What is GRACoL? Most simply, it stands for “General Requirements for Applications in Commercial Offset Lithography”. To elaborate a bit more, it deals with the ability to have consistency in offset Lithography. This consistency is the result of being able to establish some common ground amongst a somewhat volatile printing arena. The goal is to establish a set of requirements that offset printers can easily adhere to.

IDEAlliance and Standards
IDEAlliance specifications and guidelines are not standards, though many in the industry persist in the misconception that they are. They are not and have never been developed to compete with existing standards and, in fact, are built upon and rely on what are called “Core Technology Standards,” most of which are developed by ISO—the International Standards Organization—which governs all industries, including printing.

History of GRACoL
GRACoL started in 1996 when a group of volunteers from various facets of the graphics arts industry came together to develop a task force that was later christened the IDEAlliance. Their goal was to conceive a usable set of guidelines and specifications for the commercial offset industry.

In 1997, the first GRACoL publication, version 1.0, was released. Later tests were conducted at several printing locations with the goal of characterizing optimized commercial offset printing on paper grades #1 and #2, using certified inks printed at 175-line. Those sheets were considered representative of optimized printing quality for GRACoL and became the basis of GRACoL 6—published in 2002.

These printing aim points were submitted to CGATS on January of 2004 and were termed Data Technical Report 004 (DTR 004).
DTR 004 engendered a great deal of interest in the printing industry and also spurred further testing evaluations. Industry authorities deemed this first attempt unacceptable, so GRACoL went back to the drawing board to develop not only new aim points for commercial printing but also a new process that would assure a closer visual match between the creative and the finished product on press. That effort resulted in GRACoL 2007, and its revolutionary companion process of press calibration called G7.

GRACoL 2007
The most compelling aspect of GRACoL 2007 is that it was developed as a result of a significant number of real press runs, collaboration between our industry’s top experts, and modern technology that was not available at the time of the first GRACoL efforts.  The new approach is based on a visual match between proof and output on press, always considering first how printing looks to the human eye.

The new focus on measuring gray scales rather than individual colours is a break from traditional printing practices. Nevertheless, it is more effective, faster, and easier to apply. It is important to note that GRACoL does not rule out traditional measurements for process control.

GRACoL and Colour Management and Today’s Workflows:
GRACoL is based on current technology, and its development parallels developments in other areas of our industry. Colour management and ICC colour workflows are based on colorimetric data rather than densitometry aims such as dot gain. GRACoL has embraced the maturity of colour management and recognizes that it is an integral part of the process that moves from digital photography, to image retouching, to soft-proofing, to ink-jet proofing, to custom press profiling. For the first time, we have the ability to work backwards from the press. Thanks to GRACoL, we can now connect the dots from capture to print, allowing everyone in the chain to fully exploit the tools of colour management.
    
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

Markham’s Beyond Digital Imaging (BDI) adds Hewlett-Packard Scitex TJ8500 to its huge, growing inventory of equipment, solidifying its position as an industry leader in large-format printing.

Headquartered in Markham, Ontario,  Beyond Digital Imaging has been a Canadian success story in taking large-format printing to the next level.

In 2003, they turned industry heads with massive, breathtaking hotel wraps for COMDEX, depicting the Microsoft Office Suite in Las Vegas, Nevada. That same year, equally stunning outdoor graphics enhanced Vancouver’s Science World. In 2005, Montreal’s FINA swimming competition also featured eye-candy examples of BDI’s large-format creativity. For the past five years, the company has produced all outdoor graphics for the Rogers Cup Tennis competitions at Toronto’s Rexall Centre.

Today, BDI’s 80,000-sq.-ft. production facility in Markham houses over $10 million worth of state-of-the-art digital printing equipment, including nine super-wide-format digital printers – five 16-ft. printers, three 10-ft. printers and the latest addition, the HP Scitex TJ8500.
“The TJ8500 has been a great addition to our large-format line-up since we installed it in June,” says BDI President Larry Chan. “We’re especially impressed with the speed, colour, image quality and small-font reproduction. The reliability is impressive too, as we could use it virtually 24 hours a day as production mounts.”

Equally impressive, however, is BDI’s ongoing expansion, adding an adjacent 10,000-sq.-ft. building that is both an installation bay and an indoor tennis court. The interior is cleverly wrapped with massive vinyl graphics of  skies, meadows, trees and other outdoor greenery.
“We use it to do vehicle wraps and store super-large-format banners,” says Chan, “though I must admit we do like to play a bit of tennis there occasionally.”

What’s in the future for this industry leader?
“I’m really excited about acquiring, very soon, HP dye sublimation technology that will allow us to print up to 10 feet wide on fabric,” says Chan.

In the meantime, Beyond Digital Imaging will continue to churn out large-format showpieces across North America for a growing list of clients such as Roots, Molson, Harley-Davidson, Canadian Tire and Exhibition Place.

Earlier this year, BDI became the official large-format printer for NASCAR Canada and the CONTACT Toronto Photography Festival sponsored by Hewlett-Packard (Canada). Tying in with NASCAR Canada is BDI’s new Race Car Wrap program, or Race Skins. Race teams can now offer one-race deals without disturbing the original paint or graphic theme.

Needless to say, for companies like BDI, “bigger” is definitely “better” – and with help from industry leaders like HP, they definitely intend to be the “best.”

For more information, please visit
www.bdimaging.com

As the printing world has evolved, so too has the advent of the solvent based wide format printing system.  Printing operations of all sizes are recognizing the value of adding these types of printing systems to their production lineups, enabling them to offer new and old customers alike a wider range of printed products.  Vehicle wraps and outdoor signage, just to name two, are rapidly expanding market places, and with that comes the continued reliance on the solvent based printers for providing prints that will stand up to the sometimes extreme conditions that mother nature can throw at us.  For all those who have hypothesized that the emergence of the UV flatbed printer would displace the need for the solvent based printer, you have underestimated the strength of the solvent based printer.  And if sales volumes of current models and the introduction of new brand names are any indication of the strength of the marketplace, solvent printers are here to stay.

It is no secret that shops running solvent based wide format printers experience a level of fumes and odors that can cause health concerns and discomfort for employees and customers alike.  Many shop owners describe themselves as having become desensitized to the smells, but often concede that customers entering their store react surprised and respond with “how can you work all day with that smell”?  As well, new employees will complain of headaches, dry mouth, and sinus trouble until they eventually become desensitized as well, if not ill to the point of needing medical intervention or simply quitting due to the hostile working environment.

For years it has been accepted that these operating conditions are par for the course and accepted as normal, but we have come to a turning point where these fumes and odors are more than just a nuisance, they pose real health concerns.  Whether you are running an eco-solvent printer, a wide format printer (up to 3 meters wide), or a grand format printer (over 3 meters wide) these concerns are dangerously real and present.  Therefore, shop owners need to be properly educated as to the effects of exposure to these fumes and odors, as well as preventative measures to provide employees with a safe and healthy working environment.  The shop owner needs not only to protect his or her employees’ health, but they need to protect themselves from liability as well.

It is important to note here that just because there is a really bad fume or odor smell in a working environment doesn’t necessarily mean there is a hazardous contaminant present, and that just because you can’t smell something bad doesn’t necessarily mean there is no hazardous contaminant present.  While often the two go hand in hand, and the presence of one can indicate presence of the other, a shop owner should not simply assume they are both present or not. Providing a safe and healthy environment is achievable, but before we can address the solutions to reducing or eliminating health concerns caused by overexposure to airborne contaminants, we need to have a better understanding of exactly what the problem is.

The process of solvent based printing is simple: a solvent component mixes with the ink and carries it to the media and is printed onto the same media.  The solvent then evaporates off of the media leaving the ink behind to produce a print.  This is where the problem begins.  The evaporated solvent product has been deemed hazardous for human consumption when found in high concentration levels.

The fumes and odors that you are smelling are called VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), and these VOCs are regulated by the government based organization OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration).  For many of the compounds found in most solvent printers, exposure limits for humans have been set as low as 20ppm (parts per million).  Often information on the allowable exposure limits can be found in the Material Safety Data Sheet of the ink, which should be provided to you by the dealer or manufacturer when you purchase a solvent based printer.  The allowable exposure limit of any given chemical is very important for shop owners to know because if an employee becomes ill or suffers health problems as a consequence of overexposure to these VOCs the shop owner can be held liable for medical expenses, workers’ compensation claims, or possibly subject to fines by OSHA for non-compliance.

Understanding VOCs, ppm, and allowable exposure limits is a complicated process involving lengthy mathematical equations, and it is a little much to expect the average shop owner to know all of the particular elements that can come into play.  Furthermore, simply knowing what the allowable exposure limit is doesn’t tell us whether a particular shop environment is compliant or not.  The human senses can detect that VOCs are present but can not discern the level at which they are present.

To know the level of VOCs that these machines produce, indoor air quality testing must be done.  I contacted many of the printer manufacturers directly to ask for data on the level of VOCs produced by their printers, and the typical answer was “there are too many variables to determine what concentration level may or may not be present when our printer is running.  It is ultimately the responsibility of the shop owner to ensure that he or she provides a safe and compliant working environment for his or her employees”.  As such, the printer manufacturers have been able to wash their hands of any responsibility regarding VOC exposure to the end user.  And while the manufacturer may be correct in its declaration, this unfortunately doesn’t help end users establish what they may or may not need to do to provide a clean and healthy working environment for their employees.  

In between the manufacturer and the end user lies the dealer, and most quality dealers will take the time to educate the end user about the need for adequate air filtration when employing a solvent based printer, as well as offer them proven and accepted solutions so the end user can make the best possible decision on how to provide his or her employees with the cleanest and safest working environment.  These dealers have taken the time and energy to educate themselves on available solutions, and as an end user I recommend that you utilize their knowledge and expertise on this issue.  In fact, I believe that a dealer should not be selling a solvent based printer with out offering an air filtration system with it, as well as taking the time to explain to customers why such a system is required.

Having said all of that, it is very impractical and costly for each end user to hire in an indoor air quality testing company to make sure they remain compliant, or to measure whether or not filtration is even required to meet compliance.  Realizing this hurdle to end users, Island Clean Air Inc. of Vancouver, BC, contracted an independent California State Certified air testing company to measure the concentration level of some of the most common printers on the market today, and the results were surprising.

Each test was conducted under what was to be considered an average operating environment of a room in size from 100 sqft (10’x10’) to 400 sqft (20’x20’), and the printers were run at average print speeds on full size media with a full gamut of colors. Each printer’s production speed was dependent upon the overall capacities of the individual printer.  Tested were the HP Designjet 9000s, Colorspan Gator 72s, Mimaki JV3-160, and the Mimaki JV5-160.  Each test was conducted at different locations on different days to avoid any cross contamination and ensure the objectivity of the results.  

For the initial testing, no means or air filtration or ventilation was employed, it was simply the printer running in a sealed room.  Interestingly, each printer, in its tested room size, surpassed the allowable exposure limit with in 30 minutes of print operation, with a measured range of between 20ppm and 200ppm, depending upon which printer was tested.  As production occurred past the 30 minute mark, this number continued to increase (see figure 1 and 2)—remember that the allowable exposure limit can be as low as 20ppm!”

These tests conclusively show that solvent based wide format printers are prone to creating an environment with higher than allowable exposure limits.  Therefore, shop owners can conclude that if you are running a wide format solvent based printer, you must provide some method of filtration or ventilation to ensure your employees are not put into a working environment where their health and safety may be at risk.  What a shop owner decides to provide for filtration/ventilation is their own prerogative, and is a point of debate amongst air filtration system manufacturers.  

Next month we’ll compare 4 available methods of VOC removal and analyze their pros and cons.
    
Larry Miller
Vice President
Island Clean Air, Inc.

In the graphic arts industry, working from home can be a great alternative to full-time employment. Working from home provides great flexibility and allows you to work whenever you choose—so if those creative juices flow at midnight, working from home could be a great alternative to a nine-to-five job.

If you prefer a non-traditional work environment and work well on your own, working from home can be a life-changing improvement.  For those with children, the flexibility of working from home can be especially welcome. Say goodbye to commuting, traffic headaches, and parking and gas expenses.

However, working from home is not for everyone. Some people thrive on the energy that develops in an office environment, and require the creative input of a team. Some may find it hard to get motivated when working alone, or may dislike having their work and home in the same space. Spouses and children may find it difficult to understand that even though you’re at home, you are still “at work.” Before deciding that working from home is for you, it is wise to think about all the pros and cons, and perhaps take on some small home-based projects, before committing to the lifestyle.

If you decide that a home office is the right option for you, it is important to set aside a space that is your “work zone.” If you have the luxury of an actual home office, take the time to set it up to your liking so it is a space that you enjoy. Getting dressed nicely can also help you stay motivated—it’s hard to feel like conquering the world if you are wearing your bathrobe!

Set goals for yourself and keep your files organized. Check with your accountant to make sure that you are taking full advantage of any tax benefits you are entitled to with a home office. Working from home, or creating a web-based business, can also give you the opportunity to work with a wide variety of clients from all across the world.

Keep in mind that even though you don’t have to keep a 9 to 5 schedule, the rest of the world does! This means that many stages of your work, such as approvals and deadlines, will likely take place while other people, such as suppliers or clients, are at the office.

If you are the one hiring a graphic designer, hiring a home-based freelancer can be a great option. Be sure to iron out details before you sign the contract—no one likes to pay by the hour when they can’t be sure of how many hours a job really takes, so I do recommend agreeing on a set price whenever possible.

With all the technology available today, it is easier than ever before to work from home. Between instant messaging, FTP sites, email, webcams, and online meeting sites, a graphic designer is often able to work completely from home. It is a good idea, however, to still meet with clients face-to-face every now and then, in order to maintain a solid relationship and ensure that you have a firm understanding of their needs and expectations.

Some clients also prefer to see a hard copy proof prior to printing to ensure that the final product meets their approval. Online proofs can be acceptable, especially for repeat orders or jobs for which the client is not picky about colours. Be sure to remind customers that the colours on their screen will likely vary from the printed colours. My preferred way of exchanging proofs is via a PDF equipped with comment-adding functionality.

Working from home is solitary. Try volunteering somewhere, joining an online community, or getting a part-time job “on the outside.”
Graphic design is a career that lends itself well to working from home, and if you are motivated and self-disciplined it can be a great way to move forward with your work.
    
Jasmine Brooks, Project Coordinator
MPR Communication
jbrooks@mprcommunication.com

Imagine you are looking for a new product or service that will make your business more productive and profitable. Where do you start? You could check the Internet, let your fingers do the walking through the yellow pages or attend Graph Expo 2007. If you are like 18 – 20 thousand other Graphic Arts professionals Graph Expo will be high on the top of your list.

In just four days you can cover nearly a half a million square feet exhibits from 600 Industry suppliers, see countless numbers of new products and learn about everything from what’s new in digital printing to workflow software.

Attending Graph Expo can be fun, educational and profitable but these benefits can slip through your fingers with poor time management, which can lead to wasted opportunities.

The trick is to make sure that your time walking Graph Expo is well spent. To accomplish this goal you would be wise to follow these guidelines;

1. Set quantified objectives. Your investment of time and resources needs to be justified. There is no point making the investment if there is no return. Stating that you will walk the show to find the latest trends and leaving it at that is doing yourself a disfavor. Your objective could be to visit certain vendors, to find solutions, attend seminars, see what’s happening in your industry, look for potential business opportunities, assess the show or schmooze with industry colleagues. The trick is to quantify this objective so that you can allocate the correct time to accomplish it. Quantifying also gives you concrete methods of measuring your actual results after the show.
   
2. Put your objectives in order of priority. Having too many objectives can be hazardous to your successful outcome. Narrow your list to three objectives that can be accomplished within your time frame at the show. Once you have done this place them in order of priority with number one being that objective that you absolutely need to accomplish while walking the show and number three being the one you could live without if you run out of time.
   
3. Research. The more you learn in advance the more efficient your visit becomes. Most shows have a web-site with links to individual exhibitors. Visit www.gasc.org and hone in on those products and vendors you need to learn more about.
   
4. Check out the show activities. Part of attending the show is also an opportunity to participate in one or more of the 60 seminars and workshops. Pick out those that are most meaningful for you.
   
5. Develop a walking plan. The floor plan is included on the web-site as well as in the show guide which you pick-up on-site. On the floor plan plot the exhibitors you want to see indicating which objective priority (1-2- or 3) they meet. Also indicate the locations of other activities you would like to attend. Next look for trends. Often opportunities appear in clusters. You will have certain areas of the show which are more productive for you than others. Plan to walk the show so that you go to these clusters first rather than starting at one end of the show and walking to the other. Now you can take care of your number one priorities when you are fresh and relaxed and if for some reason your visit is cut short you will still have benefited from the experience.
   
6. Be prepared to ask questions. Savvy show visitors develop a list of questions they want to ask each exhibitor on their list. Put these questions on a pre-printed form and include them in your show notebook. Now you are ensured of collecting the information you need from the people you need it from and you have an easy way to record the answers.
   
7. Plan some R & R. Walking a show can be tiring. Plan your visit so that every two hours you can do something different such as attending one of the educational sessions to get off your feet or plan to meet a colleague for coffee.
   
8. Get inspired. Make sure you save time for the unexpected. Don’t plan every moment. Leave a little time to be surprised and take in the excitement and hidden opportunities of the show.
   
9. Have fun. Walking a trade show can be profitable but it is also challenging. When you put some fun into your visit everything seems to work a lot smoother.
   

When Graph Expo is over and you are back at the shop reflect on what you learned. See if you were able to meet your objectives and then sit back and pat yourself on the back. You have done a good job in a difficult situation and all it took was a bit of common sense and some planning.

    Barry Siskind is North America’s foremost trade and consumer show expert. He is author of Powerful Exhibit Marketing. Visit WWW.SISKINDTRAINING.COM and learn how you can dramatically improve the bottom line at your next show

“The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get into the office.”
Robert Frost

How hard do you work? If you are a business owner and your answer is “too hard!”, then perhaps you are under-utilizing your resources.

Often, your success is not based on how hard you work, but rather on how well you hire.

Hiring and firing help has to rank as one of the most distasteful duties of a business owner. However, there is nothing more important to the success of your business than your employees, and if you’re only willing to pay bananas, you’ll probably get monkeys. The financial cost (ie the paycheque) of a potential employee should not be your primary concern when hiring—the mistakes made by a poorly-chosen employee will cost you infinitely more to fix than the difference between bargain-basement and fair pay for good work. Unless you are hiring a low-paid, temporary employee for heavy lifting, you need to review your hiring practices, and your training practices, if you ever expect to grow your business.

To start, search the internet for tips on hiring in your industry. You don’t have to re-invent the wheel—instead, learn from the wisdom of those who have hired before you.

Think about what you need done to maximize the success of your business. What are the key characteristics that you need in an employee? Remember, you’re not looking for a clone of yourself; in fact, it may be better to find someone whose character complements rather than imitates yours. If you are a procrastinator, then you need a go-getter. If you’re constantly late, perhaps you need a gate-keeper to set limits.
When you hire, ask your prospective employees about themselves, about their strengths and weaknesses. Ask them what they know about your company. Have they done any research on your company, or about your industry? Are they looking for a paycheque, a career, or a temporary assignment until something better comes along?

If you intend to be successful in your business, you need to build a team of people who understand that their well-being is intimately connected to the well-being of the company. You need people who respect what you do and what you have done. Hire people who you like, but, more importantly, hire people whom you can see yourself respecting. If you don’t respect them, how can you trust their judgement?
I remember my worst interview ever. He was at least 75 pounds overweight, wearing a shirt that was at least three sizes too small and had  at least one button missing in the vicinity of his navel (I couldn’t help looking, it was like a train wreck). I knew I was in for entertainment when he started talking about alien invaders from another planet—he was applying for a job as a bookkeeper. Then he told me his previous employer was the Federal government—but he didn’t tell me why he was no longer employed there. Before he put on his tin foil hat, I politely suggested that this position was not for him and led him out of my office and out the front door. Whew!

So look for quality, be prepared to pay for quality, and match the person and personality to the job and career path. Think about your needs in a new hire. Not only will you save time and money, but you may strike gold.
    
Sid Karmazyn, Chartered Accountant
905.771.3813
skca@idirect.com

What can variable do for me?

If you’re in the printing industry, I’m sure its a question you’ve asked yourself—perhaps you’ve even answered it by building up a variable data portion of your business to add value for your customers.

The widespread adaption of digital means that variable is becoming a larger part of many printing shops, but, as with any new technology, it’s often difficult to envision exactly what variable capabilities could mean for you. As a result, many print shops that could benefit from variable have not plunged in to the marketplace, with a result of much unrealized potential, both for printers and their clients.

Here at Graphic Arts Magazine, we understand the difficulty of keeping up with the latest technology while maintaining and strengthening existing services. We understand that you might not yet have a vision of what variable can do for you. So, together with our partners at FujiFilm Canada (www.fujigraphics.ca) and Terminal Van Gogh (www.terminalvangogh.com), we’ve created a cover for our October issue that we hope will give you a taste for the many possibilities of variable.

Our October cover will be a completely variable one-to-one designed cover, with both cover art and advertisements targeted specifically to your business needs and geographic location. Variable allows you to market to a target audience as small as one, and we hope that our October cover will show you just how effective such targeting can be. Be sure to compare your issue with ones received by your collegues—your pressroom coworker’s cover will be different from that of your collegue in customer service!

It seems unbelievable at times that the technology exists to so specifically target mailers, magazines, and the myriad of other printed materials that your shop creates. But if your disbelief is the only thing stopping you from diving in to variable, we encourage you to consult with sales reps or other printers who have the technology and start discovering how variable can add value to even the simplest of jobs.

What can variable do for you? Find out in our October issue.

Catherine M.A. Wiebe

These are trying times for printing companies.  Competition has strained pricing and profitability.  More than a few competitors are offering prices that have little relationship to the actual cost of production.  Printing companies also have to keep up their investment in new technologies to remain cost competitive and on the leading edge of new product offerings to customers.  Printers continue to struggle with how to make money in a changing marketplace.  

Now that summer is over, business owners need to consider the future of their companies and where they want to take them.   One question you should be asking yourself is “Should I sell”?

The decision to sell your company, or to put effort into improving it, is affected by both personal issues and business conditions.  You may be at the point in life where you want to try something new or want to retire.  If you do decide to sell your company, ask yourself whether it is ready to be sold and is of interest to potential buyers.

Readying a business for sale is much like readying a house for sale. Business owners must determine whether their company is profitable enough to appeal to the marketplace. You may find that you need more than a fresh coat of paint in order to appeal to buyers.

If you don’t want to sell immediately, you may instead want to restructure your company, find a new focus, and make some good profits before selling at a later date.

Regardless of your situation, there are three paths that you can follow:

1. Decide that you are here for the long haul and that you need to find new  direction and ways to improve profitability.  You have the energy and the funding to see this transition through.
2. Decide to sell your company for various reasons, but make improvements first to realize the greatest sale value.  
3. Simply sell your business as is to the highest bidder. Depending on the condition of the company, this option may not yield more than fire sale values of your equipment.

In order to be ready to sell, you must have a plan of action to improve your weaknesses.  I am currently assisting a Toronto printer using our “Sell Ready” program by taking the next six months to develop an assessment as well taking specific steps to correct shortcomings.  We will then use the next 12 months to monitor results in sales and profits and several operational metrics including customer satisfaction.  Measuring such results will get you the extra value in a business sale.  

There are a number of specific areas that must be addressed before you think about selling, including:

• Your company’s strategic focus
• Identifying what your customers want today and will want in the future
• Long-term industry direction
• Effective marketing and sales systems
• Production and administrative efficiencies
  
• Management and employee skills and training,
• Cleaning up your balance sheet, corporate record book, debt positions and tax filings  
  

But before any of these steps are started, owners should first ask themselves whether they have what it takes to turn their company around. Are you engaged but frustrated, keen to move your company forward but not sure how? Or are you disengaged, going through the paces with no solid improvement plan, and wishing you could just get out now?

Rather than any structural or marketing weakness in a company, in my experience, the determining factor in the success of any turnaround program is how committed the owner is to working to achieve success.   If you are committed and eager to identify ways to develop a profitable competitive advantage then you are much more likely to increase the value of your company, whether you wish to sell or stay for the longer term.  Now that summer is over, it is imperative that you develop action plans for your company and implement them.  Doing the same old things is not an option.  
    
Douglas Hart CMC
douglashart@hartconsultants.com
www.hartconsultants.com

Transparency is used in every file these days.  From drop shadows and glow effects to type and gradients, designers have a complete set of transparency tools at their fingertips.

Despite their name, the tools’ functions are often less than transparent, so following are some tricks to overcome common transparency problems.

Problem: You have a PDF that has been flattened and some clip art or an image has a white box around it.

Solution: Using the Touch Up Object tool, select the image and the background it is on.  Edit the objects in Illustrator and use the Transparency Palette to multiply the white box onto the background or create a mask using Illustrator drawing tools.  Save and close the Acrobat temp file.

Problem: You have a PDF file and you need to put a background in behind the file.

Solution: Extract the page you need to work on as a single PDF file (or all pages if you need to apply a master background).  Open the PDF page in Photoshop.  If it is a transparent PDF it will appear on Layer 1 and the background will be transparent.  If not, you will need to remove the background layer in Photoshop and copy the page to a new Layer.  Get rid of your white background using the Photoshop selection tools and feather slightly to get a soft edge if needed.  You can now re-save this file as a PDF and place it in InDesign on top of the background you have already placed. You could have pasted the background on another layer in Photoshop, but if the background is a master and needs adjusting later, its safer to use InDesign to put it together and just change the master once.

Problem: The image in your PDF doesn’t graduate as intended

Solution: Select it with the Touch Up Object Tool along with the item it is on top of.  In the Illustrator Acrobat temp file create a shape over top of the item to be graduated.  Select the shape and apply a white/black gradient in the direction you want.  Select the gradient and the item below it, and in the Transparency Palette menu select Make Opacity Mask.  Save and close and the PDF will contain the new graduation.

Problem: You are creating a PDF from an InDesign job.  Everything looks fine, save for one spread that is mostly a collage of images with drop shadowed header type across it.  You are using High Resolution flattening settings but this spread won’t come out properly.

Solution: Use Spread Overrides.  Choose the pages in Indesign’s Pages Palette that you want to Override.  In the Pages Palette menu at the top left, select Spread Flattening → Custom, which will open the Flattening menu; you can then slide the Raster/Vector Balance over towards Raster.  It may prompt you to the effect that increasing the Raster will cause larger files—just select OK.  When you print to file you can leave the Transparency setting at High Resolution (or your Custom Setup) and make sure that ignore spread overrides is not checked.

Try any of these tips with your next problem file.  Print turnarounds are faster and faster and sometimes you don’t want to wait for new files.  In such situations, these transparent tricks could save the day.
    

Andrea Mahoney
Workflow Automation Specialist
TriBay Enterprise
416.729.9687 www.tribay.ca

While digital colour was a novelty five or ten years ago, most Canadian printers today have some digital colour capability; more than half offer colour copying and printing, while a substantial number – some research indicates approaching 20%—have digital “presses” with speeds of 45 ppm or higher. Research that we conducted for PRIMIR (www.primir.org) indicates that as much as 20% of revenue for the average printer comes from digital colour printing. Its importance will continue to grow to the point where, for most printers, it will be the most important revenue generating production area within the next 5 years. Not surprisingly, digital colour devices are the recipients of a large portion of anticipated capital spending.

There is a wide variety of digital colour offerings today, ranging from small desktop inkjet printers to super-wide format, from colour copiers to digital production printers, and everything in between.  Clearly, a lot of digital colour equipment is appropriate for certain types of work, usually that offset cannot do or cannot do economically. Increasingly, though digital devices are being used instead of offset, where offset would have been used. In this context, when we think of digital colour, though, we are really referring to production-level devices that are increasingly competing with offset. For most printers, that means digital colour presses from vendors such as Canon (imageRUNNER Pro); HP (Indigo); Kodak (Nexpress); Xeikon; and Xerox (DocuColor and iGen).

When these production devices were first introduced, their output was often – and quite fairly – criticized as not being of “offset” quality. Over the years, though, these products have been – and continue to be – upgraded: in speed, substrate handling, and image quality.

The question remains. Is digital colour ready for prime time? Henry Freedman, editor of “Technology Watch for the Graphic Arts and Information Industries,” an independent industry journal, has presented output from the both the Xerox iGen3 and the Kodak Nexpress side by side with images produced with conventional offset printing. “After independent sets of viewers looked at the images in a variety of settings, most thought digital print’s imagery was equal to offset and some actually [preferred the] digital,” according to Freedman. “[They] look like offset printing—but you be the judge, “ Freedman writes, urging readers to compare the two images. (More information can be obtained at technologywatch@att.net)

In this article, we will look at what a diverse sample of Canadian printers are doing with digital colour and how their customers are responding.

At one end of the spectrum is Kwik Kopy of PEI, which was featured on the cover in our June issue. This rapidly growing 25-employee commercial printer has a variety of digital devices, including HP and Agfa wide format inkjets, and colour copiers and printers from Xerox and Canon. With such a variety of devices, as well as 4-colour and 5-colour offset, they must contend with both the differences between digital and offset colour and the colour consistency of their digital devices.

Shawn Mackenzie, who, with his brother Troy are second generation owners of this two-time franchisee of the year, notes that while the colour from his digital devices is very good, it differs from machine to machine and day to day. The machine chosen for a job depends on which will give the most appropriate quality, given the nature of the work, the speed of the device, and the substrates being used. “The quality of the image is important, and digital colour quality is good. The calibration and quality of the machine is not so important. The colour will be good. It’s just not always the same from day to day, and certainly not from machine to machine. Customers don’t care, as long as it looks good.”
Kwik Kopy’s Mackenzie also points out that digital colour has more “quirks” than offset. “With offset, you can usually figure out what the problem is, why something isn’t working. With digital, it’s not always clear.”

Colour remains one of the key criteria in buying new digital equipment. Shawn Mackenzie of Kwik Kopy of PEI “would clearly pay more for better colour. There are lots of 70 and 80 page per minute machines that don’t have the quality [we’re looking for].”

That said, however, Mackenzie says that many of today’s customers and print buyers are more forgiving and more willing to accept non-offset colour. “The difference between offset and digital is not as important as it once was. People are more lenient. There’s more CMYK rather than Pantone.”

Bassett Direct, a $10 million Markham, Ontario provider of direct marketing services, has Xerox DocuColor 8000, Xerox iGen3, and Xeikon 5000 colour presses, as well as Xerox monochrome  printers with MICR capabilities. While they do not own  any offset presses, they have aligned with sheetfed printers in order to offer a total service around printing and direct mail.. With a variety of different devices, they can run a job by whichever method and  device that is most cost effective for the specific client application.

Bassett Direct recently purchased a Xeikon 5000 to complement the Xerox iGen3 and DocuColor 8000. Owner Rich Bassett comments, “We have always been a Xerox shop, going back to 1987. When we needed another colour machine to back-up the 8000, the iGen made sense, but we needed to support more and different sizes. The iGen has some limitations around sheet size.It is perfect for 2-up 8½ by 11 or 8½ by 14. The Xeikon can do exactly the same thing but can be 2-up or 4-up. As it is web fed, with  a variable cut-off,we can meet unique needs,  such as booklets and oversize pieces.”

Bassett notes that while the colour of digital devices is    somewhat different from offset, the quality is “unbelievable.You cannot tell the difference between digital print and litho.” He has not encountered any client issues with the difference. “Quality is a non-factor.”
Based in Markham, Ontario, Rayment & Collins offers integrated marketing, design, and printing to offer end-to-end branding and communications. Established nearly twenty years ago as a prepress company, the 35 employee firm has evolved into a full branding and communications solutions provider, including design, premedia, data-driven communications, and print. As was the case with many prepress firms, they expanded into printing, first with offset and eventually into digital with the purchase last year of a 7-colour Indigo 5000 from Hewlett-Packard.

With its heritage in colour correction and retouching for print, colour was extremely important in the decision to go with the Indigo. Savino Schincaglia, Director of Technology and New Business Development for Rayment & Collins particularly likes the fact that the Indigo uses a liquid “EelectroInk”. It provides a comparable look to offset ink and wet traps. Schincaglia says the Indigo gives predictable and repeatable results, so that files do not have to be reworked, whether the job is printed digitally, offset, or flexo. Schincaglia enthuses, “The HP gives predictable results that we can match to offset. We can, absolutely, exactly match it to offset colour.” To do that, though, Rayment & Collins calibrates their printers twice a day so that there are “no issues with digital colour.”

Distributech, a $15 million Ontario company founded by Dave Reeve in 1992, as a marketing fulfillment company, now has two locations, one in Brantford, the other in Toronto. As data management is central to their business, it is not surprising that their internal print production is digital. Distributech began doing low volume digital colour a number of years ago with slower devices, which, Reeve says, allowed them to validate the concept. They then moved more into production colour in early 2004 with an HP Indigo 3050 and recently purchased three Xerox Nuvera monochrome printers.

As a marketing outsourcing company whose customers include some of the largest in the world, Distributech purchases a large – and growing – volume of commercial printing. While most of their offset work is for high volume products and materials that are kitted with their digital materials, Reeve notes that there are some things that “just can’t be printed digitally” because of special inks and metallics, format, or finishing. With high colour content, it is critical for the digitally printed jobs to have not only the highest quality but also to match the litho output.
Reeve says that at one time there were obstacles to digital colour. “There were colour challenges around [digital] devices…It’s “now a non-issue. The quality is off the table. Everyone finds the quality acceptable… The quality is a pretty compelling story… The conclusion is never that the colour is not good enough. It’s never been an issue.”

Aurora, Ontario-based Avant Imaging and Information Management’s (AIIM), which was profiled in the May issue,  core business is commercial offset printing. With a 10-colour MAN Roland perfecting press, and a number of Mitsubishi presses, including a seven-colour, AIIM certainly appreciate the value of high quality offset colour. They have recently expanded their colour digital printing capabilities with purchases of a Xerox 2060, Xerox iGen3 and an HP Indigo 5000.

Serge Grichmanoff, Vice President, New Technologies, notes that each machine has different capabilities, and colour matching can sometimes be tricky.  One of their customers, a major telco, often has mailings that mix offset and digital print., “We have to make sure that what’s produced on press…is going to match what goes on HP. And if it might have to go on iGen, we need to match the colours on all three [devices],” says Grichmanoff. While it sometimes is tricky, AIIM’s staff “understands the nuances of each. We have gotten good… Our people are very good at matching different pieces of equipment to minimize variances.”

Customers often have the choice of equipment, reviewing samples and expressing a preference depending on the type of job. The quality of digital colour is no longer an issue, with many preferring it. Grichmanoff notes, “Some customers express a preference for one or another piece of equipment… [For example,] some like the HP for its depth and richness of colour… It does remarkable quality, just gorgeous.”

While digital printers are often viewed as appropriate for short runs only, it should be remembered that they are frequently called upon to do very long runs for variable direct mail work. Grichmanoff points out that “one of the nice things about iGen is that it is a production machine. It can do 1 million post cards. It can deliver.”

Farm Credit Canada (FCC), a financially self-sustaining Crown corporation headquartered in Regina, is one of Canada’s largest providers of business and financial services to farms and agribusiness. Operating out of 100 offices located primarily in rural Canada, it has nearly 1,300 employees and serves over 43,000 primary producers, suppliers and processors along the agricultural value chain as well as over 9,000 alliance customers. 

FCC provides some 50,000 people with various publications, including marketing materials such as brochures, flyers, cards, member surveys, annual reports, software manuals and CD covers and labels. According to print shop supervisor Dan Karikas, they print almost everything in their in-house print shop, which employs four full-time people and one half-time person. FCC also has a separate design and prepress department.

The print shop is able to satisfy the bulk of Farm Credit Canada’s print requirements in-house, using two small AB Dick presses and a recently purchased Kodak Nexpress 2100. Karikas is proud of the print shop’s capabilities, “We can handle anything less than 12x18 if the volume is not ridiculously large. The rare time we can’t handle a job in-house, we rely on local commercial printers here in Regina and Saskatoon.”

The Nexpress replaced an older Xerox DocuColor 40 that FCC had acquired in the mid-90s. At the time, 2-colour AB Dick portrait presses were used to print forms and letterhead. As the corporation moved to electronic forms and the demand for 4-colour started increasing, the print shop began to do true four-colour work on the AB Dick presses. As the operation grew FCC acquired the DC40 for smaller short run work. Eventually, though, they went beyond the capabilities of the DocuColor 40. “While the colour quality was very good,” Karikas says, “we overworked them like crazy… since we were overworking the machines, we dragged them down.” It was clear that the print shop needed a more productive digital device.

Karikas and his team looked at a number of digital production devices and, although the Nexpress was more expensive and probably more machine than required, their business plan was able to support the purchase. “We wanted better quality on our short runs jobs. The Nexpress fit in beautifully. It has exceeded our expectations. We use it far beyond what we thought we would … our business plan was based on 50,000 impressions per month. We’re doing more than 180,000!”

One of the key reasons for the purchase of the Nexpress was the fifth colour station. “The [AB Dick] 9810 runs Pantone colours; we have green and blue. We had to change the blue because we couldn’t batch from time to time on press … but we are able to run the blue on the Nexpress fifth station.”

With colour work being printed on the Nexpress, the other two in-house presses and occasionally outside commercial printers, colour matching and consistency can be a challenge. “There are definite differences in colour output,” Karikas confirmed. Because the in-house design and prepress department generally knows on which device the job is going to be run, they prepare the file accordingly.

With all materials being produced in French and English, printing the English books is sometimes contracted out, with the French versions being printed in-house on the Nexpress. “When we compare the French and English side by side, some people like richness of the colours and prefer the photos [from the offset press], though it’s very, very close. The beauty of Nexpress, though, is that from the first copy to the last copy, the colours don’t fade. They are exactly the same… The quality is very good on all the devices. I like the Nexpress colours better … There is a definite difference though.”

Karikas continues to expand the work printed on the Nexpress. One example is Farm Credit Canada’s annual report. With the number of printed copies declining, FCC is now debating whether to shift production in-house using the Nexpress, printing what is needed on demand. “People have opportunity to order one. We might do various versions. We [already] print an initial run for approvals on the Nexpress and people love the way it looks.”

It is clear that colour on digital devices is no longer a significant issue for many printers and their customers. While there are still differences, and there certainly are applications that are best suited for offset, digital colour provides an increasingly attractive alternative.
Next month, we’ll look at how these and other printers are using digital colour for variable data.

John Zarwan is an independent consultant living in Prince Edward Island. He has been involved with digital printing for twenty-five years. He can be reached through his website, www.johnzarwan.com. 

Q. I am having trouble with my email in Windows Vista. There is a message stuck in my Outbox that will not go away. I’ve called my ISP and they can offer no help. What can I do?

A. Welcome to “Windows Mail”, Microsoft’s replacement for Outlook Express (the free email program that came with previous versions of Windows). In Outlook Express, the email messages, contacts, and tasks are stored in a single database file, and you can usually run a built in utility to repair the database. In fact, Microsoft Outlook 2007, part of Office 2007, will automatically repair itself if something goes wrong.
The new Windows Mail stores each part of your email in a separate file, which may make repairs easier. The message stuck in your Outbox is a “phantom” email, which can be eliminated by removing the file and allowing Windows Mail to rebuild your Mail files. If you want to keep your other messages, copy them to a safe location (such as your desktop) and then import them into the repaired Windows Mail.

The Mail files are in your user folder. (Microsoft has also adopted a Unix-like folder structure.) Look in “\Users\yourname\Application Data\Microsoft\Web Mail\”, copy the “Web Mail” folder to your Desktop, and then remove all the files from the original location. When you start Windows Mail again, it will rebuild the contents of the “Web Mail” folder.

You can now go to File -> Import -> Messages and re-import your messages from the copy you stored on your Desktop.  You may have to start your machine in “Safe Mode” to be able to delete the files—you’ll know that “Safe Mode” is necessary if Windows tells you that the files are busy.

Q. I am new to Macintosh and I have a new MacBook. What software can I use to send and receive faxes?

A. If you have a Macintosh running Mac OS X, you don’t need any extra software. If you have an Intel Mac, you must purchase the Apple USB Modem for $59 CDN. With the USB modem attached, you can access your ISP via a dial up connection and send and receive faxes.

You will need to use a regular phone line to send and receive faxes. If you are in an office with a centralized digital phone system, you may be able to get an “ATA” which allows you to plug in a regular analog phone device.

You can find fax settings under “System Preferences -> Print & Fax” by selecting the “Faxing” tab. Check the box if you want to receive faxes, and enter your fax number. You then choose the number of rings to wait before your fax modem answers the incoming call.

You then have three options for handling faxes. You can save them to “Shared Faxes” (they will be stored  as PDFs in the “Faxes” folder under “/Users/Shared”),  send them to a printer of your choice, or have them sent as an email attachment. The final option may require the “Postfix Enabler” ($9.99 USD from www.cutedgesystems.com), which enables the mail server built into every Macintosh to handle faxes. Apple doesn’t configure the “postfix” mail server so Postfix Enabler takes the guesswork out of the process.

To send a fax, with your modem and phone line attached, open the document you want to fax and choose “Print” from the file menu. Then choose “Fax PDF” from the PDF popup menu. Then enter the fax number or choose a contact from the Address Book, choose a fax cover page and press “Send”. You can also preview the fax before you send it.

Q. I recently moved my files over to a new PC but I’m having a problem with addressing email. In the past, when I started typing an address, it would automatically appear. On the new PC I have to go to the Address Book to get contacts and some addresses are missing, even though I have imported my email and contacts.

A. Most Microsoft email programs store email addresses in a cache file. Luckily for you, this file is not deleted when you exit your mail program. If you can go back to your old PC you will find the address cache in a file called “Outlook.NK2”. Look for this file in “\Documents and Settings\yourname\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.NK2”.

To get the old cache onto your new PC, first exit Outlook, locate the current “Outlook.NK2”, and rename it “Outlook.bak.NK2”. Then copy “Outlook.NK2” from your old PC and place it in the same folder. When you start Outlook again, it will use this old cache file. If you’re running Microsoft Outlook 2007, it may complain that it wasn’t shut down properly and automatically repair any problems.
    
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

Wide-format multi-function printers (MFP) have gone from rare to ubiquitous in the past ten years. Steve Blanken, director of sales for Contex USA, notes that “ten years ago, Canon introduced large format bubblejet inkjet MFP units priced well above $125,000” and only larger companies were able to justify the cost. “But now, you can get these large format MFP inkjet devices for $20,000 or less, and smaller businesses can justify the cost.”

A wide-format MFP combines three commonly used devices into an all-in-one solution. They copy, scan, and print in color and black and white up to 60”. You can copy maps, drawings, renderings, and photographs for print, file or email, all in a small integrated workspace. MFP products connect easily to any network, and offer great versatility for the entire office.

“These LF inkjet MFP devices are portable, allowing users to use any of the MFP components separately,” notes Jesper Erlandsen, director of corporate marketing with Contex. “One of the big advantages of this technology is the single footprint floor space it takes up, with easy-to-use features requiring no special power arrangements. The quality has now greatly improved, size is shrinking, and it is now possible for employees not initiated in the equipment’s functionality to simply stride up to a machine and begin operation.”

Steve Blanken agrees. “Things have gone 180 degrees. It used to be print and distribute, but now it’s more and more distribute and print: users get the information and print what they need when they need it, locally. These wide-format MFP devices are putting a lot of pressure on the LED MFP printer market, as they now offer fast output up to 60’ wide for increased productivity. The cost of operation has also gone way down (there is no click charge per copy with inkjet MFP devices) and they can print on a much larger range of media.”

New opportunities for repro houses
Repro houses can now place MFP machines at their customers’ sites, and charge for the printing being done at that location. In this way, the customer gets to use the MFP but doesn’t have to buy it. They only need to sign a two or three-year contract with their repro house. The repro house then captures the additional on-site print volume and bills for it accordingly. Larger volumes of printing can still be done at the main repro shop location.

Cost-effective Wide-format MFP inkjet solutions

Canon imagePROGRAF Scan to Copy Solution
This integrated system is ideal for users wishing to archive, email, or copy large-format prints. This product can be incorporated into a variety of markets including CAD, AEC, GIS, and pay-for-print, and they can be used for countless applications, such as maps, blueprints, OCR, copying, raster to vector conversions, photographs, artwork paintings, drawings, court documents, and newsprint. Canon offers wide-format MFP devices ranging in size from 24” to 60”. The robust Canon imagePROGRAF Scanning System includes all components necessary to produce hard copy output and to use the saved scanned images to populate databases and document management systems. Print speeds are up to 645 square feet per hour.

HP Designjet 820 MFP
The HP Designjet 820 MFP completely manages large-format documents from scan through print or archive. It can handle all functions or provides network printing to other large-format devices. The MFP offers high resolution for CAD and graphics, and the scanner handles wide-format and thick originals at fast scanning speeds. Users can scan, print up to 42” wide output, and copy large-format documents by using the graphical touch-screen display and intuitive software. Print speeds are up to 85 square feet per hour.
    
Peter Dulis
Wide Format Printing Specialist
T: 647.895.3315
E: pdulis@iprimus.ca

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 to 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

So you think you could work for yourself?  If you’ve considered starting your own business, you probably have a rosy vision of self-employment.

You’ll be your own boss, determine the projects you want, work on your own schedule, and just cut or contract out the stuff that you don’t enjoy.

You’ll be wealthy beyond your wildest dreams! Sure, not every entrepreneur’s name rhymes with Gill Bates, but you could certainly make a lot more money working for yourself, right?

Dreams are wonderful, and necessary to get yourself through the difficulties that will certainly come, but if you’re seriously considering working for yourself, there’s a lot to consider beyond just the best-case scenarios. This month we’ll consider if you’re well-suited to self-employment, and next month we’ll look at a few first steps if you decide to take the plunge.

Microwave dinner or slow cooker?
Regardless of your culinary preferences, if you want to be self-employed, you need to be able to plan ahead and delay gratification. Not all of your income is profit, as in days of yore. In fact, you may spend several years without a profit at all! Failure rates are also high, especially for “Micro Businesses” (defined by Industry Canada as those with fewer than five employees). According to Statistics Canada, only 36% of Micro Businesses in Ontario are still in business five years after inception. (http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/site/sbrp-rppe.nsf/en/rd00671e.html)
You must plan for capital or personnel investments in your business, as well as set aside funds as an emergency cushion for times of fewer contracts or unexpected medical emergencies. If you’re not paying in to EI, you are no longer eligible to receive it.

Look at your personal history for clues as to your abilities in the above area. Did you save up for a 25% down payment, or are you burdened with an interest-only mortgage? Do you pay off your credit cards every month? Did you keep on top of your schoolwork, or were you a cram-a-term-in-one-night kind of guy? Admittedly, most of us fall between extremes, but you must honestly evaluate your ability to manage such responsibilities, as they will only increase once you are your own boss.

Softwood or hardwood?
If you have a fireplace, or have ever been camping, you know about the difference between soft and hard wood in a fire. Softwood lights easily and flames up well, but it also burns out quickly. Hardwood is a bit harder to light, and its flames may not be as spectacular, but it burns steadily and long. Which is a better metaphor for you? Are you someone who starts with a flash and flames out just as quickly? Or are you more of a slow burn—perhaps not out of the gate with a bang, but able to both start strong and end well?

Self-employment demands that you finish what you start and not expend all your energy at the beginning of a task. Often, it will also demand longer hours and less reward when starting up the business. There’s often no one to delegate to or to finish jobs that you cannot or will not do. It’s just you. The joys of working for yourself and succeeding are many, but the road to success is almost never easy to follow.

The right place and the right time?
Micro businesses are statistically most successful in Ontario, with BC and Quebec closely behind. The Prairies are next and Atlantic Canada pulls up the rear. It’s good to look at the statistics for your chosen field and geographic location before starting a business, but numbers can deceive. Just because your town has supported five new graphic design businesses in the past five years doesn’t mean there’s room for one more, and just because no quick printer has lasted more than two years doesn’t mean you can’t. But you must evaluate your circumstances—perhaps with the help of a professional consultant—before jumping in. The greater your risk, the greater your possible reward, and the greater the consequences of failure.

A business of one’s own
I have deliberately emphasized the difficult parts about self-employment in order to aid in creating a clear mind and reasoned expectations. Many people who are in small business shouldn’t be—but perhaps you’re not yet in small business and should be! As romantic as your Bill Gates/Virginia Woolf visions of a company of one’s own may be, the romance will only be realized if you are truly ready to start your own business.

Next month I’ll discuss some steps to take if you’ve decided you’re ready for a business of your own.
    
Catherine M.A. Wiebe
catherine@graphicartsmag.com

Digital colour printing is always a hot topic of conversation, and John Zarwan tackles it head on in our feature on page 18. As we’ve said many times in these pages, offset and digital are complementary technologies, and many of those who are slow to adopt digital presses may only be hindered by a lack of knowledge about how digital can add value to their businesses.

John will also be back next month to discuss one of the most profitable subsets of the digital revolution. For those of you who haven’t guessed, I’m speaking of course of variable printing. We’ll also be thrilling variable proponents across the nation next month with an exciting Variable Cover design for our October issue. Catherine Wiebe hints at more details on page 5.

Also in our October issue we’ll be previewing Graphics Canada—the 13th-largest trade show of any kind in Canada, according to their website—so make some time to read about what will be happening in Toronto on November 8-10. We’ll be there at the International Centre in Toronto, and we look forward to meeting many of our readers and advertisers there.

And speaking of shows, we—like so many of our compatriots—are heading off to GraphExpo in Chicago. It’s always a great opportunity to meet old friends and network with new ones. GraphExpo has sold out this year, with over 120 new vendors joining the veterans on the floor.

Perhaps we’ll see you there, too?

Finally, it is with sadness that we learned of the passing of Carlos Kaldas, a very gentle man with a great sense of humour. He was one of our first customers and we developed a great friendship. Our sympathy goes out to his wife and family and all the staff at Federal Graphics. He will be missed by all who knew him.

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