Computer-to-plate (CTP) systems have been central to the process of moving traditional offset printing into the digital age. CTP is the ability to output text and images directly from a digital file to press plate material, completely eliminating the time-consuming and often highly specialized prepress work of creating film images, stripping them into flats, and then burning plates. By simplifying platemaking, CTP has helped to make full-colour work easier to produce, and this in turn has increased customer demand for colour. With CTP, smaller shops that ten years ago might have printed primarily one- and two-colour jobs with simple graphics now can produce process-colour work and sophisticated images quickly and profitably.
Before investing in a CTP system, printers need to evaluate their existing production procedures, taking into account what types of work they do, what types of work they want to do, and their plans for growth. This is particularly true for printing companies that do primarily small to mid-size format work, where other options, such as multicolour or full-colour digital printing or variable data printing, might be a better fit in their overall operation.
Direct imaging (DI) presses present yet another alternative, combining direct-to-plate capabilities with more or less traditional offset printing. The type of equipment to purchase depends entirely on what direction a printer wants to go. CTP systems create plates very accurately and relatively easily for static, printed pages produced in volume for every kind of application, from marketing materials to packaging.
Printers looking to either add CTP or to upgrade an existing system will find an array of products available. Some systems, such as Glunz-Jensen’s iCTP PlateWriters and Xante’s Impressia and Speedsetter systems, are lower-cost systems that provide the direct-to-plate advantages of time and cost savings, but without the wider range of features or the expandability that are built into the higher-end models like those from Agfa or Fuji. Another key consideration is the total cost of operation, including the initial investment for the system itself plus ongoing expenses for consumables like plates and chemistry, if required. And, where plates must be chemically processed, waste disposal and environmental issues also come into play.
Smaller format devices
Glunz-Jensen’s iCTP PlateWriter models are slightly different from most CTP systems in their use of ink jet technology. Where most CTP technologies use light or heat to image the surface of a plate, the iCTP models jet their patented Liquid DOT chemistry onto non-photosensitive aluminum plates. The non-image area of the plate is then gummed in the integrated plate finishing unit. The manufacturer says there is no need for any special lighting when handling the plates and no further processing is required. Glunz-Jensen’s newest model is the iCTP PlateWriter 2000, a 2-up plate system in a product line that also includes the 4-up PlateWriter 4200. Throughput speeds depend upon the size of the plate and imaged areas, and on the 4200 model, users can select fast, high-quality, or super high-definition modes. Both models employ a RIP based on Harlequin technology with imposition and trapping software options available. The PlateWriters can be used with either Mac or PC platforms.
Xanté offers two metal plate setters for the 2-up format, the Impressia with a maximum 13.38”x19.87” plate size, and the Impressia GTO with maximum 16.5”x25” plate size. Both systems employ an Adobe PDF-based RIP and Xanté’s Aspen proprietary non-photosensitive metal plates, which require no processing or washing and can be handled in daylight. Xanté says both units use the company’s Z-7 imaging technology and expose the plate material using radiant energy. The Impressia models produce a 2400 x 2400 dpi resolution, with 100 lines per inch.
For use with polyester plate material, Xanté has the SpeedSetter CTP system in both portrait and landscape models. Both produce screen resolutions to 4000 dpi and 240+ lpi and use a PDF-based RIP. The model 300iL offers a maximum plate size of 13.3”x20”, and the 400iL has a maximum plate size of 15.75”x20.25”. The SpeedSetters use red-sensitive polyester plates, and come with a plate processing unit that can be moved away from the imaging device for maintenance.
Presstek is one of the earliest developers of CTP and DI systems, and currently focuses on the small format 2-up and 4-up market. The VectorTX52 produces 16 plates per hour in sizes up to 20”x21”, at resolution of 2400 dpi. The system uses Presstek’s Freedom plates, which the company describes as having the stability of metal plates, but the economical pricing of polyester plates. They require no processing or gumming, only a pass through a plate washer that’s integrated with the VectorTX52. Freedom plates can be used for print runs up to 25,000.
The larger Dimension Excel is offered in two models: the Dimension225/250-AL Excel with a maximum plate size of 22”x22”, and the Dimension425/450-AL Excel, with a maximum plate size of 26.7”x30.7”. Both employ Presstek’s ProFire thermal imaging technology for resolution of 2450 dpi, and both use the company’s Anthem Pro plates, which are daylight safe, chemistry-free, and require no gumming or baking.
Heat vs. light
Apart from Glunz-Jensen’s inkjet process, most CTP devices employ either violet light or thermal heat to expose plate materials. Both technologies have advantages and disadvantages, and there is a continuing debate in the industry about which is better.
Tony Karg, Senior Director of Business Development for Fujifilm Canada, says, “Thermal uses a thermal laser diode, so essentially you have a laser that heats the surface of the plate to expose it. The other type of technology is the same type of violet laser that reads the surface of a DVD. Violet CTP has the advantage of being a typically lower cost device, [which is] lower [in] cost to operate over the life cycle of the device. The engines are cheaper because of the types of components in them, and they’re cheaper to replace.”
“The key advantage of violet is obviously lower service costs,” he continues. “The second thing is that their photopolymer plates are actually more suitable for UV applications. They have a lot better run length characteristics, but in the small format market, that may not be applicable.”
Violet plates are aluminum-based with a surface treated with photopolymers. They usually must be handled in yellow light, and for most, the non-imaged surface has to be chemically washed out before the plates are mounted on the press, though Karg states that Fujifilm will be introducing chemistry-free violet plates in the near future. By contrast, thermal plates, also aluminum-based, can be used in daylight, are chemistry-free, and require no processing beyond perhaps a water rinse. Thermal plates also are available from many more suppliers than violet plates and in a wider variety, in terms what types of processing they need.
Fujifilm Canada offers both violet and thermal CTP systems in a range of sizes and configurations. “The reality is,” Karg says, “in the Canadian marketplace, thermal has got about 80% market share. You’d probably want to stick with thermal because there just aren’t a lot of violet devices out there.”
Karg recommends Fujifilm’s recently-introduced Dart system as an entry-level CTP system, or for printers who do high-quality work in smaller, 4-up formats. Dart is available in both thermal and violet (Luxel T-6000) versions, and offers a 32-21/32”x26” plate size. The thermal DartE produces 10 plates per hour at 2400 dpi, and the Dart III—also thermal—is twice as fast at that resolution, and provides six levels of resolution, up to 4000 dpi. Dart comes bundled with workflow software to cover almost any type of application, and it can be tailored to suit the needs of the CTP system and the particular printer.
Karg also notes that Fujifilm Canada is the only manufacturer of CTP systems that provide sales and support from local offices across Canada.
Another major manufacturer in this field, Agfa, also makes and markets both thermal and violet systems for almost every conceivable printing application and for a range of plate sizes. Agfa’s Avalon SF model is designed for 4-up formats and uses thermal technology. Violet is offered in only the Avalon LF 8-up model. An autoloading cassette pre-punches plates before they’re loaded, punching one plate while another is imaging to improve throughput for volume plate production. In addition, the Avalon Plate Manager can handle up to four cassettes to keep the system in continuous operation.
A high-end system, Avalon features an HD imaging head, dynamic autofocus that continually monitors things like plate thickness for variations, automatic calibration, and remote diagnostics. Agfa also provides a wide range of plate materials for use with its own hardware and that from other manufacturers. These include visible-light plates based on silver or photopolymer technology for use in violet or thermal CTP devices. Agfa’s thermal plates include both conventionally processed plates and ThermoFuse plates with chemistry-free processing. In addition, Agfa’s Apogee and Apogee PrintDrive workflow systems offer a full spectrum of capabilities for volume and high-quality print production.
For future growth
Dainippon Screen, and its North American subsidiary ScreenUSA, manufactures CTP systems under its own brand as well as serving as an OEM supplier to other manufacturers. The company claims to have more CTP installations globally than any other, and its PlateRite product line includes equipment that goes from 2-up to 36-up formats. Mark Crawford, Screen’s Product Manager for CTP, says that the PlateRite models 4300E and 4300S are most applicable for small-format work, producing plates from 12” x14.6” to 32.7”x26”. A thermal CTP system, the 4300 can use thermal plate materials from a variety of manufacturers.
“Worldwide, we probably have 50 plates certified on our devices,” Crawford says. “We’re not a plate manufacturer. We’re a high-precision manufacturing company. So the PlateRite gives you the ability to buy best-of-class hardware, and then you can make your best deal for the plates.”
Crawford notes that demand for the small-format CTP system comes both from smaller print shops and from large printing companies that run small-format presses. The 4300 systems accommodate both, and a basic 4300E system can be upgraded to a 4300S by installing an additional set of diodes. Screen’s Trueflow software also can be tailored to the needs of each customer.
“We believe you should install workflow that will grow as you grow,” Crawford says. “You can start with RIPping and trapping, move to inline imposition, go to JDF, automate some things, can go to true automation with soft proofing, transfer of data across Internet. We can start you out basic then move you up the pyramid as you grow.” Software modules can be licensed for 90-day trials.
“Once CTP is set up, it’s more or less like a laser printer. Our machines self-calibrate, so there’s nothing for the users to do,” he says, adding that that’s as it should be, because “frankly, printers don’t make money in prepress.”
More choices
This survey wouldn’t be complete without two more key players in the CTP area. Press manufacturer Heidelberg offers a full line of CTP systems with a full complement of features and options, including the thermal Suprasetter A105, which was designed as an entry-level system. The Suprasetter A105 has a maximum plate size of 27.5”x41.3” and can produce plates for both sheetfed and web presses at the rate of between eight and 15 per hour, depending upon plate size. For printers with Heidelberg presses, the Suprasetter integrates with the Prinect workflow and offers a range of time and labor-saving features. These include manual, semi-automatic, and fully automatic plate production, multiple plate cassette management for continuous production, an internal plate punching system, and debris removal, which Heidelberg says allows the Suprasetter A105 to use processless thermal plates.
Finally, Kodak Graphic Communications several years ago acquired Creo Inc., a pioneer in CTP systems, and now has a complete CTP product line that incorporates technologies such as patented SquareSpot imaging. The Magnus 400 and Magnus 400 Quantum CTP systems provide a 4-up plate size (maximum 26.14”x29.5”). The Magnus 400 is semi-automatic and produces 16 plates per hour at 2400 dpi resolution, though resolution can go to 3048 dpi and a 120-line screen. The Quantum system produces 28 plates per hour at 2400 dpi, with a maximum resolution of 2540 dpi and a 100-line screen. Both have Staccato screening capabilities as well. Magnum systems can use Kodak’s Prinergy, Prinergy Evo, PS/M, or Brisque workflow solutions, or can connect to third-party workflow software. Kodak recommends the use of its Thermal Direct non-processing plates, but the Magnums also accept chemistry-free and other processless plate materials.
Any serious shopper for CTP systems will find even more manufacturers and suppliers than the eight listed here, and products that provide varying balances of productivity and image quality, and range from simple operation to a wide range of software and hardware features serving any number of specific applications.
The best place to start planning your CTP installation or upgrade is inside your shop. Determine exactly how much capability you need right now, as well as what may be needed several years down the road.
Specialty imaging is a high-tech and potentially high-profit area of graphic arts, and Canon has many products which perfectly address the needs of high-production specialty imaging shops. Canon’s all-new imagePROGRAF S-Series of eight-colour large format printers boast up to a 40 percent increase in print speed as compared to their predecessors.
The imagePROGRAF iPF9000S and iPF8000S print at 60- and 44-inches respectively. Canon’s imagePROGRAF large format printers are already known for their fast print speeds, end-user replaceable print heads, and high-quality images, and now the S-series raises the bar on speed and performance. The S-series printers can render an A0-sized print (32.5” x 40.6”) in 4.9 minutes in Standard Mode on glossy photo paper. Adding to the printers’ productivity is the ink sub tank feature which allows operators to replace empty ink tanks on the fly without interrupting the printing process. The imagePROGRAF iPF9000S and iPF8000S will allow production printers to produce more quality prints per day and help increase productivity for print shops across the country.
“Our research indicates that the top feature print service providers—who already have wide format printers—consider in new equipment purchases is greater print speed,” said Tim Greene, the director of Wide Format Technologies at InfoTrends.
The new Canon imagePROGRAF S-series printers each feature a high-capacity 80 GB hard drive so printers can queue more print jobs without burdening networked computer systems. Another new feature of the imagePROGRAF S-series is media skew correction. The printer will detect when paper is not properly aligned and shift the media’s edge to correct alignment and ensure even prints, especially critical for labor-saving 4-sided borderless printing (up to 42” wide) to reliably print borderless printing with razor sharp precision. The printers also feature Kyuanos, a feature that allows operators to adjust print tones to various ambient light conditions to help provide favorable colour under various conditions.
“In today’s digital world, printers are pressured to turnaround print jobs faster than ever before. The imagePROGRAF S-series is Canon’s answer to those client demands, allowing printers to produce jobs faster with outstanding quality and consistency,” said Jim Rosetta, the vice president and general manager of Canon U.S.A.’s Imaging Systems Group.
The new imagePROGRAF S-series printers use a set of an eight-colour LUCIA pigment inks with Cyan, Photo Cyan, Magenta, Photo Magenta, Yellow, Black, Matte Black and Grey ink tones. Using a dual print head system, the S-series printers employ 30,720 nozzles—the same number as the other Graphic Arts models—but using an eight-colour ink set, the printers are able to employ up to 5,120 nozzles per colour – the most nozzles per colour in the industry.
The imagePROGRAF S-series’ newly developed eight-colour ink system symmetrically arranges the nozzles for Cyan, Photo Cyan, and Photo Magenta so that ink droplets of those three colours will be fired in the same sequence in both forward and reverse passes. The sequence of bi-directional printing for these three colours helps reduce subtle colour variations that can come with ink firing sequences. This system allows for faster printing with fewer passes, and better colour evenness.
With a maximum print resolution of 2400 x 1200 dpi, the new imagePROGRAF S-series is ideal for production print shops looking to produce posters, signage and display materials faster than ever before, as well as commercial printers, in-plant facilities, print-for-pays, tradeshow exhibit builders, and signage shops. The S-series still incorporates Canon’s advanced professional features such as built-in colour calibration for colour stability, automatic clogged nozzle detection and compensation for reliability; 330ml and 700ml selectable ink capacity sizes for versatility; and a large, backlit LCD panel for ease of use.
Canon’s new PosterArtist 2007 is available for purchase with imagePROGRAF large format printers. The Windows-only software includes an Auto Design feature, where users simply designate images to be incorporated into a poster, and PosterArtist 2007 will automatically arrange the images into a poster template to create professional-looking posters quickly and easily.
The imagePROGRAF iPF9000S and imagePROGRAF iPF8000S printers have been available through authorized Canadian Canon dealers since November 2007 with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $14,995 and $5,995 respectively. (USD)
In just under 5 years, North York’s Graphic Finishers has established itself as an industry leader in just about every phase of finishing – and the company is still expanding!
The story of how a small, family-run firm in North York, Ontario became one of the best trade finishing shops in the industry is a fascinating one.
While many of today’s successful printing shops started small and prospered by working hard and giving good service in an often brutally competitive environment, they at least had roots in some sector of the industry itself, which helped them acquire new business and retain current clients. Not so with Graphic Finishers – and that’s what makes their rise to prominence all the more amazing.
“We began in 2003 with 10,000 square feet of operating space, one salesperson, and just 15 employees,” says General Manager Ashish Shah. “But the company was actually started by Ashok Shah, our current Vice President.
He was an accountant back then, and had several clients in the finishing industry. He firmly believed that this was a growing industry and that there were numerous opportunities for our family if we got involved. We were basically in the metal coating business during that time.”
With Raju Shah acting as President, the company purchased a saddle stitcher, polar cutter, a shrinkwrapper, polybagger and Kugler high-speed punch.
“With all this growth, we eventually brought in Andy Whyte to handle our sales and production,” said Ashish Shah. “He brought with him not just a tremendous work ethic, but more than 30 years of experience in the printing industry. I firmly believe that this was the best decision we have ever made. Today, we have over 60 employees, run two shifts 24/7, have expanded to 18,000 sq. ft.—and we’re still growing!”
As an example, the company began with one stitcher and just recently purchased its sixth. From an initial two folders, they now have five. They currently operate three cutters instead of two and have added a second perfect binder.
Medium run of perfect bound books
Today, the company specializes in medium-run (100,000 and under) perfect-bound books. These, more than anything, have become a real showcase of their quality and expertise. Having said that, Graphic Finishers is now as close to a one-stop finishing shop as you can get.
The company also boasts a host of specialty services including clip sealing, loop stitching and perfect binding of extremely thin books—a very important service to many printers. Their numerous departments include:
Folding Department
• 4 MBO Folders
‚Ä¢ Stahl Folder (maximum throat size 31”)
• Kirk Rudy Clip Sealer
Cutting Department
‚Ä¢ 2 Polar 45”
‚Ä¢ Schneider 45”
Stitching Department
• 4 Muller Martini Stitchers
(6 pocket + cover)
• 2 Harris Stitchers (6 pocket + cover)
Perfect Binding Department
• Muller Martini AMIGO Perfect Binder
• Muller Martini Panda II Perfect Binder
Wiro & Plasticoil Department
• Kugler High-Speed Punch
• 2 Automatic Wiro Former & Inserter
• Automatic Plasticoil Inserters
• 4 Coil Inserters
Shrinkwrap & Polybag Department
• Shanklin Shrink Wrapper
• Sitma Automatic Poly Bagger
Wire and coil binding specialists
“Recently, we’ve had an increased demand for more wire and coil binding services,” says Sales and Production Manager Andy Whyte. “To serve our existing customers better and to let the industry know of our expertise and skilled staff, we’re currently expanding this area of our company and want all printers out there to know this.”
Indeed, their staff have quickly become specialists in wire and coil binding, clip sealing and loop stitching, but it’s the speed of production and quick delivery, in addition to their quality work, which has amazed current customers – and the word is spreading. The company recently added padding to their long list of specialty services.
Graphic Finishers has also recently expanded into a neighbouring building. But aside from their rapid growth, the management and staff have not lost sight of what brought them success in the first place – uncompromising quality, competitive prices, and extremely fast turnaround.
In this industry, a great printing job demands a great finish. Graphic Finishers have succeeded in raising the bar in this key service sector. Their quality work and long list of loyal clients is proof of that – not bad for a company that started out with an accountant and a couple of metal coating workers at the helm.
Elevate your comfort level and leave the finishing work to the experts. For a fast, efficient quote, extremely competitive prices and quick turnaround, call (416) 745-3456 (Ext. 104), e-mail graphicfinishers@bellnet.ca, or fax (416) 749-6662.
Call today and
experience the GF difference!
Telephone: (416) 745-3456
Fax (416) 749-6662
graphicfinishers@bellnet.ca
Psychologists have discovered that humans actually crave novelty and change. Yet most of us stay in the safe harbor of the known. We think that we’ll be happier and more secure in the familiar world of the known. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Avoiding change and growth is the the most dangerous place to be as a human. Yes it is scary dealing with the unknown. Yes it is confusing to move away from the familiar. Yes it is hard to deal with change. Yet, that is where the opportunity lives. That is where growth lives. That is where our best selves live.
One of the biggest tasks of leadership (and remember - leadership isn’t about your position, it’s about the way you show up each day) is dealing with change. And when it comes to change real leaders are learners. They are open minded. They hunt down new opportunities. They question everything. They find a better way.
So when you are faced with change it’s not time to run--it’s time to learn.
Here are a few tips to help you learn your way through change.
1Read relentlessly. My personal library will be the most important thing I leave to my children. It only takes one idea in one book to take your life to a new level. Someone,
somewhere has been through what you are going through. Be wise and learn from them.
2Journal. The best way to make sense of your life is to reflect on it. And there is no better way to do that than to sit down with a crisp, white piece of paper and record your thoughts.
3Conversation. Nothing so inspires me as great conversation. Schedule conversations with people who fascinate you or even frustrate you. I respectfully challenge you to learn from the people you don’t agree with. Nothing will so clear up your stained glass window as looking at the world through someone else’s.
4Adventure. Try a new kind of food, check out a museum, tour a friend’s workplace or go on a guided nature hike. It makes you more creative. Adventure helps you see the world in a new way. And sometimes that’s all it takes to generate a big idea.
5Listen. I love my iPod. I listen to the greatest minds on the planet tell me the secret to their success. Turn your car into a university by listening to tapes or CDs on the way to work. Who learns faster wins. Nothing will get you through periods of change (and when aren’t you facing change?) better than learning.
So what can you do to get to world-class within?
Here we are, early in 2008, and, according to Noel Ward, this year is the time to initiate a Web-to-Print program if you don’t already have one. This month we’re going to dig into the details: we’ll define a Web-to-Print program, tell you why you should want to have one, and figure out where to get it.
Now, before we get to details, let’s talk about what Web-to-Print is not.
Web-to-Print has nothing to do with web printing!
Web-to-Print is not email or FTP transfer of files.
Web-to-Print is not a PDF of a spec sheet on your web site.
Web-to-Print is not a business model.
So, then, what is Web-to-Print?
Web-to-Print is an enabler, a tool, a process.
Web-to-Print enables new value-added services.
Web-to-Print is part of the super-efficient print supply chain.
Web-to-Print is a service delivery model.
Web-to-Print Trends
So who uses Web-to-Print solutions? Actually, representatives from just about every type of business can benefit from a Web-to-Print program. From the SOHO market—small businesses with 1 to 9 employees and sole proprietors—to print buyers and document owners/users in enterprises of all sizes. Service providers offering print service, creative and marketing services, and/or mailing and fulfillment can all incorporate Web-to-Print services in their offerings. At the same time, intermediaries such as print brokers and distributors or print management service providers also find Web-to-Print solutions useful.
The real reasons that Web-to-Print has taken off reflect the adoption of the Internet and the maturing of the technology. Print buyers and document owners have embraced web-enabled tools. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project Survey (March 2007), more than 70% of American adults go online to access the Internet or to send and receive email.
The technology has matured too. Now it is possible for service providers to deliver web-enabled capabilities via many different business models. Web-to-Print solutions can integrate list acquisition and direct mail, and the most sophisticated offer multi-channel marketing: e-mail, personalized URLs and micro-sites, and customized direct mail. Web-to-Print isn’t just one thing, it runs a whole gamut from a “walk up to the web” model to a full-featured print procurement and fulfillment portal.
Walk-up-to-the-Web
The types of solutions that could be called “Design and Print” are in essence virtual storefronts where a consumer, usually a small business owner or sole proprietor, can create business cards, postcards, books, or other printed products in very small quantities.
Most design and print Web-to-Print applications offer product templates for users, since most users are not professional designers. Some also allow for uploading design files and images.
The best-known “walk-up-to-the-web”-type businesses are VistaPrint, Modern Postcards, and Lulu—a site for preparing and ordering books. There are a myriad of online photo sites that offer very basic Web-to-Print service; after all, a 4” x 6” photo is a lot simpler than a set of business cards!
Procurement Portals
Procurement portals offer a wider range of options and services than their “walk-up” cousins. A procurement portal is generally a branded or customized web site where document users modify, proof, order, and track printed materials and promotional items. Users may order static printed items or inventoried products, versioned or localized marketing materials, or variable direct mail.
Targeted to a corporate audience, these portals are branded for the enterprise and provide catalogs populated with collateral, forms, and promotional items for only that company. Because access is secure and controlled, it is possible to not only manage what the user can procure but also to provide detailed reports. Reports can include products ordered, buyer, purchase history, order(s) shipped, order(s) delivered, and any number of details around the procurement process.
Beyond the Catalog
Let’s take a deeper dive into these procurement portals and see what kinds of options and services are available. The good news is that you don’t have to jump into the “deep end of the pool,” you can choose the services you want to offer. Following are brief descriptions of the offerings available in Web-to-Print solutions; please note the system you choose can have one, two, or all of the options described.
SKU-based Catalog. The simplest Web-to-Print application is product-oriented and is basically a SKU-based catalog. SKUs—shop keeping units—are the item numbers used to specify a catalog product. The very simplest offering presents inventoried items—25 brochures shrink-wrapped in a package or logo’d coffee mugs one at a time—for selection and purchase. Items are priced according to the unit offered and calculation of cost for the buyer is straightforward.
Print on Demand. The next level of complexity combines a SKU-based catalog with print on demand. Rather than inventorying finished goods, this system drives production after the item is ordered.
Producing the 25 brochures that were previously kept in inventory by using digital printing on demand can vastly reduce inventory costs, waste, and obsolescence.
Versioned Print. Incorporating templated documents with a variety of fields to be completed by the document user and printed on demand, versioned print allows products to be localized or personalized for a specific application.
By far the most common versioned print program is the production of business cards. A corporate portal with business card templates streamlines the procurement of a product that can generate more internal processing costs to order than cost of the finished item! When internal processing costs approach $150 per order, it’s time to make a change. Just calculate how much it costs to go through all the approvals required in your company. Add a review by the legal department for each box of cards (which really happened in one company I am aware of), and the costs really increase.
Other versioned applications include personalizing a group of brochures with the name of the salesperson, swapping an image to represent a geographic location, or substituting a block of text for a particular industry.
VDP/Direct Mail. Now things start to get interesting—and more complicated. A number of Web-to-Print solutions are incorporating very sophisticated variable data printing (VDP) and direct mail technology such as list segmentation and acquisition.
In the past, personalized communications simply meant “name, address, and account number.” Now it is possible to send truly customized messages, speaking as if one person in your company drafted a note to one specific customer. Advanced personalization goes beyond offering the “right product” to the “right person;” it means using the most compelling images and words based on what you know about the customer or prospect.
Those applications that offer VDP include the means to upload mailing lists, but a few offer mailing lists for purchase. Combine that with the ability to segment by a number of variables or even to map geographic boundaries, and it is possible to manage a sophisticated direct mail campaign from your desktop.
Personalized Images. The “frosting on the cake”—personalized images—combines a photograph with custom character sets to create a personal image. This type of technology is still fairly new however more and more direct mailers are benefiting from the “wow” factor.
Personalized URL. As it becomes more and more challenging to differentiate a direct marketing message, the next step is to combine variable data printing—with or without personalized images—and personal landing pages driven by personal URLs (pURLs).
A personal URL—usually consisting of your customer’s or prospect’s first and last names and a campaign domain name—is appended to your mailing list. This variable is merged into a direct mail piece and mailed as usual. When the recipient types the URL into her web browser, she is sent to a page that speaks directly to her.
Integrated, interactive personal campaigns incorporating pURLs are proven to increase and improve the number and quality of leads, build customer relationships, and increase sales.
Your Value Proposition
Web-to-Print applications are not just a flash in the pan or the latest glitzy thing to take up; they are solutions you can use to help your customers save money and make money. You will save them money by storing, managing, and delivering assets, content, and documents and making them easy to find and use. You will save them money by reducing turn times, tracking where the money is going, identifying which marketing pieces are successful, and making data and information available.
You will make your customers money by creating targeted messages, delivering customer-centric marketing pieces, and making it easy to use marketing collateral and collateral management programs.
Success Looks Like This
Frank Romano, Professor Emeritus, RIT, says that service providers who prosper do these six things:
Use the Web
Solve customer problems
Market, don’t sell
Develop programs, not projects
Integrate fulfillment
Automate, automate, automate
By offering Web-to-Print programs, you will reach new prospects and develop closer relationships with your existing customers. Web-to-Print solutions allow you to go beyond email and FTP to differentiate your company and—because this is a high growth area—potentially reap double-digit growth.
A Selection of Vendors
Walk-up-to-the-Web:
Amazing Print (www.amazingprint.com)
iPrint Systems (www.iprint.com)
Lulu (www.lulu.com)
Modern Postcards
(www.modernpostcards.com)
Printing Automation
(www.printingautomation.com)
VistaPrint (www.vistaprint.com)
Procurement Portal:
Atlas Printshop Web (www.atlassoftware.com)
BlueTree Direct (www.bluetreedirect.com)
EFI (www.efi.com)
Four51 (www.four51.com)
Net2Printer (www.net2printer.com)
NowDocs (www.nowdocs.com)
Online Print Solutions
(www.onlineprintsolutions.com)
PageDNA (www.pagedna.com)
PageFlex (www.pageflex.com)
Press-Sense (www.press-sense.com)
Printable Technologies (www.printable.com)
PrintVision (www.printvision.com)
PrismaTek (www.prismatek.com)
Responsive Solutions
(www.responsivesolutions.net)
Rochester Software Associates - RSA
(www.rocsoft.com)
Saepio (www.saepio.com)
Xerox Web Services (www.xerox.com)
XMPie (www.xmpie.com)
Specialized Applications:
MindFire — pURLs (www.mindfireinc.com)
DirecType — personalized images
(www.directype.org)
DirectSmile — personalized images
(www.directsmile.de)
On Wednesday December 5, 2007, over 130 people, representing a broad cross section of our industry, came together for the Digital Imaging Association’s traditional Christmas Lunch and Annual General Meeting—held this year at the prestigious Boulevard Club.
Bob Weller, the association’s First Vice President, quickly took care of AGM business and introduced the DIA’s 2008 executive:
Officers: President Brad Wallans, PreSource; 1st Vice-President Bob Weller, Transcontinental Yorkville/O’Keefe; Second Vice President Mike Millard, Ellis Packaging; Secretary/Treasurer Myrna Penny, Printlink; Past President Jean-Fran√ßois Colpron, Heidelberg Canada.
Directors Rebecca Buffi , Xerox; Jim Dutton, Consultant; Jason Hamilton, Paperlinx; Mark Norlock, MAN Roland; Douglas Picklyk, Canadian Printer Magazine; Karl Schmed, Global Colour Link; Pius Schneider, Colour Innovations Inc.; Debra Swift, Hewlett-Packard; Judy Zaczkowski, Envision Compliance; Martin Kneis, Bowne of Canada.
Bob also thanked the Association’s sponsors for their continued support:
Platinum Sponsors: Apple Canada, Heidelberg, MAN Roland, Unisource, Xerox
Silver Sponsor: HP
Bronze Sponsor: Envision Compliance
The Revolution in Digital Printing
Our guest presenter was the inimitable Frank Romano, industry veteran and delighter of audiences. Frank’s career has spanned over 40 years in the printing and publishing industries. He is Professor Emeritus of RIT’s School of Print Media, editor of International Paper Pocket Pal, and author of countless articles for many of the industry’s media. He is also the author of over 42 books, including the 10,000-term Encyclopedia of Graphic Communications (with Richard Romano), the standard reference in the field. He lectures extensively and was the principal researcher on the landmark EDSF study, Printing in the Age of the Web and Beyond. He has been quoted in many newspapers and publications, as well as on TV and radio, and is a feature columnist in the industry e-newsletter Whattheythink.com.
Frank’s depth of knowledge, combined with his humourous presentation was, as always, a crowd-pleaser. He specifically addressed the State of Digital Printing, its evolution, its current positioning, and its future.
The adoption of digital printing was initially for short run work, but it migrated quickly from all b/w to a combination of b/w and 4-colour process, with the weighting to colour. Initially most of the digital short run work came at the expense of offset. Frank’s statistics showed that sources for digital printing will continue to shift, demonstrating the following projections for 2010 against volumes in 2002:
Source 2002 stats* 2010 projection*
Offset transfer 92% 60%
Variable data 10% 18%
Transactional 2% 8%
Web-generated 1% 9%
*Percentages are an approximated interpretation of a graph provided in the presentation handout.
By definition, digital printing is any process that re-generates the image to each page impression. Ink-based presses require static image carriers (plates). This basic difference opens up significant opportunities for digital printing. It is quite conceivable, said Frank, that in the foreseeable future digital will be the choice for half of all printing. Frank’s presentation graphic visually demonstrated the following:
Run length is the primary factor for determining which print technology to use. The above information can well be rationalized by the fact that run lengths are declining and that the marketplace in general is generating a greater quantity of short-run product. Other criteria important to the digital decision are print quality, run speed, options for additional colours, stock and sheet size restrictions.
Colour has certainly become a dominant issue. All digital colour printers have four-colour capability (CMYK). Kodak NexPress offers a fifth station that can be either an extended gamut toner or a gloss unit. The HP Indigo line can be configured with CMYK and up to three spot colours, which can be mixed to order. Sheet vs. web, sheet size, image area, and roll print size are also important considerations. Most digital sheetfed devices have gone to 13” x 19” to achieve the same image area as a 12” x18” offset press. Sheet sizes have been creeping up over the years and Frank believes that will continue. NexPress and Xerox iGen are the largest sheetfed devices. The Xeikon can print a sheet from its roll just under 20” wide x 6’ or more.
Prize Draws
The afternoon concluded with a draw for three prizes: an autographed copy of International Paper Pocket Pal contributed by Frank Romano, an iBook donated by Heidelberg, and an iPod from PaperLinx.
The latest upgrades in PDF technology always fix old problems and create new problems with their new features. One issue showing up in new PDF workflows is a problem with a PDF feature called “Optional Content”.
Optional content is discussed in section 4.10 of the PDF Reference Manual, and refers to sections of content in a PDF document that can be selectively viewed or hidden by document authors or consumers. This capability is useful in items such as CAD drawings, layered artwork, maps and multi-language documents.
Container tags in a PDF document can be seen in Acrobat 8 by viewing Navigators-> Content. The Content Navigator will show you a breakdown of pages and lists all of the pieces of the PDF by page. Pop the arrows down and items such as images, text blocks, and other elements show up. Items can also be grouped together in a package or container and will be identified by a container tag.
The Container tag “OC” for optional content has been causing trouble with many rips and is difficult to catch when you don’t know where to look. Items on a page with an “OC” tag in the PDF may print once but can completely disappear on the second ripping. PDF items that are tagged “OC” may or may not print. Do you see the problems that this can cause?
So how do you catch this problem before it goes to the rip? It’s certainly not an easy solution.
Acrobat preflight does not have any choices when making a profile to match a container tag to “OC”
I have not found any Javascript code that will pickup the “OC” Container tag
Third Party Preflight software checks for layers but not “OC” Container tag specifically
You can visually scan the content navigator, but in a multi page PDF you must manually pop down all of the pages and scan the list for an OC Container
When you find an item that has the OC Container tag you must select it with the touch up object tool in Acrobat 8. Control + Click and select properties from the contextual menu. Change the tag to another item in the list such as “Part”. You can also change it right in the Content Navigator list by selecting it and showing its properties.
Here are some ways that this tag can be added to a PDF without your knowledge:
• Colour correcting an image in a PDF using Photoshop (version CS only). Newer versions of Photoshop do not cause this to happen
• Making changes to a PDF using the touch up object tool and editing in Illustrator CS3. Illustrator CS2 does not cause this problem.
It is safe to say that when you make any changes (such as those listed above) to your file you should change the container tag from “OC” to “Part” in the properties of the object or in the Content Navigator. It would be a good habit to inspect the Content Navigator after any changes have been made to a PDF just to be sure.
I haven’t found a way to digitally preflight for this specific issue. By the time this article is published, I am sure that patches will be created for rips and updates will be made for third party preflight software. One thing is for sure, when this issue is fixed, a new issue will take its place.
We get comfortable with our hardware, and when we have a short time where software has the kinks worked out, we stop checking our work so diligently. Change happens, so we must rely on the one thing that should not change: our Quality Control systems that compare what is signed off by the customer to what comes off the press. For the best quality, we need to stay one step ahead of our equipment.
Is your software licensing in compliance? How do you know if it is? You may be surprised by the consequences if it is not. Many believe that only large companies are targeted by software compliance investigations. In reality, any individual or company, large or small, can end up paying large settlements for inappropriately-used software.
We’ve all been there: It’s the eleventh hour, the press is waiting, that big job has arrived—and we don’t have the font, or we can’t open the file because we don’t have the correct version of the application. The job has to get done. Somehow the solution appears, and we resolve that we will correct the indiscretion as soon as we can, but for now we turn a blind eye and complete the task at hand. The next thing you know, it’s six months later and the correction is forgotten.
The major software companies formed an alliance several years ago to investigate these indiscretions, which are also known as software theft or piracy. Known as the Canadian Alliance Against Software Theft, CAAST, or the Business Software Alliance, BSA, this alliance is protecting software developers’ intellectual property, which they worked hard to produce and which we need to conduct business. Statistically, there is a 40% chance that at least some of your software is illegal, according to CAAST (www.caast.org). In 2003, software theft constituted $419 million in lost sales and 32,000 lost jobs.
The owner of a company is liable for the action of his or her employees, and enticing rewards are offered to those who report piracy. Piracy fines of up to $20,000 per infraction can cripple and in some cases bankrupt a company. Software manufacturers have instituted complex activation schemes that seem to hamper software use, but ultimately they aim to prevent software piracy. Many have also allowed the use of their software for 30 days without activation so that you can try the software before you buy it. You could conceivably use Adobe, Quark and some Microsoft products for a month before having to pay for them.
How does illegal software end up on our computers? You can be given a copy of an application, you could have bought the software at a great price from an online auction, or you may have downloaded it using “peer-to-peer sharing” software. You may have the same license installed on two computers because the installer allows it. An employee may have brought it in “from home” or it may have come with a used computer you bought. Fonts are often traded but should be owned by anyone who creates original content.
Look at that license agreement that you “agreed” to when the software was installed. Simply stated, the license is intended to be installed on one computer that is used by one user. Most people think of buying software, but a more accurate understanding is that you are buying a license to use the software. When Adobe bought Macromedia for $3.4 billion—they bought the software. A license for Dreamweaver CS3 costs a mere $399 or less, and by comparison is quite a bargain.
While you can put an app on your desktop and your laptop, it cannot be used concurrently. For example, installing Acrobat Distiller on one machine and having everyone on your network send PostScript files to that single machine to produce PDFs contravenes the “single use” license agreement.
Be aware that online auctioneers may be providing counterfeit software. And be leery of “great deals”—if it sounds to good to be true, it usually is. If you buy a used computer with licensed applications, you may not have bought the license. You also cannot use educational versions of software in a business application.
What can you do to ensure that you are properly licensed? Start by taking inventory or hire a consultant to audit your software assets. Make sure your software is being used correctly. Next, check your licenses and verify the ownership. You should have a license agreement and a bill of sale to match. Create a database of your software licenses and obtain licenses for your unauthorized software. Find out about licensing at http://www.it-guy.com .
Mishandled trade show leads are, sadly, more the rule than the exception. Whether you are exhibiting to increase business or have a communication need, such as brand reinforcement, the contacts you make at trade shows are of value and that value decreases each day they go unanswered.
Perhaps understanding the reasons for lead mishandling will help you to ensure that you prepare properly ahead of time.
Do any of these reasons for mishandled leads ring true for you? If you want to know what the real return is on your exhibit investment, start with a sound follow-up strategy, which includes the right resources, the right people, and the right systems. Dedicate one person to oversee the whole process and ensure that everything is done as it should be.
It doesn’t take much to win at the exhibit marketing game. A little thought and the avoidance of some of the common pitfalls can mean the difference between lackluster results and those that are spectacular.
How many people start on a trip without doing some planning?
In my work I have to do quite a lot of traveling, frequently to the same cities. One may think that the repetition would make planning unnecessary, but changing travel conditions make planning more necessary than ever. Arriving at US Customs without a passport prohibits a trip to the United States. Arriving at a client’s office with one file missing creates confusion, and gives the appearance of sloppiness. The list of items that can fail without planning goes on and on.
Running a business is the same as going on a trip; it requires planning. We are now at the start of a new calendar year—and for many a new fiscal year—one of the best times to start a plan.
A key part of planning is setting objectives:
It is surprising how little time and effort many companies spend in developing objectives for their business. On the other hand, it is depressing to see how much time large organizations spend on developing objectives that are forgotten shortly after they have been created.
One of the problems with setting objectives occurs when an organization has its employees setting objectives for themselves. Frequently, these objectives are not aligned with the objectives of the organization, which creates a loss of momentum for both the organization and the employees.
In other cases, someone, probably the President, sends out an edict to all and sundry that she wants an operating plan for the coming year delivered to her by mid-month.
Everyone works feverishly developing a plan for their department or functional area. They do so in a vacuum without knowing what direction the organization plans to take in the coming year(s). What is created is a hodgepodge of inadequately developed plans that may or may not be relevant to each other.
Developing a foundation
Another shortcoming of many organizations’ attempts at planning is the failure to develop a foundation for good planning. They start their planning at ground zero. Little analysis is carried out as to where the organization stands in the pursuit of its goals.
One of the ways this lack of understanding can be overcome is to carry out a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis of the business. Such an analysis provides two benefits:
It can act as an operating audit to determine how the business has performed over the past year.
It can give a snapshot of the organization’s strengths and weaknesses at a given point in time.
A good SWOT analysis, if done well, will take a bit of time to carry out. However, after it is completed, participants have a much better idea of the condition of the business. The SWOT analysis can provide a base for planning since the organization knows the strengths it can build on and the weaknesses it must overcome to be successful.
Like all forms of analysis, a SWOT analysis is not worth the time that it takes to conduct unless it is done honestly and with openness. This at times can be best accomplished by inviting a non-member of management to act as a facilitator/devil’s advocate. Such a person can direct the analysis in such a way that difficult issues will not be glossed over but will receive the scrutiny that they deserve.
Summary
I am currently working part time on a Print Masters. Deciding to return to school wasn’t difficult for me, but for many people in the industry, the decision is a tricky one. If you have thought at all about returning to school—or are considering postsecondary education for the first time—the following are some good questions to ask yourself.
“Is it worth it?”
In addition to the obvious monetary investment you will be making, there is also a time investment. I am currently investing roughly twenty hours a week in my schooling, and that is on a part-time basis, doing one course at a time. It is worthwhile to me because I hope that my increased knowledge will give me an advantage in advancing my career.
I must warn you that you should never count on your place of employment to assist you in your education. Companies may change management and you might change companies. If you can barely afford schooling with their assistance, you might be up a creek if that assistance stops for any reason.
“What is the cost?”
If additional schooling makes sense, you must then examine the costs. There are the obvious costs (tuition, transportation) and the ones that are not so obvious (books, supplies, software or hardware that might be required). I even purchased a laptop computer for one of my courses. The best way to determine costs is to talk to a current student or recent graduate. One of my professors from Ryerson was finishing up his Masters just as I began mine, so I had a ready resource.
In addition to materials, you must also put a price on your time and your freedom. You’ll get a better understanding of how much time is required for something by talking to a current student, but everyone works differently. Your weekly time investment may be fixed, as well—which may mean giving up much of your freedom or recreation. Courses with a floating time commitment, which you can complete at your leisure, are often easier to work into your schedule.
“Full time or part time?”
Part-time schooling allows you to work full-time while completing your studies. If you’re dealing with a pricey American school (as I am) part time makes things much more affordable. Part time study also allows you to continue to gain industry experience as you gain classroom experience. You are also able to move at your own pace, taking one or no classes in certain semesters. The disadvantage of part-time schooling is that you really do max out your days and nights, and some employers still don’t value an “online” or part-time degree as highly one done full-time.
Full time takes you out of the working world, but allows you to complete your degree much faster, though most students in a full-time program are very young. Are you comfortable being the “old” one?
There are a variety of courses you can take at Ryerson that relate to print, and there are also certificate programs that some employers equate with a degree. If you’re willing to spend the money, America and even many parts of Europe do courses and degrees online. As the print world continues to change rapidly, your knowledge will be one of the few things that differentiate you from the rest of the pack. No matter how much you know there is always something new to learn.
As always I would love to hear your take on the subject. Email me directly at johnathonanderson@graphicartsmag.com
“Would you like to know the difference
between these products?”
“Can I explain what makes us different than our competitors?”
“Is saving money important to you?”
“Do you want this feature?”
Do you ask these questions or variations of them?
I certainly hope not. They are feeble questions and they do nothing to help you stand out from the crowd or give people a reason to buy from you. Yet many of the salespeople I encounter still have a tendency to ask these types of questions.
Let’s face it. Selling today is a heck of lot more challenging than it used to be. Virtually every business I know faces more competition than ever before. That’s why it is so critical you ask high-quality, thought- provoking questions instead of feeble ones.
I recently worked with a company to help their sales team become more proficient with the sales process. To accomplish this, we invested the better part of a day discussing the best questions to ask, how to ask them, and what to do with the information gained from these questions. Initially, the team felt that they were adept at this aspect of the sales process because they were usually able to uncover each person’s needs. However, their questions were primarily fact-finding and closed-ended in nature and they did little to gain insight into each customer’s real buying motives.
As we progressed through the day, the reps began to see the difference between great questions and feeble ones. However, an even more interesting observation came to light.
While everyone knew—at least intellectually—what questions they needed to ask, the actual execution and application was much more difficult. Most of the group struggled to find the appropriate question and found it challenging to incorporate appropriate questions into their sales routines. However, after several practice sessions, some of the reps started to become more comfortable asking higher-quality questions.
Feeble questions kill your business for a variety of reasons:
1. You don’t get the opportunity to move the sales process forward. Feeble questions do nothing to help you determine buying motives, which means you will have more difficulty moving the sales process in the right direction.
2. You don’t present yourself as a sales professional. Average sales people ask average (aka feeble) questions. If you want to be perceived as a professional, you need to change your questions.
3. You don’t distinguish yourself from everyone else selling a similar product or service. Feeble questions don’t give you the information you need to adapt your sales presentation so that it reflects the issues and concerns faced by your prospect.
4. You don’t give people a reason to buy from you. Feeble questions don’t motivate people to make a buying decision. Even questions like, “If I could do that price, would you take it?” are seldom effective in getting people to buy from you versus a competitor.
Most sales people are desperate to talk about their product or service or to present a solution. And, in many cases, they end up talking too much, too soon. It is difficult to not discuss a solution, because we feel that if we aren’t talking we aren’t selling. But the most successful people in sales understand that too much talking costs them money. They know that presenting a solution too early will not address all of the key decision-making criteria, and that only by asking a few more high-quality questions will they fully uncover the buying motives of each prospect or customer.
When I ask people in my sales training workshops why they don’t ask more questions I usually hear these answers:
“It takes too long.”
“What if people don’t give me the answer I want?”
“I don’t know what to do with the information.”
“I just want to pitch my product/service.”
I grimace when I hear these responses because I know that these individuals are losing sales and they probably don’t even realize it. A small investment of time early in the sales process will pay great dividends later on.
Stand out from your competition by asking great questions. Questions that require your prospect or customer to think. Questions that the average sales person won’t ask. Questions that demonstrate your expertise. Questions that will help better present your solution, product or service. Powerful questions, not feeble ones! What powerful questions will you ask today?
As you look back at your birthday calendar for 2007, you may have accidentally left out the birthday of a celebrity you likely see everyday. This ubiquitous hotshot is, of course, the typeface Helvetica. This popular sans serif font celebrated its 50th birthday this past year, with tributes around the world. Some of these events included poster design contests (sponsored by Linotype), the release of the font family Helvetica World, lots of additional merchandise, a museum exhibit, and of course Helvetica, the film.
The Birth of Helvetica
Max Meidinger of the Hass type foundry in Switzerland designed Helvetica in 1957. It was a redesign of Hass Grotesk, meant to compete with Akzindez Grotesk, a popular typeface at the time. Originally it was named Neue Hass Grotesk. Shortly after the design’s completion the rights to the face were sold, eventually landing in the hands of Linotype, who own the font to this day.
Helvetica’s Rebirth
As with many new designs, in its beginning, Neue Hass Grotesk suffered from a poor following. It was a difficult life for font makers prior to the desktop publishing era, as new fonts were quite expensive, and buyers were apprehensive about investing in new designs.
Matthew Carter, the creator of Veranda and Georgina, comments “If we’d known about it [Neue Hass Grotesk], I’m sure we would have used it, since it’s a much better typeface than the one I drew, but the typesetting trade was very conservative then, and new type designs traveled slowly.“ (Rawsthorn,2007)
Things quickly improved for this font however, beginning with a re-branding. Neue Hass Grotesk was patriotically renamed Helvetica, meaning Switzerland. Shortly after, desktop publishing changed the world of typography, allowing enthusiastic designers to purchase fonts far more affordably, and type foundries to distribute them easily. Helvetica was on it’s way to becoming a roaring success!
An 80’s Child
By the 1980’s, Helvetica was all around us. Swedish design in general became very popular. The first line of Macintosh computers was arriving, with every designer plugging in. Helvetica was offered free of charge with Macintosh software systems, making it readily available to industry professionals.
A Twin is born?
As Microsoft released their operating system in the early 80’s, they wanted to have their own version of “Helvetica success”. With Monotype, Linotype’s competitor, they created Arial and released it as part of their software. Though there are some notable differences, novice users are easily fooled by this copycat.
Can you spot the difference?
Arial or Helvetica:
Rates helvetica
true type arial
WINDOWS arial
rip-off helvetica
outlines helvetica
quizzical arial
Microsoft helvetica
no-one knows helvetica
APPLE arial
operating system arial
Here are a few quick pointers on how to spot Arial.
Helvetica Arial Tip
a a - Helvetica’s “a” has a tail
- The bowl of the “a” in Helvetica flows into the stem, Arial’s intersects
t t - Helvetica’s “t” cuts off straight at the top, while Arial has an angle
C C - Helvetica ends strokes with a perfect horizontal, while Arial is slightly angled
G G - Helvetica’s “G” has a spur
- Helvetica’s bottom curve flows into the stem, Arial’s intersects
R R - Helvetica’s “R” flows out of the bowl with a curve, while Arial is straighter
Helvetica Today
Today this typeface is known for its sleek and efficient corporate image. Many big brand names are represented by Helvetica, including:
American Airlines
Microsoft (ironically)
Evian
Intel
Lufthansa
Nestlé
Toyota
Helvetica’s ubiquity has inspired both adulation and detraction—Frank Wildenberg, Linotype’s managing director, says that Helvetica is “durable. It comes from natural design forms. It doesn’t have an expression of fashion. It has very clear lines and characters, it looks like a very serious typeface‚Ķ”
In contrast, Neville Brody says that “When people choose Helvetica, they want to fit in and look normal. They use Helvetica because they want to be a member of the efficiency club. They want to be a member of modernism. They want to be a member of no personality. It also says bland, unadventurous, unambitious.”
(Rohrer, 2007)
And while some blame the typeface for being too snobby and corporate, one thing is for sure—whether you like it or not, it’s hard to avoid.
Want more?
The following are some quick links to find out more about Helvetica:
Museum of Modern Art, New York
50 Years of Helvetica (open till March 31st, 2008)
http://moma.org/exhibitions/exhibitions.php?id=4506
Helvetica Film
Now available on DVD
Veer.com
Access to some great Helvetica merchandise
http://www.veer.com/search/results.aspx?keyword=helvetica&producttype=ME...
OR
http://www.helveticafilm.com/shop.html
Helvetica the font
Available through Linotype
http://www.linotype.com/526/helvetica-family.html#
References
Arial or Helvetica? URL:http://www.iliveonyourvisits.com/helvetica/#
Fineman, Mia. (2007, May 25). The Helvetica Hegemony: How an Unassuming Font Took Over the World. Retrieved December 19th, 2007 from
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/
magazine/6638423.stm
Fonts Have Feelings. Retrieved December19th, 2007 from http://www.hotchilli.com.au/Articles/
corpid_article_fontsfeelings.htm
Hustwit, Gary. (n.d.) Various material retrieved December 19th, 2007 from www.helveticafilm.com
Rawthorn, Alice. (2007, April 1). Helvetica: The little typeface that leaves a big mark [Electronic Version]. International Herald Tribune. Retrieved December 19th, 2007 from http://www.iht.com/
articles/2007/03/30/arts/design2.php
Rohrer, Finlo. (2007, May 9). Helvetica at 50 [Electronic Version]. BBC News Magazine. Retrieved December 19th , 2007 from ttp://www.slate.com/id/2166887/?GT1=10034
Simonson, Mark. (2001). Sidebar: How to Spot Arial. Retrieved December 19th, 2007 from
http://www.ms-studio.com/articlesarialsid.html
Wikipedia. Retrieved December 19th 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helvetica