Print 09 is myPrint, and your Print, and everyone in the graphic communication industry’s Print for that matter. The show organizers have geared the show to encompass all aspects of graphic communications with a “no niche left behind,” attitude. The show was marketed as a customized trade show experience that is “all about you with hot new products,” and it certainly looks like it will deliver with over 650 exhibitors, 90 seminars, 5 specialty pavilions and 600,000 sq. ft. of show floor.

As many people have told me, printing is basically ink on a substrate. More often than not, that substrate is paper. Be it gallant shimmering lustro bond or down-and-dirty newsprint, the industry would not function without this most used and processed commodity.

As a printer, or someone who is involved in the industry, I’m sure you’ve heard all the tricks of the trade.

Q: My son downloaded some Dashboard Widgets and screensavers onto our Intel iMac and now we are getting a grey screen that tells us to press the power button to restart the iMac. Do we need to delete his account?

A: The grey screen with “restart” you are seeing means your Mac is experiencing a kernel panic, which can indicate a problem with the hardware or an incompatible piece of software. The kernel is a piece of software that connects the operating system

One thing to consider when automating direct-to-press or plate workflows is to include a maintenance program to keep things running smoothly. At first, while the system is being monitored to work out any issues, everything is kept clean and tidy. When the workflow begins to stand on its own, it is not being monitored as closely and that is when a good maintenance plan pays off.

You don’t have to look too far past your own computer to realize we are living in an age of large volume electronic data distribution. A quick look at some of the statistics floating around on the Internet can be mind boggling: over nine billion emails are said to be sent around the world everyday, and it is estimated that over 90 per cent of business documents today are created electronically, 70 per cent of which are never printed.

I sat down with Dan Mustata, show manager of Graphics Canada, to find out about this year’s trade show.

K: The economy is a big issue for potential exhibitors and visitors coming to Graphics Canada this year. What have you done to boost participation?

D: This year, we have done some unique and innovative things: three major conferences are held during Graphics Canada, and at least one is focused on strong and distinct Canadian content.

Saddle stitching is the art of inserting forms on top of other forms, over a saddle and driving stitches through the gathered backbone. Stitched products lie flat and can be economically produced in nearly any quantity. Many other inline bindery operations may be combined with saddle stitching for efficient production.

Email should enhance, not replace, personal communication in business. Don’t use it to create a wall between you and your staff or to skirt around issues that should be tended to immediately. Keep the usual lines of communication open, including telephone calls and personal contact.

Suggestions for “quick” printers

I have always thought that our smallest shops, often referred to as “quick” or “instant” printers, get overlooked, despite the fact that small and medium-sized printers represent the majority of our industry in Canada.

It was this time last year that I stubbornly placed myself in the Page 6 spot for Graphic Arts Magazine as the new associate editor. As I look back at the issue, I remember the enthusiasm and excitement I felt writing that column. You would think that by now I would have calmed down a bit!

We are just back from a trip to Europe. Many people complain that things are not good in Canada, but if you lived in Ireland, England or Spain you would have a lot more to complain about.

“How do I manage my fonts with Font Book?”

Font issues are often at the top of the list for prepress problems. However, few of us outside of the prepress department know how to manage our fonts. For those who are Mac users, font management is a necessary and simple exercise using Font Book, an application that is already included in the OS.