If you have ever dealt with a PDF file that had its images broken into tiny pieces, your first reaction is to try your best to get the original files. 

But what happens when you have the original files and the PDF you create still has the images in pieces?
Photographers often use freeware programs available on the internet for processing images.  These programs are designed to deal with JPEGs, and they often have problems in their treatment of TIFF files, which is where the problem of image pieces originates.
Once you receive the pieced image, the damage is already done.  One choice, if you have the original files, is to re-save every image in

Photoshop as a TIFF file and that will fix it. Update the layout files and make a new PDF.
You can also try to optimize the PDF in Acrobat and select the “Detect and merge image fragments” under the Discard Objects of the PDF Optimizer. This doesn’t always fix everything, but sometimes you get lucky.

If no original files are available, you can use Creative Suites to fix your problem.

In your Acrobat Professional preferences, go to the “TouchUp” category.  Your Image Editor should be set to Adobe Photoshop and your Page/Object Editor should be set to Adobe Illustrator. You can browse to your applications folder and find them if they are not set.

You will find the “TouchUp Object” tool under Tools --> Advanced Editing.  It is tricky, but you can select the pieces of the image you want to fix. You can select all the images at once, including the background if you want  (you’ll see where I am going with this in a minute).
Once selected, Ctrl and click to bring up the contextual menu.  At the bottom of the menu you should see “Edit Objects”.  Select this option and Illustrator will launch and open a temporary PDF file that is numbered with all the selected pieces in place. This file is linked to Acrobat automatically.

Depending on your Creative Suites settings it may ask you if you want CMYK or RGB and ask you about colour profiles.  Make your choice, then:
1.    Select All using the main selection tool.  (cmd A)
2.    Select Object --> Rasterize
3.    Select Save (cmd S)
4.    Close the window (cmd W)

Now, go back to the Acrobat file.  When you select the images with the TouchUp Object tool again it should now be one image.  Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t work for you the first time.  The save should not be interrupted, so don’t be in a hurry to close the Illustrator window.  If it doesn’t work, just try again, it will.

You can ctrl click on the image and it will now say, at the bottom of the contextual menu, “Edit Image”.  When you select “Edit Image”, it will launch Photoshop and a similar temporary PDF file will open with the image.  You will get a message warning that any new layers you create will need to be flattened before saving.

You now have the power to colour correct any part of this image, sharpen, or just inspect if you want.  Once you save and close the window the changes you have made will be applied to the Acrobat document.

Once you are done, remember to use “Save As” in Acrobat, preferably with a new name.  This selection will optimize the file and throw away unused junk in the file.

Using the TouchUp object tool, you have the power of both Illustrator and Photoshop built into Acrobat. Use your Illustrator skills to fix bad flattening, and to add text and effects.  Use Photoshop to colour correct and add effects—remember that if you add text, the layers must be flattened before saving.

So next time you see a bad PDF file, don’t despair—you can bring peace to the pieces using Creative Suite.
    
Andrea Mahoney
Workflow Automation Specialist
TriBay Enterprise
416.729.9687 www.tribay.ca

It is with sadness that I have learned Danny Follett, owner of Follett’s Trade Bindery in Toronto, is planning on selling or else closing his bindery. Danny has been running his company for over 35 years and was one of my suppliers when I was in the printing business. Danny said, “I’ve got a couple of offers to buy the company and if I can’t sell, I will close up and auction off the assets.” He says he can’t make money anymore, stating three reasons:

New players coming into the bindery industry that are cutting prices by up to 25%.
The rise of the Canadian dollar drying up business from the US.

The internet destroying the Annual Report business, which has been reduced to a quarter of what it was five years ago.
I hope that Danny will be able to successfully sell his business and that his 50 employees will be able to find work elsewhere in the industry.
US based xpedx, reported to be the largest paper merchant in North America, has announced it will open two more facilities in the Toronto area. Its new headquarters will be located in Brampton, Ontario and will have a 150 000 square foot distribution centre as well as an xpedx paper and graphic store. Another 10 000 square foot paper and graphic store will also open in Markham. These two locations will employ 60 to 70 people. The company plans to open more locations across Canada in the next few years.

The first annual CPISC forum was held in Toronto in the middle of June. It was very well attended. Please read our report by Tony Curcio on page 22.

On a lighter note, last year about this time we were watching the World Cup. This year, in six different cities, Canada will host the FIFA under 20 World Cup. You should try to make it out to one of these games. With over one million tickets sold  it’s bound to be a talked about event. If you can’t get to a live game be sure to check it out on TV—CBC will be covering all the events.

It is summer time now, so as the industry slows down, take the opportunity to give yourself a break. I’ve seen too many people in this industry proclaim that they “just can’t afford to take holidays.” Plan to take a break and come back from the summer feeling revived.

Until next time, stay positive and stay focused.
    
Joe Mulcahy

One of the biggest challenges for the printing industry is the incorporation of digital printing with current offset technology. Some printers see the transition as a natural evolution of the basic marketing function of their company—a way to meet customers’ high expectations or to add value. Many other printers are quite satisfied both with the quality and dependability of offset, and are choosing to keep their shops oriented to that technology.

This month, we’ll be focusing on digital print processes, and their companion finishing processes, that are directly competitive (or complimentary, depending on who you ask) with traditional offset processes.

We’ll review what some of the industry leaders are saying about their digital processes now, and evaluate where they and you could be going with digital printing and finishing in the future.

As reported by John Zarwan in our last issue, of the 80% of Canadian printers with under 20 employees, 70% own a digital printer. On average, those printers get 30% of their revenue from digital including black and white. Not bad, particularly when you consider that many printers started in digital (excluding black and white) fewer than five years ago.

Digital is clearly a growth market. However, conventional offset revenue is still many times larger for most small-to-medium-sized printers. Tony Karg, Senior Director of Marketing and Business Development in Fujifilm’s Graphic Systems Division, believes that offset printers must consider digital printing technology as a way to supplement their revenue stream. Karg also mentioned that studies have shown that introducing digital into a print shop actually increases offset printing volume, rather than decreases it, as printers are better able to bring new business into their shops in areas where offset was either economically unfeasible (such as very short runs) or impossible (variable data applications).

Many printers feel that a digital component is a must, because there are some things that offset simply cannot do. But there are also things that offset can do better than digital (ii.e. colour, run lengths, substrates, etc). To determine how much digital is really necessary in your shop, you must consider your current set-up, your existing customer base and your future marketing plans, amongst other things. Going all-digital may put you in a very different business—something to ponder if you’re going after a specific market segment.

Complementing, competing or co-opting?
Even sellers of digital presses will tell you that digital and offset are complementary technologies. Unlike new print innovations of the past, digital and offset can, and should, co-exist peacefully together. Their strengths and weaknesses suit each other well. But as much as that is currently true, it may not be that way in the future. The run length break-even point for digital vs offset is getting higher and higher, and digital quality is getting better and better. Martin Cournoyer of Transcontinental’s Book Division says that digital is “already there” in terms of text applications, with quality matching that of offset on some presses, and nearly matching it on others.

There is, in many cases, less operator skill required to run digital presses, and the potential for total integration is real. In the words of Karg, “you want the operator to hit print, and have the final piece spit out the back. That way you don’t have any labour involved that can either introduce errors, or slow down the turnaround [time] on the job.” The lack of plate changes and makeready delays is also a big plus, as is the potential for short runs, variable data and with inkjetting technologies; printing with many different inks on a variety of substrates.
The positives to an all digital-shop are many, but there are obstacles as well. In many applications, quality is still not on par with the equivalent offset application. Cost is also still an issue, particularly for longer runs. Those businesses who have successfully integrated digital and offset presses are keenly aware of their breakpoints for various types of jobs.

Another issue with long runs is speed. Rarely is there a digital press that can match the speed of offset in a longer run (to be fair, though, rare is the offset press that can match the speed of a digital press on a short run). Finally, finishing integration is still in the early and experimental stages with many digital presses. As customers demand more services in the same place, offline or outsourced finishing options can slow down the time from order to delivery to an unacceptable degree.

Quality comparison
“Quality-wise, I think there are many good products on the market that compete quite favourably with offset (Xerox iGen, HP Indigo, for example),” says Fujifilm’s Tony Karg. Martin Cournoyer of Transcontinental also agrees; contending that the quality of digitally-printed black and white text is already on par with offset-printed materials.

The real quality battle, according to Cournoyer, is in greyscale applications (on two-colour presses) and in photographic applications (on four-colour presses). Innovations such as HP’s light cyan and light magenta inks (CMYKcm) and Fujifilm/Dimatix’s variable drop sizes in their piezo print heads, mean that digital photographic reproduction is getting better all the time. Further, the output of direct- or digital-imaging (DI) presses (which image plates directly on the press, giving you the best of the digital and offset worlds) is, in some cases, nearly indistinguishable from that of conventional offset.

Tony Karg also believes that “in the next ten years, inkjet head technology will advance to the point where single pass inkjet may impact the current technologies used for digital printing.” That will add to the options for high-quality digital output.

So when looking for a digital press, it is imperative to define its uses in your shop. If it’s for text or line-based work, you can rest easy on the quality front. If it’s for photographic-quality reproduction, it’s going to be harder to find the quality necessary to serve your most discerning customers.

Your future marketing strategies should also play a part in your decision. How do you want to re-think or re-tool your shop to meet projected goals or satisfy emerging markets?

Costs
Once we’ve cleared the quality hurdle, cost is the next question when contemplating a digital overhaul. Sure, you can get the testimonials about “Return on Investment (ROI) is only three months with this great new press!” or “I’ve saved thousands in labour in the first few weeks alone!” But the true measure of cost savings comes over the long term.

Check out the installations pages and subscribe to press releases to find out who’s getting the new presses first, and talk to them about how they like the press and the accompanying service. As with any technology, there are both benefits and detriments to buying in at various points of development. If you get in early, you’ll have something that your competitors don’t have. But if you wait awhile to see which presses are proving themselves and which are quietly being shelved by their development teams, you’ll have the assurance that comes with purchasing a proven winner.

The cost of the press is the first half of the cost decision, and the second is the cost comparisons between running offset jobs and digital jobs. Breakevens are rising across the industry as digital presses (and their operators) become more efficient. Shops are also becoming smarter in their mixing of offset and digital. At Transcontinental, for example, they will often run the text of a novel on their 2-colour digital press and then run the covers on an offset or a DI press.

Another place where it’s important to cost compare is in the running costs of the different presses. Cournoyer talks of the “click charge” or “click cost” and contract services that come with digital presses that are foreign to offset. “We don’t have those type of costs in the offset world. It is always difficult to accept those costs when you don’t have them in the offset world. [For offset], if I don’t have a job to put on the press, I have no costs on the press. [But for digital], job or no job, I need to pay contract services. We pay if we use or if we don’t use, so it’s a bit [of a] different way to use [the press].” Click charges and contract services are another place where it’s wise to talk to others who own the press.

Transcontinental’s Book Division purchased their first digital press (an Oc' continuous-form black and white web press) only two and a half years ago, and now counts 25% to 30% of their business as digital. They also run a two-colour and four-colour HP Indigo 5000 (primarily for colour work) that they purchased 18 months ago. According to Cournoyer, they purchased the 2-colour web press because of the “pressures of the market”. “Customers wanted to manage more themselves, and were pressing for faster turnarounds. They wanted to manage not just the unit cost of the book, but the overall [production] costs of the book.”

Particularly with smaller publishers, Cournoyer says that there is rising sensitivity to all the costs associated with publishing – the inventory, shipping and returns. The smaller inventories and faster delivery associated with digitally-produced products helps reduce costs, hence improving the bottom line. Customers may be willing to pay a premium for the value-added aspects of digital print – whether for faster turnarounds or lower inventory or “just-in-time” delivery.

Productivity
Speaking of fast delivery, speed is another important factor in the digital decision. Rated speeds can go up to 110 ppm for the Xerox iGen 3, and 272 ppm (mono) or 68 ppm (full-colour) for the latest HP Indigo model 5500. The real time savings is usually in the makeready area, where digital presses are far faster in both time saved and operator involvement needed than traditional offset presses. The fewer inputs needed results in time savings.

Transcontinental’s Book Division has learned a lot when it comes to digital, according to Cournoyer. “It’s a learning process,” he says. “When we started 2.5 years ago, there were some expectations, and we’re still learning now. We’re surprised in some cases how efficiently we can produce with the digital, [as] it’s a bit easier for us to manage a digital job [compared to an] offset job. [With offset, you] burn the plate, change the plate after each signature, you have lots of makeready, folding, gathering, etc. With the digital, you have variable data equipment and can save a lot of quality problems from human error. There are less steps on the digital row than on the offset row.”

Finishing
We can see that digital presses are making great strides towards quality, cost and at speeds that are competitive with their offset counterparts. But one area where digital still lags is in the finishing department, particularly inline or online finishing. Customers’ demands for one-stop shopping that can take them from design to finished product, coupled with their desire for increased turnaround times, means that digital finishing has great strides to make in order to be competitive with offset.

Inline finishing strives to reduce the labour – and thus the cost, time, and potential for error – involved in a print job. The most common forms of inline finishing on digital presses are stackers, folders, inserters, and stitchers, and most digital presses offer some folding and stitching options – though, as Tony Karg said, “the devil is in the details, particularly when it comes to finishing options.”

Most digital presses can fold an 11” x 17” sheet in half, but only a few can roll fold. As for stitching, most presses can stitch along an edge or corner and some have the ability to saddle stitch along the spine with two or more staples. Paper thickness and finishing capabilities limit the number of pages that can be saddle stitched.

Cournoyer would love to have an inline perfect binding solution, but he says that “for many reasons, it’s not really easy to bring a book block for perfect binding inline.” He’s working with several finishing suppliers, including Mueller Martini and Standard Horizon, but there isn’t anything yet that can bring perfect binding inline with his digital presses. If there was, he’d be thrilled!

“They need a lot of research and development to bring the block in to perfect bind without a problem,” says Cournoyer. “The problem is not the binding or the trimming, it’s the book block. Right now we need to manage it by direct labour. There should be a machine that takes the place of the direct labour. The company closest to the solution in my mind today, and it could change tomorrow, is Mueller Martini. But it’s still a work in progress for them and for everyone.” Cournoyer says that a spiral, saddle-stitch, or case-bound solution isn’t as high a priority for him, as he’s in the book division and most of their finishing is perfect binding.

Turning away from bindery for a moment, another area of finishing in which digital presses must improve is coating, particularly inline coating. There is some line coating functionality on a few digital press models (such as the iGen3), but since inline coating is typically flood coating (covering the entire surface of the page), it’s expensive relative to offset coating and therefore is not widely used. It’s typically the high-production devices that have inline coaters. Offline coaters, such as the PAT Varstar or the HP Indigo UV coater (available in September 2007), can do flood and/or spot coating, but they can be expensive relative to offset coating. According to Tony Karg, the most common way to coat digitally-printed materials is still to “take the material and run it through an offline coating device, even a printing press in some situations.”

Although a complete inline finishing solution appears in many ways to be the holy grail of efficiency, it’s best to look at your total package when contemplating which finishing options work best for you. Perhaps it would be best to have one Offline coater servicing two or three machines, rather than trying to get all three machines equipped with Inline capabilities. Different machines will mean more operator inputs, but if you’re not coating everything that comes out the back, you may be better off taking the extra operator input and not having the cost of coating built in to each of your machines.

So can we as printers address the above issues and move into a digital world? There are people on both sides of the fence, but one thing’s certain: You should take a look at digital and see if it fits in as part of your overall plan – how big a part will depend on your specific customer needs.
    
Catherine M.A. Wiebe
catherine@graphicartsmag.com

If you take a look around, you will notice banner advertising in many different forms. You might even say the past few years have been, well, banner years for this flexible fabric. No longer is a banner just a piece of vinyl with cut letters stuck to it. There are now scores of different banner possibilities, from visual merchandising to architectural enhancements.

As a copy/print/sign shop, you can now offer your customers a wide range of application possibilities. The magic is in the substrates! With an inkjet printer and an open mind, your banner options are almost endless.

To help you expand your business, banner material manufacturers offer many materials to choose from. Selecting the right material is simply a matter of speaking to a knowledgeable salesperson and then experimenting on your own. Here are some product guidelines:

Scrim Vinyl Banner
Scrim vinyl has a very strong integral nylon mesh, and is usually identified by a pattern of visible squares that run through it. Scrim banners are ideal for outdoor use (especially for event graphics) but may curl with time. This product provides exceptional ink dry times, excellent draping, and can be sewn and grommeted.

Polypropylene Banner
Polypropylene banner is a very smooth and strong banner designed for short-term retail signage needs. This low-cost, flat, tear-resistant banner should be stitched for additional support and may not be suitable with certain printers (those using heated platens). Heated platens (usually found on solvent-based printers) may stretch the material.

Tyvek Banner
For durable, wide-format banners, streamers, and signs, Tyvek banners offer a high tear resistance and can be grommeted for flexible banners. Tyvek is the material that builders use to insulate the outside of the house, so it is very strong and lightweight, yet it takes a great image with eye-catching colors. The primary drawbacks are that it is expensive and can yellow over time. It is ideal for short term (less than 1 year) outdoor applications.

Tear-Resistant Wet-Strength Paper
Tear-Resistant Wet-Strength Paper is a tear-resistant, one-side-coated paper. This latex-saturated, nylon-reinforced sheet offers an economical solution for short term, indoor promotional banner applications, promotional posters, and decorative wall covering applications.

Blockout Banner
This kind of banner is constructed with a blockout material in between 2 substrates to prevent light from passing through it. Different types of banner material can be made into blockout, such as scrim or fabric. This kind of banner is well suited to 2-sided printing.

Mesh Banner
This lightweight, but tightly woven, mesh vinyl-coated material has a polyester scrim and a highly receptive surface for crisp, clear images. This fabric is designed for interior and exterior single-sided banners. The mesh material allows wind to pass through it. It is ideally suited for use against a solid surface, like a building, but can be used for some retail applications where the mesh can hang inside a store’s display window and act like a window perforation. Mesh banners are rated based on the hole size and the weight of the material.

Backlit Banner
Backlit Banner is a PVC-laminated smooth white very fine polyester scrim. In most cases it is less expensive than backlit film. It’s great for large backlit stage graphics and signs and can be used indoors and outdoors.

Fabric Banner
Fabric is one of the best materials to make banners with, even though it is the most expensive. Fabric banners hang naturally and are pleasing to the eye. The fabric banner is ideal for producing flags, displays, window decorations, stage banners, trade show graphics, roll-up displays, and window backlits. Types of fabric banners can include canvas, poly poplin, nylon, poly duck, Dacron, poly satin, poly lucent, and poly silk. In most cases, fabric banners are finished with pole pockets at the top so they can hang straight and flat.

Concluding thoughts
If you have an aqueous-based printer (such as a Canon, Epson, or HP) the banner material must be coated in order for the material to receive the ink, unless you get a water-resist material, in which case you can do short-term outdoor applications. If you have a solvent or eco-solvent printer you will not need to coat most materials. However, fabric banners will print better when coated.

Banners are a great way to bring in extra revenue, and customers will come back again and again. If you need further advice on materials or printers, don’t hesitate to call or email me.
    
Peter Dulis
Wide Format Printing Specialist
T: 647.895.3315
E: pdulis@iprimus.ca

There seems to be some confusion as to what exactly the different environmental labels on paper means. More importantly there is confusion about what best serves the needs of our clients and us as business managers, consumers and as Canadians.

 When it comes to paper, look for the Forest Stewardship Council’s (FSC) check-tree logo. Why? Because it actually means something important for Canada as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) started out as a Canadian initiative. FSC is the only international certification system that identifies paper products that come from responsibly managed forests, and verified recycled sources. It is also the choice of environmental groups worldwide, including WWF Canada, Greenpeace, CPAWS, and The Sierra Club of Canada.

It was in 1993 that environmental groups, labor unions, consumers, First Nations representatives and the forest industry met in Toronto to form FSC. The newly formed organization worked with these groups to establish ten guiding principles for responsible forest management which are the framework used to develop regional standards for forest management. Forest Management certification is granted to companies that meet and maintain these standards by third-party auditors such as SmartWood, part of the Rainforest Alliance. The fibre from certified forests is tracked all the way to the consumer through the Chain of Custody certification process. This means forests, pulp mills, merchants and printers must all obtain FSC certification in order for a product to carry the FSC logo. The FSC system also ensures the legitimacy of claims regarding the recycled content of products. Other certification systems for paper products do exist. The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) has a certification program for forests in Canada but this is known as a “business as usual” type standard; meaning that as long as the forest management meets existing government guidelines they can be certified. The other certification systems are the PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) system, which is European based, and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) which is US based, and for both, politics play a large role in their certification processes.

FSC is widely recognized as the international “Gold Standard”, with over 25% of the world’s certified forests located in Canada, we are the leader in FSC certification and the largest supplier of FSC-certified paper. One of the reasons I chose to make Canada my home 32 years ago was the quiet and pragmatic approach Canadians take in meeting challenges. Whether it is capturing Vimy Ridge or giving the world solutions like the zipper (no trouser should be without one), the paint roller (sure beats brushes), pablum for our babies or saving the worlds forests. And believe me we need this kind of initiative now. Only 20 percent of the world’s forests remain intact and 70% are in Canada, Brazil and Russia. Intact forests are disappearing at the rate of two acres per second (Global Forest Watch Canada).  We are in an era of massive global species extinction not seen since the age of the dinosaur, estimated at hundreds of species every week, species that are reliant on forests for survival.

Only if the paper stock and the printer are FSC-certified can a client have the FSC logo printed on their document or make a claim regarding it being FSC-certified. This is the FSC guarantee; a chain of commitment from forest floor to consumers door.  As an environmental consultant I get involved with helping printers become FSC-certified. I often ask what their motivation is and usually it’s because their clients are requesting it. This is sensible business policy for corporate consumers of print that wish to demonstrate good citizenship in an environmentally sensitive market. There are not many avenues for banks or insurance companies to take advantage of. FSC certification works for one simple reason: the rules are worked out jointly by all those whose survival depends upon keeping our forests healthy. That includes communities, First Nations, environmental groups, forest managers, pulp mills, paper manufacturers, printers, the public and the good folks that buy printed material and want to demonstrate their commitment to a sustainable future on planet earth.

For more information check out www.fsccanada.org or www.ecosafe-environmental.net.  

John Piggott
Environmental issues
ecosafe@rogers.com 905.430.9049

“There are worse things in life than death. Have you ever spent an evening with an insurance salesman?”    Woody Allen

How good a sales professional are you? You may be a legend in your own mind, but it takes monumental effort to be a great sales person. The more you do it, the better you get at it. The better you get at it, the easier it becomes, until eventually you’re so good it just seems natural. That’s the key to being a great sales professional. It’s in your mind set.

Think for a moment of the worst sales experience you’ve ever had. Think about the disinterested bank teller who casually blurted out your meager account balances so people in the next province could hear. Think about all those nightmare encounters with disinterested, poorly trained people mistakenly hired to deal with other humans.

You certainly don’t want to be those people. But what makes a great sales professional?

Stand in your customer’s shoes for a moment. See what he sees—the image may not be as flattering as you would like to believe.

For starters, do you waste a lot of time in a sales presentation? When you meet prospective customers, do you get to the point or do you try to involve them in every aspect of your life? I’ve met salespeople who whined about having to pay bills and feed their kids, in an attempt to guilt me into buying. Such sales people reinforce my impression that the bar is not that high—in fact, it’s so low that a rodent would have a hard time doing the limbo under it.

As a customer, I’m looking for a solution to my problem which may or may not be in the goods and services being offered. I am not looking to acquire more dependents, or to listen to someone else’s problems with paying bills and rising costs.

Also, I don’t mind a friendly smile and hello, but then leave me alone. I’ll call when I need you. I don’t need someone hovering over me like a store detective. Are you needy as a sales professional, relying on sympathy, or do you let the utility of the product or service serve as the foundation of a strong sales proposition?

Do you waste time or do you sell to motivated buyers? It takes a sales professional to distinguish between true customers and tire-kickers. Learn to distinguish the real possibilities from those with nothing better to do.

Do you provide your customers with useful information tailored to their needs? Or do you weigh them down with useless features that they aren’t the least bit interested in? Customers buy a product or service to satisfy a need. Some salespeople titillate in order to attract customers, but I prefer a sales professional who sells based on facts. If they do their job properly and are adequately trained, they have already identified their model customers.

If I meet their customer criteria, then they’ll go to the next phase of the sales presentation. If for any reason I don’t meet their model, then they’ll pat me on the head and head for the next prospective customer. They just won’t waste time on people who are not going to buy, because they know that their own time is valuable.

Know your audience. Do you sell to everyone, hoping that there’s a live one in the bunch? Or do you zoom in on your best leads? Determine what your model customer wants, and what she is willing to spend to meet that desire. Your time costs, so aim carefully and set your sights on real buyers.

When you look in the mirror, do you look like someone from whom you might make a purchase? If you’re selling high-end financial planning, do you dress in Goodwill chic? Attempt to look professional—don’t hit the showroom floor without a second thought to personal deportment.
Your customers are concerned about their needs, not your self-esteem. Listen to them, rather than singing your own praises. All the best!
    
Sid Karmazyn, Chartered Accountant
905.771.3813
skca@idirect.com

DIA Board member and Spicers representative Jason Hamilton introduced the Wide Format (WF) seminar—one that had something for those already committed to WF and for those considering entering this growth market. The host presenter for the evening was Craig Reid, director of marketing and business development at DuPont Imaging Technologies.

Growth of WF inkjet
Reid discussed rapid change in the printing industry, from analog proofing in the late 1970s to digital type in the 1980s to DTP and digital proofing in the 1990s. In the early 2000s, digital inkjet proofing surpassed analog and WF inkjet came into its own, becoming more than a niche technology. The graphics and signage market is growing quickly, and the transition from analog print methods to digital seems just as quick.

Water-based inkjet is the oldest digital technology, and has reached near maturity, a status that will also soon be achieved by solvent-based inkjet. The technology that is in a rapid growth stage, according to Reid, is UV-curable, due to its versatility and reduced environmental impact. Evidence of this growth is the proliferation of UV-curable inkjet devices being offered by all major manufacturers, including HP (Scitex), Inca, EFI Vutek, Durst, DuPont, and Gandinnovations, as well as the increased shipments, worldwide.

Versatility of UV-curable inkjet
Part of the secret to the success of inkjet is its widespread application in display advertising (POP, backlit), window and pressure sensitive graphics, flags and banners, vehicle wraps, building and transit graphics, and trade show/exhibition graphics—just to name a few areas.

Couple this versatility with that of UV-curable ink and the market seems limitless, said Reid.

With UV-curable ink, you can print on a rigid substrate without coating or pre-treating the surface. With flexible media, there’s no need to laminate and you can print on recyclable, synthetic materials. Print speeds are faster, printed material dries instantly, there’s a reduction in both material and labour costs, and the turnaround times are faster. UV-curable printed graphics and signage are indoor and outdoor ready, with or without a top coat.

Reid cautioned the audience that all printers are not alike, particularly the ink systems. When purchasing a UV-curable WF printer, consider the application, the printing speeds, how the equipment will integrate into your existing printing system, and the image and color quality you need for the type of work you do. Ensure the ink system can deliver the color gamut and gloss uniformity required, and is compatible with the various substrates you’ll be printing. Reid recommended taking the time to research before purchasing, and to buy from a supplier you trust.

Environmental and safety considerations
When handled correctly, UV-curable systems are very safe and have low environmental impact. That said, UV-curable ink in liquid form contains potential skin irritants and is an inhalation irritant in aerosol form. Therefore it’s important not to directly expose oneself to uncured ink. With proper personal protective equipment (gloves, apron) and ventilation (preferably direct), the health risks can be controlled.

Because exposure to UV light can cause permanent eye damage, ensure the equipment you own or are looking to purchase has guards to shield the light. All pinch points must be factored, emergency stops accessible to the operator and the heat and ozone from the UV light should be vented. Also, consider the ergonomics involved with loading/unloading substrate.

On the environmental side, UV-curable ink is an insignificant source (usually <1%) of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), those chemicals that combine with nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere and, in the presence of sunlight, produce ozone. UV-curable has minimal environmental impact and can eliminate the need for annual government reporting (required for VOC usage >10 000 kg per year).

Growth ahead
Reid concluded his presentation by reiterating the fantastic growth opportunities in WF inkjet—especially in UV-curable. WF is a natural extension to digital prepress capabilities. With all the choices in equipment on the market, he reminded the audience to do their homework and choose a trusted vendor. Reid closed by stating the best time to invest in the WF UV-curable graphics and signage market is between now and 2010, before UV-curable becomes a commodity printing method.
    
Membership in the Digital Imaging Association enables companies to send as many employees as they deem appropriate to each meeting at no additional charge above the low cost of membership. Contact Marg Macleod, Association Manager 416-696-0151 or marg@digitalimagingassoc.ca.

At the core of most, if not all, graphic design is typography.  Graphic design, for the most part, is a combination of words and art, creating a visual image for the consumer to interpret.  The way a designer chooses to work with a given text has a major impact on a promotional piece!
A quick search on typography at wikipedia.com (If you are not familiar with this site, check it out.  It is an online user-contributed encyclopedia.), gives the following definition for Typography:

Typography is the art and technique of type design, modifying type glyphs, and arranging type. Type glyphs (characters) are created and modified using a variety of illustration techniques. The arrangement of type is the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading (line spacing) and letter spacing.

Typography is performed by typesetters, compositors, typographers, graphic artists, art directors, and clerical workers. Until the Digital Age typography was a specialized occupation. Digitization opened up typography to new generations of visual designers and lay users.

Whether you are a seasoned designer or just at home making birthday cards, you’ve certainly played with text on your computer to make it look “just right.” So, if you consider yourself a pro when it comes to arranging type (and you ought to be if you’re a graphic designer!), then go right ahead and add “Typography Specialist” to your resume!

Font selection is integral to graphic design, and often designers fall into a bit of a “font rut”—a few fonts become the mainstay and are applied to a wide variety of clients.  While there is nothing wrong with developing a certain look for your work, breaking out of your comfortable font routine could give your work a fresh new image.

Keep your work trendy and up-to-date by scouring printed media and taking note of font trends.  Got a new client?  Check out your client’s competition and take note of serif, sans-serif, and script fonts.  Changing the font so your client stands out from the crowd is sometimes the solution, but your client may prefer to follow suit in order to create a professional image and show that they are part of the industry.   

Check font sites often to see the newest and nicest fonts out there. Many fonts are available for free download, or for a small fee (which is usually negligible if you are charging a market value for your services).   My favourite font site is www.fontfreak.com. If you’re working on a logo or a special heading, try converting your selected font to outlines in Illustrator and play with it a bit to make it unique.

One thing that designers often forget is that at the end of the day the point of their work is to convey a message.  That’s why typography—and specifically, readability—is so important.  Check your work thoroughly for legibility in leading (the space between each line), kerning (the space between each letter) and general consistency in typography.  For example, if your subtitles are Bold 14pt., make sure all your subtitles are Bold 14pt!  These seemingly small things can be the difference between sloppy work and a professional image.  

On the subject of legibility, there have been countless studies to determine which type of font—serif or sans serift—is easier to read. (“Serifs” are the small finishing strokes on the end of a character. “Sans serif” fonts do not have these small finishing strokes.  Think Times New Roman (serif) vs. Arial (sans serif)) The original mentality behind serif fonts was that the small lines of the serifs aid the reader in determining where one letter ends and the next begins. However, most readability studies have proved inconclusive.  It is generally a matter of taste.

Typography is just one more thing that we all encounter every day; yet, like many everyday things, we rarely give it a thought.  I have always believed that in order to fully offer a great service to clients, we must be true professionals in the field—and that means having a firm understanding of typography.  The information is at your fingertips, so next time you have a few free minutes, hop online and bring yourself up to speed—and tap into typography!
    
Jasmine Brooks, Project Coordinator
MPR Communication
jbrooks@mprcommunication.com

Surrounding yourself with well-chosen mentors can dramatically change your life. A mentor is someone with vast experience or unique talents who is willing to share ideas with you on a regular basis. You, as the the recipient of this valuable information, have a responsibility to use it wisely by furthering your career and financial status or by enhancing your personal or family life. It’s like a teacher-student relationship, except that you have the benefit of one-on-one tutoring. And the big bonus is that you normally don’t pay for the lessons. What a deal!
Here’s a proven three-step method to help you enjoy the considerable advantages of mentorship:

1. Identify the target.
Select one specific area of your life that you want to improve. There may be several, but for the purpose of getting started, choose only one.

Here are a few ideas—growing your business, sales, marketing, hiring excellent people, preparing financial statements, learning new technology, investment strategies, accumulating wealth, eliminating debt, eating and exercising for optimum health, being an excellent parent, or doing effective presentations.

2. Select your mentor candidates.
Think about someone who is exceptionally experienced or talented in the area you have selected for improvement. It could be someone you know personally, or it could be a leader in your industry. Maybe it’s someone who is recognized as a top authority on this topic—a well-known writer, speaker or celebrity. Whoever it is, make sure he or she has a proven track record and is truly successful.

3. Create your strategic plan.
If you don’t already know the whereabouts of your proposed mentor, how are you going to locate this unique individual, and when you do, how will you make contact? The first thing to realize is that you are probably never more than six people away from anyone you want to meet, including your new mentor. That’s exciting to know—treat it like a game. There may be six doors you need to open before you have all the information you need. Who could open the first door for you? Proceed from there, and keep asking. You’ll be surprised how quickly the other doors open up once you put the word out.

You may be looking at the name of your proposed mentor and second-guessing yourself with thoughts like, “I don’t even know this person and she certainly doesn’t know me. And if she did, she probably wouldn’t give me any of her valuable time.” Stop right there! The following story is big proof that finding and contacting mentors is well within your capabilities.

One of our core clients is a young man who owns a small trucking business, and he was keen to expand. After attending our Achievers workshop on mentorship, he selected one of the major players in the trucking industry to be his new mentor. This man had started and built a huge business over the years, and was widely respected by his peers and competitors.

Our client, Neil, located the head office in Texas. He made several phone calls and eventually was connected to this successful businessman. (I’ll tell you what to say when you make a call like this in a few minutes, so be patient.) Neil was a little nervous, but he summoned up the courage to ask. The successful businessman agreed to spend twenty minutes every month with Neil on the telephone, sharing his experience and best ideas. True to his word, this arrangement was carried out, and one day Neil received an interesting offer. His new found mentor invited him down to Texas for five days to study every aspect of his business. He could be a fly on the wall, talk to the staff, and observe firsthand why the company had prospered.

Of course Neil didn’t hesitate. The result? Not only was he able to expand his business in many profitable ways, his relationship matured to another level. Instead of a mentor-mentee association, a growing friendship developed. In addition, he was able to share some of his own successful strategies that were not being practiced by his mentor. Over time, a true win-win relationship formed, and Neil’s confidence grew along with his profits.

It all started with that one phone call. So let’s analyze how you can enjoy similar success. The most important thing is to be sincere. Sincerity goes a long way in helping you get what you want in life. Here’s what Neil said when he first got through on the telephone, “Hello, Mr. Johnston (not his actual name), my name is Neil. We haven’t met yet. And I know you’re a busy man, so I’ll be brief. I own a small trucking business. Over the years you have done a fantastic job, building your business into one of the largest companies in our industry. I’m sure you had some real challenges when you were first starting out. Well, I’m still in those early stages, trying to figure everything out. Mr. Johnston, I would really appreciate it if you would consider being my mentor. All that would mean is spending ten minutes on the phone with me once a month, so I could ask you a few questions. I’d really appreciate it. Would you be open to that?”

When you ask that closing question, the answer will usually be “Yes” or “No.” If it’s “Yes,” control your excitement and ask another question. “When would be a good time to call you in the next few weeks?” Then confirm a specific time for your first mentor meeting. Follow up with a handwritten “thank you” note right away.

If the answer is “No,” politely thank the person for his time. Depending on how firm the refusal was, you could ask if it would be okay to call back at a more convenient time to reconsider your request. Otherwise move to plan B—call the next person on your list.

Let’s review the key elements in the phone call. First, get right to the point. Busy people appreciate this. Don’t socialize. Stick to a well-prepared script using a relaxed conversational tone. It only takes a minute. Also, it is important to control the conversation. Say what you want to say, ask the closing question and then shut up. At this point, you allow your potential new mentor to speak. If you follow this sequence, your success ratio will be high. Here’s why: First of all, when you ask someone to be a mentor, it is the ultimate compliment. Second, they are rarely asked. And if you do it with total sincerity, having reminded them of their own earlier challenges, you will often receive a positive response.

Before you make the call, it’s useful to have as much information as possible. Ask the company to send you any promotional material they have, including the most recent annual report.

Remember, you can have several mentors. You can select people for any area of your life that you want to improve. They may live in another city or country, or they may be half an hour’s drive away. So get started and have fun. These relationships can dramatically accelerate your progress in any area of life.

Trial and error is one way to gain experience, but it’s hard work figuring everything out on your own. Tapping into other people’s successful formulas and adapting their ideas is a lot smarter. It’s usually who you know that opens up the doors for bigger and better opportunities. Treat it like a “connect-the-dots” game. Successful people are well-connected. Simply follow their moves.

    
Les Hewitt, author / business coach
(403) 295-0500    www.thepoweroffocus.ca

I learned a powerful lesson about selling from a 15 year old.  My wife and I had just picked up a dog from the humane society.  On the way home, we stopped at a pet store to pick up some dog food, a dish, and a leash.  I’m figuring this stop will take eight minutes. That was before we met the store’s teenaged employee, “Tina.” 

“Anything in particular you’re looking for?” Tina asked.  My wife replied that we’d just picked up a dog from the SPCA and needed a few supplies.  The teenager’s response: “Really? You adopted!  That is so sweet.  You know, I’m working here because this is more than just a job to me.  I’m doing this because I love animals.  So, no matter where you buy your pet supplies from, I want to make sure that we get all of your questions answered, so that your little dog gets the best possible care.”

I glanced over at my wife and notice that she’s looking at Tina with the kind of expression that says, “You are a child of God who this world needs more of and of  course we’re going to buy all of our pet supplies here and let’s not even dicuss anything as petty as price.”
Fifty-eight minutes later, I’m pushing a cart out the door with over two hundred dollars worth of pet supplies.  The dog was only seventy five.

We get it!

That part-time teenaged employee had done something refreshingly unique and convincing.  She expressed what I call a “Grand Intention.”  She shared that she was there not simply to make a commission or sell dog food but to help people take better care of animals.  By expressing her Grand Intention, Tina demonstrated that she cared about our big picture.  In other words she proved to her customers that she gets it.  The good news is that you can have the same impact when you bring this approach to your company.

Crafting your own “Grand Intention”
I’m sure that you care about your customers.  I hope your employees do as well.  The problem is, do you consistently tell your customers that you care?  That’s why one of the goals of our Influence with Ease training sessions is to help employees to clarify their “Grand Intention.”  Usually, it involves expressing to customers that you understand not only their immediate needs but also their larger desires.  An insurance adjuster, for example, might acknowledge the pain and hassle the customer is going through to get a claim settled.  So, the adjustor might start the conversation with something like, “First of all, I want you to know that I understand what a hassle and inconvenience it is to be involved in accident.  One of my goals is to make this part of the process as easy as possible for you and to ensure that you get every penny of coverage that you are entitled to.”

The Grand Intention can be used in other non-sales-type scenarios.  An attendee of one of my training sessions, a manager of collections for a utility power company, said that he would urge his employees to use the Grand Intention for collections.  So, rather than starting a conversation with a late-paying customer with a negative like, “We need to do something about your outstanding bill,” instead, using the Grand Intention, they would begin with, “Our goal is to help you to reestablish your good credit.”

Grand Intentions also work well for enhancing trust and cooperation with internal customers.  Picture being in the Information Technology Department and receiving a call from a stressed co-worker who’s having computer problems.  Early in the conversation, you say something like, “I understand how frustrating it is when you are in the middle of dealing with a customer and the darned computer crashes.  I want to get you back up and running as fast as possible so that you can get back to those customers that pay all of our wages.”  Again the Grand Intention proves to the customer—in this case internal customer—that you get it.

Disarming the cynical customer
You’ve probably noticed that today’s consumer is better educated, streetwise, and, frankly, more cynical about other people’s motives than ever before.  Consumers seem to be taking the advice that parents give their children: “Come straight home, and don’t talk to strangers!”  Beyond telling employees to be friendly with customers, managers need to equip their staff with tools for establishing trust.  Expressing your Grand Intention is an easy way to break through the barriers.  Not a bad lesson from a 15 year old.
    

Customer service strategist and professional speaker, Jeff Mowatt is an authority on The Art of Client Service .  .  .  Influence with Ease.  For Jeff’s other tips, self-study resources, and training services on establishing trust, click Greeting Customers and Establishing Rapport.  Visit www.jeffmowatt.com or call 1.800.JMowatt

Virtually everyone in sales must negotiate, but most sales people are not as effective at negotiating as they could be. However, I do come across great sales negotiators from time-to-time and have noticed that they typically have a few things in common. Following are the characteristics they usually possess.

Understanding of the negotiating process. Highly effective negotiators recognize that negotiating is a process, not just something that you do when discussing the terms and conditions of a solution. Negotiating is much more than haggling about price. It requires an understanding of the dynamics that affect the process and influence the behavior of people. Great negotiators invest time learning different tactics and strategies and how each technique contributes to the overall outcome.

Focus on win-win. Win-win means that both parties feel good about the outcome of the negotiating process. Some books state that win-win solutions are not possible in business negotiating; the authors write that someone usually gives away more than is wise and the outcome becomes a win-lose situation.

Great negotiators don’t believe that. They help their customer solve problems and look for opportunities to give as much value as possible. They also know how and when to limit their concessions, give-aways, and discounts so they can work out an agreement that is equitable for both parties.

Patience. Too many people search for the quick fix and try to close the sale as fast as possible in order to move to the next prospect. Great sales negotiators recognize that patience is a virtue and that rushing the process often leads to an undesirable outcome. They don’t hurry to reach an agreement. Instead, they take time to gather the necessary information. They think carefully about possible solutions. They take their time during the entire process. Major mistakes happen when you try to reach an agreement too quickly. Not giving the other person’s offer ample attention often ends in a win-lose outcome.

Creativity. Most great negotiators are also creative. They use their problem-solving skills to determine the best solutions and look for unique ways to achieve their goals. A friend of mine was once embroiled in a bitter lawsuit with a company and after months of negotiation, he came up with a solution that ended the suit. He looked beyond the normal answers and developed an alternative that was accepted by the other party. In other words, he got creative.

Willingness to experiment. Negotiating is a dynamic process, because no two people are alike. What works extremely well in one situation can backfire in another. That’s why great negotiators practice using a variety of concepts and techniques. They experiment with different strategies, solutions, and tactics. And a small failure does not prevent them from experimenting with new ideas in the future.

Confidence. Great negotiators are confident when they enter a negotiation. They aren’t arrogant or rude or cocky—they are simply confident. They believe in their ability to reach a win-win agreement, and this confidence is developed through experience. Great negotiators evaluate themselves regularly. They learn from their mistakes and victories. They focus on improving their skills. They develop an internal confidence that is unshakable.

Keen listening skills. People will tell you virtually everything you need to know if you ask the right questions and listen carefully to their answers. I believe that this one attribute is the most important skill in selling and negotiating. I remember my wife talking to a prospect on the telephone and at one point during the conversation she sensed that he had more to say. She waited patiently and listened carefully and the other person eventually gave her valuable information that helped her close the sale.

Unfortunately, too many salespeople simply wait for their turn to talk, or even worse, interrupt their prospects. This lack of listening means they often miss hearing key information that will assist them in the negotiations.

Negotiating is not a skill that is easily acquired. It takes time, effort and energy. If you want to improve your negotiating ability, you must be ready to work at it. Invest the time to learn the dynamics and science of negotiating. And be prepared to push yourself out of your comfort zone.
    
© 2007 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved. Kelley Robertson, professional speaker www.kelleyrobertson.com
905.633.7750

I have a MacBook and a couple of PCs. I also have an external 1TB drive on my Mac. I can mount the Mac’s internal hard drive on my PCs but I cannot mount the 1TB hard drive. How can I get the 1TB hard drive to mount on my PC? 

One of the cool things about Macintosh computers is that they have always been able to read data on Windows drives and floppy disks. In the past there were utilities that enabled Windows computers to run AppleTalk protocol and read Macintosh volumes.

Mac OS X includes Samba, which allows users to run SMB (Server Message Block) protocol. SMB was developed by IBM, but has been highly modified by Microsoft. The open source Samba has reverse–engineered SMB to provide a version for non–Microsoft systems.

By running SMB on your Macintosh, you can share your files with your Windows neighbors. Go to System Preferences ––> Sharing and check Windows Sharing. Then PC users can add your Mac to their Network Places or “map” your drive as a network drive by adding \\yourIPaddress\volumename.

The problem with external drives is that they are not automatically included in the SMB shares. When you enable “Windows Sharing”, a configuration file is written to the Unix file system. Most configuration files are stored in the “etc” directory and there you’ll find the “smb.conf” file.

So, in order to get your external drive in on the SMB fun, open the Terminal (Applications ––> Utilities ––> Terminal) and at the prompt enter “cd /etc” and press enter in order to “change directories” to the “etc” directory. You need to be an administrator to edit the file, and you should begin by backing up the file. Enter “sudo cp smb.conf smb.bak” at the prompt to make a copy of the file. “sudo” is a special command that lets you act as an administrator for a short period of time.

Check that you’ve made a copy by listing the files with “ls –la” and Return. You should see both the original and the backup. Now edit the file with “ed”, “vi”, or “pico”. With pico the display is similar to most text editors and the commands are at the bottom of the file. Enter “pico smb.conf” and scroll to the bottom (with Control V) and add the following to the bottom of the file:

[LaCie]
path = /Volumes/LaCie_d2_156_GB
valid users = tmitra
writeable = yes

In the example above my “Share name” is “LaCie”—this is the name the PC user will see. The Macintosh name of my drive is “LaCie_d2_156_GB”—note that I have replaced the spaces in the name with underscores. The “valid user” is the name of a user on my Macintosh and “writeable” means that I can read and write to the drive.

Now on the PC go to “My Computer” and choose “Map Network Drive” from the Tools menu. Then, in the dialog, enter the Mac’s IP as the server and the share name:
\\192.168.1.100\LaCie

Then enter your username and password and the volume should be mounted. You can then copy files to and from your PC—and share them with the Mac.

Recently while burning a CD I got an error and my friend said it might be the hard drive. How do I know if my hard drive is about to fail?

Writing CDs can fail for a number of reasons—sometimes because the CD is faulty and often because a file on your drive is suspect. There are a few preventive maintenance measures you should add to your routine in order to minimize the risk of the latter error. The first is to periodically run “Repair Permissions” using Disk Utility (Applications ––> Utility –> Disk Utility) and also run “Verify Disk” from the same Disk Utility. However, you cannot run Disk Utility from the drive your system is on. You can run Disk Utility from an Installer CD for 10.3 or 10.4 by skipping the installer and choosing Disk Utility from the Utilities Menu.

The good news about your drive is that all modern hard drives use S.M.A.R.T. (Self Monitoring and Reporting Technology). Disk Utility can read the S.M.A.R.T. report. If your hard drive is about to fail or has bad blocks, then your hard drive will report the problems to Disk Utility. You will see a warning in red to tell you that failure is imminent.
    
Timothy Mitra, IT specialist (IT Guy)
Do you have a question you would like answered by the IT Guy? tim@it-guy.com  416.278.8609

We are all clients.  We purchase raw materials and services from others in our efforts to produce what our clients wish to see at a price they are willing to pay.  However, we are part of the printing world, and our clients are not.  In fact, our industry seems underappreciated by the business community on the whole. What can we do to be as doted on as the advertising agencies that ask us to make their visions into reality?

The print industry was a true craft until the computer replaced all the heavy hand work with the punching of buttons.  This technology shift was initiated in hopes of speeding up the process in order to keep up with the new technologies of radio and television.  When the industry was no longer looked upon as a craft, or art, it lost its bargaining power.  Print became a commodity product the second someone with no experience of the industry thought “anyone can do this”.

Before you read the remainder of this article I wish to emphasize that most clients don’t understand their printer of choice.  There are some clients who are impeccable, understand the situation, and are exceedingly pleasant to deal with.  I would not trade these clients for anything, however they are the minority.  Most clients have very little understanding of the process, partly because there are many different ways to do the same thing.  Most client don’t understand the difference between CMYK and RGB, and most of them don’t want to know.  

I often ask why clients are not informed of the issues with their files and asked to correct them.  Most of the time the response was that the client would opt to take their business to a place that could handle their files without complaints.  If clients are paying for the file adjustments I have no quarrel with file tweaking, but I am worried about the precedent it sets for the print shop.  There is a point where files will be unworkable, and someone from the shop must go and ask for better files.  

Clients should also be better-informed about turnaround times.  Often I see clients demanding jobs in unrealistic time frames.  Printers find a way to get them done, and hopefully the client understands such speed is not normally achievable.  But if clients are unaware, then there is no limit to their potential future demands.  

Client education is actually surprisingly easy, but is blocked by unwillingness to spend time and therefore money upfront. Say it costs $300 to send a member of staff to the client’s for an afternoon.  The client in turn needs 4 of its staff to listen, each running $200.  Now look at the hourly rate of your prepress department—will $300 (your cost)up front save even more than that in prepress time?  On the client’s side, how much will he save in (possibly hidden) tweaking costs if files come in properly?

Client loyalty has become almost non-existent in the past few years.  I have heard of jobs being lost over as little as $10, and not small jobs either.   In the fierce global marketplace where we are all competing, cost is king.  Our clients too are feeling the pinch and looking for any way they can to save on expenses.  This climate can help explain why there is a bidding war for almost every job, no matter how small.  And in this climate, it is even more important to educate your clients so they can get the best value, even if it isn’t always the lowest cost.

How do clients continually dictate prices?  Perhaps you do have customers who wouldn’t leave you over a few dollars—odds are they are the ones who better understand all the factors driving your prices, and the ones without unreasonable demands.

Next month: International price assassins.
    
Johnathon Anderson
johnathonanderson@graphicartsmag.com

The first step in managing upwards is determining which issues are most important to your boss. Many individuals fail to distinguish which matters are most important to their superior, assuming all assigned tasks are of equal importance and doing them in the order assigned.
Often, the boss then perceives that things are being done in the wrong order and, for some bosses, it’s as annoying as nothing being done.
One of the reasons employees fail to prioritize correctly is that their hiring manager does not identify those issues that are most important to them. Unless the new recruit is able to identify very quickly what those issues are, he is prone to make mistakes in organizing his work by applying his efforts to the wrong issues at the wrong time.

Lesson 1:
Managers do not like surprises.
Managers make statements to stakeholders—shareholders,  boards of directors, banks, or other senior executives—based on their plans. Stakeholders will then make decisions based on the manager’s promises including additional investment, the allocation of bonuses, or the purchase of new equipment.

When things don’t go according to plan, the manager is at best embarrassed, and at worst his credibility is destroyed.

Giving your boss an unpleasant surprise is a difficult thing to do. You know that they are not going to be happy about it or happy with you. However, it is important to disclose unpleasant surprises as soon after they occur as possible. The worst thing to do is to try to hide an unpleasant surprise, since doing so doubles your trouble. Your boss will likely think you are either incompetent, deceitful, or incapable of accepting responsibility-there are no good options.

In order to mitigate the disaster, take the following steps:
i)     Investigate why the disaster occurred.
ii)    Develop a plan to overcome the disaster.
iii)    Develop a process to protect against such an error occurring again.
iv)    Give a sincere apology. People are more likely to forgive someone who apologizes sincerely.

Lesson 2:
Avoid unpleasant surprises, but if they occur, own up to them.

Don’t embarrass the boss.

During a recent conversation with a newly appointed manager, he related that he had just received a dressing down from his boss about a difference of opinion between them. At first I thought the discipline unreasonable, until he revealed that he had contradicted her in front of all the other managers in the department.

I pointed out to him that his actions could be seen as challenging—and thus embarassing—the boss in front of their management group.
If a disagreement arises, it is best to discuss it privately. If the issue arises in a public forum, ask the boss if the matter can be discussed after the meeting in order that its content can be clarified. You’re much more likely to resolve issues in private.

Lesson 3:
If you are going to challenge your boss, even if you are right, do it in private, not in front of other employees or managers.

Always be prepared
To manage upwards successfully, always go to meetings well-prepared. It is amazing how many people go to meetings with good ideas that haven’t been well thought out or developed. The result is that the senior manager is embarrassed if the presentation is in front of other managers, or rejects the idea if it is being presented just to them.

Poorly prepared plans or ideas often lead to unpleasant surprises. If you are not satisfied that the plan or idea has been completely developed, indicate to your boss that what you are presenting is only a preliminary outline. Ask if she thinks the plan is worth developing further. This will give you two indications, i) whether your boss likes the idea and ii) what the areas are that they feel need more developing.

Lesson 4: Preparation makes you look better. Don’t encourage your superiors to think that you are incompetent as a result of sloppy planning or lack of preparation.

This article has dealt with a few issues that you should consider when managing upwards. Undoubtedly, if you think of the matter, you can identify others in your own situation. You must make a constant effort to manage upwards. To be successful as a manager, it is as important to manage up as it is to manage down.

Fred Pamenter
PPBDconsulting@aol.com

Establishing national skills standards, recruitment, training and retention seen as some of the crucial workplace strategies at First Annual CPISC Forum.

The message came across loud and clear—act now or the printing industry in Canada will suffer in the future.
Leaders in the printing industry, human resource and marketing professionals, salespeople, government and union representatives, and educators gathered at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel in Toronto on June 18 for the First Annual Canadian Printing Industries Sector Council (CPISC) Forum. The day-long event focused on the huge challenges facing the printing and graphic communications industry in Canada, with particular emphasis on lifelong employee training and competing in a global marketplace.

For the past year, CPISC has been working relentlessly, formulating strategies to help Canadian printers identify and implement human resource and workforce development initiatives. Incorporated in April of 2006, CPISC is one of over 30 sector councils currently in operation. Funded by the Government of Canada through the Department of Human Resources and Social Development, it brings together employers, employees, unions, educators and government to provide a national forum for collaboration to achieve industry improvements.

Keynote speakers at the Forum were Bernd F. Schopp, Head of the Heidelberg Print Media Academy, Heidelberg, Germany, and Martina Brand, Marketing Director, Heidelberg Print Media Academy. They provided a revealing global perspective on the competitive advantages of lifelong employee training—a factor, they say, that could spell a printer’s future success or failure in the industry. Established in 2000, the Academy provides support and training to improve the printing industry worldwide. It has facilitated lifelong learning and raised the skill levels of employees in the printing industry around the globe. It’s currently working in 170 countries and partnering with over 250 agencies to assist over 200 000 print shops.

Quoting Benjamin Britten, Bernd told the audience that learning is like rowing against a current—once you stop, you start to drift back. “Our experience with print shops in various countries tells us that your staff and managers must be properly trained to be successful. To keep pace with technology, you must train your employees on an ongoing basis,” he insisted. “Today, too many printers use training only in emergency situations. All they see is an additional cost—or too much of an employee’s time spent away from the presses. They must think long-term. It’s an investment in the future.”

He warned that emerging markets, such as China, will represent huge competition to North American printers because they’re placing tremendous emphasis on training employees to the highest skill level possible. “Their approach is quite different,” says Bernd. “They tell us up front that they want to build the most modern training facilities and have the most highly skilled workforce. Canada must do more, and take a systematic approach to employee training—and that involves making it a management process. It should be long-term and planned. Printers should ask themselves what competencies are necessary not just for today, but for the future,” he added.

Bernd stressed that training may also pose a risk on the part of management. “I do realize, however, that many of you have to deal with the problem of training an employee, then worrying whether that person will jump ship and flee to the competition. The best way to combat this is to create an atmosphere of loyalty by creating opportunities for advancement—and that includes keeping employee skill levels high.” He said that employees will appreciate the fact that you show enough confidence in them to give them advanced training. This approach also applies to the machinery area. Employees feel more empowered, more confident and will likely be more loyal if they know how the press works, not just what icons to click on the computer.

Bernd cited four key strategies for success:
1. Make skills training part of your shop’s ongoing management plan.
2. Always use the most up-to-date technology.
3. Use this technology to improve productivity and provide a better, more economical product to the customer.
4. Retain the best employees—that is, only  those willing to learn as the technology changes.

MARKETING APPROACHES ESSENTIAL
Martina Brand, the Print Media Academy’s Marketing Director, then told the audience that they must also know how to market their company and its services, in addition to maintaining employee training. “Traditionally, printers have been in sales and not marketing,” she said. “This must change in order to compete in today’s competitive environment. I can assure you that there will be little or no success without a strategic plan.” Brand pointed out that the rapid pace of technology has led to such things as growth in digital and inkjet printing, digital photography, the integration of digital and offset, database management, workflow and colour management, and more. These are now vital to the success of most printers, she said, but you must also have the marketing savvy to identify new opportunities. Some strategies in re-thinking or re-inventing your business, if you’re a traditional printer, might include becoming a one-stop shop, being a market leader in a specific product segment, becoming a hybrid printer or workflow specialist, or even a WWW agency.

Another key to success, she says, is to determine those customers from whom you make the most money and who are loyal to your company. Then, target the companies and individuals that have similar attributes. Re-invent your company as the market demands—just analyze what you’re best at, and proceed accordingly. Also, promote and educate yourself. Attend tradeshows and educational seminars and pass that knowledge along to your staff. Also, turn equipment and software over every 3 to 4 years.

After a short break, CPISC Executive Director Marie Eveline reviewed the Council’s goals and  accomplishments during its first year. The list was impressive and included suggestions such as launching its bilingual website, establishing partnerships with educational and training organizations, expanding links with federal and provincial government organizations and seeking funds from these organizations. But the most important contribution, from the point of view of the average Canadian printer, is likely the goal of establishing a set of national core skills and standards for employees in the industry in areas such as pre-press, press and finishing/bindery. This will not only help employees be more mobile, but will assist employers in determining staff skill levels.

BLUE COLLAR JOB, WHITE COLLAR EXPERTISE

Another key area will be recruitment of employees by enhancing the industry’s image. The Council will develop a number of tools (such as a brochure on career options in the industry and a virtual tour of a printing facility) to make the industry more attractive to today’s young graduate. Many students currently view the industry as a gray-haired, blue-collar environment, but the truth is that many shops today must be high-tech to compete—and employees must possess an extremely high skill level. Also very important will be the development of labour market intelligence, says the Council, so anyone interested in the printing industry in Canada can access statistics and anecdotal information.

This should also help recruit young people.

After a lunch break, a panel of experts examined the specific problems facing the Canadian market. While panelists came from different segments of the industry, they all grappled with similar issues—training, recruitment, employee retention, education, machinery, escalating labour costs, low entry-level salaries, and low profit margins. But the consensus was that now is the time to act—to improve the image of the industry, invest in lifelong training, create an atmosphere of loyalty in-shop and work with educators, unions and government organizations to achieve goals. Fortunately, the CPISC, thanks to the hard work of its members, is already clearing a path, forging new alliances and strategies to help the Canadian printer achieve success. One example: The partnership with the Heidelberg Print Media Academy and its participation in this first-ever, eye-opening annual Forum.

After the panel discussion, attendees engaged in small group discussions to identify areas and issues that needed to be addressed by the Council over the next year. Rest assured that industry feedback will be a major starting point for future Council decisions and the establishment of future programs. For more information visit: www.cpisc-csic.ca.