERY

Customer Said: "I need them next Wednesday".
Customer should have said: (and eventually did) "I need them next Wednesday in Orlando".
Discussion: Final delivery is the most often overlooked piece of information in a printing order. Be aware that any loose end in the order opens the door for mistakes and misunderstandings later.
Suggestion: State your requirements clearly regarding when they are needed and where. It's not uncommon for the cost of express freight to meet or exceed the actual cost of the printing if something goes wrong.

Remember: Mr. Baxendale did not know the mill would be closed because Mr. Hadley never told him. If Mr. B. had bargained for, and accepted, that "special risk" I'll bet the part would have arrived on time. It's all about the deal you make.

Many people unknowingly withhold information because the prospect of trouble intimidates them, and the result is that they neglect their obligations as a buyer. By the same token, many printers take it for granted that every print buyer is an expert, and fail to ask questions which would clarify what needs to happen. In the middle, between these two limited perspectives, is where the problems live.

Remember: none of these issues are difficult if they're discussed before the fact. Get your cards out on the table and ask questions until you're satisfied. Don't let your project become an episode of CSI: Printshop.

With Best Wishes,

Hugh Butler

Your Friend in the Printing Business

QR Codes, or 'I always wondered what those were'.

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:32:00 +0000

Have you seen one of these yet?

Maybe it was at the end of a magazine article or on a Realtor's sign. Maybe it was on a business card or brochure. If you have a smart phone with a camera, and a barcode reading app, these little squares can become interactive in a digital way. Even non-geeks may think this is pretty nifty.

QR (Quick Response) Codes, originally developed for parts tracking in manufacturing plants, can easily be encoded with web links, address book listings, or plain text. Once created, and included as part of a layout, they give people the opportunity to read the code with their phone and instantly access the associated content. That means they can jump to the web link, see and/or save the address book listing, or just read the text.

Here are the "Whys":

First, we acknowledges that people have incredibly short attention spans, and are not likely to enter a web address manually or write down contact information to input later. A "snapshot" of the information overcomes this problem.
Second, and quite importantly, these codes appeal to certain very distinct portions of your overall market. Adding this functionality to your campaign signals that your message is relevant to them, and will establish right away you're on their wavelength. Of course, the actual relevance is up to you to establish. More on that below.
Third, on a large or small scale the QR Code itself can be incorporated into the media. (Click on photo below to view full size.)

Here are the "Hows":
The easiest way to generate QR Codes are the multitude of online sites available, both free and by subscription. Here are three I found in less than five minutes:
http://qrcode.kaywa.com
http://zxing.appspot.com/generator
http://www.qrstuff.com

The process usually involves three steps; choose the type of information (web address, address book, text), enter the specifics, save the resulting image to your disk. Voila! The image is ready to place in any format you need. One happy feature about these images is that they are quite binary and have no diagonal lines, so even a tiny file (like 12 kb) will function properly. This is good news if small file size and quick loading are a priority.

The field of uses for these little codes is wide open, and any agency fluent in digital media (like our friends at Taproot Creative) can help you tailor benefits unique to your situation. A few caveats occur to me however:

Be aware that people snapping a web link code may be skeptical if it looks cryptic. If your company name is included in the visible link (you see the address before choosing to go there) they will be reassured the destination is legit.
A little tag line under the code saying "smartphone compatible" may help the uninitiated understand what they're looking at. Some phones come equipped with a barcode reader and the owners are unaware of its' existence. Help them learn!
Be double sure the landing page (if that's what you encode) is smartphone friendly. Nothing says "loser" more clearly than sending a tech savvy customer to a non-functional site.

I hope you clever folks will bring us some interesting projects containing these codes. The USPS is so enamored of them they are offering mega-mailers a discount this summer for mailings displaying smartphone compatibility. Anything that will strengthen the links between the elements of your campaign, and do so at virtually no additional cost, is a winner!

In sum, let me just say:

Shiny, happy paper having fun

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Just in time for the Holidays, we've come across two unique lines of paper ideal for the project your boss hasn't told you about. By that I mean the company Christmas card. The one that needs to be mailed the first week of December. Which is sooner than you think.

CTI Paper USA provides the following prose to describe their ASPIRE Petallics line, and I will quote verbatim being somewhat adjective-challenged on my own:

Capture the essence of life’s finer things with ASPIRE Petallics. A distinctly elegant canvas for your most discerning creative, ASPIRE Petallics sets the standard for sophistication.

The most impressive part of this flowery statement is that it's true. The distributors stocking information for this paper describes it as having a "Mica Finish", and if I had the shorten the description to two words those would do it. This stock comes in a white digital-compatible color which they (inexplicably) call "Beargrass", as well as several others certified for offset printing. Matching envelopes are available in three "A" sizes.

So far we have run business cards and a dinner program on this paper at our shop and the customers loved the results. (I've also seen some Holiday cards run commercially that were also impressive.) Please contact me directly to see some samples.

ReichPaper has similar superlative language to offer regarding their SHINE line of papers, and, again, I'm forced to admit they can be forgiven their enthusiasm:

SHINE brings a subtle shimmer to every design, combining natural minerals with organic pigments, for a rich, luminous effect.

Both of these stocks feature a bright, shimmery finish capable of adding a three dimensional feel to even a very plain vanilla design. Because they behave like a coated stock the printing colors, offset or digital, remain bright. The only drawback is fairly high cost, but these runs tend to be short, and therefore not much paper has to be bought. I think people are getting a lot of visual bang for the buck.

Please let me know if you would like to see samples of these papers...the personality of each finish is just not possible to convey online. We think there's going to be a lot of people wanting to try them out!

I've been looking at printing paper for almost thirty years and have never seen such a scarcity of interesting brands. Consolidation and belt tightening in the paper business are absolutely ruining the selection, and that is a major reason why these two lines are so exciting! This can give you an ace in the hole when the design request shows up at the eleventh hour!

Thanks!

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

Aspire Petallics and SHINE are registered trademarks of their respective manufacturers

Here is a Hymn to the 188C and the 4525C

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 13:16:00 +0000

If you're a friend of Florida State University you'll recognize the following verse, and a smile, or even a tear, may appear as you read:

Here is a hymn to the Garnet and Gold, ringing to the sky.
Here is a song for the men and women bold. Sing with heads held high.
Striving ere to seek to know, Fight for victory.
Alma Mater, this our song to you. Echoes, F.S.U.

The University Communications Office cares deeply about Garnet and Gold, particularly after having invested considerable effort in a 2009 update of FSU's visual identity. This update brought a contemporary and consistent look to all visual elements of FSU. The picture below shows about ten years and three iterations of design evolution between the old seal on the left, (ca. 1990), and one of the many new versions available today. See this link for a comprehensive guide to usage and different formats available.

(Click on image to see full size.)

Designers, printers, web developers, and anyone else involved with FSU identity can find all the guidance they need at FSU Voice and Visual Systems. This landing page, and then its link to the main Voice and Visual System Document (upper left corner) contain exhaustive graphics standards for everything from letterhead to vehicles to architecture and signage. Downloadable artwork is also available from the main page for anyone with an FSU Login and Password.

The section within the Voice and Visual System Document I want to highlight is the one devoted to color as many print jobs show up at our shop with incorrect colors specified within the file.

(Click on image to view full size.)

Note in the graphic above that FSU has taken great care to specify spot color Pantone numbers as well as their CMYK, RGB and Hex equivalents. To further refine the standards, distinct Pantone numbers for coated and uncoated paper are provided for the Garnet, and a Pantone Metallic number for the Gold if it will utilize metallic ink. (On succeeding pages of the Color Guide section specifications are provided for building color gradients of each.) All of this represents a tremendous amount of work on the part of FSU, and a unique opportunity to get your project off on the right foot.

If you don't know which color model your actual printing will use, it's important to find out before proceeding to first base with the file.

Beyond the general note that the University Communications Office cares deeply about these standards two things are important to understand; one is that FSU will help in any way they can to make this information accessible and understandable, and the other is that compliance is not optional. Like any major entity, FSU has a huge stake in projecting and protecting a unified brand.

On the latter point, compliance, you must become familiar not only with the guidelines, but also trademark and licensing issues. The last thing you want to happen is have your product look like a mismatch or, even worse, to get in serious trouble by misuse of copyrighted or trademarked material.

To end on a positive note, I've always found Frances Conaway (fconaway@fsu.edu or 644-2913) at University Communications to be an extremely helpful person for information beyond what's on the web page. She is one of many people who care deeply about FSU, and was kind enough to preview and help me with this post.

With best wishes to all friends of the printing business, both on and off campus,

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

Tradecraft

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 12:47:00 +0000

A few Fridays ago Terry Herbst, longtime press operator at our shop, retired after twenty years with the company. To give you an idea of his tenure let's note he printed one of our client's newsletters one hundred and sixty five times, and did so without any memorable problems. (Years prior to his stay here, Terry's Army unit in Vietnam also read newsletters that he printed.) Reflecting on Terry's career got me thinking about the things that have changed in our business, and, more importantly, the things that have not.

It's tempting to lump press operators into the larger category of skilled trades such as fabricating or construction. All trades involve the application of basic methods to accomplish the task at hand, but the skills required to run a printing press go further. This is true because of the intangible and fluid nature of the process, and the leap of faith required every time a press operator cranks up on a production run.

The leap of faith is necessary because, at the top of a run, press operators know that they only have limited control over what is going to happen next. Also, that no matter how it goes, they will be held responsible. Those factors that are not under their control include: the quality and personality of the paper; the atmospheric conditions in the shop such as temperature and humidity; the skills of the personnel upstream in the production process; and the fact that wet ink looks different than it will twelve hours later when dry. If you are about to commit $3,000 of the company's paper to a job it takes a lot of guts to push that "RUN" button.

So, what's changed? What makes the life of a press operator different than ten years ago?

The easy answer is digital pre-press and the high quality plates it produces. The elimination of hand assembled film in the platemaking process, and its replacement by laser platesetters, allows for a highly precise process. The plates delivered to the press are cleaner, line up faster, and require less tinkering. All of this gets you to the top of the run quickly; with less frustration and fewer false starts. No operator I know would willingly switch back to the "good old days".

The more complicated trend is the move to all-digital printing, (currently for shorter runs), with no plates at all. These machines are fundamentally different than conventional offset presses.

This leads to a conundrum in the operator's life, because it upsets the balance between art and science. (By art I refer to skill based on intuition.) There is much less interaction between the machine and the operator, and finely tuned adjustments cannot be made during the run. This could relegate the operator to the role of "mouse jockey", but fear not; here comes the basic fact which will never change.

Customers care deeply about the quality of work they receive. (I learned this firsthand at a print shop where I made all my own customer deliveries.) In order for the high-fives and victory lap to commence a lot of people have to do a lot of things right...and key to that success are the tradespeople who put the image down on the sheet. Any tradesperson "worth his salt" knows that the customer will scrutinize the work, and takes the steps necessary to be proud of what goes out the door.

This pride has always been the source of good tradecraft. Regardless of the level of technology, high quality work comes from equipment that is well cared for, run by people who give a damn about what they're doing. The knowledge that their extra effort make a difference, and that the customer deserves it, is what distinguishes a tradesperson from someone just punching the clock.

With sincere thanks to Terry for his millions of good impressions, and best wishes to him and Linda in the years ahead,

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

New Technologies and the Hype Cycle

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 13:16:00 +0000

The commentary cloud surrounding social media has made much of the "Hype Cycle" of new technology. I thought it would be helpful to place some printing technologies along this curve. Because this blog strives for original content, certain liberties have been taken with the following graphic explanation:

Our business has brought several new technologies into the mainstream with significant benefit to our customers. They're evaluated here in no particular order:

FTP File Transfer: File Transfer Protocol, or FTP, is a fully mature method of communicating production files to a print shop. Depending on their client profile printers use a dedicated FTP server, providing secure access to a client area, or a browser based system. Either way, files too large to email efficiently can be sent to or from the shop. For people like me, who used to have to drive everywhere to pick up disks, this technology is invaluable, and customers benefit from the ability to get their job inside the shop in minutes. If your printer doesn't offer FTP, clients can do it themselves by using services such as box.net or yousendit. My yousendit dropbox, for example, is here and requires no special software, login, or password.

Variable Data: "Mail Merge" on steroids, this technology has run out in front of user demand, and is often present in a local printing market just waiting for people to catch on. Digital printing technology makes the inclusion of customized data in a printed piece relatively easy, and usually ties that component into a larger campaign. Offer numbers, customer numbers, product keys, customer names, postal addressing, and various security features are all capable of being incorporated; all that is required is imaginative thinking and collaboration with your provider.

Soft Proofing: a/k/a onscreen proofing is a great way speed up and economize the approval process assuming the following: 1) You are a fastidious proofreader before submitting your file to the printer and 2)have trained everyone in your office to be the same. 3) You are a technical super-pro with a longstanding track record, and 4) a compulsive gambler. All the rest of us mortals should stick to hardcopy proofing. I personally do not know anyone who can proofread onscreen to a level which can guarantee a project will be error free. I know this to be true because I see our customers spend thousands of dollars correcting simple editing errors which are only caught in hardcopy form at our proof stage.

PDF submission: Most commercial shops use PDF based workflow systems because of their compact and reliable nature. Since the individual pages which make up your layout are going to be converted to PDF anyway customers can (and sometimes must) perform that step themselves and simplify file submission. There are a few common problems, however, which will fill you with a sense of rejection; most important, the file must be created with all fonts embedded.

The defining feature of a PDF file is its ability to render properly no mater which computer it’s on. Key to this ability is the file’s willingness to carry within itself a copy of all the fonts which were used by the original program (Word, InDesign, etc). Unfortunately, this feature can be defeated by the home computers desire to keep the file size small, and thus omit the internal font copies. It is imperative that the settings used to create the PDF instruct that the fonts be “embedded” or else the file will, without warning, substitute whatever fonts may be available in its new neighborhood. This can cause problems ranging in size from troubling to disastrous.

The solution is simple and easy to check. First, use the “Press Quality” settings from the menu at the PDF creation step. (For Microsoft products also be sure the “never embed” window is empty.) Second, after the file is created, go to File>Properties>Fonts to be sure ALL fonts listed are followed by the term “embedded subset” as in the following picture.

Second most important, the file must allow for extra image outside the trim size of the file if the printed image “bleeds” off the edge. My dog, Lassie, will now demonstrate, although you should click on the picture to see it full size:

Third most important, check to see that you ended up with the colors you intended for printing. The step in Acrobat is Advanced>Print Production>Output Preview and you'll see something like the following, and there is NO END of interesting details you can learn about your file:

I'm happy to return to this page after a two month hiatus during which the actual printing business was quite hectic. Many wishes came true at our shop, with the result being my neglect of you loyal readers. I hope the first quarter of 2010 was encouraging for you as well, and look forward to your feedback online.

Sincerely,

Hugh Butler
Your Friend in the Printing Business

Don't Tax Me, bro'....BZZT!

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:29:00 +0000

As someone who spent the formative part of his career in New Hampshire, a fairly Libertarian state, I devoted a lot of trial and error to my business dealings with sales tax after moving to Florida. The Granite State has no such tax, or income tax for that matter, so I guess I considered the whole thing kind of silly. Our highly skilled and efficient bookkeeper, Jennifer Walker, who has survived a full fledged sales tax audit, thinks otherwise and I have learned to defer to her wisdom.

Herewith is my best effort at saving you from the trouble I caused myself (and Jennifer). It is not to be considered professional advice, but a laypersons discussion of issues we run into here at the print shop. Before taking any action be sure to consult an actual tax professional.

Florida sales tax (plus local county kicker) must be collected on the sale of any printing project unless the buyer has furnished, in advance of the sale, one of two Florida Department of Revenue certificates. (This assumes the job is produced by a Florida company for delivery within the state...if the entirety of the product ships outside the state no tax is due.)

DR-14 Consumer's Certificate of Exemption is the proof that must be furnished by an entity who does not have to pay Florida sales tax by virtue of their non-profit or governmental status. This group would include schools, churches, government offices, and most charities. The DR-14 should not be confused with the Federal IRS form which defines their status as "non-profit" and exempt from Federal income tax...that is a separate issue entirely and will not suffice for FL DOR purposes.

The most common pitfalls regarding this exemption are 1) that the certificate has not been applied for and granted, or 2) the tax exempt entity is the end user, but not the payer of the printer's invoice. The latter situation arises when the job is ordered and paid for by a third party, such as an ad agency, who may not utilize the tax exempt status of the end user in their intermediate transaction with the printer. We worked on a job recently where the agency pre-billed a non-profit for printing without including sales tax, but was then liable for it in their transaction with the shop. The 7.5% tax ate up half their mark-up. The solution to this problem moves us to the next form.

DR-13 Florida Annual Resale Certificate for Sales Tax is proof of a buyer's eligibility to make purchases exempt from Florida sales tax when the goods will be re-sold to a subsequent end user, with appropriate tax to be paid on that final transaction. In this scenario the buyer becomes a seller and is then responsible for determination of the end-user's tax status and collecting any tax due for submission to the state. The resale certificate requires a fair amount of record keeping and reporting, but is the most legitimate way of doing business if you routinely act as a printing "broker".

The most common pitfalls with resale are 1) the certificate must be presented to the vendor prior to the first transaction and then resubmitted each year they continue to do business, 2) the "Presented To" and "Presented By" section at the bottom must be filled out, and 3) the goods must actually be for resale...you can't buy your own business cards this way. It's important to communicate to the print shop whether the job is for resale or not.

To sum up: Be prepared to pay sales tax on any purchase of printing produced and delivered within Florida unless one of the two certificates has been presented, and further that the entity named on the check or credit card tendered for payment MUST match both the name on the invoice and the name on the certificate of exemption. If all three don't match the exemption can't be honored because of the potential for fraud.

It's the customer's responsibility determine the tax status of the job, and to communicate with the shop if an exemption is appropriate so the transaction can be processed appropriately. Failure to do so leads to unnecessary paperwork and a "retrospective" approach which may viewed in a dim light by the Florida DOR in the event of an audit. This is no joke...just ask Jennifer, who spent several days with DOR auditors some years ago and learned many lessons as a result.

On a final note, before you consider moving there to escape sales and income taxes, remember this; when you open your New Hampshire property tax bill, or register a car up there, it's best to be seated. The money has to come from somewhere.

It's also a little snowy just now...

Hoping 2010 is off to a good start,

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

Move Update Update

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:29:00 +0000

A recent project clarified a question which comes up from time to time, and since I needed a short post here it is:

The United States Postal Service (USPS), in an eco-friendly endeavor to cut down on undeliverable mail, has enacted a requirement called "Move Update". This requirement must be satisfied to obtain the "automation" rates in First Class Presort or Presorted Standard mail, and that means a lot of money is at stake. If you're a glutton for punishment here's the USPS page on the subject. More simply, there are two ways to be sure your mail complies:

National Change of Address (NCOA) is a database maintained by USPS. Various commercial services, such as printers and mail processors, use specialized software to process your mailing list through the NCOA database to be sure all the addresses are valid. This is a routine step performed by mail shops everywhere, and if they send you an itemized bill you can probably find a line item for NCOA of about $25.

Ancillary Service Endorsement, the alternative to NCOA, is wording you add to your return address to request that undeliverable mail be handled by USPS in various ways (depending on the endorsement you choose). The goal is to get feedback about listings in you mail which are Undeliverable as Addressed, (or "UAA" to prove that USPS has an acronym for everything). This feedback is then used to keep your data up to date. A fairly clear webpage at USPS discussing the endorsements, their timeframes and costs is here.

If you're a do-it-yourself mailer it's important to check this out in some detail as savings may be available. More usually, people use a printshop or mailshop to prepare their stuff, and so this step is almost certainly taking place anyway. I've noticed, however, that information about mailing requirements is disseminated slowly, so this post seeks to answer the few questions that come up. Maybe we also need a friend in the mailing business.

Few will remember 2009 as a great year, but your friend in the printing business has a lot to be grateful for. First, our industry continues to provide a bastion of good paying trade-based employment for Florida's citizens. Second, our technical people, who peer relentlessly into the future, are insuring our customers get the benefit of every innovation that can be found. Finally, our colleagues in the public relations and advertising business still look at printed collateral as a good investment, albeit one which must be made prudently. All of this is reason to look toward 2010 with guarded optimism.

At the risk of repeating a theme from several posts, I must observe that there has never been a better time to buy printed material. The downward pressure on prices and increasing technical firepower are converging in a way which makes higher quality and greater speed available across a wide range of quantities. This is particularly true for shorter runs, and is a unique development in our business...the ability to purchase multi-page high quality color printing in short runs, (50-100), at an affordable price. Don't miss out on this!

On a personal note I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has taken the time to visit this blog, and particularly those PR pro's who gave me so much support and guidance to get it going. I'm also very grateful for the printing and finishing professionals who form the knowledge base that goes far beyond my personal expertise.

Let me close by wishing you a Happy 2010, and a reminder to buy local and support your local printshop!

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

The best, simplest question so far...

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:27:00 +0000

One of our fine Tallahassee PR firms, The Moore Consulting Group, recently sent their graphics intern over for a tour of our shop, (an invitation we extend to everyone, BTW). She asked several good questions, including: "What do I need to know to keep from running into trouble when I take my jobs to [fill in the name of your favorite print outlet]? I thought it was the best, simplest question I've ever been asked in this context. I hope I provided an equally cogent answer, which follows.

1) What are the physical characteristics of your project? These include overall size, size and configuration when folded (with allowance for shortened panels), and weight and finish of paper.

2) How should my file be set up to be consistent with the printing method? These considerations relate to how many colors will the file will separate into: one, four (CMYK or process color), or multiple spot colors.

If you can't answer these questions you'll depend on someone else to fill in the blanks. This doesn't mean trouble, necessarily, but remember this; the person who is ultimately responsible for the success of your project is...you. Many customers have said, about unpleasant prior experiences, "I can't believe they put it on that paper". "They" did that, most likely, because the customer defaulted on the choice.

I often ask people to characterize the printing business, and, after the silliness that follows, most people say "it's a service business". That description is not really accurate. Although we strive to offer good service, printing is, primarily, custom manufacturing. It's the customer's role to convey, as clearly as possible, what they want to achieve, and it's up to the printer to insure that goal is met in a professional manner. The responsibility for communication goes BOTH ways.

Too often the printer may feel that if the customer doesn't know, they don't care; and their customer may be thinking something else entirely. Worse, at some retail shops, the service person may not be much more knowledgeable than the customer. The devil (or angels) are in the details...be sure they know you care.

The best way to stay happy is to take positive charge of your role in this custom manufacturing process. If you can't answer the two basic questions don't whistle in the dark...seek out the people who can help. If all else fails, send your intern over for the tour, and have them explain it to you when they get back.

Until then, you can always find help here!

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

PS My next post will be a brief tour of Florida sales tax rules, so, if this prospect is unpleasant, please feel free to suggest a different topic. Having spent half my career in New Hampshire, where there is no sales tax, I see the whole process as somewhat barbaric, but it's a fact of life. The consequences of getting the rules wrong can be dire, so undertake it we will. Please feel free to help me postpone this topic by suggesting one of your own...we'll all appreciate it.

Happy Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:38:00 +0000

(Click on image to view full size)

Best wishes to my friends and colleagues, and all readers of "Your friend in the printing business". With hope for a world in which everyone has a home to journey toward with a warm heart,

Hugh Butler

Folding Fanatics at foldfactory.com

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:15:00 +0000

It's always a pleasure to come across someone who loves what they do. Take a peek at this Folding Basics video and then c'mon back and we'll talk about Trish Witkowski and foldfactory.com.

Beyond pointing to the wealth of information and entertainment at foldfactory.com this post will highlight FOLDRite template master, which is their plug-in for InDesign. This invaluable tool solves the myriad problems we see with customer layouts of folded brochures, and does so through an efficient and easy to use interface. This is a very powerful, time saving tool.

(Before that, however, I am compelled to disclose that, in order to evaluate this software, I was given a copy of FOLDRite which I do not have to give back. No other consideration was given or received. I am still a penniless blogger.)

For those who skipped the video, (bad idea) let's recap:

Any panel folding inside another panel must be shortened, (a concept FOLDRite refers to as compensation). This is not optional...it's true the same way gravity is true, and on a multi-panel brochure can be wickedly complicated. (For more background see here.)
Real people hate fractions and long decimal points. No one wants to take a prime number (11" for instance) and divide into three panels (letterfolded) two of which are equal and one which is shortened. Life is too short.
The consequences of getting the compensated panels wrong are quite dire...either the layout must be adjusted and re-proofed, or the printed job, on the way to the folder, will be chopped short which makes the layout look wrong. The video contains an interview with an actual folder operator who shows you the gruesome result.

This is where FOLDRite comes in. The basic screen shows you pictorial choices of folding styles, and lets you enter either the final folded size (e.g. 4 x 9) or the sheet size you want to begin with (e.g. 9 x 12). Within seconds FOLDRite will build you an InDesign template with guides in place, and designations on each panel such as "outside front", "inside left", etc. You build your design from there, and save it as you would any other .INDD file. No math, no mind-bending mirror image for the inside vs. outside, and, most importantly, no mistakes.

It's FOLDRite's ability to construct the template in either direction, from the final folded size up or the beginning sheet size down, (and do so with no user computations), which makes it unique. The fact that the panel compensation can be adjusted for various weights of paper through a simple, non-numerical choice, (normal, increased, heavy), is the crowning feature I was looking for. This is obviously a product engineered with real world feedback from design, production, and software professionals.

Like anything truly great, this product is easy to underestimate. It is a powerful and thoroughly engineered add-on to the de facto standard page layout program, and is easier to use than most of InDesign's standard features. At the current special price of $99 (single user license) it will pay for itself by saving you one set of revised proofs from a bad layout. More important, it will save you five to thirty minutes every time you start a layout from scratch. Most important, the website gives you a wealth of creative ideas, many of which are practical even for a budget minded client.

foldfactory.com and FOLDRite are a one, two punch...the website gets you excited about the design possibilities, and FOLDRite will build a layout which is fail safe. Your printer will be literally amazed when you say, "here's my broadside vertical roll folded brochure", and the layout is right on the money. Like a pool shark, you might even want to sandbag your rep and place a side bet on success...maybe make some extra money. I would probably fall for it. (Once.)

Here's a regular feature from foldfactory.com called the 60 Second Super Cool Fold of the Week. Clearly, these are people who know how to have a good time:

I love these self-proclaimed "folding fanatics" because they've built a bridge from the art of paper folding to the science of cutting edge graphics technology, and had a blast in the process. That's what I want to do when I grow up!

Until then, I look forward to your comments online.

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

Note: InDesign is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc. FOLDRite Template Master is a registered trademark of the Finishing Experts Group, Inc. Images and videos used with permission.

The Annual "December Surprise"

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:06:00 +0000

My customers are caught off guard every year when, seemingly without warning, the Holiday Season jumps out and screams "Ha! You forgot about the greeting cards again!" Consider this post your own personal warning...it's almost November.

We should actually jump ahead to something even more overlooked than the card, which is the envelope it will travel in. This is, without a doubt, the most overlooked object in the world of printing...if I had a nickel for every Holiday card that showed up at the shop sans enveloppe I could immediately retire and buy a yacht. This is unfortunate because, at the very least, it's an inconvenience to throw one together at the last minute.

More problematic is the fact that envelopes are only available certain sizes and paper stocks, and if your card is not designed with an existing envelope in mind you may end up with a misfit. Below is s a link to help keep you out of trouble...I urge you to be sure you know which envelope you plan to use before you lay out the card which'll go in it:

MAC Papers Anatomy of an Envelope Note that the style you will want is either "A-Size" (with a square flap) or "Baronial" (with a pointy flap). Hold your cursor over each style to see the sizes available. The A-Sizes are usually available in a range of paper stocks but the Baronials (which are less expensive) are limited to white and ivory. Thanks to MAC Papers for this great link.

So far as you actual card is concerned there are two options; a stock card can be purchased and sent to the printshop to be imprinted, or something fully customized can be designed and produced for you. Both options are quite affordable, even in small quantities, and can be finished in just a few days. (The printing, that is, not necessarily the design.)

For those who call in a panic during the third week of December the printers will have nothing but cheer, and goodwill. (You can always discuss moving to a New Years greeting.) But just think how proud you'll be if you get started now and have plenty of time for a great design, and mailing well in advance of the Christmas rush.

Bring it up at the next client or staff meeting...see what the budget is...talk to the designer. Why wait to the last minute to put together something fun and maybe even meaningful. It's that kind of season, after all.

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

PS. As "Your friend in the printing business" moves into it's second year I hope to expand readership by offering this non-commercial blog to as many people as possible. If you are a member of an organization whose membership could benefit from our discussion please let me know. Thanks again!

Weird Rules and Good Habits

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:37:00 +0000

This is a post with two parts...one which you have no control over, and one which you do. Both have to do with our relationship with the U.S. Postal Service. The first is a rule change effective October 5, 2009:

QSG 201b Commercial Letters and Postcards - Using Tabs, Wafer Seals and Glue Strips

This two page notice is self explanatory, and worth printing out if you do a lot of mailing. It's current information may impact your design decisions and mail processing costs. USPS is serious about automation-compatible mail, so be aware that all regs are being strictly enforced. For those who are picture oriented here's the relevant graphic, which is page two of the notice:

(Click on the image to see full-size)

You can't do anything about the Byzantine USPS rules, but it's important to understand those parts of the mailing process you must participate in directly. If something goes wrong in this regard we all feel bad, but it's you, the customer, who bears responsibility for compliance, and will sacrifice the discounts available for automation-compatible mail. With that in mind, Your Friend in the Printing Business discloses the Mail Service Provider Top Five suggestions:

1) Be familiar with USPS requirements about elements on your mailpiece. Notice 67 from USPS is a plastic template which defines various elements such as min and max sizes, clear area for barcodes, OCR Read Area (optical character cognition of address), and FIM location (facing identification marks for reply mail).

This graphic is a simplified version of the template available at the Bulk Mail Entry Unit of the Post Office. If you print this one out, please be sure it's true to scale before you use it for real! (Click on image to see full size.)

Many requirements have changed recently, and they are important! Phil at Modern Mailers in Tallahassee, (who supplied a lot of information for this post), told me that USPS has rejected about 6 jobs in the last two weeks for problems such as background printing in the barcode clear area.

2) Confirm, in advance, whose permit number will be used, and what type of postage the indicia should specify. This insures that the correct permit language can be incorporated into the original design, and not have to be tacked on as an afterthought. It will also prompt you to tackle some logistical decisions, such as where does the job deliver to for mailing, do they know it's coming, and is there money in the permit (see number 5).

3) Submit your list to the mail service provider before you place your printing order. New regulations require your list be processed through the NCOA database (National Change of Address) to eliminate uncodable entries. We have actually seen jobs drop in quantity by thousands, (even, in one case, tens of thousands) after this step. If the printing order has been placed, and stock cut to size, you may end up owning a lot of extra paper!

4) Watch the thickness minimums Chuck at TCB Marketing (who also provided much insight for this post) told me the #1 problem he sees is material printed on paper which does not come up to the thickness minimums. If your final size is 3.5" x 5" (the minimum) the final thickness must be .007" which is equivalent to #65 uncoated cover. If your final size is larger than 4.25 x 6" all the way up to 11.5 x 6 (the max for letter-size mail) the thickness must be .009" which is where most of the problems come up.

Here's a chart of typical papers relative to the .009" thickness standard, (please bear in mind these are somewhat general):

(Click on image to see full size)

5) Be sure there's money in the permit! If your job gets to USPS and there's no money in the permit the result is obvious...confusion, delay, embarrassment...all the worst parts about working with a tangible product.

The Domestic Mail Manual, the definitive rules and regulations, is well over 1,000 pages long and the USPS website is equally impenetrable. It's difficult even to be conversant in this area, but you have responsibilities as a mailer none the less. The good news is that there are always friendly, competent people available to help at your printer, mail service provider, or the bulk mail unit at USPS.

The secret, as with so much of what we discuss, is to get a hold of these good people while your project is in development so changes can be worked in. The consequences of getting these details wrong can be dire, but some planning, (and a few timely questions), should keep you out of trouble. Neither snow nor sleet, nor dark of night or crazy rules will keep you from looking like a pro!

Thanks for reading! I am proud to observe that this post marks the one year anniversary of this blog! I'm having way to much fun!

Hugh Butler
Your Friend in the Printing Business

Quality speaks for itself, but just in case...

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:35:00 +0000

I had a valuable conversation with a printing client the other day. We were discussing funding she had received for a second printing of a brochure her non-profit had developed with the State of Florida. The brochure helps victims of sexual violence obtain local assistance, and is distributed through 31 different organizations statewide.

She said, "They really love the brochures".

I wasn't sure exactly what she meant, so asked who she was referring to...(certainly a crime victim has other things on her mind beside a laudable printing product). I assumed she meant her collaborators at FL DOH (Dept of Health). Her answer surprised me.

She said, "The law enforcement officers".

She went on to explain that the police personnel working with victims were glad to have complete information, localized for their area, in a professional, high quality format. Prior to this they had been giving out third generation photocopies, or, worse yet, saying, 'here, jot down the phone number', or, 'go to this website'. They felt, in a way, this was an additional burden on the victim; to track down the help they were entitled to.

Of course, our brochure lists the local phone numbers and websites...that's not the point. The point is that the brochure contains a lot of information, and sets it forth in a credible, coherent, and and compassionate way. There is nothing ad hoc about it because the layout was professionally prepared (with the cost split 31 ways).

These brochures cost about a dime each. The key was to pull together a lot of entities to get the quantity up, and therefore the unit cost down. Ordered individually by the 31 groups, the cost would have been two to three times that amount. We're hoping for another batch to be printed in September...that's how fast they're being distributed.

I have been writing a lot about short run, digital printing, because that's where the growth is. It's also the segment of our market which is relatively unknown to our clients. Don't think for a minute, though, that conventional offset printing is down and out.

Overall printing quantities may be down, but the argument for quality is holding it's own. Particularly in the non-profit sector, where there is always a fine balance between professional presentation and budget, quality can be cost effective, and an imperative part of message credibility. Remember, yours isn't the only item in the mailbox that day.

For printing buyers, this is an absolutely golden age. I've been in this business since "Boogie Oogie, Oogie" was #1 on the Billboard charts, and I can say with certainty there has never been so much quality and so much speed available for such reasonable costs. Be sure to take a look!

Looking forward to your comments online,

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

Mass media, Micro media, and a good printing idea

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:32:00 +0000

I recently discovered the cornucopia of free, online documentaries from the Frontline television series here, and watching several of them crystallized my thinking about mass media. You shouldn't trust any of it until you know, with certainty, who paid for it. I didn't really need Frontline to tell me this, they just hammered the point home.

In the printing business the functional equivalent of mass media is direct marketing. Financial service companies, for example, spent millions of dollars every year to print and mail solicitations for credit cards, etc. As with other media, no one receives these messages by accident...the recipients are carefully screened to insure high ROI. The banks, who care a lot about results, use printed direct marketing because they know it works well when the audience is sufficiently targeted.

Hold that thought for just a moment, we'll come back to it after what will seem like a non sequitur.

I have enjoyed following a very smart guy in Tallahassee named Michael Calienes. His two endeavors are Transplant here and The Conversation Factory (on facebook) here. Michael has a lot to say about the one-to-one, organic marketing opportunities available via social media. His approach might be summed up as, (if I may be so bold), 'You develop an honest message you can take directly to actual people, and, if they identify with it, they will pass it on to the like-minded'. No one is coerced, no one has the wool pulled over their eyes, and no one is bamboozled into doing anything. It is, in fact, just like a conversation, or series of conversations...let's call it Micro Media so it can be juxtaposed to its' evil big brother, Mass Media.

Why does a social media approach appeal to someone in the printing business?

It's because I believe the successful, (though ethically dubious), model from the credit card companies can be scaled down to a Micro Media level, and work just as effectively for a Micro user. If the contact data is sufficiently targeted, a well designed printed item can reach out and touch people in a way which is uniquely effective. If the quantity is low, the postage cost is, (for once), manageable, as is the design expense for something simple.

In a marketing environment gone mostly online, a high quality printed item is now somewhat unique. The fact that you take this step builds confidence that your product or service is for real...it's tangible and perceived as part of your genuine, honest message. Most important, because of new printing technologies, it doesn't have to cost a lot or take a long time to produce.

Take a look into micro printing...this post just skims the surface of what's possible. How about 200 handouts to serve as take-away from your conference presentation? No sweat, it's done in a few days. As I said, Michael Calienes is a smart guy, and that is exactly what he did two weeks ago.

Looking forward to your comments online,

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

What does your next best friend look like?

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:30:00 +0000

Ever notice the excitement when two young dogs meet for the first time? Tails wagging, eager to approach, but maybe a little apprehensive because it's a new situation? Ever feel a little jealous about that feeling? We should.

It would be simple to say that young dogs are excitable because they're not as smart as people who work at print shops, (or ad agencies, whatever). They will soon learn that life isn't that full of possibilities, and you might as well chill out. I beg to differ.

I have been around the small business community long enough to know that it's truly impossible to know who will be your next, best customer or client. Profiling doesn't work, and can rule out a lot of good possibilities; the past is not prologue.

At my previous job I went on a sales appointment to a prestigious law firm in Manchester, New Hampshire. I was crestfallen to discover I'd be giving my suit-and-tie sales pitch to the elderly mailroom attendant in her tiny basement office. I figured "What the heck, I'm here", and discussed all the things I'd planned to tell the firm administrator. A week later the actual firm administrator called to say he planned to switch all their printing to our shop, (they had 12 partners and about 50 associates). He said "anyone OK with Mrs McKenzie", (not her real name), "is OK with me".

Getting back to the dogs, I recommend we adopt their naive, idiotic sense of possibility when we meet new people in business. We'll find out soon enough, as will the dogs, whether they play nicely or not. Until we find out for sure, we give them the benefit of the doubt and wonder "are you my new best friend"?

As my wife, Melinda, is fond of saying: More Wagging, Less Barking.

I hope your summer is going well, and look forward to your comments online.

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

PDF, the Rosetta Stone, and a cute little dog

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Is it wrong to love a computer file format? I hope not.

Introduced by Adobe Systems in 1993, and now available as an open standard, the PDF (portable document format) has become the mainstay of document interchange. In our business it fills two key roles: to facilitate the transfer of layouts from the customer to the shop; and to give printing vendors an efficient way to handle large complicated layouts internally. Whether you know it or not these files are everywhere, and it's helpful to know a little about them.

At the simplest level, PDFs allow you to view or print a file created on someone else's computer, and have it render correctly. This amazing feat can be accomplished even if you don't have the same software used to create the file, because all the data needed is contained, (in a very efficient way), in the PDF itself. You don't need to be running the same kind of machine or the same operating system. Windows, MAC, UNIX...don't matter.

Again, at the simplest level, the viewing of the file is done by Acrobat Reader, which is available on countless websites including this one...you can get it for free here. The viewing capability is also embedded in web browsers such as Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Firefox, etc. No one should ever have to say "I can't open that file...it's a PDF". If you do, call me and we'll get it fixed.

Creating a PDF is not possible using Acrobat Reader, however, so you'll need the full Acrobat software, or have PDF generating capability built into another application you use. This step is not a "save as" function, where you select PDF as the file type. Rather, PDFs are created by a process called "distilling" which translates the file into postscript language; it's just like what your computer does to process a page for your laser or ink jet, but with a specialized driver which creates the PDF file.

This is why creating a PDF is usually done by "printing" the document, but selecting "Adobe PDF Writer" as the printer. At this point you have access to "Properties" which, like any printer dialogue box, presents you with a bewildering set of choices, and we'll discuss a few of the settings you may need to tweak. The other options are to use an "Export" function or other single-button choice built into the application used to create the document in the first place.

In the print shop, PDFs serve two critical functions: to allow us to take in files from otherwise postscript-unfriendly programs such as Word, Publisher, and even PowerPoint; and to give us a way of processing all page files efficiently. Most modern shops now have a PDF-based workflow, so if you can load the driver specific to their system you may be able to save some money at the pre-flight stage. At some shops this step is mandatory. Be sure to ask your rep.

"The problems we encounter, however, deserve some attention, and usually concern bleeds, fonts, and color."

Allowance for bleeds, may not be automatic. If the trim size of your document is 8.5 x 11 and includes bleeds, the final size of the PDF must be slightly larger. This close-up shows the correct extra allowance for bleeds, with the interior set of tick marks for the final trim from the oversize sheet. This problem is the number one reason files get bounced back for re-work, and shows up almost every day at our shop. Please stick with it until the file is correct, or ask for help if you can't solve the problem yourself.Click image to see full size.

Fonts not embedded is another problem. One of the critical factors of a PDF is that it contains all the information required for faithful reproduction on someone else's machine. For this to be true all the relevant fonts from your system need to be included, but, unfortunately, the default setting sometimes excludes some or all typefaces. The result is that the missing fonts will be scrounged from those available on the other person's computer, with a possible mis-match and unpredictable results. This is bad...REALLY BAD, because resulting errors may not show up at first glance even if they exist throughout the document.

The best generic choice for settings, to embed fonts and for other reasons, is "Press Quality". After creating the PDF, open it in Acrobat and look at the "fonts" tab in File>Properties. Any font properly embedded will be listed with "embedded subset" following the name. If that term is missing, the situation needs to be resolved.

Black which isn't really black. This is the last area of concern, and is mentioned because you can use a neat tool in Acrobat to check for it. Files born in an RGB color space often end up with black which is not a single, solid color, but a blend of CMYK when distilled. If you're trying to use the PDF as a bridge from Word, for instance, that CMYK black won't print properly since the black value in the mix is a percentage, not solid. It'll look gray.

Acrobat will allow you to check the output colors with one of the Print Production tools called "Output Preview" which is very informative. You can click "off" the colors in the file one by one and see the result onscreen. If you uncheck the black ink box, you will hope to see all the black copy disappear. If it doesn't, that's a red flag. There is another tool to fix this, but that's for my printing geeks only. Otherwise, it's probably sufficient to mention the potential problem to the printer, who may have other ways to cope with it.

The PDF is the closest thing we have to a "Rosetta Stone" in print production. Although it isn't foolproof, and can be frustrated particularly by those applications which need its' help the most, it solves an immense number of problems. From a customer point of view, this means the ability to get your job into the print shop quickly and accurately, whether your running Creative Suite 4 or Word '95.

I know a designer who named her dog "Adobe". With the constant flow of good ideas from this company, and their real world usefulness, all I can say is... "Good Dog"!!!

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and a 30 page booklet...

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:38:00 +0000

Question: What do Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and a 30 page booklet have in common?

Answer: We don't deal with them in the same way we do normal reality; we can talk about them and have a mental image, but we can't hold them. I hate to be blunt...they don't exist. Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are too metaphysical for this blog, but the booklet is fair game.

Simply, a booklet like this is printed four pages at a time (or in multiples of four). The total number of pages must be divisible by four. That rules out three, five, six, seven, nine, ten, etc. Including 30.

Here's a short list of other things with dubious existence:

20 pound gloss paper. Bond paper comes in 20, 24, 28, and 32 pound weights. Gloss paper comes in 60, 70, 80, and 100. Plain old book paper, equivalent to bond, comes in 50, 60, and 70. The best way to keep all this straight is to refer to swatchbooks. If you need some let me know...I'll fix you up.

Proof copies that are marked "OK to print as is" with a list of changes which are required. Like pregnancy, you either is or you ain't ready to print "as is". If changes are required be sure to know who will approve them, bearing in mind that if you decline to see another proof YOU are still responsible if anything goes wrong.

Blueline proofs. This terminology is obsolete. The modern proof comes from a computer driven plotter, and is much easier to understand. These new proofs, and the platemaking technology that follows, require no film or chemistry and are more environmentally friendly than the bluelines they replace.

Ads for which print quality doesn't matter. At proof stage people tend to be dismissive about whether ads look OK when quality issues arise. "It's all they have" or "I'm sure it'll be fine" are easy to say when looking at the proof, but remember whose signature is on the approval slip. Friendly advertisers can become very fickle when disappointed, and may see you as a convenient scapegoat for their poor quality artwork.

The fun-to-use onscreen color picker! For projects going to print, a color defined in an image or layout by means of the onscreen color picker is about as dependable as books which help pick lottery numbers. It might be a winner...or it might not. You have no way to know. Buy, beg, borrow, or steal a Pantone (or similar) guide.

Camera-ready copy. Another antiquated term. It's modern equivalent is the print-ready computer file you submit on disk or via FTP. Although old school art boards were prepared with great care, a properly compiled print-ready InDesign folder is just as awe-inspiring, and a big step forward in terms of quality.

So, now that we've exposed these myths, what's left for you to count on with absolute certainty?

Murphy's Law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time. It's always a factor in our business. You can hedge your bets, though, by learning as much as possible about the print process and staying engaged with your vendor.

High quality makes up for a bumpy road to the product. Low quality does not, and neither does a low price. You shouldn't have to suffer in order to save money.

Difficult discussions are always harder after the fact. Speak up if you think something doesn't look or sound right. You have a right to expect straight talk from your vendor.

Having your project printed should be fun and exciting! Maybe not as fun as a visit from Santa or the Easter Bunny, but rewarding at the very least. That's been my philosophy for twenty five years, and I'm sticking to it!

Since my last post a few people expressed interest in a plant tour, and I'd like to see if we can get a group together for next Thursday, the 16th. Send me an email if you would like to participate.

Thanks for your visit, I hope the summer is going well for you all!

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

Sweet home, Graphateria

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:10:00 +0000

I think it's appropriate, after eight months since my first post, to introduce you to where I spend my days: Graphateria.

As you know, my blog is aimed at improving the experience of print buying. Because much of the information I post has been gained during the last 15 years while working at Graphateria, I am devoting this installment to what I feel is Tallahassee’s premier customer-centered print shop.

If you have never worked with us, I hope this will be one of the most useful posts yet. If you have worked with us before, I hope to reveal some new capabilities that you will find valuable.

With the addition of a 100% digital printing system, we are fully equipped to handle the full range of printing needs typical of a Tallahassee business, association, or non-profit organization. From as few as 50 copies, as the job quantity increases, we are able to transition from one machine to another to provide seamless capability. If your project is very large or technically complex, we also have access to regional and national vendors whose track record we're familiar with. In short, if we can't do it here, we'll help you find someone who can.

Our interactions are based on a one-to-one relationship between a contact person from the shop and each customer. We feel strongly that you should only have to call one person to get your order under way, or get your questions answered. We are happy to come to your office, (we make house calls!), or, if you appreciate the chance to get out of the office once in a while, we're always happy to see you here. (If you have kids, bring them along, they can play with Molly and Otis.) We also offer plant tours for those interested in seeing first hand how their job is produced.

We have very high quality standards. In any business the human element makes all the difference to the quality of your experience. Our production people have been with the company an average of ten years, and understand the value of longstanding customer relationships. From proofing to production and final packaging, we are always paying attention to the details in order to keep your job looking its best.

We archive everything we print, and have done so since at least 1996. For a nominal fee, we can pull back your project from its last printing and work with you from there. Customers who have experienced widespread system failures can tell you how important this feature can be, as our archive files may be the only ones in existence.

We support both MAC and PC files in their native environments, and are experts at helping people move their projects from their own systems to the shop without errors. From programs which are less printer-friendly (e.g. Microsoft Word or Publisher) we can work around the inherent problems by helping you create production grade PDFs. For any layout, we offer help creating templates, and have some standard templates for download at our website, here.

We work with a large network of graphic designers, and also offer in-house services for simple layouts. Using this approach we help keep your costs as low as possible and match your project with the appropriate design capabilities. If your job is not ready to come to the shop, we can set you up with a design pro who will make you look great!

The cost of local delivery is included in our basic pricing, and many other distribution options are available. We are online with FedEx, UPS and Benton Express (LTL), and regularly drop-ship jobs to multiple locations for a nominal fee, (plus the actual cost of freight).

We're flexible. Our way of doing business is whatever works best for you. In these uncertain times there is no longer a "right way" or "wrong way" to do things. We understand the pressures of budgets and deadlines, and work with clients everyday to help them move forward by utilizing the unique advantages of printed material, while acknowledging the necessity of keeping costs under control.

I feel strongly that Graphateria has a lot to offer. We welcome inquiries about our services and pricing, and are always excited about a new challenge.

What's yours?

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

How to use cheap paper and not save money

noreply@blogger.com (Hugh Butler) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:31:00 +0000

Answer: Make that choice on a short run. The fact is that cheaper paper will always save some money, but it's often an insignificant amount, and the choice may do more harm that good. The main factor to consider is run length, and therefore how much paper you're buying. Let's talk about an average brochure by way of example: a letter size brochure, full color on both sides and folded.

At a quantity of 1,000 printed on 100# gloss text, this job will cost about $360 at our shop. It's a great sheet of paper for a self mailer or rack brochure...substantial, but not quite card stock. If you tinker a little, and change to 80# gloss text, you'll save a whopping $8, and the paper will be a little floppy. That's a savings of about 2%.

Go to the illogical extreme of the paper spectrum; run the same job the same way on 20# copier paper, and you will absolutely sacrifice the quality of the printing to save $19, or about 5%. In return you'll get a job which looks, for want of a better term, "homemade". Translation: death at the mailbox when it shows up next to that mailer from the Gap, or Pottery Barn.

At a small quantity of 500 or 1,000 you should always pay for the good stuff, maybe even upgrade the stock...the effectiveness of the brochure will be a good return on the investment of less than $20.

The same comparison doesn't yield the same result at a higher quantity. At 10,000 brochures the cost savings from switching paper is $115, or 12%. The more paper involved in the job, the more potential savings can be found and balanced against the detrimental effect on quality. (I'm not saying it's a good idea to run anything on copier paper...just to point out that, as the quantity increases the percentage of the total cost devoted to paper increase as well.) As always, this is best investigated in a discussion with your print vendor.

A significant, and often hidden, cost regarding paper is a customer specification of "Recycled". Particularly in the coated grades, these papers come at a steep price premium and limited availability. My recommendation if you seek a quote specifying "Recycled Paper" is that you also ask for an optional proposal for "Non-Recycled" and compare the two. That way you can balance your agencies "green" aspirations against it's budget. We quoted a job recently where the cost difference amounted to almost $2,000.

Further, if you decide on the "Recycled" option, ask for a written statement of exactly what paper was used:

Among less scrupulous vendors it will sometimes happen that a job is priced one way and run another, and it may be impossible to tell the difference afterwards. It's a good idea to take concrete steps to remove this temptation, and allow all your vendors to compete on a level playing field.

One final note on the subject of paper...it's heavy! If you are mailing, the weight per piece will jack up your postage every time you go to the next ounce, and if you're shipping the total weight can turn out to be quite impressive. An awareness of this physical aspect of your job can help you control these costs, and prevent surprises at a point, where I always hate to point out, it's too late to do anything about it.

One side effect of new printing technologies, and the lowered cost of full color printing, is that paper has become a truly secondary concern. Just as the choice you make about which kind of cone to get with your ice cream, the paper is not the main attraction. Paper companies, adjusting to new economic realities, are keeping fewer items in inventory and at lower levels. You can't print without it, however, and an active, informed choice about paper is always preferable to going with a default.

The right choices about weight, finish, color and texture can all enhance the effectiveness of your project, and sometimes at a cost which makes you wonder why you didn't switch a long time ago.

Thank you for continuing to visit "Your friend in the printing business", and for supporting this all-original content. Please take a moment to rate this post in the poll at the upper right corner, and let me know what you think. Until then,

See you online!

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business