According to U.S.-based Graphic Arts Monthly, the retail value of wide-format printing in North America reached $9 billion US in 2004, and should reach nearly $13 billion by 2009. That will make it a bigger market than magazine advertising.

Economic forecasters InfoTrends/CAP Ventures have predicted a growth of over 40 percent over five years for just part of the wide-format printing sector, the section using UV-curable inks. The company also predicts “the total revenue in wide-format solvent inkjet system printing, including hardware, ink, media, and service contracts, will reach over $3.23 billion by 2010 demonstrating a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.4 percent.”

“We believe that the strengths of UV-curable print technology, and the wider adoption of the next generation of low-end and mid-range equipment based on UV-curable inkjet, will drive UV-curable inkjet revenues, including hardware, ink, and services, over $580 million by 2008,” said Tim Greene, Director of InfoTrends/CAP Ventures’ Visual Communications Technologies Consulting Service, which tracks wide format digital printing technologies.

InfoTrends expects that the demand for lower-cost digital production will drive sales of wide format solvent inkjet printers. They’re predicting double-digit growth in the sales of low-end and mid-range units, and these sales will be largely offset by declines in unit sales and unit prices at the high end.

Expansion
Wide-format printing is expanding in just about every way that you can measure it: installations of machines, the retail value of the output, the applications that they’re used for or the range of machines and consumables available.

The uses for ever-wider—ever-larger—colour images just keep growing. Fifteen years ago, corporations and agencies came to wide-format printers for banners, signs, trade show graphics and point-of-sale colour signs. Quickly, customer demand pushed the size limits beyond 36 inches to 42, then 50, then 60 inches, and now “superwide” formats at over 10 feet.

And where do we see these huge prints? Marketers instantly realized their value in creating stunning, gigantic four-storey posters hanging on the outside of suburban movie theatres. They’re costly, but they work. And the occurrence of huge colour advertising just keeps growing, in trade shows, outdoors, and elsewhere.

Of course, outdoor signs face their own particular challenges from the weather and from fading. Printer manufacturers have have energetically pursued new technologies for laying down a colour image across a wide substrate; while ink jets have been fairly standard for a number of years, the technology in the ink nozzles, use of inks and substrates and in paper handling have gone through several generations in a few years. Advances in post-printing treatments, fixing technologies, laminates and in inks have led to wide-format images that are brighter, sharper and more durable than ever.

With this vast range of uses for wide output, there’s an interesting mix of businesses who invest in the equipment. While wide-format printers are staples of quick printers, as they fit into the workflow and the business model readily, larger commercial printers have also invested in the equipment in an effort to provide complete communications solutions to their customers.

Wide-format digital printers have also been adopted widely by screen printers for their lower production costs and quick response.
Today, you’re almost as likely to find a flatbed inkjet printer as a machine imaging onto a roll of paper or other flexible medium.

Consolidation
Ironically, along with this great expansion, there’s been a consolidation among the corporate suppliers of inkjet technologies, machines and consumables. Screen bought Sericol-Inca; EFI, makers of printer RIPs and servers, now owns wide-format printer maker VuTEK; and HP bought Scitex Vision to broaden its range of wide-format inkjet printers.

The biggest consolidations, though, have made two rival film manufacturers parallel suppliers of just about every output option. Over the past few years, Kodak has acquired and integrated KPG, Creo, Scitex Digital, NexPress and Encad into its Graphic Systems Group. And FujiFilm Graphic Systems has absorbed and rebranded Hunt Chemicals, Sericol wide-format printers and Spectra inkjet into Dimatrix Inc.

Trends
Format
The wide-format printing market changes fast, but there are some strong trends evident today. Flatbed printers are more prevalent: Sericol-Inca, Nur, ColorSpan and Scitex Vision (now part of HP, remember) established the market for flatbed printers, and other companies have brought out lower-cost units, such as Oc' andVutek; meanwhile the leaders have been working hard to bring down the costs of their flatbed options.

Sizes
What constitutes “wide”? From one perspective, anything wider than a double A4 could be called “wide.” In the early 90s, anything over 24 inches was considered wide, but soon Encad, HP and others were pushing the limits to 50 and 60 inches. Nur soon came out with a “grand” format of over 6 feet wide, and now has models that can output up to 5 metres, or 16 feet wide.

Today, wide-format printers generally come in three classes: wide-formats 24 to 40 inches wide, grand format up from about 40 up to 70 inches, and super-wide format printers whose width is more easily measured in feet or metres.

Inks
The biggest trend in wide-format output is in the type of inks. Inkjets use three types of ink: aqueous or water-based, UV-curable, and solvent-based.

Aqueous printers were the first wide-format printers to come out, and most installations today are still aqueous ink-based. They can produce very high quality images at low costs. They’re still the cheapest to buy, and lower-end models cost less than $1,000. Higher-end models, with output formats from 42 to 60 inches, are still made by Canon, Epson, HP, Kodak (Encad), and Xerox. InfoTrends/CAP Ventures predicts that demand for aqueous printers will grow from $18 billion to $21 billion between 2004 and 2009.

However, solvent-based inks are starting to catch on for a number of reasons. The images are more durable in outdoor applications, and per-print costs for this use are lower, too. This allows wide-format inkjet printers to be used to output billboards, vehicle wrap graphics, gigantic movie posters and other applications that are impossible for water-based inks.

InfoTrends/CAP Ventures predicts a faster growth for solvent-based printers, doubling to $18 billion in North America between 2004 and 2009.

There is a downside to solvent-based inks, however: their impact on the environment and on people is much greater than with aqueous inks, and they also raise disposal and handling costs and other issues for the printers who use them. The inks release harmful emissions into the air while drying.

Some manufacturers have tried to address this with mild solvents or “eco-friendly” solvents. These reduce the environmental and health impact, and still offer most of the durability and cost benefits of solvents.

Some examples are:

• Eco-Sol Max from Roland for its Soljet printers
• Sreamline inks from Sun Chemical
• BioVu inks for VuTEK printers
• :Aldura from Agfa
• Eco-Solvent Ultra for Mutoh printers.

Looking ahead
In Canada, the market for wide-format inkjet printers is growing even faster than the range of applications for the technology. Don’t be surprised to find more models in different sizes—even larger sizes—in more shops from small to very large. And don’t be surprised to find more wide-format printers in ad agencies, marketing firms and corporate offices as the prices continue to fall.

Agfa
Agfa sells a range of wide-format printers that specialize in different types of ink, paper, formats and sizes.
The :Anapurna line is an industrial UV inkjet printer for indoor and outdoor uses. Its flatbed format allows it to print on rigid as well as roll substrates. It comes in two sizes: the  :Anapurna L prints up to 62.9 inches (160 cm) at up to 15.4 square metres per hour, while the XL outputs up to 98.4 inches wide (250 cm) at a speed of 25 square metres per hour.

Both have a maximum resolution 363 x 725 dpi, and use seven UV-curable inks, one of which is white.

Agfa’s :Grand Sherpa Universal AM is a roll-fed solvent-based printer that can print on a broad range of materials, from coated and uncoated paper to vinyl, PVC banners, blue-back papers, canvas, backlit film, mesh, textiles and other. Speed is up to 40 square metres per hour. The :Grand Sherpas come with the :Agfa Bulk Ink Supply System for unattended output.

The :Grand Sherpas come in 164 cm (64.6 inches) and 225 cm (88.6 inches) models, and maximum resolution is 1,440 dpi, and in two colour configurations: a six-colour, or double four-colour.

Manufacturer    Agfa
Model    :Anapurna L
Maximum width    62.9 inches
Resolution    363 x 725 dpi
Colours    7
Speed    22, 70 x 100 cm boards/hour

Manufacturer    Agfa
Model    :Anapurna XL
Maximum width    98.4 inches
Resolution    363 x 725 dpi
Colours    7
Speed    30, 70 x 100 cm boards/hour

Fujifilm: Inca
Inca, a U.K.-based company, makes the Spyder Digital wide-format flatbed printer, which uses Sericol’s  UV inks. Sericol was acquired by Fujifilm last year, and Inca was acquired as a wholly-owned subsidiary by Dainippon Screen. So while Inca is a Screen company, its products are sold by Fujifilm.

Inca’s products include the Eagle, Columbia, Columbia Turbo, Spyder 150 and Spyder 320.
Manufacturer    Inca
Model    Spyder 320-e flatbed inkjet
Maximum width    3.2 x 1.6 metres
Resolution    600 dpi
Colours    4
Speed    30 to 40 square metres/hour

Manufacturer    Inca
Model    Spyder 320 flatbed inkjet
Maximum width    3.2 x 1.6 metres
Resolution    600 dpi
Colours    4
Speed    43, 65 or 80 square metres/hour, depending on quality

Manufacturer    Inca
Model    Spyder 320+ flatbed inkjet
Maximum width    3.2 x 1.6 metres
Resolution    600 dpi
Colours    4 or 6
Speed    Up to 65 square metres/hour

Manufacturer    Inca
Model    Columbia Turbo flatbed inkjet
Maximum width    3.2 x 1.6 metres
Resolution    800 dpi
Colours    4
Speed    Up to 160 square metres/hour

Manufacturer    Inca
Model    Eagle H flatbed inkjet
Maximum width    2.44 x 1.6 metres
Resolution    Ranges, depending on RIP
Colours    4
Speed    Up to 65 square metres/hour

GandInnovations
Canada’s own GandInnovations is pushing the grand format with formats exceeding 10 feet. The Jeti models have 600 dpi output; the high resolution at full width enabled them to print a 10-foot map with small type fully legible at the Ipex show last spring.

Their Jeti 3312 and 3324 DS models use dye sublimation imaging, rather than inkjet, for printing on textiles as well as transfer paper.
These models are roll-to-roll, solvent-based printers with 12 Spectra print heads.

The Jeti 3150 UV Flatbed printer prints on rigid as well as flexible materials with a true flatbed table without belts. The easy accessibility of the print table enables one person to load large rigid materials. It has a white ink option as well as a varnish.

The largest in the line-up is the Jeti 5024, a five-metre flatbed printer with 24 Spectra print heads for printing on rigid substrates.

Manufacturer    GandInnovations
Model    Jeti 2212 DS
Maximum width    3.3 m/10 feet, 10 inches
Resolution    600 dpi
Colours    6
Speed    Contact Gandinnovations

Manufacturer    GandInnovations
Model    Jeti 3312 and 3324
Maximum width    3.3 m/10 feet, 10 inches
Resolution    300 - 600 dpi
Colours    4 and 6 colour models
Speed    Contact Gandinnovations

Manufacturer    GandInnovations
Model    Jeti 5024 Solvent RTR (roll-fed)
Maximum width    5.1 m/16 feet, 6 inches
Resolution    600 dpi
Colours    6
Speed    Contact Gandinnovations

Manufacturer    GandInnovations
Model    Jeti 3150 UV Flatbed
Maximum width    Rigid material: 3.048 m/10 feet
Resolution    1200 dpi
Colours    6
Speed    Contact Gandinnovations

Gerber
Gerber’s Solara flatbed and roll-fed printers address the lower end of the price range.
Manufacturer    Gerber
Model    Gerber Solara UV2
Maximum width    59 inches
Resolution    300 x 300 dpi max
Colours    6
Speed    50 square
    feet per hour, three passes

HP
HP’s Designjet are among the best-known, most trusted and most popular wide-format printers for a wide range of uses. And its acquisition of Scitex Vision of Israel brings those super-wide format products under its wing, as well.

Manufacturer    HP
Model    Designjet 820 MFP series
Maximum width    42 inches
Resolution    Up to 2400 x 1200 dpi
Colours    4
Speed    Depends on RIP
Manufacturer    HP
Model    Designjet 5500series
Maximum width    42 and 60 inch models
Resolution    1200 dpi
Colours    6
Speed    100 square feet per hour glossy media; 189 square feet per hour coated media; 569 square feet per hour maximum

Manufacturer    HP
Model    Designjet 4000 series
Maximum width    42 inches
Resolution    Up to 2400 x 1200 dpi
Colours    4
Speed    1000 square feet per hour max.

Manufacturer    HP
Model    Designjet 1000 series
Maximum width    36 inches
Resolution    600 dpi
Colours    4

Manufacturer    HP
Model    Designjet Z2100 Photo Printer series
Maximum width    24 or 44 inches
Resolution    Up to 2400 x 1200 dpi
Colours    8
Speed    Up to 150 square feet per hour

Manufacturer    HP/ Scitex Vision
Model    HP Scitex XL 1500
Maximum width    2, 3 and 5-metre versions
Resolution    370 x 740 dpi
Colours    4, 6 and 8 colour modes
Speed    2-metre wide: 124 sqm/hr
3-metre wide:     118 sqm/hr
5-metre wide:     105 sqm/hr

Kodak
Kodak’s acquisition of Encad has broadened its selection of wide-format printers. Today, the company has two main lines of wide-format printers: the Kodak 1200i series, and the Encad T-200+. Both use Kodak’s Quantum inks, which are available in both aqueous and UV-curable forms.

The Kodak 1200i is available in a 42-inch and a 60-inch format. The Encad T-200+ is only available in limited quantities.

Manufacturer    Kodak
Model    Kodak 1200i
Maximum width    42 inch and 60 inch versions
Resolution    300 x 300 – 600 x 1200 dpi
Colours    6
Speed    42-inch: 195 sqm/hr max
    60-inch: 20.4 sqm/hr max

Manufacturer    Kodak
Model    Encad T-200+
Maximum width    36 inches
Resolution    300 x 300 – 600 x 600 dpi
Colours    4
Speed    37 square feet per hour in colour mode

MacDermid Colorspan
Colorspan Displaymaker is one of the best-known brands of wide-format, roll-fed printers. Based on piezo-electric printheads, the units also offer automated features and ease of use.

Manufacturer    MacDermid Colorspan
Model    ColorSpan 9849uv
Maximum width    98 inches
Resolution    600 dpi
Colours    4
Speed    20.92 square metres/hour

Manufacturer    MacDermid Colorspan
Model    DisplayMaker 98UVX
Maximum width    98 inches
Resolution    600 dpi
Colours    4
Speed    40.7 square metres/hour

Manufacturer    MacDermid Colorspan
Model    DisplayMaker 72UVX
Maximum width    98 inches
Resolution    600 dpi
Colours    4
Speed    37.2 square metres/hour

Manufacturer    MacDermid Colorspan
Model    DisplayMaker X-12+
Maximum width    72 inches
Resolution    1800 dpi (apparent)
Colours    6 – 12
Speed    40.7 square metres/hour

Mutoh
Mutoh makes both roll-fed and flatbed wide-format printers. The Toucan products are flatbed printing systems for rigid or roll-fed substrates, while their ValueJet line of roll-fed printers is for outdoor sign manufacturers.

Manufacturer    Mutoh
Model    Toucan Hybrid flatbed printer
Maximum width    64 inches
Resolution    720 dpi
Colours    6
Speed    Up to 800 square feet/hour depending on substrate

Manufacturer    Mutoh
Model    Toucan roll-fed printer
Maximum width    63 inch and 85 inch models
Resolution    720 dpi
Colours    4 or 6
Speed    Up to 800 square feet / hour depending on substrate

Manufacturer    Mutoh
Model    ValueJet 1204
Maximum width    48 inches
Resolution    540, 720 or 1440 dpi
Colours    6
Speed    100 square feet/hour

Manufacturer    Mutoh
Model    ValueJet 1604
Maximum width    64 inches
Resolution    540, 720 or 1440 dpi
Colours    6
Speed    145 square feet/hour

Manufacturer    Mutoh
Model    ValueJet 2606
Maximum width    98 inches
Resolution    540, 720 or 1440 dpi
Colours    6
Speed    100 square feet/hour

NUR
Nur, based in Israel, set the standard for super-wide format printers over 10 years ago. Their new Expedio 5000 outputs at over 16 feet wide.
Manufacturer    NUR
Model    Expedio 5000
Maximum width    16 feet/5 metres
Resolution    720 dpi
Colours    8
Speed    150 square metres per hour / 1,600 square feet per hour

Manufacturer    NUR
Model    Fresco
Maximum width    10.5 feet/3.2 metres
Resolution    720 dpi
Colours    8
Speed    120 square metres per hour / 1,300 square feet per hour

Manufacturer    NUR
Model    Tempo rigid/flatbed printer
Maximum width    10.4 feet/2 metres
Resolution    720 dpi
Colours    4 or 8
Speed    82 square metres per hour / 883 square feet per hour

Roland
Another of the pioneers in wide-format inkjet printing, Roland DGA remains one of the leaders in the field. Its product lines include the AdvancedJet, the SolJet grand format printer, and the HiFiJet Pro.

Manufacturer    Roland DGA
Model    AdvancedJet AJ-1000
Maximum width    104 inches
Resolution    720 dpi
Colours    4 or 6
Speed    968 square feet per hour

Manufacturer    Roland DGA
Model    SolJet Pro II SJ-1045
Maximum width    104 inches
Resolution    360 dpi
Colours    4 or 6
Speed    484 square feet per hour at 360 dpi

Manufacturer    Roland DGA
Model    SolJet Pro II V SJ-645 EX
Maximum width    63.56 inches
Resolution    1440 dpi max
Colours    6
Speed    340 square feet per hour at 360 dpi

Manufacturer    Roland DGA
Model    SolJet Pro II V SJ-745 EX
Maximum width    73.56 inches
Resolution    1440 dpi max
Colours    6
Speed    340 square feet per hour at 360 dpi

Manufacturer    Roland DGA
Model    HiFi Jet Pro II FJ-540
Maximum width    54 inches
Resolution    1440 dpi max
Colours    6
Speed    300 square feet per hour at 450 dpi

VUTEK – owned by EFI
Now owned by RIP and server manufacturer Electronics For Imaging (EFI), Vutek makes a range of superwide format, UV-curing printers that can print on rigid as well as roll-fed substrates.

Manufacturer    Vutek
Model    VUTEk QS2000
Maximum width    80 inches/ 2 metres
Resolution    1440 dpi max
Colours    7
Speed    750 square feet per hour max

Manufacturer    Vutek
Model    VUTEk QS3200
Maximum width    126 inches/ 3.2 metres
Resolution    1440 dpi max
Colours    7
Speed    900 square feet per hour max

Quark continues to give consumers more reason to jump into Quark 7, and their October product launches were no exception. They launched their Quark Print Collection of prepress tools for imposition, the QuarkXPress Server 7, for producing Web–based or data–driven communication, and the Quark Interactive Designer, for creating Flash layouts for the web.

I had the opportunity to test the Quark Print Collection immediately, as they had a 30–day trial available on their website. It is available for Mac OS 10.4 and Windows XP and you will also need either Quark 7 or Adobe Acrobat 7 to install and run it.

The Quark Print Collection contains prepress tools for both Quark 7 and Adobe Acrobat 7. These tools for imposing pages work with a simple common interface and allow users to create imposed PDF or Postscript signatures. You can use the Quark 7 or Adobe Acrobat 7 print engines to print pages composite, separated, postscript, or PDF.

There are many benefits when printing directly out of Quark 7. First of all, the main XTension, Quark Imposer, does not change the original file in any way—all the imposition calculations are made at the print stage. The file can be saved as a PDF or viewed in the Preview window of Imposer. Settings can be saved and reused and so can custom marks. There are separate XTensions for Quark Item Marks and for Quark MarkIt, the former positioning marks on individual pages and the latter on the sheet. Marks are fully controlled and customizable, and the built–in bleed setting can be used to move the marks farther away from the trim area as required.

Printing directly from Quark also allows the user to print separations, adding Quark trapping when needed. Printing from Acrobat has the same interface for Imposer but Acrobat uses its own standard marks, which can only be altered after the file is imposed in a separate PDF file. You will benefit from any plugins you have in Acrobat including trapping, preflight, flattening previews etc.

If production personnel are already imposing pages manually in Quark, Imposer will thrill them. Binding types include Saddle Stitch, Perfect Bound, and Stacked as well as none for custom layouts. Imposer will create layouts for Work & Turn, Work & Tumble, Split Web, and Sheet Wise automatically and can control bleed, creep, and crossover. There is also a button to access the MarkIt control panel. Marks can be adjusted and customized to the job, and can be saved and applied on the fly.

Print Collection users can use the Imposer interface to set up and define a layout with required margins, gutters, and marks. The sheet size is determined by these items, as there is no place to define the actual sheet size; instead, the information window at the bottom of the Imposer interface will show all entered and calculated measurements, including sheet size. When printing directly to plate, the sheet can be positioned in the plate area using Quark’s print dialog. Users can also print to PostScript and then distill to PDF; the file can then be checked before it goes to proof.

There are a couple problems with both the Quark 7 and Adobe Acrobat versions of Imposer, which I hope to see addressed in future releases. The first is that the measurements are controlled by the Quark/Acrobat preferences; however, only the units in the Margins tab change, the rest of the measurements are always in points. You can enter items using the inch mark or mm but they are then converted to points. The second issue I had was a difficulty imposing landscape documents—a problem common to other imposition software as well. The existing rotation tool only rotates 180 degrees, instead of the 90 degrees needed for easier landscape imposition.

Anyone currently imposing their files in QuarkXPress should be able to use this XTension to impose their standard work. The price tag on the Quark Print Collection is $299US, which makes it affordable to get up and running. There is a 30 day trial available on the Quark website, www.quark.com, which should show you right away if this new Xtension will fit in to your workflow.   

Andrea Mahoney
TriBay Enterprise  T: 416-729-9687
E: andrea@tribay.ca
www.tribay.ca

Substituting the word guest for customer can transform our perceptions of the people who pay our salaries. A customer is someone who makes a purchase. A guest, by contrast, is someone whose arrival we anticipate, who we welcome with open arms.

I would like to introduce you to the GUEST model of selling, a five–step sales process that goes beyond word substitution and helps you take control of the sales process, resulting in more satisfied guests and increased sales.

1.    Greet your customers.
2.    Uncover their needs and wants.
3.    Explain the product or service.
4.    Solve their objections.
5.    Tell them to buy.

Many sales–based organizations have their own sales model. The GUEST process is designed to fit into most sales cycles, as the five GUEST steps are crucial to successful selling. Many salespeople are reluctant to use a sales structure, offering such reasons as

You can’t follow a structured process...Customers just take control of the sales process...It takes too long to go through a process like this...I’m too busy...I’ve done it my way for years and I’ve been successful.

The excuses I’ve heard from salespeople could fill a book, but the GUEST process does work. Ultimately, you need to take control of your sale.

If you don’t, your customer will, which is what happens in approximately 80 percent of all sales transactions.
Here’s a typical sales story. The customer is considering the purchase of some new printing equipment, and the salesperson launches into a canned pitch about the press’s features and specifications. The customer asks questions and expresses objections, which the salesperson attempts to answer. The customer departs, saying, I’ll think about it. Why didn’t the salesperson get the sale? He or she...

...didn’t ask the customer any questions about his printing needs and requirements.
...delivered a rehearsed presentation instead of focusing on the customer’s needs.
...did not gather sufficient information to overcome the customer’s objection.
...did not give the customer a reason to make the purchase.

The GUEST approach addresses each of the above issues by concentrating on the process rather the outcome. Too many salespeople focus only on closing the sale, resulting in desperate–seeming attempt to get customers to part with their hard–earned money. These customers feel threatened, manipulated, coerced and often don’t make any purchase at all.

In contrast, if a salesperson concentrates on the process, the customer will be more relaxed, feel more comfortable, and will be more likely to buy. In my workshops, I encourage salespeople to pay attention to their customers instead of focusing on closing the sale. This runs contrary to most sales training, which emphasizes closing the sale or dealing with objections. My philosophy is that the sale will happen when you combine all five components in a relaxed, comfortable manner.

During the sales process, the average salesperson spends the bulk of their time in a passive role—waiting for the customer to ask questions or responding to objections. Instead, the GUEST model suggests that the salesperson ask questions and seek to learn about the customer’s needs and wants. Some examples could include:

What type of press are you currently using?
Tell me about some of the projects you work on...What challenges are you experiencing with your existing press?...What specific features interest you and why?...What are your concerns about buying a new machine?

By adapting your sales presentation to the needs of individual customers, you can eliminate many of your customers’ objections. Unfortunately, most salespeople skimp on understanding their customers’ needs and thus end up with more objections to overcome.

A business acquaintance of mine works in advertising. When I approached him to produce a training video, he asked me questions about what I needed and wanted in a video. Because he took time to learn about my business needs, I immediately saw the value in this $45,000 investment. I didn’t object to the cost, because he demonstrated the value of his proposal as a solution to my needs. He positioned himself and his company as a problem–solver and a solution–provider.

Stop treating your customers like a paycheque and view them as guests in your business. It may seem awkward at first, but you will soon notice a difference in the way they respond to you.    

Kelley Robertson, President of the Robertson Training Group, works with businesses to increase their sales and motivate their employees.
www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.com

Q. I have a file stuck in the Trash. It’s not locked, but I still can’t empty the Trash. What can I do about it?

A. I hope you have already checked the permissions on the file. You can do that by selecting the file and choosing “Get Info” from the File menu. On the info pallet that opens you can click the triangle beside “Ownership & Permissions” to see who owns it and what the permissions are. To change the owner or permissions you can click the lock to unlock the pull–down menus and change the settings.

On the command line, you can also change the owner with the “chown” command and change permissions with “chmod”. Using the Get Info pallet can do the job for most users.

If you still can’t delete the file you may find that the “immutable” flag has been set. This flag is used to protect files from being changed or deleted. Open the Terminal, and navigate to your file. (You can drag the file into the Terminal to save from typing the path to the file.) To check if there is an immutable flag type “ls –alo” at the prompt. The “–o” shows the immutable flag and you will see “uchg” beside the file.
To change the immutable flag, type “chflags nouchg filename” to unlock it and “chflag uchg filename” to lock it.

Once you resolve the file’s permissions, ownership, and flags, you should be able to empty the Trash.

Q. For some reason my keyboard keeps acting up. When I type a slash I get a “'”. Other keys are wrong. Do I need a new keyboard, or can this be fixed?

A. Your keyboard is fine. The culprit is the International settings—a common problem with Macs sold in Canada. For some reason, when you install Mac OS X or buy a new Mac with Mac OS X installed and enter the name of a Canadian city, the folks at Apple assume that you’re using a French–Canadian keyboard and the computer sets up a slew of Canadian preferences. The keyboard remaps the keys to match the French–Canadian keyboard, which has easier access to accented characters. The date formats sometimes switch to French as well.

To fix your problem I recommend that you change a few settings in the “International” pane in the System Preferences. Begin by going to the “Input Menu” tab and unchecking the “Canadian CSA” keyboard layout (holding “Apple” and “Option” will flip between keyboard layouts).
Once you fixed the “Input Menu”, visit the “Formats” tab and change the “Region” to “United States” unless you like the date and number formats that Apple has chosen. (Again, I have no idea where they get their information from!)

If you’ve purchased a new Mac, the setting may be unchangeable, but you can avoid this problem in the future if you buy another Mac or if you install a new copy of MacOS X. When asked for your city and province, enter the Canadian city where you live or work, but when the installer asks which keyboard layout to choose, select “United States”.

Q. I want to move to MacOS X but I have some SCSI devices that I need. I’ve heard that SCSI cards don’t work on Mac OS X. Are there any that work?

A. Your problem is a common one. There are a lot of FireWire and USB devices that make it hard to hang onto SCSI devices, Zips, Jaz drives, scanners, et al. But you may also have hard drives and tape drives that you need. Most users switched over to Adaptec cards when buying G3s and G4s. Adaptec does not support MacOS X and the drivers that Apple has included don’t work reliably. Other SCSI card manufacturers such as Orange Micro and FWB have either gone out of business or been acquired by other companies, so their drivers are not available.
I’ve recently had great success with SCSI cards from ATTO Technologies. Their ExpressPCI UL3S and UL4S are the only cards recommended by EMC Dantz—makers of Retrospect Backup software—and LaCie—manufacturers of SCSI tape drives. If you have a mission–critical application such as a Tape Library or a RAID, then you may want to get an ATTO card. Otherwise, I would take the money you would use for the card and invest in FireWire products.    

Timothy Mitra assists companies in mastering information technology in pre-press, print and web design.
Do you have a question you would like answered by the IT guy? Please contact him at: E: tim@it-guy.com C: 416-278-8609

Eye–One Share and the Eye–One measurement device contain a treasure trove of options for any designer or prepress professional who is working with colour. Using this application, you can transfer colour measurements from or to any source with ease. For example, a client may give you a paint swatch and ask you to match its colour on press, on the web, and on a large format device. With Eye–One Share, all you have to do is measure the colour and save the colour as an Illustrator or Photoshop palette. You can then email the palette to your client and everyone on the design team.

The best part of Eye–One is that it’s available for free from GretagMacbeth’s website at www.gretagmacbeth.com/i1color.
I know firsthand how challenging it can be to introduce new methods to the creative process. Nevertheless, traditional colour–matching systems are often inaccurate, and typically involve much trial and error before you get your colours exactly right. A tool such as Eye–One Share, which uses measurement devices and ICC profiles to make colour decisions for you, will both eliminate a lot of guesswork and increase your speed and accuracy.

In my experience, using a device to take measurements of paint samples or printed brochures is about 95% accurate, so you must still fine–tune a bit to get it extremely close. For example, the software may evaluate a swatch that is 100% magenta as 97 Magenta. But the real power of the software is exhibited when you read colours made up of multiple colours (CMYK), such as a beige. 95% accuracy is significantly better than the accuracy of testing and guessing in Photoshop, and it only took 5 seconds to take a measurement!

Options available in Eye–One Share:

• Create custom colour palettes and import them into any Adobe application or email them to a co–worker or client. Eye–One Share lets you save and distribute your colour palettes, so you no longer have to rebuild palettes for each application.
• Create, evaluate, and convert custom colours.
• Evaluate colours and determine how they will change under various lighting conditions.
• Find an average colour from three standard colours supplied.
• Determine shades of a colour.
• If you have an Eye–One device, you can capture colours from printed material and determine CMYK, RGB, or Lab builds.
• Measure the colour temperature and quality of light in light booths or any working environment to determine the quality of any light source.

Evaluating the accuracy of a printed piece is at best a subjective art when using our eyes alone. With Eye–One Share, you can easily measure two colours and determine how closely they resemble each other. You can also objectively determine how closely a printer matched your proof or a previous printed sample. Eye–One Share produces Delta E values to compare two colours; a value between zero and three is good, values between four and six need improvement, and values above 7 are unacceptable.

GretagMacbeth has a great online Flash tutorial to assist new users in fully exploiting Eye–One Share. It is available at: www.gretagmacbeth.com/index/communities/i1color/i1tutorials.htm. Eye–One Share offers a huge advantage over traditional colour–matching methods for those who take the time to learn the software.  

 Angus Pady is the president of Digital Solutions. Complete colour control from desktop to press. T: 905-764-6003
Angus@ColourManagement.ca
www.colourmanagement.ca

The last several years have seen rapid developments in digital printing systems. Print providers of all types—from sign shops to commercial quick printers and corporate in–plants have taken advantage of the developments in digital printing technology. But once a job has been printed, finishing options such as mounting, trimming, or laminating may be required in order to meet various customer needs, which offers a great opportunity to increase your revenue potential by bringing these services in–house. Profits from every finished product soon repay any equipment investment you may have made.

Lamination
Laminating your prints goes beyond protecting them from possible coffee spills or the hazards of weather outside. Laminating will enhance prints by transforming them into a vibrant graphic, with the option of adding special effects or textures that cannot be achieved through printing alone. A laminated print has body and stability, and is protected from fading and deterioration.

Both hot (thermal) and cold (pressure–sensitive) laminators are used in the industry. In general, the thermal laminating process is much less costly than pressure–sensitive, so a thermal laminator is the obvious choice if it will work for your applications. However, if you plan to laminate a product that was printed with wax–based ink, a product that has a rough texture, or a product with high moisture content (such as photographs), you may want to consider using a pressure–sensitive process. Cold or liquid lamination is also generally used for outdoor prints (since the laminate expands and contracts better with the print). To determine the right machine, you need to match up the laminator to the volume and type of prints you are going to produce.

Mounting
Should you use heat–activated or pressure–sensitive? Conventionally printed graphics usually lend themselves to either mounting process. However, when coated papers are being mounted to coated substrates, cold mounting will be more reliable. In digital imaging applications, PSA (pressure sensitive adhesives) are being used more often than dry mount adhesives. They can be run a lot faster, and they lend themselves to relatively high speed simultaneous mounting and laminating.

Conventional dry–mount adhesives often don’t do a good job of holding coated inkjet papers to coated mounting materials such as foam board. While some new heat–activated adhesives have been developed especially for coated papers and mounting boards, many imaging businesses still use cold, pressure–sensitive adhesives for mounting, though some PSA films and adhesives adhere faster when a small amount of heat is applied.

Trimming & Finishing Solutions
A multi–cut wall–mount system offers the greatest versatility for production–orientated environments. These units mount on the wall and are capable of cutting Sintra, Foam Board, Aluminum, Glass, and Plexiglas just to name but a few. They offer vertical cutting up to 63” in length by any width at a thickness of up to 1/2”.

Alternatively, the SEAL EasyCut is an economical general purpose cutter for a wide range of sheet materials, including foam centered materials and rigid materials up to 1/2” thick and comes in two sizes—40” and 60”.

Seal’s AccuCut Table Mount System offers the highest accuracy possible in table–mounted cutting/trimming.
The AccuCut cuts substrates up to 3/8” thick and can be purchased with the AccuTrim attachment for cutting flexible medias and substrates including paper, cardboard, vinyl, polyester, and certain non–ferrous metals. The AccuTable mounting system is available in either a 60” or 100” (cut plane) version.

Begin with the End in Mind
If you are just starting in wide format, or are a small company with a limited budget, it makes more sense to find a practical laminator that is easy for you and your staff to use, since there can be quite a learning curve to work with the larger, more production–orientated mounting and laminating solutions.

Seal is the premier name in commercial laminating and mounting equipment, and their products are excellent, though there is a cost premium. GBC and Royal Sovereign are other large companies that have been around for a long time and offer excellent products and value.
There are many finishing solutions available that can increase the productivity of your shop with minimal operating costs and will add profitable new capabilities for your customers and clients. Whether you are a sign shop, commercial printer, or an in–plant reprographics facility, a finishing technology purchase will provide significant gains for your business.   

Peter Dulis
Wide Format Printing Specialist
647-895-3315
pdulis@iprimus.ca

While a big equipment trade show might typically inspire an article highlighting new product announcements, the panel discussions and presentations by leading print prognosticators were what piqued by interest at Graph Expo 2006. I hope you will find their insights as challenging and informative as I did.

Official Numbers For Naught
Economists covering the printing industry universally suggest that 2006 will see lower revenues than in the previous few years. Richard Romano, analyst and researcher for The Industry Measure, reported in their industry briefing that Merrill Lynch has downgraded their expectations for advertising expenditure growth from 5.1% to 4.7% for 2006 and from 3.5% to 2.8% in 2007.

In his annual “Renewing the Printing Industry” presentation, Dr. Joe Webb predicted that print revenues for 2006 would not be anywhere near 2003 or 2004 numbers. He expects the commercial printing segment to be $91–92 billion in 2006 and $87–88 billion next year. While total print numbers are actually higher, there is a continued shift to office superstores and desktops, which don’t report aggregate print values. On the bright side, average annual revenue per employee is up to $205 000 per production employee and $144 500 per employee on average due to continued efficiency gains and the disproportionate increases in non–print revenues from so called value–add services. Webb was quick to add, “Value–add is a myth. Buyers deal with the whole company.”

The annual PIA/GATF Financial Ratio Studies show both the industry profit leaders (the highest quartile) and the all–industry averages. In virtually every year for nearly a decade, the lower 75% of the industry is at or below break–even. To put it another way, about 30% of all printers are generating 100% of the industry’s profits. Andrew Paparozzi, NAPL’s Chief Economist, continually reports that printers in the highest quartile are consistently experiencing double–digit percentage growth. His results point to the conclusion that the leading printers are also generating all of the growth and progress in the industry.

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Webb contends that printers have a choice of seven different client–driven business strategies. The first four are communication–based: sender—design, creation based; message conduit—connects sender and receiver; receiver—database creation/management, publishing services, and feedback—warehousing services. The final three are production–based: communication logistics––managing the details of marketing services; corporate outsourcing—removing the logistics burdens from the shoulders of clients; and commodity printing—being a low–cost producer. Success in any area rests on recognizing which strategy you are following and building a corresponding and appropriate business model.

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The industry is abuzz with the success of VistaPrint and their Internet ordering and computer–integrated manufacturing business model. Webb noted that VistaPrint is taking advantage of two situations: every 0.1% jump in e–commerce retail results in a loss of $1.8 billion to commercial print and the US economy is currently generating 78,000 net new businesses every month, which are all are potential VistaPrint clients.

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A heavily automated printing plant facility that has been in the planning stages for four years was officially announced at Graph Expo by two of its major equipment suppliers, Muller Martini and Goss. Cox Target Media will be opening a 470 000 square foot plant in Largo, Florida to produce the proprietary Valpak coupon product. This plant has the capacity to more than double the current 20 billion coupon output to 54 billion in half the current manufacturing time in a near–“lights out” manufacturing environment. There will be minimal work–in–process, as rolls of paper will be converted into coupon–filled envelopes with no human hands ever touching the product.

Two Goss Sunday 4000 presses, each with eight units, will be capable of generating six signature streams of product; each stream will be accumulated into Muller Martini’s patented print rolls at 2 500 feet per minute. These press configurations are designed for “zero make–ready time” as four units will be running the 10 000 quantity process color order in concert with the other four units cycling through their automated plate removal and rehang tasks “off–impression” every 12 minutes. The double circumference presses will print as many as 88 coupons per cylinder revolution. Each press will consume 12 tons of stock an hour.

The Cox SAP management information system will be working in conjunction with the Dalfuku logistical system to manage the automated guided vehicles (AGVs) moving the print rolls on monorails to populate the eight–story, 200 000 square foot storage silo for interim and finished product. Robotic cranes pick up the print rolls and bring them to one of nine high–speed envelope collating systems to feed into one of four unwinding stations at each collator. The entire manufacturing cycle is designed to provide a four–hour turnaround, which is half the current manufacturing time frame.

Twice the capacity at half the throughput time with half the labor content is an audacious goal, particularly with the predicted start–up date of first quarter 2007.

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Heidi Tolliver–Nigro, senior analyst for The Industry Measure marketing research firm, reports that most of the printers making money in digital print treat the process as a compliment to their mainstay lithographic cash cow. The Industry Measure’s current annual survey indicates that the actual use of variable data peaked during the fourth quarter of 2004 at 21% of the printers surveyed. The current regular usage is down to 17%, with a full 63% of those firms limiting their variable data printing to simple address lists for mail distribution purposes. Thirty–six percent of printers acknowledge doing some variable data printing at some time in the past while 11% actually outsource the requirement. Of those firms doing variable data production printing, 80% do it on small desktop units with only 32% of those responding doing any digital color copying. A full 97% of all digital color printing is static printing, not variable data.

NPES’ marketing research arm PRIMIR reported during the Executive Outlook 2006 conference the day before Graph Expo that digital print had doubled from the 2001 tally of $7.8 billion to $15.3 billion in 2005, for a compound annual growth rate of 18.6%. This is the highest growth rate of any printing process, but represents only 8% of all North American print revenues in 2005. Wide format printing has grown at 16.1% a year over that same time period to $4.9 billion. Be cautious about big print engines, though, until you can prove your expertise to a receptive local market.

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At least a half dozen major conferences in recent years have had featured speakers and/or panel discussions of successful print practitioners talking about lean manufacturing practices and culture. IPA, the association for graphic solution providers, hired consultants to develop a print–centric tutorial package comprised of webinars, a handbook, and coaching to help the industry to understand and adopt the powerful graphics workflow improvement program called e–LEAN™.

 For more detailed information, there is a 12–page downloadable file available here . David Haridan, Director of IPA’s Webinar programs, unveiled the offering at Graph Expo in a seminar sponsored by Kodak.

A simple and inexpensive way to get started on lean manufacturing is to hire a senior industrial or mechanical engineering student as a summer intern. This is an inexpensive investment of perhaps five or six thousand dollars for a brief 8–10 week summer period, which could yield excellent results.

These young professionals, reporting to the company’s e–LEAN Program Manager, could do the workflow data collection for the necessary (but time–consuming) value stream mapping task. Their ignorance of the printing industry is no deterrent to them doing an exceptional job in a short time period. Presentations to and discussions by the relevant departments would then take less of your staff’s time. These personal departmental successes can build enthusiasm and commitment throughout the plant to tackle more complex and difficult areas later in the year.

If this idea is attractive, contact the Engineering Department Chair of your local college or university soon, as most students begin looking for summer jobs before the Christmas break. Additionally, most schools have senior year projects for which the students scurry around looking for pertinent and live issues. Your chosen student intern will probably ask you for the opportunity to come back during the school year to document the progress of his or her lean initiative, which make take some staff time to help compile these results for the student. That additional time will be minimal compared to the work an engineer can do for your firm, and your staff’s helpfulness may even lead to a new hire upon your student’s graduation!   

C. Clint Bolte & Associates,
Chambersburg, PA.
T: 717-263-5768  F: 717-263-8945
E: cbolte3@comcast.net

• environmental regulation compliance
  
• health & safety regulation compliance
  
• process management, lean manufacturing, quality management
  
• employee management (HR is not just about payroll!)
  
• IT management and support

Companies can incorporate these functions into their operations in various ways. Depending on the size of the company, they can either represent stand–alone positions or else can form part of aggregate job descriptions or outsourced tasks. But no matter how they get done or by whom, their implementation yields enormous paybacks.

Environment, Health & Safety
Print and related activities represent a large sector of the manufacturing economy in both the US and Canada. As such, they are subject to a variety of environmental and health and safety regulations under both federal and state/provincial laws. It is the responsibility of all manufacturing companies to be aware of these requirements and comply with them. It is wishful thinking to believe that small companies fall outside governmental radar screens. Businesses of all sizes can be inspected at any time—and fined or even shut down for non–compliance.

This means every company needs a designated gatekeeper to oversee environmental and health and safety compliance. After all, it is less costly to fund proactive compliance with environmental regulations than it is to pay fines—or worse, run the risk of even a short–term shutdown. The price tag for lost labor hours from workplace accidents is equally steep when compared to the cost of accident–prevention programs. Additionally, companies that demonstrate a responsible attitude toward employee health and safety enjoy a higher level of employee retention and dedication. Banks and other financial institutions also look more favourably on companies with a consistent record of environmental and health and safety compliance, regarding them as less of a lending risk.

Process Control
Historically, the automotive industry has led the way in recognizing the value of documenting, implementing, and managing comprehensive procedures for process control. At their most effective, these procedures ensure that quality is the responsibility of all employees, and allow all staff members to offer and implement suggestions for corporate improvement. Of the variety of formalized programs that facilitate cost–effective and profitable production, ISO continues to be an international standard tied to customer satisfaction.

Other process control programs implement lean manufacturing—a business performance improvement tool that also recognizes the importance of customer satisfaction in the context of a profitable workflow. Its payback is significant: waste is exposed and minimized, equipment use is maximized, employees are appropriately trained. Errors are tracked back to their root cause, addressed, and ultimately reduced. All shifts become productive.

All quality management is not inspection–based (although inspection is necessary to manufacturing–based work). Rather, it is procedural—creating a protocol for doing the right things correctly. The gatekeeper of process control endeavors should be independent of manufacturing (i.e., reporting directly to senior management, not production management), because anything else has the potential to pose a conflict of interest.

Human Resource Management
HR management is a valuable adjunct to a company’s strategic management process. Its fundamentals include employee management, labor relations, and compliance with employment legislation. Also at its core are the development and implementation of human resource programs, policies, and procedures. Other typical activities include payroll, benefits, and resources management.

When performed expertly and interactively, the HR management role goes far beyond the basics to include assisting with recruitment and staff selection, salary assessment, compensation plan improvement and management, and performance and dismissal management. Additionally, HR managers work with department managers to identify staff training and developmental needs, and assist with sourcing appropriate programs that improve overall performance. Human resources can also function as the arm’s length gatekeeper for environmental, health and safety, and process control initiatives. Thus the human resource function is vital in loss prevention. Its results link directly to the success of the business and the measurable, visible payback of happy, healthy, and qualified employees.

IT Professionals
One industry guru noted that in the very near future, print and related businesses will be paying their senior IT staff the same as or more than the industry historically paid to top press operators. Such a future may have already arrived. Our industry is data driven, from start to finish, in both management and production. The seamless capture, transmission, and management of data and digital assets are its lifeblood. IT professionals must have both a strong command of technology and the ability to manage such technology in a business–communications context, where the end product is either printed or electronically delivered.

For Companies of All Sizes
Demographic statistics show that the printing industry encompasses businesses of all sizes, although most are small operations. It is thus important that even the smallest ones be able to implement the crucial business management initiatives outlined above. Of course, the easiest answer is to hire an HR manager, environment, health, and safety manager, quality manager, or IT manager outright. But a dedicated person holding each position is very often not practical, since every initiative must demonstrate bottom–line payback or ROI.

So what is the answer for smaller business? As mentioned above, an HR department can perform a variety of functions. Or your IT department can be managed by someone from a prepress/premedia background who also understands the requirements of business management. Alternatively, you can hire a project manager who performs a variety of tasks—several of which can add up to a full–time job. In addition, there are professional consultants and outsource services that understand our industry and can be contracted to establish, monitor, and improve your regulatory and loss–prevention functions.

Whatever method you use to implement these initiatives, if you want to continue receiving a healthy return on your investment, it is imperative to treat none of them like a piece of furniture that you buy, set in place, and then forget about. At PrintLink we talk to employers and employees who are real–life examples of what works and what doesn’t. And their experiences confirm that the maintenance, management, and improvement of regulatory and loss control programs are as important as if not more important than their initial development.        

Victoria Gaitskell is a placement specialist with PrintLink, a professional placement firm for the graphic communications industry.
T: 1 877 413-2600
E: vgaitskell@printlink.com

Print World in Toronto saw a great success for participants and vendors. Brian Ellis, Marketing Manager Heidelberg Canada stated “It was a great show for Heidelberg, sales of QM 46-2 and Printmaster PM 74 were excellent and we picked up extra sales because of the show.” See more details on the show and pictures on page 18.

Scott Bury covers the growth and changes in the wide format sector of the industry on page 22.

There’s been a lot of talk throughout the industry regarding pricing. Costs are going up yet print prices are going down. People are working longer and harder for less. Can we as an industry band together to do something about it? The competitive fears within the industry often work against us. Maybe we should have a “Print marketing board”? I’d appreciate any feedback or comments you might have on this topic.
We are heading into our tenth year of Publishing the Graphic Arts Magazine. I would like to thank our loyal readers and customers in the industry who have always given us hope and encouragement. We will continue to grow and improve with each issue to give you the information you need to make your business stronger and your life easier.

The year is coming to a close and it’s a good time to reflect on what is happening in our world, communities and families. It’s an important time of the year to take stock of the last year and filter through the highs and lows so as to set new targets for the upcoming year. New Year’s resolutions may not last past the end of January, but well thought out plans and targets usually do. Take the time throughout the holidays to rest, relax and enjoy the moment with family and friends. As the wise man stated “ no one ever said on their death bed – I wish I had worked longer hours at the office! May the true joy and peace of the season shine over you.

I would like to wish all of you a very Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year,
Until next time, stay positive and stay focused.

The end of the year often brings excesses of spending, not saving, as we search for the perfect gift for each person on our Christmas list. But the end of the year is also a great time to think about saving, as tax time will soon be here, and with it, many opportunities you may not have considered for putting a bit of extra money back in your pocket.

If you do some or all of your work from home, there are many write-offs available to you that can help increase, rather than decrease, your bank account come tax time. You may already be aware that you can write off a percentage of your monthly housing costs as a business expense. A safe rule of thumb is to calculate the total area of your home and determine what percentage of that is used for your office needs—that percentage is the fraction of your housing cost (rent, hydro, etc.) you can reasonably write off as a business expense. And don’t forget your monthly phone and internet bills when tallying potential write-offs!

Business owners who do a lot of entertaining can also realize significant tax savings by keeping careful records. Even the little things add up—you may not think to write off that time you bought coffee and doughnuts for your design staff, but if you do it every Friday and always keep your receipts, it can be a significant tax savings.

Another area of potentially huge tax savings that many businesspeople don’t take full advantage of is mileage write-offs. If you use your car to see clients, attend trade shows, make deliveries, or for any other business-related trips, you can write off your mileage at the current rate of 47 cents per kilometre (in Ontario. Other provincial mileage rates are at available here .) The easiest way to keep track of mileage is to keep a little notebook in your vehicle and log the distance and purpose of each business trip. Then when it comes time to do your taxes, you’ll have a solid record of exactly how much you can write off.

If you own your own business, you also have excellent income-splitting opportunities that can substantially reduce your tax bill. Employing a stay-at-home spouse or a child looking for his first after-school job is a great way to save on taxes. Any salary that your spouse or child receives will be taxed at his or her (presumably lower) tax rate, but will still stay in the family. In short, the gross income is the same, but your family’s net income increases because you’re spreading it between two or more family members. Employing a son or daughter is also a great way to get your children started on saving for post-secondary education without the often less-favourable tax implications of an outright cash gift.

December isn’t often accompanied by piles of extra cash, just waiting to be used, but if you do have some extra income or some cash earning 0.0005% in your chequing account, it’s great time to sock away a bit extra in your RRSP. For someone making $75 000 a year, every dollar saved in an RRSP or a spousal RRSP means an extra $0.35 back at tax time—plus, you’ve saved the original dollar and will get to spend it later! The deadline for making RRSP contributions that can be used against the 2006 tax year is actually March 1, 2007, so even if you don’t have the cash to contribute now, you do have some time in the new year to use up your RRSP contribution room and get a little extra something back in April.

The above are just a few of the ways you can save on your taxes this year, and most of them are easy to implement. But it’s always a good idea to consult a tax professional to get advice that is customized to your situation. Business owners can find a local Chartered Accountant by checking out http://www.casource.com/. For information about ways to save personally, your best bet is to find a Certified Financial Planner in your area, which is easy to do at http://www.cfp-ca.org/public/public_findaplanner.asp.

We all wish to discover that tax loophole that will immediately save thousands of dollars, but such revelations are rare at best. Instead, focus on several small areas of savings that can quickly add up to a big refund come April. They may not be as flashy or make such great cocktail chatter, but careful attention to potential write-offs and other tax-saving strategies will bring you many happy returns.   

Catherine M.A. Fox-Wiebe writes, edits, and delights in life in Hamilton, Ontario.
She welcomes comments at catherine@graphicartsmag.com.

The December issue always prompts editors to write these “looking back, looking forward” columns. So why break with tradition?
Judging from the turnout to trade shows like Graph Expo last October and Print World in Toronto in November, 2006 has been a good year in the graphic arts industry. Printer seem in an upbeat mood, and vendors are selling more equipment, supplies and services. Margins may be thin, but it seems that printers in this country have sharp pencils.

It wouldn’t be the graphic arts industry if there weren’t some big changes underfoot, though. The industry is adopting short-run, wide-format printing equipment in a big way, in response to customer demand. Variable printing is another challenge, and opportunity, that more and more printers are taking up.

Like every other technological shift in this industry, not only is this opening up new opportunities, it’s also encouraging new players to enter the industry.

 won’t pretend to be able to make any predictions for 2007; there are some dark clouds on the economic horizon, to be sure, but there always are.

Let’s look forward to a strong 2007 together.

It’s become one of the printing industry’s most anticipated and enjoyable events – an annual extravaganza that’s put a smile on the faces of hundreds of clients, ad agency people, photographers, suppliers, celebrities, even politicians (not to mention their families and invited friends).

For the past 20 years, on the first Friday of December, C.J. Graphics Inc. has held its annual Open House. For the past 6 years, its expansive, state-of-the-art production facility at 134 Park Lawn Road in Toronto has been home to this popular event. And each year, like the company, its staff and its services, the event seems to be getting better and better.

Once again, this year’s party had everything – an incredible variety of food and refreshments, music, dancing, camaraderie and a lively atmosphere that any popular downtown bistro would envy.

As guests entered, they selected a celebrity nametag – a clever way to help break the ice. I chose Jackie Gleason, knowing that by the end of the evening I would likely consume my own body weight (200 lbs.) in food and drink.

Starting as a modest print brokerage firm in Toronto in 1981, C.J. Graphics Inc. began operating its own presses at 645 King St. E. in 1986. Today the company has become an industry leader in prepress, offset and digital printing and finishing, and has enjoyed national and international recognition.

For example, this year, the company won two Print Industries of America Bennie Awards, the most prestigious accolades in the printing industry, to complement its Bennie Awards from 2002 and 2003, and its other 3,500 separate awards and acknowledgements. Over 5,000 entries from around the world are judged each year during the Bennie Awards competition.

Well, if they gave an award for the best party in the industry, C.J. Graphics would have another trophy on its mantle for its Dec. 1 soir'e and smorgasbord, hosted and organized by CJG staff and Head Oyster Shucker (i.e. President) Jay Mandarino, and attended by some 1,485 guests.

Once again, admission was free as long as you brought a non-perishable food item for the Daily Bread Food Bank. If not, guests were encouraged to make a cash donation. Result? Over 1,500 lbs. of food was eventually collected and more than $2,500 was raised for the charity through a live auction conducted by Jay himself.

Speaking of food . . . ohhhh . . . my . . . god!
This was like entering a supermarket, not a printing facility. At every turn was a virtual cornucopia of fresh, mouthwatering sandwiches, appetizers, oysters, sushi, pizza, pastries and desserts, wines, beer, exotic juices. Hmmmm? Where to start?

Did I forget to mention the skateboard demo for the kids on a specially designed in-house track? Leading the way was skateboarding “wiz” Jay, (hey, the guy was ranked 3rd in Canada in 1979, ok) who put on a demo of his own sans the Elton John sunglasses. Over 100 kids and 300 adults looked on. This was another big hit. Most of the children later enrolled in lessons.

“This yearly event is just our way of thanking not only our clients, but our suppliers too. We never want them to forget how much we appreciate their efforts,” said Mandarino. “It’s also our way of giving back to the community.”

Mandarino also acknowledged the hundreds of hours of hard work put in by CJG staff and event suppliers who were responsible for making the entire evening such a huge success.