This year’s Graphics Canada is shaping up to be an exciting show. From November 12-14 at Toronto’s International Centre, visitors will be able to come and see new equipment first hand as well as a variety of software and technology solutions. There will also be a number of seminars and demonstrations to help educate show attendees on the market and what’s new in the print and graphics industry.

K: I understand you’ll be the keynote speaker at the upcoming Graphics Canada show, where you’ll be discussing “Digital Media’s Challenge: Reawakening Print’s Entrepreneurial Spirit.” Can you tell me a bit more about what you’re going to talk about?

J: Well, from what I’ve seen of the data from Statistics Canada these last few months, Canada’s print business has had a tough summer. Here’s the question we need to ask ourselves: is this something that is related to the economic slowdown, or is this a shift in the way people communicate?

An idea is born and the journey of a pixel begins. A single pixel will take on many forms until it finds its final resting place. Lets follow this pixel throughout its journey and watch the colour transformations it takes along the way.

Our pixel emerges from a dream as light is captured onto the camera’s sensor: R6, G84, B244 is born. For those of you who don’t speak RGB, it’s a beautiful, out-of-this-gamut blue. It’s one of those colours designers dream of and printers long for. This little pixel life has just begun, but it still has a long way to go.

It doesn’t really matter what kind of equipment or machinery you have in your print shop – all of them need consumables that are vital for the day-to-day operations. For your printing press, you need fountain solution concentrate, printing blankets, inks, paper, lubricants, a set of replacement rollers, etc. The list can be quite long. For this article, however, I’m exploring the most frequent consumables.

Planning for perfect-binding crossovers is part art and part science. In addition to grinding 1/8-inch off the signature spine, accurate crossovers depend on your layout and how the books are opened.

For maximum operator flexibility, place your crossover images 3/16-inch from the spine edge. Your crossover should appear to meet right at the spine. To achieve this effect, strip your copy 1/16-inch short of the grind-off area. If your book is thick or is printed on heavy paper, nudge the image outward, perhaps another 1/32-inch.

Q: I seem to have trouble recalling all my passwords. When I connect the wireless or get my email, I am asked for passwords. How do I know which one is needed?

A: Every Mac and Windows computer has a series of usernames and passwords that control what happens on your computer. These are in place to protect your data and information.

You can install and start today with the all-in-one solution PDF Standardizer. This package is built on a combination of technologies offered by Enfocus and Alwan Color Expertise. The best part is that the setup does not require a high level of expertise or training.

The components of PDF Standardizer are packaged versions of well-known existing software:

The Print 09 show was aptly themed “myPRINT” and featured an expanded focus on new market segments and the latest technological developments from leading industry suppliers. Over 650 companies exhibited their products and services in Chicago, September 11-16, 2009.

Here is a list of leading-edge products from the show that I am calling “Peter’s Picks.”

On October 21, the Digital Imaging Association presented a round-up of the technology showcased at Print 09 in Chicago in September.

Presenters Brad McDonald, Brad Wallans and Doug Picklyk from the DIA Board of Directors reviewed the iron, the software and the hot picks from the show. Dave Morrow of Apple also gave us some of the finer points on Apple’s new Snow Leopard OS.

Consider the fountain pen as an example of an eco-friendly piece of equipment – one that will eventually save you money. In the same way, if you are looking to buy or lease new production equipment this year, remember to look at the sustainable business and environmental aspects, not just performance and cost.

The not-so-humble fountain pen has many benefits to illustrate this thinking. Over ballpoint, roller ball, felt tip or gel pens, it is permanently re-useable as the consumable raw material is continually replenished from a recyclable glass bottle of non-toxic washable or permanent ink.

This month, we re-developed the Graphic Arts Magazine website to provide you with more tools to help you succeed in the printing and graphic arts industry. The printed edition of the magazine isn’t going anywhere, but to supplement your print subscription there are many new features and content that are only available online. Here are a few of the benefits of subscribing to the online version of our magazine.

My first love in the printing industry will always be newspapers. I worked for the Toronto Star as a copywriter from 1969 to 1989 and what a wild and crazy ride it was! In those days, (the ’60s and ’70s) we had insane deadlines several times a day with five separate editions. There would always be “replates” of the first few pages of each edition (the “A” section) as the day’s news rolled in until the “final” home-delivered edition that came out around dinner time.

Welcome to the November issue. We’re just a couple of months away from the new year! This is when smart shoppers start to tick off their holiday gift list (unless you are like me and wait until the double digits in December). If you are a bit more organized than me, this issue is just right for you. While it will not help you figure out what to get your great uncle Charlie for the holidays, it is a great preview of things to shop for in the industry.

The Canadian Printing Industry Sector Council released its third human resource paper, “Filling the Gap.” According to the CPISC report on “Filling Employee Shortages,” there are two major problems − how to leverage the benefits of new technologies and how to find new employees who are capable of operating complex, high-speed equipment.

It is well known that 50 per cent of our labour force is over 45 years of age. In 10 years, a lot of these people may be retiring, which means the growth and development of our industry depends on us marketing the benefits of working in print to the next generation.

“What is printjunkie.net”

printjunkie.net was born from the idea that individuals in the printing industry needed a place to connect with one another regardless of their business type, job description or geographic location. We at the Print Services & Distribution Association (PSDA) saw a void. We saw a need for printers, print consultants, colour specialists, designers, resellers, equipment suppliers, buyers, publishers, paper manufacturers and more to have common ground where they could come together outside of their niche or independent association and share information, best practices and a common love for all things print.