From a small two-page duplicator to the largest web presses in the world, the MAN Roland product line in Canada now provides a range of profitable pressroom solutions for small, medium, and large printers alike.

The good news happened on April 4, 2005, when printing giant MAN Roland became the exclusive Canadian distributor of Ryobi presses. The better news is occurring right now!

“Since being appointed exclusive distributors in Canada for Ryobi presses, we’ve been extremely pleased with the results,” says Paul Tasker, General Manager of MAN Roland Canada. “Previously, there were actually no Ryobi presses installed in Canada in a format larger than a duplicator. Now, 4-up and 6-up models are going in, complementing the MAN Roland product line.”

But it gets better still. “Based on the performance and quality of installs that we’ve now completed, we strongly believe that the future prospects for the Canadian market are outstanding,” Tasker notes. “Our Ryobi users are telling us that they can now provide an excellent print quality to their customers, based on an investment that falls well within their overall capital budgets.”

The service factor
As planned, MAN Roland’s extensive, integrated service organization now includes technicians fully trained in every detail of Japan-based Ryobi products.

“We’ve completed extensive training of our sales and service teams both in Japan and in Canada,” Tasker adds.
Sheetfed facilities can choose reliable solutions from a complete menu of products. “MAN Roland Canada can now provide printing press solutions from the two-page duplicator size, which we’ve been extremely successful with, up to our largest MAN XXL 73” press—with full service capabilities to support these solutions,” says Tasker.

As far as the future is concerned, Tasker says MAN Roland Canada is planning exciting new marketing initiatives for Ryobi within the Canadian market. “I just returned from Japan and was part of the opening of Ryobi’s new press manufacturing facility. I can tell you that we’re absolutely thrilled at what they’re producing for our valued customers in Canada.”

The Ryobi story
Ryobi is on the rise as a pressmaker. What began as a die-cast products company in 1943 has evolved into one of the world’s leading manufacturers of precision offset and digital offset presses. The company is continually developing total printing solutions to support the demands of a sophisticated information society; their systems can flexibly respond to a modern digital workflow process, from receipt of data to printing and binding.

Currently, Ryobi ships presses to over 160 countries and is particularly forward-thinking in the prepress stage. It has even developed high-performance, multi-functional page layout software using computerized processing of characters and graphic information. In addition, original Ryobi fonts such as the “Now Series” are used by graphic designers worldwide.

But product quality is not the only Ryobi benchmark. The company also develops products that are better for the environment, such as presses that require less ink and organic solvents and use fewer start-up sheets. Automation and energy-saving features are also priorities.

Choice of options
About 800 different kinds of Ryobi products are available to Canadian printers through MAN Roland Canada, as Ryobi is committed to providing its customers with many choices. For example, Ryobi offers various model types in its 750 Series and 520 Series, including a combination of multi-color presses, UV coating/UV curing capabilities, and perfecting options.

Here’s an overview of some of the more popular models that MAN Roland Canada now supplies:
The Ryobi 750 series is a six-up press, available in one-to-ten unit configurations. Fast turnaround, consistent print quality, compatibility with digital technologies and smooth integration with computer-to-plate systems are just a few of the 750 series’ outstanding characteristics. Any of the multi-unit models in the series can be equipped with perfecting and coating.

The Ryobi 520GX series provides two-up presses that range from one-unit to six-unit models with anilox coating units. They’ve been developed based on the performance of over 10 000 printing units working worldwide.

The Ryobi 524HE is a two-page press that can be configured as either a two-unit or four-unit model. A semi-automatic plate changer is standard equipment, as is Ryobi’s PCS printing control system and Program Inking, which speed color adjustments and reduce makeready times. This press can be fitted with a wide range of options, including a high-precision register punch and automatic cleaning devices, enabling users to customize the 524HE to the requirements of their market.

For portrait formats, the Ryobi 3304 is a two-page, four-color duplicator. It includes the Ryobi SuperDampener Continuous Dampening System to ensure a stable ink/water balance. A spring-tension plate clamp system accommodates both metal and polyester-based plates.

The 3304 is also equipped with the Ryobi semiautomatic plate changer, which makes changing plates significantly faster.
For fast, high-res Direct Imaging, the Ryobi 3404X-DI accommodates two Presstek ProFire Direct Imaging systems to eliminate the need for off-press platemaking. The system images its plates in approximately 4 minutes and 30 seconds at 2,540 dpi in AM screening or 16 microns in FM screening. Ryobi Program Inking sets ink zones from each job’s digital profile to further speed makeready and minimize waste. An integrated IR dryer is also available to accelerate the workflow.

High performance partnership
“Our partnership with Ryobi gives Canadian printers access to a variety of two-up, four-up and six-up options, including duplicator and press designs,” says Tasker. “Combine that with our existing array of sheetfed and web presses and the result is a virtually seamless range of printing solutions to meet the specific needs of any Canadian printer, from the small commercial shop to the largest high-volume producer.”
In addition to being a source for Ryobi technology, MAN Roland Canada’s repertoire includes the world’s most advanced high-volume presses (sheetfed and web press lines), MBO Folders, and Moll Folder/Gluers.

MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG is the world’s second largest printing systems manufacturer and the world market leader in web offset. The company operates out of Offenbach, Augsburg, and Plauen in Germany, employs 9 000 staff, and generates annual sales of $2.14 billion. Web and sheetfed offset are its major product lines for publishing, general commercial, and packaging printing. MAN Roland is the only printing press manufacturer to be a partner of the WAN (World Association of Newspapers). In fact, one of every three newspapers published in the world today is printed on a MAN Roland press.

In North America, MAN Roland Inc. operates a network of five regional sales and service facilities, staffed by over 250 employees. In Canada, it offers the broadest range of pressroom solutions of any press provider, thanks in part to its partnership with Ryobi. For more information, please visit www.manroland.ca or call 1-800-MROLAND.   

Tony Curcio is a senior writer for Graphic Arts Magazine. He can be reached
at tony@graphicartsmag.com

This column continues last month’s discussion of the benefits of flexibility in HR practices.  We begin with flexibility that is specific to a given job or job type. 

Job-specific flexibility
Let’s consider sales. Company owners and managers will ideally hire someone who can walk in the door with a bag of business. While circumstances certainly do arise that enable such a scenario, it is the exception rather than the rule. So, as a flexible compromise, employers may need to grow their own sales staff. This option becomes even more attractive when you realize that any new salesperson joining the company, even a seasoned one, always requires a ramp-up time.

It may also encourage you to know that some candidates with production backgrounds would like to move into a sales job. Such a career evolution could occur naturally from customer service to sales. And while customer service roles can be careers in their own right, ambitious

CSRs may welcome the prospect of further professional advancement into selling.
The sales role is also assuming new dimensions. As companies become business solutions providers instead of commodity printers, the task of business development becomes more complex. Accordingly, we are now seeing a division between “hunter-” and “farmer-”type sales roles, with many employers regarding business development as a stand-alone salary-plus-bonus position. Once accounts are developed, an account manager takes them on to maintain them. Not only does this two-part structure build business volume, but it can also offer employers more flexibility in recruiting or developing salespeople with a variety of aptitudes and functions.

As a second case study in flexibility, let’s consider Department Supervisors or Managers. Historically, printing has been an industry that concentrates on managing work—not people. But, as the industry evolves, companies are increasingly recognizing the need to emphasize human-resource management and process control in order to maximize efficiency and profitability.  They also want to hire managers with experience in a print environment.

The reality on the shop floor is that, when managers have evolved from operators to hands-on forepersons to supervisors  to managers, their companies have usually promoted but not trained them. Here again a flexible approach pays off: if you can’t find the supervisors or managers you want to hire, you can provide the training necessary to create them. Similarly, at the front end, customer services reps can become customer service managers, production coordinators can become production managers, then operations managers, and so on. In all these cases, the same parameters for training internally-promoted staff apply.

Employee flexibility
1. Think employer—not job. Identify vibrant companies that educate and train their employees and offer advancement from within. Once you have your foot in the door, you can position yourself to get the training and promotions you desire.

2. Stay put. If you’re looking for a change of job but can’t find one, consider staying in your current position for a while longer (if that’s an option). Staying where you are enables you to regroup and re-evaluate your career objectives and approach. It can also buy you time for training, networking, or gaining additional job experience to propel you towards your long-term goals. (Of course, you need to appropriately balance your obligations to your current employer with your career-development activities.) And closer investigation may even reveal advancement opportunities with your present company.

3. Consider relocating. To achieve your career goals, it may help to be flexible about location, though relocation is a major decision that will affect your family profoundly. And if you relocate for a specific company or position, you should have a contingency plan in case the job doesn’t satisfy your expectations.

Employees who prove their flexibility are valuable assets, and should be respected by employers. In an evolving industry, people who are entrepreneurial by nature and adaptable by practice will contribute significantly to the changing objectives of both the company and its clients. Employees who are elastic often make the best prospects for long-term employees.   

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

The Digital Imaging Association offers a dependable and cost–effective way to stay current with the industry—we recruit experts in various fields to address topics of interest to our membership.

Recently, members and guests participated in an in–depth session that examined some case studies of what works and what doesn’t when going down the MIS/ERP/CRM path. A three–member panel led a town hall–style meeting in which both presenters and attendees shared their knowledge and expertise. The expert panel, comprised of  Marg Macleod (IBEC Training and Consulting), Ian Broomhead (CP Printing), and Bob Weller (Transcontinental Yorkville/O’Keefe) provided users’ perspectives, not specific vendor solutions.

The presenters defined the systems:
MIS—Management Information System—a series of inter–related data bases which manage the administrative, production and manufacturing operations of a company

ERP/MRP—Enterprise/Management Resource Planning—identifying and moving resources around in concert with day to day activities
CRM—Customer Relationship Management—contact software to build information about clients

The DIA’s outlook
The intent of the above mentioned systems is to automate manual processes in order to control operating costs, streamline production flow, eliminate redundant processes, track waste, create consistency in estimating and job costing, and eliminate inaccurate information, all in order to maximize revenues.

Manufacturers make money by streamlining processes, and the systems and options now available, provide many ways to streamline by eliminating redundancies and providing measurement tools.

The automation process should start with an audit of current processes by talking to the people who do the work. An objective consultant should review what actually happens as work progresses through planning and production, with a focus on the core flow, not the exceptions or what ifs. The consultant’s documentation should track the progression of work through each phase of production, recording that the work has cleared a department after being checked and verified.

Other important revelations emerge from a review of process and cycle time. Process time is how long it takes to physically perform every operation, measured in seconds and minutes. Cycle time is the amount of time it takes to move the project from the front door to the back door, measured in hours, days, and weeks. The goal of system automation is to reduce cycle time almost to process time. Examples provided by the panel and from participants pointed out systems that can facilitate this objective.

Why your company needs an MIS system
The following 8 reasons were outlined at the DIA session. We suggest you review your own workplace against these reasons and decide for yourself.

1. Estimates are inconsistent and/or take too long to produce
2. Purchasing responsibility is scattered and not all costs are captured on dockets when they’re billed
   
3. Excessive consumable inventories
   
4. Waste and spoilage not accurately measured or managed
   
5. AA’s and house errors go unrecorded and unbilled
   
6. Decisions made based on filtered information rather than actual data
   
7. Scheduling failures are not tracked
   
8. Multiple administrative software programs that have no inter–operability

MIS System Options
There are three basic levels of MIS systems: single, with limited function, multiple functions that cover 99% of printing companies’ needs, and the granddaddy systems that include dynamic scheduling, job imposition planning, and JDF compatibility.

System prices can range from $20 000 to $100 000 for the second level to over $250 000 for the most advanced models.
Buying options include creating your own, buying off–the–shelf products you host yourself, or purchasing systems with external ASP hosts. Whatever your company chooses, implementation requires full employee support and complete knowledge of your process and people.

Ensure that you test and retest to ensure your selected system does address your goals.
In addition to dialoguing about the successes and failures of system implementation, attendees were also able to view and request various charts demonstrating process workflow and how automation tracks and improves activities.

Become a member of the Digital Association today to take part in informational sessions like this one. The privilege of membership enables companies to send as many employees as they deem appropriate to each meeting at no additional charge above the low cost of membership. As a member of the DIA, you’re not just a name on a list. You become part of a network of professionals dedicated to the strength and future of the industry.     

Contact Marg Macleod, Association Manager, at 416.696.0151 or marg@digitalimagingassoc.ca.

Someone recently described the craft of printing as “putting dead dinosaurs on dead trees,” the idea being that dinosaurs decompose into crude oil, a key ink ingredient. This clever description is also troubling when you consider that some of the print production processes in wide use today may themselves be nearing extinction. The print economy appears to be on the rebound, but as export pressures, the Internet, digital workflow, and other disruptive technologies continue to transform the production landscape, it’s worth a look into the bindery to see what may lay ahead.

CIM, JDF, CIP4, and JAA (Just Another Acronym)
Industry forecasters predict the end of print as we know it unless we adopt computer–integrated workflows driven by job description format files that have been formally approved by the International Cooperation for the Integration of Processes in Prepress, Press, and Postpress (CIP4). But your short–term goals are probably more tangible: you’re just trying to improve makeready times on your saddlestitching or perfect binding lines so you can handle short–run work efficiently. Or you may need to finish variable pre–collated sheets from your new digital colour press without any trade–off in finish quality. You know you need automation, but you’re not sure to what extent.

There’s good news and bad news. The bad news is it’s probably short–sighted to invest in any postpress equipment that isn’t JDF–enabled. But the good news is you’re under no obligation to implement JDF today—it’s not an all–or–nothing proposition—and it shouldn’t cost you more. Most leading postpress equipment manufacturers have a CIP4 game plan that provides some level of step–wise JDF implementation. You should be able to achieve automated setups today, then plug into a fully integrated MIS workflow when, and if, you’re ready. Generally speaking, buying “JDF–ready” equipment shouldn’t carry a heavy surcharge, though you’ll probably have some added costs when you start integrating hardware and software.

Justify to Buy
Different printers’ approaches to bindery investment says a great deal about where the print market is heading.

It used to be fairly simple to justify a postpress investment. You could (maybe you did) do the math on the back of an envelope. N units of books/booklets finished per day/week/month, with a labour burden of y, with an average unit resale price of $x, an equation applied to both old and new processes. If you negotiate a good buy price, swing a reasonable lease rate, get a fair trade–in value on your old gear, and end up making more money over a reasonable timeframe, then you’d likely proceed.

A host of other factors come into the equation today. Setup/makeready time can be huge, depending on how many different jobs per day/week/month you have or expect to attract with the new equipment. And the mix keeps changing as overall run lengths decline.

Customers are also expecting ever–quicker turnarounds, so the new process needs to get products out the door or on the next process as rapidly as possible. Labour variables are changing too. You may be unable to count on (or afford) the same level of expertise to run the new equipment, or a different skill set may be needed. And as digital imaging becomes more common, you may need to support pre–collated output as well. The complex spreadsheets designed to consider such factors prefer eclipse envelopes as their justification tool.

A detailed review of investment decisions is a healthy trend, since printers need to understand their real cost on each job to stay profitable. Ideally, anything you can measure would roll–up into the equation—setup time, run time, downtime due to preventative maintenance or equipment failure, labour, waste, energy cost, and the list goes on. Only by keeping close tabs on bindery shop floor metrics can printers determine real job costs, and thus increase efficiency and address staffing or equipment issues.

Bindery metrics will be supported by systems like the Standard Horizon i2i Bindery Control System, which captures real–time job statistics and also provides JDF setups, job management, and production scheduling. Expect to see increasing levels of digital control in the binder, on–board automation with servo–motor control, networked systems that capture job statistics from several machines for cost review and analysis, and the ability to exchange data with MIS systems for enterprise–wide visibility and standardized, repeatable processes. Digital control will become the de facto standard in the bindery, just as it has in upstream print production processes, and just as it has in other industries where CIM (Computer–integrated manufacturing) has transformed business practices.

Adopting CIM
Speaking of CIM, one trusted industry expert has commented that many CTP users do not use ink fountain presets, despite their importance to CTP return on investment. To the extent this is true, how quickly are printers willing to adopt CIM as an industry–wide practice that extends into the bindery? Stories abound of operators resisting new technology, believing it invites management scrutiny or is a substitute for their specialized skill set. Whatever technical barriers to widespread CIM adoption there may be—interoperability may be the biggest, resulting in what have been dubbed “islands of automation”—cultural barriers are an equally daunting problem. Even so, CIM may be one of the most effective ways for printers to thrive amidst rising costs and declining margins.

One–Pass Convenience
Some forward–looking printers have original thoughts about their potential finishing investments. For example, one customer recently made a significant investment in production digital color printing (100+ pages per minute). They aim to capture a share of the highly variable short–run color market with a value–added product that requires a higher production skill set but also has higher margins and (they hope) encourages greater customer loyalty.

This printer wanted a saddle stitching system that would make their digitally imaged booklets indistinguishable from offset–printed jobs finished on their conventional long–run signature gathering and saddle binding line, and they wanted to minimize off–line production steps. The customer opted for a Standard Horizon system with an all–in–one near–line solution that fed the pre–collated sheets (with barcode integrity checking), scored the sets, stitched, folded, and finally three–knife–trimmed the booklets for edge–to–edge color. There are less–costly combinations that could produce the work, but the customer placed a very high value on the benefit of a one–pass process—especially useful with tight production windows for personalized printing. The system also supported short–run conventional offset work, since the same finisher was equipped with suction flat–sheet collator towers. This customer didn’t use lengthy analysis to justify the purchase. They simply responded to their customers’ key finishing requirements: highly automated setup, application flexibility, technical reliability, and no compromise in end–product quality when compared to output from their incumbent long–run systems.

Are You a Printer?
Some customers have stopped referring to themselves as “printers,” particularly the highly digital shops, even though their bindery equipment mix closely resembles what you’d find under the roof of a conventional graphic arts shop. It’s also true of businesses that receive most of their jobs through a web storefront (e.g., mimeo.com, colorcentriccorp.com) or provide on–demand publishing services (e.g., ipublish.com, lulu.com). For these companies, “dots on paper” is just one element in a string of supply chain and fulfillment services they provide for their clients, and this community’s needs may differ over time from those of traditional printers. As the print business model evolves, how and where finishing value is added may shift as well.

Industry Rebound Benefits All
PIA/GATF has reported that 2004 was a solid recovery year for the print industry—shipments were up U.S. $4.4 billion, despite continued fall–off in printing plants (down 1,538) and industry employment (down 18,000). At this writing, 2005 shipments were up another 3.4%, ink–on–paper up 2.4%, toner–based print up 5.4%, and most printers (56%) reported an increase in sales volume. These figures bode well for the strongest bindery equipment manufacturers who improve their businesses as they continue rolling out innovative, new finishing solutions that address the short–run, quick–turn, and digital print requirements of the market.

Reprinted with permission from the PIA/GATF 2006 Forecast: Technology, Trends, Tactics.  Copyright 2006 by the Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (www.gain.net).  All rights reserved.

Many Canadians care deeply about environmental issues, and their concern is only likely to grow. Many printers, too, prioritize environmental stewardship, and are looking for ways to be good citizens while working in an industry that consumes many natural resources and often uses hazardous chemicals. Environmental stewardship goes beyond compliance with existing regulations for working conditions and safe disposal of waste. As a result, many Canadian printers are initiating more environmentally sound production processes.

Printers, like other manufacturers, are increasingly rethinking their operations; reducing waste; reusing as much as possible and recycling. At the most basic level of environmental awareness, printers can purchase paper with post–consumer recycled content. Some printers are increasing the energy efficiency of their operations, including using renewable energy wherever possible. And all printers can recycle—not just paper but also inkjet and laser printer cartridges. There are also significant ways to reduce the toxicity and volume of chemistry in the offset printing process, including alcohol–free fountain solutions, vegetable cleaning agents and inks, and a new generation of virtually process–free plates.

Many printers have reduced their environmental footprint by adopting computer–to–plate, particularly  with reduced–process plates and chemistry–free plates.  Chemistry–free plates can also be an economic boon, as many printers underestimate the total cost of chemistry, processing, and maintenance. Chemistry and processing typically adds from 10% to 30% to the cost of the plate. These chemistry–related costs include, among other things, the cost of  the chemistry and processor, waste disposal, and environmental compliance. Chemistry–free plates, which include the Presstek Anthem, Fuji Pro–T, Kodak ThermalDirect, and Agfa :Azura, essentially eliminate chemistry costs, as well as the variables associated with plate processing.

When Kwik Kopy of Prince Edward Island, a fast–growing commercial printer in Canada’s smallest province, decided to go to metal computer–to–plate, they only looked at chemistry–free systems. Troy Mackenzie, co–owner with his brother Shawn, says, “If we were switching to metal, why bother going with chemistry?...We wanted to get away from chemistry and the need to clean tanks and rollers.” Mackenzie says they save more than six hours a month in processor cleaning. They also no longer have to store and dispose of chemistry, which eliminates two major concerns from their operation. Now they no longer have to pay someone to haul their chemistry away, and are also free from the potential liability if their disposal truck was in an accident.

Ron Wood, general manager of Winnipeg’s Christian Press echoes the Mackenzies’ sentiments. “Agfa’s :Azura has helped increase our production at an astounding rate of about 40 percent, and that has changed the way we do business, in a very positive way,” he said. “In addition, being chemistry–free, it has much less of an impact on the environment, and that’s something that is very important to us.”

Burtnik Printing is a 50–year–old, second–generation family–owned business in St. Catharines, Ontario, with 9 employees and $1.2 million in annual revenues. As was the case with Kwik Kopy of PEI, the purchase of a new press—in Burtnik’s case, a 26” two–colour Komori—was the impetus for the purchase of CTP. Like most printers these days, Burtnik has seen an increased demand for short–run, four–colour work with fast turnaround times. Clearly, his film–based platemaking system was not up to the challenge from either a cost or a time perspective, so Burtnik ultimately chose the Presstek Dimension Excel 425.

The Dimension is a truly chemistry–free system, requiring only a water wash. In addition to the expected productivity improvements, increased capacity, and cost savings, the chemistry–free system improved Burtnik Printing’s environmental footprint, eliminated prepress chemistries, and significantly reduced the waste stream emanating from their plant.

An important part of the decision–making process was the Dimension’s chemistry–free operation. The Burtniks have always been conscious of their impact on the environment, routinely reclaiming silver, recycling paper, and more. “Now,” he says, “we have virtually eliminated the need for any chemistry. Although we put out seven buckets of paper weekly for recycling, we only put three bags of garbage on the street weekly. That is a significant reduction in waste stream for us.”

Burtnik does not see himself as a strong advocate for the outdoors and the environment. “But,” he says, “living with Lake Ontario in our backyard has made us conscious of the human impact on the environment. This is the largest system of freshwater lakes in the world, and we consider ourselves lucky to live in such a beautiful area. The chemistry–free operation of the Dimension was an added bonus that helped seal the deal for me.”

Burtnik used a recent fishing trip with his oldest son, Brandon, currently enrolled in a business management course in college, to explain how he took it upon himself to upgrade his printing business to a true chemistry–free operation in order to help preserve the Great Lakes for future generations to enjoy. Burtnik says, “We live 15 minutes from Niagara Falls and a five–minute walk from Lake Ontario.  Over the years, I have developed relationships with some of the charter fishing operations here locally, and took advantage of the opportunity to take Brandon fishing last summer, shortly after I acquired the Dimension. The fact that Brandon reeled in a large salmon on that trip helped reinforce the environmental message and the role our family business is playing in ensuring that his kids will be able to enjoy the same experiences.”
Signet Graphics, a seven–employee Woodbridge, Ontario firm, has been environmentally aware for many years. Owner Jez Metcalfe comments that they use vegetable–based inks and have not used an alcohol–based fountain solution for six years. Metcalfe says their Mitsubishi 6–colour half–size press works with well with the buffered fountain solution. “Everyone knows why you shouldn’t have alcohol. It’s a carcinogen, hardens the rollers, and costs money.”

Signet recently installed a Fuji Dart 4300 and chose the Fuji Pro–T processless plate for all of the “clich' reasons. There would be much less work.” Metcalfe is particularly happy to eliminate his plate processor. “It freed up a lot of square footage… It’s messy, stains the floor. It costs $250 to pick up a drum, and it’s a real pain to get rid of refuse and chemistry. [With the Fuji Pro–T, we don’t have] the chemistry to get rid of, [nor do we have to] pay for the chemicals, or pay for the hydro… We save a lot of money.”

Metcalfe feels that being one of the first in the GTA with a processless plate provides a competitive advantage. “People care about the environment. We are pitching people not only with our quality and pricing, but also chemistry free…. We have a [smaller] environmental footprint.”

Another environmentally–friendly option is waterless printing. The Waterless Printing Association notes that “waterless printing is an offset lithographic printing process that eliminates the water or dampening system used in conventional printing. It uses a special silicone rubber coated printing plate, special ink, and typically a means of temperature control on press….In waterless printing the process of printing is changed [from a] chemical one involving the use of Isopropyl Alcohol or their substitutes to a simplified mechanical process. Instead of the press operator balancing the delicate relationship between ink and water, all that waterless printing requires is a temperature range for transferring ink to the substrate.” Waterless printing thus reduces VOCs and eliminates traditional offset’s chemically–tainted waste water.
There are very few traditional waterless printers in Canada—the WPA lists only three, although there are doubtless more. Many do not realize, however, that direct–imaging presses, such as the KBA 74–Karat Digital Offset Press, the Presstek 52DI and 34DI, as well as the now–discontinued Heidelberg Quickmaster–DI, all use waterless printing and processless plates.

Chemistry–free plates and presses are not appropriate for every plant. That does not mean, however, that those printers cannot be environmental leaders. An integrated environmental policy has compelling business advantages: the opportunity to reduce costs, increase competitiveness, and avoid the potentially expensive risks of non–compliance. In addition, environmentally aware printers benefit from an increasingly positive brand value perception. Businesses that make only a minimum effort, at best, miss great opportunities to increase efficiency and grow their business.

Thistle Printing Limited, a rapidly growing firm in North York, has proven itself as an industry leader in environmental initiatives by making environmental best practices a central part of their operation. Thistle Printing takes a holistic approach to environmental management, integrating environmental responsibility and innovation into every part of their company. Because Thistle Printing has taken this conscientious approach, environmental stewardship is not a by–product of doing business but is integral to it. Less waste and pollution, a healthier working environment, commitment to environmentally compatible products, and certified stocks and products bring improved purchasing and production efficiencies.

Thistle endorses the SmartWood Certified Forestry (FSC) program and is certified under the Forest Stewardship Council. They use as much post–consumer recycled paper and paper processed without the use of chlorine as possible. Being able to use the FSC logo, as well as that of the Rainforest Alliance, gives Thistle a leg up in getting business, particularly from environmental organizations.

To ensure that they complied with all applicable environmental laws and regulations, Thistle Printing joined the Toronto Region Sustainability Program, through OCETA, in 2000. They conducted a comprehensive pollution prevention (P2) assessment. This review included process flow mapping, equipment uses, evaluation of the way chemicals are employed and stored, and waste handling and discharges. As a result, Thistle adopted new initiatives to improve their operation, environmental impact, and regulatory compliance. The pollution prevention assessment and action plan, updated every few years, has improved Thistle’s environmental and financial performance in the form of cost savings, reduced liability, and better marketing opportunities.

Sean Roseland–Barnes, Thistle’s Director of Operations, says they try to use all of their resources efficiently. For example, in prepress, they are investigating the Vantage Plus Developer Reduction System to reduce chemical use and sewer discharge. In the pressroom, Thistle uses low VOC auto–wash systems. They also use an alcohol–free fountain solution.

Even with an alcohol–free fountain solution, solution waste includes contaminants such as cobalt, copper, molybdenum, zinc and other subject pollutants from the ink and the solvents. Thistle eliminated the problems of collection, storage, and offsite disposal of these pollutants by installing an Ultra–Filtration Membrane unit to treat the spent fountain solution and bucket wash water on–site prior to discharge or re–use. This recommendation from the pollution prevention assessment saved off–site disposal and eliminated more than 20 kilograms each of cobalt and manganese from the sewer each year.

Thistle also has instituted an innovative waste reduction initiative to reduce their ink usage. Using traditional methods of opening and mixing ink manually results in significant waste, which Thistle estimated at 25% of partially used cans. In order to combat this waste, Thistle Printing has installed an ink dosing system, resulting in less than 3% waste. Roseland–Barnes says, “our business is up 30% in three years, but our [ink] usage is down 20%. We’re saving a lot on ink, with much less waste and higher utilization.”

“Better environmental compliance leads to a much more efficient manufacturing process, which leads to lower costs, better productivity, more business, and higher profits. “We try to make sure we’re making the right environmental choice,” says Roseland–Barnes.  “Everything has a cost benefit analysis. In each [environmental] initiative there’s also a benefit to us. By doing smart things but not the obvious things, we’re both reducing our environmental impact[and] keeping the bottom line in mind. You have to make smart choices.”

With the advent of more cost–effective and environmentally–sound technologies in the printing industry, it is increasingly evident that those “smart choices” are synonymous with choices that prioritize environmental stewardship. As Roseland–Barnes said, “If you’re not around in 5 to 10 years to make the right choices, what good are you really doing?”    

John Zarwan is an independent consultant based in Prince Edward Island. He is the author of CTP Plate Making: Understanding the Real Costs (available at no charge here). He has consulted with many of the manufacturers mentioned in this article.

Photoshop CS3 will be available soon, but before its release, you can download a relatively stable beta version from http://labs.adobe.com. I have been test–driving the new release and have seen some very exciting changes. I do not recommend using this release for production work, but it is a great way to test some of the new features.

The main enhancements and changes are a significant interface update (which takes a bit of time to get used to), support for Intel Macs (Universal Binary), big changes to the Bridge, improvements to Camera Raw, and other selection and colour correction tool enhancements.
There are a few areas in this upgrade that make me go “wow,” and one of them is the option to open a RGB, jpeg, or tiff directly into Adobe Camera Raw. I know, JPEG is not a raw format, but having the options and the power of this import filter is huge. Look at the image to the right, taken through a green–tinted window. To correct this using the tools in Photoshop would have taken me significantly longer and would not have turned out as well.

When I compare the images, one corrected in Camera Raw and the other in Photoshop, I see a few distinct differences: the amount of detail in the darker areas, the overall neutrality, the realism of the ski colour and the mountains, and the amount of pop are much improved in the Camera Raw correction. Not only that, but the correction was faster and more intuitive.

The great thing about using Camera Raw as opposed to opening an image directly into Photoshop is that you have a one–stop–apply–everything–in–one–move approach instead of making multiple hits on an image—the former approach translates into less destruction and image degradation. As well, there are adjustment tools available in Camera Raw that are not in Photoshop, such as lens vignetting, noise reduction during sharpening, advanced tone curves, and the ability to adjust images’ vibrancy rather than just their saturation. There is also the Auto option—it may not fix every image, but it is often a great start.

If your image has any grey, in it you can do a quick colour balance using the White Balance Tool (eye–dropper in the top left corner) and click on a grey area to adjust the grey balance. Fixing an image’s grey balance is like building a strong foundation for a house—everything depends on it.

So how do you access all these Camera Raw tricks? Simply open Photoshop CS3, select Open from the File menu, browse for the file to open, and change the image format to Camera Raw. Now the image will open in Camera Raw before coming into Photoshop, giving you all the options under the sun to fine tune your image.

The reason I really like working in Camera Raw is that all my adjustments are connected, enabling me to go back and forth between various methods without committing. You can also always see Highlight and Shadow clipping and a Histogram to ensure you are not losing information. It is also technically possible to do the above by using adjustment layers, which is certainly still an option.
I’m not advocating Camera Raw as a panacea, or saying that once you import the image from Camera Raw your work is complete. Rather, it is simply a better starting point with easier controls than Photoshop itself.   

Angus Pady is the president of Digital Solutions. Complete colour control from desktop to press. T: 905.764.6003
E: Angus@ColourManagement.ca
www.colourmanagement.ca

How loyal are your customers?  It’s often true that 80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers, but with the plethora of printing options available to your customers today, it’s not enough to simply assume that customers will keep coming just because they always have.

The need to keep repeat customers has resulted in loyalty programs, an innovative marketing strategy that has become the norm for many businesses in the last decade.  Loyalty programs are everywhere: from the local coffee shop that gives you a free coffee for every ten you purchase to large corporations that offer unique benefit plans to repeat customers. It seems that every store you enter offers some sort of program to encourage repeat business.  

Why have loyalty programs had such widespread success?  The reason is simple: they work.  Whether you are accumulating air miles, Petro points, free pedicures, or bonus gifts, the loyalty program has created a buying environment that offers distinct rewards to customers who come back again.  

Customer loyalty programs began in the 1980s in the airline industry.  Loyalty programs have since exploded, as evidenced by my and others’ wallets. 75% of consumers own at least one loyalty card.  I have an Aeroplan card, a Body Shop card, a La Senza card, an Indigo/Chapters card, a coffee card, a pedicure card, a Sears card, and a Blockbuster card.  Each one gives me a different benefit such as point accumulation, discounted shopping, or free products. Do I favour these retail destinations because of their rewards? Absolutely.  
If you think your business is too small to benefit from such a program, you’re mistaken.  Rewarding your best customers for repeat business will help solidify business relationships, gain long–term loyalty, and encourage word–of–mouth advertising from your customers.  Loyalty programs are an effective strategy that can be implemented by small, medium, or large businesses.

A loyalty program can be as simple or as complicated as you desire.  A simple loyalty program involves giving customers a benefit for being loyal to your print shop or graphic design company.  It could be as easy as saying “Hey Jim, you’ve been a great client.  To show you how thankful I am for your business, I would be happy to give you a ten percent discount on your next order.”

 more complicated program would be to have a website where customers upload their orders.  You can then give points (which can later be exchanged for goods or services) for each dollar spent or each order placed.  This encourages consumers to visit your website, rather than the website of a competitor, the next time they need some printed materials.

Your customer is not the only one who benefits from a loyalty program—businesses don’t just give out reward points to be nice.  Loyalty cards allow companies to track buyers’ spending habits, providing valuable consumer data to business managers.  For example, a business manager might learn from her loyalty data that 80% of her clients are female.  This knowledge will allow her to better target future marketing campaigns.

A loyalty program also gives a certain air of professionalism to your company.  It makes customers feel that you value their business and encourages them to come back to you.  Here are some ideas for easy–to–create loyalty programs that you can customize to your business:
Track sales and offer rebates for spending a certain dollar amount; for example, if your customer spends $1000, give him a $50 credit.
Track orders and create a buy–ten–get–one offer; if a customer places ten orders for 1000 business cards, she gets her eleventh order free of charge.

Offer a discounted rate for customers who have been with you for a certain amount of time—clients who have been with you for over one year could receive 5% off their orders.

Provide a discount card to favoured clients so they get 10% off upon presentation of the card.
Create a “VIP Package” which can be given to customers which contains a variety of valuable coupons.
However you choose to structure your loyalty program, it can and should grow as your business grows.  Remember, encouraging a customer you have already attracted to come back again is much easier than soliciting a brand new client!    

MPR Communication is a design and print company located in Lachine, Quebec. Jasmine Brooks is MPR’s Project Coordinator. E: jbrooks@mprcommunication.com

Client data is at the centre of all we do.  We lay it out, back it up, email it, proof it, PDF it, and put it on the web.  To get data into our systems we retype it, cut and paste it, and scan it.  How does XML fit into these activities?

XML is the standard way of defining any collection of digital data. XML can define a business card, a catalogue, a brochure, or even a novel.  The person creating the data file defines the names to describe the data, as in the example below of a business card.

<?xml version=’1.0’ encoding=’utf–8’ ?>
<BusinessCard>
<Company>TriBay</Company>
<FirstName>Andrea</FirstName>
<LastName>Mahoney</LastName>
<Phone>416–729–9687</Phone>
<email>andrea@tribay.ca</email>
</BusinessCard>

XML defines the data only, other programs will define how it is laid out. Its basic and straightforward nature is why XML is important.  Everything that comes in contact with this data file can display it in a way that is unique to its platform: a web page, a cell phone, a spreadsheet, an email, and even InDesign and Quark.

You will certainly come in contact with an XML file sooner or later, so it’s best to learn about it in small doses so that you’ll be ready for the file when you do encounter one. Even I, someone who enjoys scripting, found that learning the nuts and bolts of XML made my eyes heavy.
So with that in mind, following are some XML basics.

It is simple to get started with XML in InDesign, but you must pay attention when using the palettes.  Go to View –> Show Structure and you have your tools for importing XML. Go to Window –> Tags to view the tags palette.

If you have a layout, you can add XML placeholders to it.  Bring in your XML file using File –> Import XML and the structure of the data appears in the window.  The structure shows the names of the data, not the data itself.  If you select “Show Text Snippets” from the Structure Menu it will show you a bit of what is in the file. You can then drag and drop the parts of the data you want in your file. 

When you bring in the XML file, the tags palette automatically adds all the items from the file. Just two warnings: If you use the tags palette to add tags, the tags palette can change the name of the items in your existing structure. Second, once an item is tagged, it belongs to the structure.  If the structure is deleted, so is all the data.

XML and Stylesheets in InDesign go hand in hand.  You create your stylesheets and map your data to the style or vice versa, and InDesign will apply the styles when the data comes in.  It is important to remember that the structure in your window must be the same as the one in your file.

Both Javascript and Applescript are capable of automating the importing of XML files.  I recently designed a workflow that picks up a piece of data from a webpage and places it in InDesign with styles and saves as a PDF.

Curiously enough, Quark 7, which was designed using XML, requires an extension for importing actual XML files.  XML does not even appear in the index of Quark’s help window.

The Adobe Classroom in a Book has an XML Tutorial, and you can access information via the internal InDesign Help. I have also listed some websites below so that you may start learning about XML today, and you can download a sample InDesign and XML file at www.tribay.ca. If you heed my advice and take it bit by bit, and you’ll be ready when someone gives you an XML file.
http://www.xml.com/lpt/a/1456
http://www.topxml.com/xml/LearnXML.asp
http://www.codeproject.com/soap/XmlHelper.asp    

Andrea Mahoney
TriBay Enterprise
T: 416.729.9687
www.tribay.ca

The early spring often turns our thoughts to impatient dreams of summer, as we wait for the world outside our windows to turn from white to green. Occupied with such pleasant daydreams, it’s easy to forget about the many ways that we can turn the world inside our offices from white (or beige) to green—at least figuratively.

Many printers are put off of environmental initiatives because of their seemingly prohibitive startup costs. Other articles in this issue tackle such objections by clearly showing the long–term benefits of even the most costly initiatives, so I won’t repeat their points.
Instead, I’ll focus on the many low– or no–cost changes you can make immediately—whether you are an employer or an employee, a printer, a designer, or a salesperson, and whether you work from home or in a ten–storey tower.

Energy–efficient bulbs
I’m sure you’ve seen the white spirals of compact fluorescent bulbs adorning a socket somewhere in your life—but perhaps you don’t know just how many benefits they offer. For starters, they last up to 10 times longer than regular incandescent bulbs, and use 75% less power. In financial terms, a compact fluorescent bulb costs more to purchase (usually 2 or 3 times the cost of a comparable incandescent bulb), but more than pays for itself by saving up to $40 in energy costs over its life, since it produces much less heat than an incandescent bulb of similar light output.

Imagine the savings if you were to replace all your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents! And compact fluorescents are also now available in warmer hues to soften the sometimes alien–looking light that dissuades some people from switching.

Double–siding
It seems obvious, being in the printing business, but every document you double–side, cuts your paper consumption in half. It’s often easier just to hit print for an internal memo or an email you’d like to keep, but taking the extra few seconds to double–side will add up to big savings and fewer paper purchases. If you can reduce the materials you use, you’ll spend less energy re–using and recycling, which is ultimately better for both the environment and your bottom line.

Office...unplugged
You may not know it, but appliances—be they toasters or Speedmaster SM 102s—draw a small amount of power whenever they are plugged in, whether or not they’re turned on. So turn off the computers and the presses when you leave work, and unplug them. The effort is small, but the cumulative effect can be huge!

Telecommuting
If you’re a print shop operator with presses to run, telecommuting probably isn’t a viable option for you. But if you’re a graphic designer at that print shop, telecommuting might be both an environmental and a personal delight.

If you have access to a laptop and a quiet living–room corner, telecommuting even one day a week can save you gas costs and emissions and can also increase productivity by keeping you away from office distractions. You’ll also be able to write off a portion of your home expenses and save on taxes! (Refer to the December/January issue for more details on potential tax savings.)

And if you do commute...
Those for whom telecommuting is impossible or impractical still have environmentally–friendly commuting options available. If you live in or near an urban area, look into public transit, if you haven’t already. Fewer cars means fewer tonnes of smog–causing emissions, not to mention federal tax credits if you buy annual or monthly transit passes. And nothing beats the thrill of speeding along in a train or designated transit lane while single–occupancy vehicles idle on the highway.

Speaking of single–occupancy vehicles, those living in areas not serviced by transit can always carpool. You may get the advantage of a special HOV (high–occupancy vehicle) lane to drive in, or simply the joy of only having to drive every third day, but either way, it’s a boon to you and to the environment.

None of these changes are costly, and few require a major time investment. All of them benefit both you and the environment. Why not give some of them a try, and hasten your office environment’s change from white to green?   

Catherine welcomes comments at
catherine@graphicartsmag.com.

Out my window

Despite the apparent growth of electronic communication, people still want paper, and that’s good news for the entire graphic arts industry. The public just isn’t as ready to accept e-mails or web downloads for most “transactional” communications. No, we want these crucial, if mundane, records of purchases, investments, and bank transactions on paper.

InfoTrends, a market research and consulting firm for the digital imaging and document production industry, pointed out this January that fewer than half of respondents to their survey plan to pay bills online. Most people prefer paper-based transactions, and the main reason is security.

Consumers also “continue to have a high preference for [paper-based] direct mail over other forms of direct marketing,” InfoTrends found. “Sixty-one percent of consumers surveyed stated a preference for direct mail, which is nearly triple the number that preferred receiving ads via e-mail.”

Last January, Trendwatch Graphic Arts — now known as The Industry Measure — predicted “sharp” growth in variable printing. They pointed out that the number of graphic arts firms in North America that reported producing “some sort of VDP” over the past 12 months had risen from 28 percent in 2005 to 37 percent in 2006, and they felt this was a trend that would continue.

Meanwhile, technology that allows businesses to target and personalize communications continues to become more powerful and accessible, and marketing companies are finding interesting new uses for them. For instance, car dealerships in the U.S. and Europe, as well as major software vendors, are combining colour variable output technology with the flexibility of the Web: salespeople can log into a “brochure-builder” site, select a template, images and text, edit the content to suit their own needs, upload a small database of recipients, add their own contact information, and have the resulting customized, individualized brochure printed in exactly the quantity they need by a qualified supplier. Another enterprising marketer in the U.S. has set up deals with retailers and printers across the country, which allow consumers to upload their digital photos, build an album from templates through an Internet browser, then have them printed in whatever quantity they choose. The website directs the print job to the closest printer, and the output gets delivered in 24 to 48 hours to whatever retail outlet the customer chooses.

If that sounds like the web is honing in on the printer’s territory again, remember that the result is ink (or maybe toner) on paper.
The point is, printers are probably the best-placed people to realize these new uses of communications technology. So if you’re not into variable printing today, don’t wait much longer.

For most businesses, being environmentally pro-active is a noble enterprise, but the day–to–day running of a company seems more important. We have deadlines and payroll to meet, customers to win and satisfy, and bills to be paid. And we must somehow realize a profit.
It too often seems that environmental and economic concerns are at odds, or at least incongruous, but such thinking is outdated at best and dangerous at worst. The environment vs. business model is based on a false paradigm, and if ever a paradigm shift was needed, this is it.
That the environment, health, and safety are again hot topics (global warming pun not intended) is a given, and these inter-related issues have a profound affect on our businesses, family, and community. As a minimum, we must comply with government regulations, but going beyond those regulations reveals even more opportunities to protect the earth that are also good for business. 

If we understand and better control the environmental aspects of our businesses, we will improve our profitability. Environmental protection is, fundamentally, about reducing or eliminating waste. Call it pollution, call it “avoidable business costs”—either way you’re describing mismanaged or unnecessarily created waste.

There are many examples of how an active commitment to pollution prevention practices and waste management reduces operating costs, protects capital investment, and increases business efficiencies. Such thinking is essentially in line with management systems such as Lean Enterprises, the 5S system from Japan, and ISO standards. By using the above mentioned systems to do the right thing by the environment, you may even turn loss into profit.

Environmental costs add up quickly—for example, if you are a printer who pays $200 each week to have  a drum of waste solvent picked up for disposal, that’s  $10 400 a year. How much in sales do you have to generate to pay for that waste? If you install a solvent recycler you can recapture about 80% for reuse, which is certainly a significant savings. The typical cost for a drum of blanket wash is $600—by my math, and extracting 50% for the water content, that would be a combined $25 000 back on your bottom line, every year.

Because what I have just described is a reduction of waste “at source,” it is a true pollution prevention (P2) initiative. And I may not have mentioned that you would also eliminate about 5 tonnes of volatile organic compound emissions (VOC’s—a major cause of smog) from your government–reportable inventory.

I’ve just alluded to another false paradigm—“we are doing our best by treating or recycling our waste.” Truly, what is best for our businesses and for the environment is not to produce the waste in the first place, or at least to reduce it. This is the definition of Pollution Prevention: “eliminating or reducing waste at its source.”

It is nice to be able to say that “our company recycled 150 tonnes of paper, 2000 printing plates, or 10 drums of waste ink or 16 000 litres of spent blanket wash” but repurposing that waste costs a lot of money and we either get only a fraction of it back or have to pay to have it safely disposed of. Recycled waste does not go away, it just goes somewhere else.
Two of the best exponents of P2 initiatives are the Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention (C2P2) and the Ontario Centre for Environmental Technology Advancement (OCETA)—and they also  happen to work together.

I have learned a lot working with OCETA on behalf of our industry over the last five years. And they in turn have realized a very big interest in helping the imaging, printing, and packaging community because of the dramatic results they can achieve. They offer direct financial assistance through their funding program for P2 Assessments and planning under the umbrella of the Greater Toronto Region Sustainability Program. Now municipalities such as Durham, Peel, and York Region have picked up on the success of this program and offer it to local businesses.

The Program provides opportunities for collaborative efforts on pollution prevention (P2) and eco–efficiency. Companies, including printers, with fewer than 500 employees are eligible for funding of up to $4000 to have a P2 assessment conducted by a pre–qualified consultant who will assess and identify the root causes of priority pollutants and wastes and source out and recommend technology and operational improvements.

Implementing the P2 assessment recommendations leads to cost avoidance, reduced liability, preservation of capital asset value, improved environmental and operational performance, and demonstrated due diligence. The program is very flexible and includes priorities specific to each individual company.    

Another major economic and environmental savings can be found in paper, our industry’s major raw material. And saving paper means saving trees and therefore forests. The world’s intact forests are disappearing at a rate of two acres per second, according to Global Forest Watch Canada, and 70 per cent of the world’s remaining intact forests are in Canada, Russia, and Brazil. Forests are also incubators of many different lifeforms, and the plants, bugs, and animals that rely on forests are also going extinct.

The above few facts are just part of the background behind the global Forest Stewardship Council and FSC certification. The FSC’s multimedia marketing is driving increasing demand for the use of FSC–certified paper by print purchasers. Only FSC–certified printers can use the FSC logos and trademarks on certified stock and claim their place as part of the Chain of Custody that tracks paper back to a certified forest.

It takes 24 trees and 20820 litres (5500 gallons) of water to make one metric tonne (2200lbs) of paper, and a further 2.55 cubic metres of landfill space to dispose of this paper. As paper breaks down in landfill, it produces methane gas, which is a 24 times worse than carbon dioxide for global warming.

An average printer will produce and recycle about 100 tonnes of waste paper per year, much of which ends up as newsprint and, as the fibres get shorter from recycling, brown kraft, and finally landfill. Rather than recycling paper, it makes better business and environmental sense to focus on reducing the waste at source by adopting P2 practices. I haven’t the space here to go into details about the myriad of opportunities for waste reduction and process improvements, but there are plenty of resources where you can learn more.

To quote Shoichiro Toyoda, President of Toyota: Waste is “anything other than the minimum amount of equipment, materials, paperwork, space and workers time which are absolutely essential to add value to the product.”

For more information on the OCETA program, contact Fred Granek, Vice President, Toronto Region Sustainability Program at 416.778.5324 or at fgranek@oceta.on.ca.

For more information on C2P2, FSC and other related organizations and initiatives please go to the EcoSafe web site at
www.ecosafe–environmental.net   

John Piggott EMS(A)
EcoSafe environmental health & safety management
www.ecosafe–environmental.net
11 Bridgid Drive, Whitby, Ontario, L1M 1T7
T: 905.430.9049
F: 905.668.7974
E: ecosafe@rogers.com

Q - I want to use Windows on my Intel–based Mac, and I’ve heard there are different ways to run Windows. Which is the best method?

A - It is true that you can run Windows on a Intel–based Mac now that Apple is using Intel processors as their main CPU.
For all intents and purposes, any new Macintosh is now basically a PC—similar to those made by other manufacturers and also comparatively priced. The only real impediment to running Windows is that you have to purchase a separate Windows license to use both the Mac OS X operating system and Windows. I’ve run Windows using both Apple’s Boot Camp beta software and Parallels Desktop virtual machine software.

With Apple’s approach, you run the Boot Camp Installer to create a NTFS partition and then install Windows on it. Apple provides all the drivers needed to work with the hardware, mice, keyboards, network cards, etc. To run Windows, you must restart the computer while holding the Option key, and then choose to start up with Windows instead of the Mac OS.

You cannot see the Macintosh files while you’re in Windows, but you can use the network, install Windows applications and games, and experience all that Windows users deal with every day (including viruses and spyware). While you’re booted on the Mac OS, you can read the files on the PC side. (Your home folder is inside the “Documents and Settings” folder.)

So far the computer runs Windows quite well under Boot Camp, and all the Apple hardware runs without complaint. The only thing to consider is how much disk space you want to give up to run Windows. The default setting of 5GB is fine if you’re only running Windows XP and Office.

The other method I’ve worked with is Parallels Desktop, which runs on your Mac at the same time as the Mac OS X is running. You can even copy and paste between Windows and Mac.

The difference between Parallels and Boot Camp is that with Parallels, you are sharing resources, memory, and disk space between the two operating systems. Parallels provides its own drivers to make the system work. With Parallels, the trackpad on my lap top works the same in both operating systems, which is particularly handy while surfing the Internet. Under Apple’s Boot Camp you can’t use “two–finger” trackpad scrolling (yet). Parallels is surprisingly quick, and much faster than Virtual PC ever was (Microsoft Virtual PC was the way that Windows typically ran on PowerPC Macs.)

In both cases, corporate networking works as well. You can connect to file servers and printers and run Microsoft Office (including Access) in the Windows environment.

With Parallels you don’t necessarily dedicate a large portion of your drive to run Windows—the hard drive is a file that you can expand as needed. The down side of Parallels is that the drivers they provide are not fully Windows–compatible, and you may have problems if you need to install a large application.

I had to install Microsoft Flight Simulator X on an external drive because it requires 15 gigabytes of space. However, I couldn’t run the program because Parallels’ video driver wasn’t recognized as compatible by the game. It took two hours to install (and 45 minutes to uninstall) and, as with many Windows experiences, that’s time I’ll never get back.

If you need to run Windows, don’t hesitate to try either approach. In both cases, the Mac makes a fast and responsive PC. Parallels’ approach is more convenient for interfacing between the two operating systems, and Boot Camp allows you to dedicate yourself to Windows if needed.

When Apple releases Leopard, its next operating system release, it will have Boot Camp built–in and it will likely be an improvement upon the current beta release.    

Timothy Mitra assists companies in mastering information technology in prepress, 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 T: 416.278.8609

Wide–format inkjet printers have taken the market by storm over the last few years, replacing technologies such as short–run screen printing, pen plotters, thermal transfer printers, and the like. But even as inkjet has replaced those other print technologies in the wide–format market, it has also fragmented into several different ink technology categories. Each of those technologies delivers a unique set of characteristics for specific applications.

The worldwide signage industry does well over $29 billion US in business each year—and revenues continue to grow. Given the many different types of signs and banners a large format printer can produce, print providers can seize a sizeable chunk of the signage market. In fact, the large–format digital printing market is growing twice as fast as the overall print industry.

Whether you have an aqueous, solvent, or UV–curable printer, wide–format printers can produce indoor and outdoor banners, trade show exhibits, backlit signage, posters, fine art reproductions, large–format photographic reproductions, decals and pressure sensitive stickers, floor graphics, window graphics, building graphics, and vehicle graphics.

Each different type of printer sends you towards a slightly different revenue stream.

Aqueous inkjet printing
The leading wide–format aqueous inkjet suppliers are Canon, Encad/ Kodak, Epson, and Hewlett–Packard, and each of these vendors has their own strengths.

Large–format aqueous inkjet printers are the most common printers available on the market today. Their name reflects the fact that water is the primary “carrier” which transports the pigment or dye to the printed substrate.

From all the reports I have read, experts expect that the worldwide market for large–format aqueous inkjet will continue to grow, driven by trends in photographic and giclee art reproduction, technical documents, digital graphics, and the general office and business environment.
Wide–format aqueous inkjet systems provide the fastest output, typically with the highest resolution, and are also the lowest capital investment. Aqueous inkjet printers are used mainly for indoor printing, but with certain types of media, they may be used for short–term outdoor printing. With lamination, their outdoor longevity can be substantially increased. Aqueous printers rule the market in photographic and fine art printing, as well as trade show printing, graphic design, and prepress proofing.

The primary advantage of aqueous–based printers is their ease of use. The new Canon iPF series of printers now boast 12 colour / 12 bit printing, while the new HP printers offer a built in spectrophotometer. Epson’s K3 Ultrachrome ink set is also very popular.  These aqueous based ink printers will appeal to commercial printers, designers, advertising agencies, and poster printers, as well as architects, engineers, prepress/proofing departments, photo labs, professional photographers, and internal marketing departments.

The new Canon iPF printers have targeted general office printing needs as well by including a variety of software applications such as PosterArtist, a template–driven poster creation software which allows just about anyone without experience to create beautiful posters.
Over the past couple of years we have seen the price of wide format systems decline significantly, down to as low as $1,500 at the extreme low end, which makes it possible for corporate marketing, creative departments, and everyday business environments to invest in a wide–format printer.

At the high end of the aqueous inkjet market, Canon, Epson and HP offer a 24”, 36”, and 44” printer, while Canon and HP offer a 60–inch–wide printer as well that is targeted at the production–oriented printing market. The Canon iPF9000 12–colour 1200–dpi printer and the HP 5500 6–colour 600–dpi 60” printer each sell for around $17,000.

Solvent inkjet printing
Solvent and eco–solvent inkjet printers are a popular topic of discussion in the printing world today. There are many suppliers of wide–format solvent–based inkjet printers today, including companies like Agfa, Colorspan, HP, GandInnovations, Mimaki, Mutoh, Oc', Roland, Vutek, and Seiko, which are all continuously improving their solvent–based inkjet printing technologies. These printers can print on media from 4 feet up to 16.5 feet wide.

If you build a proper venting system for solvent–based printers, their value proposition is good.  They have the ability to produce durable outdoor graphics at a low cost. Solvent–based inks are less expensive than aqueous inkjet inks, their media is less expensive, and, in some cases, you can eliminate the need for lamination, which saves both time and consumables.

Solvent inks are a versatile, long–life ink that are classified as hazardous, with milder versions available that produce less noxious odours. Solvent–based inks’ hazardous nature requires special venting be installed. “Eco” or “mild” solvent–based inks are less hazardous but may not be as durable as true solvent inks.

It is unlikely that a corporate end user will invest in a solvent inkjet printer, since these printers are not designed for an office environment.  From 2004 to 2009, the worldwide retail value of print produced from wide–format solvent–based inkjet printers is expected to grow from about $9 billion to $18 billion. This represents a compound annual growth rate of almost 17 percent. Prices can range from $17 995 to $275 000, depending on size and features.

UV–based flatbed printers
There is no doubt that UV–curable printers are changing the world of industrial digital printing. These high–production inkjet printers allow you to print on both flexible and rigid substrates up to 3 inches thick and uses ink that dries instantly, which reduces your production times and ultimately saves you money.

With UV–curable printers the drying mechanism for the ink is completely different then that used in solvent inkjet printing. When ultra–violet light hits curable liquid ink, it transforms it from a liquid to a solid on the substrate chosen. The downfall of the UV–curable technology is that the inks are not as flexible as solvent or aqueous based printers, so there might be a concern when printing on rolled media, yet we are still in the beginning stages of this new technology and ink formulations are constantly being improved.

UV–curable printers offer many of the same features as solvent inkjet printers, yet operate with less expensive ink sets. Users can print directly on materials such as wood, metal, ceramic, plastic, glass. This buffet of choices opens a host of new possibilities in terms of applications and revenue streams. Agfa, 3M, Colorspan, DuPont, Durst, Gandinnovations, Gerber, Inca, Mimaki, Nur, Scitex, Vutek, and Zund, among others, have jumped on the UV bandwagon with new machines designed to print on everything from wood to glass to vinyl.
UV–curable will have to improve its reliability and performance with flexible substrates if it’s going to overtake solvent printing in the roll–to–roll application. UV printers can range in price from $75 000 to $500 000 and more.

Assessing the Data
As we can see, there are many printing options available with many different suppliers. The key is determining the right printer for your application and then investing in a manufacturer who will continue to invest in research and development to keep the products on the cutting edge. Inkjet printing technology is here to stay, and the volume of work will grow for these printers as they take over from print volume produced using other methods such as offset or screen–printed, cut vinyl or handpainted.

Wide–format digital printing will provide new revenue streams for those that adopt the technology. While there will be challenges along the way, wide–format digital is a large and profitable market. Those that partner effectively and apply their creativity and expertise will reap the rewards.    

Peter Dulis
Wide Format Printing Specialist
T: 647.895.3315
E: pdulis@iprimus.ca

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet.

While the scent of a rose is perhaps more important than what we choose to label it, understanding specific labels or designations—as well as what those labels mean about an individual’s competence—is vitally important in the business world. What’s the difference between a CPA and a CA, and a CMA and an RIA, and a CGA and a CFP and an RPA? How do you tell the difference?

I remember back to a time shortly after I had passed the UFE (Uniform Final Exams) and earned the designation “Chartered Accountant”, aka CA. I was proud as could be at having passed the demanding UFE finals, which at the time comprised sixteen gruelling hours of testing taken over four consecutive days. It was the toughest set of exams I ever studied for, so “CA” was a suffix well-deserved.

My indignation aside, those two letters after my name say a great deal about who I am and what I can do professionally. The larger issue illustrated by this story is that those letters after someone’s name, if you can understand them, will tell you what he or she can do for you.
In my research into all this alphabet soup, I came upon (what was to me) an obscure designation: the RPA (Registered Professional Accountant). When I logged onto their website, the homepage directed me to the requirements for qualification and membership, which appeared to be very demanding. I then clicked on “Why Choose an RPA Qualification?” Not to diminish RPAs, but the only reason I found for becoming an RPA, apart membership in a “highly esteemed” society, was to enable me to guarantee passport applications—which isn’t an activity I’ve ever been desperate to do.

So if I, a financial professional, don’t understand the reasons for various designations, where does that leave you?
I’ll give you a hint: caveat emptor—or, for those who aren’t Latin enthusiasts, buyer beware. You must define the service you need and which professional will suffice. Googling your business need will make you familiar with the options at your disposal. For example, typing in “back pain” may bring up MDs, DCs, and podiatrists, each with a different type of expertise.

The process is similar when dealing with accounting professionals. The primary needs of most small-business owners are record keeping, financial reporting, and tax compliance.

For bookkeeping, there is no license required. Financial reporting, though, is slightly more advanced.
There is no legal requirement for a licensed individual to prepare financial reports. Of course, depending upon how you will use and who else will use your reports, it may be necessary to engage an independent licensed practitioner who will attest to the accuracy and completeness of your financial reports. Complete and accurate reports are especially valuable if you are ever seeking outside financing for your business.

You can prepare your own financial reports and tax returns, but the man who is his own physician has a fool for a patient. It’s impossible to become an instant accounting and tax expert, and if you make a mistake, you usually don’t discover it until it’s too late to fix it—or until the provisions of the income tax act impose penalties on you.

There are many accounting service options available to your business at various price points, and it is your responsibility to hire the appropriate expert to do the job for you. Don’t hire a bookkeeper if you need audited financial reports. Don’t hire a CFP if what you really need is an internal auditor. Ask before you engage. Direct your questions both to the individual and to their professional council or society—you are the public that these societies were formed to protect.

You shouldn’t squander your money on services you don’t need or on under-qualified individuals. But there is also nothing wrong with matching the level of expertise and cost to the desired results. You don’t need a CA to do your bookkeeping, nor can unlicensed bookkeepers conduct a professional audit. So just as you would take care to select the right healthcare  practitioner for a given illness, you need to select the right “wealthcare” practitioner for your needs. The financial livelihood you save may be your own.   

Your Wealth Warrior, Sid Karmazyn, is a Chartered Accountant, author, and speaker. Your questions and comments are welcomed. You can reach Sid directly at 905.771.3813, fax: 905.771.3810, or by email at skca@idirect.com.

My wife and I were recently shopping for a new lighting fixture to hang above our dining room table. We wanted something relatively contemporary, and our quest for the perfect light took us to over a dozen stores. Our experience uncovered a wide variety of mistakes with huge costs for retailers in the form of lost sales.

1. We walked into one store early in the evening and were greeted by heavy rock blasting over the speakers. Although I like rock music, it is definitely not appropriate for a retail environment, save for those selling music, extreme sporting goods, or catering directly to a demographic that appreciates rock music. Based on the selection of product on display, I suspect this lighting store’s target customer is someone between the ages of 35–70, making their music choice a huge—yet easily avoided—blunder.

2. Another store promised the region’s largest selection of lighting fixtures, which definitely intrigued us. We dropped by the store and they indeed had a fantastic selection of lights, including several that appealed to us. However, very few of the lights were operable, which meant we couldn’t see what they looked like when lit. Call me crazy, but when I buy a lighting fixture I expect to be able to turn it on so I can see how it looks when lit. Plus, the employee on duty didn’t bother to leave the comfort of the counter and make an attempt to help us.

3. We ventured into another store with a very good selection of lighting fixtures. We were looking at one in particular and there was an employee standing nearby as we considered it. She mumbled something to us about the light—I guess to help us—but her words were incomprehensible and she didn’t stick around long enough for us to clarify what she had said. Instead, after making her comment she immediately retreated behind the sales counter.

In the same store, there was a designated salesperson roaming the floor, but at no time did he approach us, even though he had overheard us tell another employee what we were looking for.

4. The website of store number four appealed to my wife for a variety of reasons and it sounded like this might be the place we might find our ideal fixture. However, as soon as we opened the door we were assaulted by the smell of stale cigarette smoke. In fact, the store smelled like an old gentlemen’s club, and as non–smokers, the odour definitely turned us off.

This store had also given the impression on their website that they had a large selection of contemporary fixtures, but their actual selection did not match their advertising. Although there were a few wall hangings and paintings that were attractive, we did not want to bring home the smell of stale smoke, so we left. Oh, and did I mention that we were greeted by a small dog who barked at us the entire time we were in the store?

5. We went into another store and noticed several employees standing behind the sales counter, chatting with each other. We wandered around the store and looked at lighting fixtures for approximately seven to ten minutes but at no time did any of these employees make an attempt to assist us. I guess they figured that if we needed help we would ask for it. I can picture their boss questioning them the next day about the lack of sales and can almost hear them saying, “Oh, it was really quiet last night, we didn’t have anyone in the store.”

I could keep going, but I think you get the picture. Each of these retailers made some type of blunder that cost them potential sales and profits. What is most unfortunate, is that they probably don’t even realize they made these mistakes or how much money their blunders cost them.

Many of the mistakes mentioned above can apply to people who sell products and services to businesses. What impression are you making with your customers? Are you fully prepared for your sales calls and presentations? Are other people on your team costing you sales? Are you being proactive in helping your customers make an educated buying decision? Are you using terminology that your customer understands?

Remember, everything you say and do influences your customer’s decision to buy from you or one of your competitors. Small mistakes can cost you big money.  

© 2007 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved. Kelley Robertson is a professional speaker and trainer on sales, negotiating, customer service, and employee motivation.
Visit www.kelleyrobertson.com. For information on his programs contact him at 905.633.7750 or Kelley@RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.