Your Friend has a new home!

At the end of April, 2017 my former employer retired, and closed the shop he had run for almost thirty years. As I write this, the sale of the equipment is complete and the final sale of the building is pending. All the former employees have found new jobs, mostly in printing as there were very talented people there.

I'm proud to have become associated with Gandy Printers, also in Tallahassee, Florida. We are a second-generation local job printer, and completed a $1M equipment upgrade during the second half of the year.

This blog will continue at gandyprinters.com/blog, and be mirrored at friendintheprintbiz.com. Unless life throws another curve ball, this blogger site will remain as is.

Thank you for reading, and best wishes for 2017.

Type in Black and White: Lost in Translation Redux

This issue is not black and white. It's Red, Green, and Blue.

This is a post about customer files which seem so simple nothing could wrong, until someone like me says "your file looks great, but you have CMYK black". Customers typically respond in two ways: 'That's just not possible, it looks fine onscreen' or, 'What difference could it possibly make...leave me alone'. It's not that we enjoy nagging...it's an issue worth looking in to.

Files born in RGB (Red/Green/Blue), such as Publisher, PowerPoint, or even venerable PhotoShop (in RGB mode), do not formulate black as a discrete color. To show you "black" onscreen, (their usual target), they display 0-Red, 0-Green, 0-Blue. The absence of all three colors which drive your monitor appears as black. The problem is that we can't print from RGB, and the translation from RGB "black" to the printer's CMYK color model is faulty.

Because life is inherently unpredictable, RGB "black" translates into CMYK of approximately 75-Cyan, 68-Magenta, 67-Yellow, and 90-Black. Onscreen it may look fine, but from a printer's point of view there is not enough black, and too much of everything else. If we print all four colors as is, (full color printing), any type in that color has to be in perfect register or it begins to look like a 3-D comic book, as in the image below (click to see full size, and imagine a whole page of copy looking like this). In addition, there is something like 300% ink coverage, most of which is doing nothing more that making the drying time unpredictable.


On the other hand, if we're printing just black, and pull that color alone from the file, we get a 90% tint, which appears gray, as in this image:



What to do?

First, learn to think in CMYK and how to initiate your files in that color model, which, in simplest terms, means selecting CMYK as your working space for the project and choosing black as a discrete color. Second, learn how to spot check your PDF's before sending them off to the printer. The easiest way to accomplish the latter is "Output Preview" in Adobe Acrobat (not Reader, alas, the full-fledged Pro versions). The Menu sequence, in Windows, is Advanced>Print Production>Output Preview. It'll look something like this, and you can move the cursor anywhere on the page reading the values directly in the panel:

Another snazzy feature is the ability to see any stray spot colors, (or intentional ones), and turn off various colors to verify what is made of what. Maybe I'm a nerd, but I have this feature on a shortcut.

Sometimes it's useful to define a "Rich Black" swatch in your document, which can overcome the tendency of even 100% black to appear gray when the coverage is extensive. Here at our shop we find that 100% Black and 25% Cyan makes the most efficient rich black; it renders a smooth, uniform, dark black without excessive coverage. (Adding the other process colors doesn't seem to enhance the depth, and, in fact, tends to go brown.) We still recommend staying away from type with this swatch, however, unless the point size is considerable.

This topic is esoteric, I know, but the issue comes up once or twice a week, and sometimes causes a major headache. At the very least: the more you think in CMYK the fewer your surprises. Whether the issue is CMYK black, blues that shift to purple, or solid colors which print dark, Output Preview is an included feature which will teach you something each time you use it. Unlike your monitor, the numbers don't lie.

Wishing everyone only pleasant surprises when you see your colors in print!

Hugh Butler
Your Friend in the Printing Business

Digital vs. Offset Pricing

By now most people are familiar with the capability of digital print production; that it's fast, high quality, and, at low quantities, very affordable. Those of us who work in printing are so enthusiastic about this process that people probably wonder why we print anything with plates anymore. The answer is that the low-quantity price advantages of digital don't scale up very well and, past a certain point, offset printing is still the best value. Here's why.

Any price for printing is a calculation of fixed costs, which are incurred regardless of quantity, (e.g. proofing or machine set up), plus running costs which are directly tied to the amount to be printed, (e.g. paper, press or copier time). The key to understanding the dynamics of print costing is to examine the main driver for each type of production. For digital it's the ubiquitous "click charge", or cost per impression. For offset they are proofing, plate making, and machine setup.

There are three factors which limit the digital print model's ability to render a low unit cost at medium runs.

The first factor is that digital printing costs almost nothing to set up but is expensive per impression, due to high purchase, maintenance, and consumables costs. The second is that digital is usually limited to a smaller sheet size (e.g. letter size 2-up) whereas offset is often twice or four times that size, cutting the run length proportionately. The third factor, not unrelated to cost, is speed. In an environment oriented to a high quantity of small jobs it's not cost effective to tie up a slow digital system for an extensive run. They just plain don't run fast.

Let's look at theoretical pricing for a job which can be easily printed by either method; a 16 page saddlestitched booklet, 8.5 x 11 with bleeds, full CMYK color on 100# gloss text. This is a typical annual report or catalog and we do a lot of them. You can see that the crossover point is about 1,000 copies, which is a pretty good rule of thumb.



In a nutshell, digital printing starts quick but runs slow, has expensive consumables, and the unit price hits a plateau quickly. Conventional offset is just the opposite; once you're over the big hump of getting the job set up the unit cost continues to decline nicely. The real treat is that a modern print shop can now provide affordable prices across the entire spectrum at a level of quality customers love. As I've said before, there has never been a better time to buy printing!

Best Wishes for your New Year as we embark on 2012,

Hugh Butler
Your Friend in the Printing Business.

Variable Data: Printed just for YOU

Recently, at the end of a particularly frustrating week, my wife and I visited a favorite local jewelry store. Given that we were in a bad mood, it came as something of a surprise when Melinda spotted something attractive and modestly priced. To make a long story short, we walked out of the store happy and satisfied customers. The more interesting part of the story however, from a printing point of view, arrived a little more than a week later.

In the mail came a beautiful card from Pandora thanking Melinda for the purchase. The card was remarkable in that her name was incorporated into the printed design, both outside and inside, and that it arrived so soon after the purchase. This is an example of what the industry calls "Variable Data Printing", and I'm going to call "Personalized Printing".

I'm sure you've all seen cards like this, and Melinda said it was no surprise that Pandora could produce something creative and clever. The point of this post is that variable data technology is available at the local level, and does not have to cost a fortune. The key to cost effectiveness can be as simple as thinking small, and insuring your list is extremely fine-tuned; for example, people who made a purchase, registered for an event, or sent your organization some money.


One question that comes to mind is "why market to someone who already made their purchase"? The answers are manifold: To reinforce your brand; lay the groundwork for their next purchase; and fight a rear guard action against competition and brand dilution. All this can be done for an up-front single fee for the layout, and a per piece rate of about $3 including the card, an envelope, and postage.

The mechanics of this process could not be simpler, because once the layout is developed all that's required is to email a data file for each mailing and get back to more important tasks. The file could contain as few as 10 names or as many as 1,000. Once the project is in the hands of a qualified printer your worries are over.

Most importantly, with the production handled off-site the mailings will go out quickly and regularly no matter how busy your enterprise becomes. This is how our card came from Pandora so quickly; our name was part of a batch sent weekly by the retailer and that whole process took the local people maybe five minutes and cost them nothing. This is nimble work indeed; getting a personalized message from a large company within such a short time.

Once you begin thinking about "Personalized Printing" the list of good ideas, beyond Thank You cards, is almost overwhelming: book covers, packaging, direct mail just to name a few. The results reported by marketers are overwhelmingly positive. These are all examples of how our industry is offering cost effective and environmentally responsible ways to reach exactly the people you need. You'll be hearing a lot more about this from Your Friend in the Printing Business.

With Best Wishes as we head into the Holiday Season,

Hugh Butler

Person to Person Communication

I recently discovered a remarkable device on my desk. It's similar to a cell phone, only much larger and attached to the wall by a wire. (This may explain why, unique among my desktop objects, I have never misplaced it.) I've used it several times lately to communicate with people without the need for email. Someone even told me a joke while we were talking and we both had a good laugh.

People should reach for this handy item more often, if for no other reason than a sense of frustration while surveying the current landscape of electronic communication. It seems as if staying current with the myriad of electronic message sources could become a full time job. Perhaps, if a picture is worth a thousand words it may be that a conversation is worth about six emails.

I have been writing this blog for about three years. It's tied to my facebook page and I send out about 600 emails when I update it. It's RSS, facebook, and Twitter friendly and I enjoy the nexus it provides and the feedback I get. A year ago I felt up to date social media wise, but lately that universe is getting incomprehensible. Does anyone besides me feel that way?

In this renewed spirit of "person to person" communication I have gone around the next logical corner (as opposed to around the bend) and printed some Graphateria note cards. I tell people all the time that printed material works because it cuts through the electronic clutter and arrives "in person". If this advice is good enough for my customers why not for myself?

At any rate, our shop has some new services to offer, and some new accounts. I think they deserve a thank you note...or at least a call. Email can be so, you know, virtual.

Hugh Butler
Your Friend in the Printing Business

Do You Know These People? Of course not, and neither does anyone else.

What is the first thing you notice about this picture? People see thousands of images every day and intuitively sort them. What pile does this one go in?

My first reaction is that no meeting of business people actually looks like this. Beyond that I don't know what to make of it, because there is no real context and it could have been taken anywhere. For me, this image would go into the "void" pile.

If you are trying to convey a sense of presence for your "brand" why limit yourself to sterile and generic images?

The answer, of course, is that they are low cost (or free), of reasonable quality, and easy to obtain. The problem is that your material will look just like everyone else's. Remember; people are constantly sorting the images they encounter, and dismissing those that are uninformative. The general public has become exceedingly image savvy and they know phony when they see it.

A modest additional investment can dramatically increase the impact of your marketing material, digital or printed.

The investment is to have a local photographer spend an afternoon with you to build a library of your own images. This is not free, and involves an investment of time as well, but the quality will be excellent and the connection to your organization will be direct. People will notice this, and have a better sense of who you are and how you relate to them...which is what you're trying to accomplish in the first place.

The two images below (from separate jobs) sum up what I'm trying to say; one says indisputably who the people are and ties them to their pet-related business. The second conveys a sense of community, because anyone in Tallahasse knows it was taken at the beloved Maclay Gardens, and a sense of motion because the orchestra was moving to temporary quarters.
(Click on image to view full size.)



My good friend Michael Calienes explores this topic with more experience and perspective than me here. I recommend his blog and this post wholeheartedly. (At the end of his post he lists several Tallahassee area photographers.)

There is always a role for high quality, carefully chosen stock images in that they can provide an idealized notion of what you want to look like, but they can't do that by themselves. Such images must be an integral part of a strong, coherent layout. My point is that using generic pictures as a crutch or shortcut is just plain selling yourself short by telling only half of your visual story.

The extra effort can help you win the message race in the mailbox or inbox...Remember; People will notice!

Hugh Butler
Your Friend in the Printing Business

Acknowledgments: Per the terms of use for the free image at the top of the page here is the contributors link. The image of the two ladies and Mojo the dog was taken by Robin Adams. The TSO cover layout was done by Rob Gelhardt.

What it means when we say "Off to our Conference"

When I took this job in 1993 I had never worked with an association. I had been to conferences, (my wife, Melinda was President of the New Hampshire Telephone Association), but never knew the inside story. Then I moved to Tallahassee.

As a new sales rep, on the advice of my new boss, I joined the Tallahassee Society of Association Executives (TSAE), went to see anyone who would give me an appointment, and eventually closed the deal to print some conference material. My customer was a very nice young woman we'll call Christy, because that was her real name.

I, and almost every association I have worked with since, owe her a lot.

I owe her a lot because, as she related the timetable for her project, she must have sensed a certain inattentiveness on my part; it was clear I did not understand what her world would be like when this deadline approached. She didn't want anything else to worry about, so she stopped and took a moment to straighten me out.

She related the myriad details which surround conference planning and the consequences of things getting out of control. She shared the stress she and the association staff experience when there was no time left to fix problems. She mentioned that for them, unlike us as a vendor, packing the truck was just the beginning, and that they would be working twenty hour days until the last member checked out and they had to pack the truck all over again. It was one of the most frank and concise ten minutes I've ever spent with a client.

I think about Christy often, and mostly during this time of year as we send one client after another off to their conference. I am always amazed at the skill, dedication, and true good humor our association friends display as they go about this critical part of their year. There always seems to be a good idea to squirrel away for next year to make the process even smoother.

So, to all the TSAEs, FSAEs, CMPs, CAE's and SGMPs out there; have a safe trip, and take a well deserved break when you get back!

Hugh Butler
Your Friend in the Printing Business

The Deal You Make

People doing business can make an agreement about almost anything. If a problem occurs one party may be entitled to a remedy because the other side didn't hold up their end of the deal. Make sense so far? Of course it does.

Not so fast. What happens when an agreement is made that does not contain important information, or is based on differing assumptions? Nothing good, I assure you. This is often the only time that people examine closely what they agreed to in the first place. Consider the following:


Hadley v. Baxendale 1854
Mr. Hadley, a mill owner in jolly old England, needed to ship a certain part away for repairs, and contracted with Mr. Baxendale for the transport. The part failed to arrive at the repair shop by the agreed date, and Mr. Hadley sued for lost profits because his mill was idle in the meantime. Mr. Baxendale maintained he was not responsible for the "consequential damages" of the delay because he did not know, and was not told, that the mill would be idle.

The Court of Exchequer Chamber, led by Baron Sir Edward Hall Alderson, (picture left), found on appeal that Mr. Baxendale was not liable for the "special" damages because they were not contemplated within the original agreement. You might call it the "I don't have a crystal ball" defense.

So much for legal trivia; but I will confess that Mr. Baxendale comes to mind from time to time in my dealings with printing clients. Here are some issues which sometimes lead to misunderstanding, (or what I refer to as "agreement via post-mortem"). Please note that these are all firsthand accounts of actual events.

QUANTITY

• Customer Said: "I need 10,000".
• Customer should have said: "My mailing list has 9999 names.
• Discussion: Be aware that, on occasion, print runs come up a little short. Standard practice is to pro-rate the invoice amount down by the quantity short, (up to about 5% at which point we need to back to press). Many people think this is just hogwash, but our entire industry disagrees. This tiny bit of flexibility saves the print-buying public an enormous amount of money because the alternative would be to overrun every single job.
• Suggestion: If your quantity is critical specify "No Unders".

PROOFING

• Customer Said: "I have to make changes but I don't need to see another proof".
• Customer should have said: "Don't make another proof because I don't want to pay for it, and I'm too busy to look at it anyway. If anything goes wrong, however, I'll make you print the job over again at no cost".
• Discussion: When you choose not to see a revised proof you are deputizing someone else to check the work, but the responsibility for approval stays with you and you will have to live with their decision. If you are unwilling to take that chance why would you expect the printer to do so?
• Suggestion: When in doubt go for the proof.

USE

• Customer Said: "I need some stickers".
• Customer should have said: "I need some parking stickers for outdoor use, (in the Florida sun and rain), which need to last for an academic year without peeling or fading.
• Discussion: It's almost impossible to give the printer too much information about how your printed item will be used. Chances are that the more you tell them, the more the printer will be able to suggest appropriate stock, inks, and finishing.
• Suggestion: In addition to verbal specs, a sample you can provide, which would meet your needs, is invaluable.

DUE DATE

• Customer Said: "Can I get them by Friday"?
• Customer should have said: "I need them on Friday at noon, when my Chairman will be at the airport boarding a plane to New York. If they are not in his briefcase I'll lose my job".
• Discussion: He really needed them Thursday at noon, for sure.
• Suggestion: This one needs no elaboration.

PAYMENT

• Customer Said: Well, nothing, actually.
• Customer should have said: (and eventually did) "If this campaign isn't successful we won't have the money to pay you for the printing".
• Discussion: Beyond the obvious, let me add there is nothing more aggravating than having a customer pay slowly for a rush job.
• Suggestion: This one also needs no elaboration.

DELIVERY

• Customer Said: "I need them next Wednesday".
• Customer should have said: (and eventually did) "I need them next Wednesday in Orlando".
• Discussion: Final delivery is the most often overlooked piece of information in a printing order. Be aware that any loose end in the order opens the door for mistakes and misunderstandings later.
• Suggestion: State your requirements clearly regarding when they are needed and where. It's not uncommon for the cost of express freight to meet or exceed the actual cost of the printing if something goes wrong.

Remember: Mr. Baxendale did not know the mill would be closed because Mr. Hadley never told him. If Mr. B. had bargained for, and accepted, that "special risk" I'll bet the part would have arrived on time. It's all about the deal you make.

Many people unknowingly withhold information because the prospect of trouble intimidates them, and the result is that they neglect their obligations as a buyer. By the same token, many printers take it for granted that every print buyer is an expert, and fail to ask questions which would clarify what needs to happen. In the middle, between these two limited perspectives, is where the problems live.

Remember: none of these issues are difficult if they're discussed before the fact. Get your cards out on the table and ask questions until you're satisfied. Don't let your project become an episode of CSI: Printshop.

With Best Wishes,

Hugh Butler

Your Friend in the Printing Business

QR Codes, or 'I always wondered what those were'.

Have you seen one of these yet?


Maybe it was at the end of a magazine article or on a Realtor's sign. Maybe it was on a business card or brochure. If you have a smart phone with a camera, and a barcode reading app, these little squares can become interactive in a digital way. Even non-geeks may think this is pretty nifty.



QR (Quick Response) Codes, originally developed for parts tracking in manufacturing plants, can easily be encoded with web links, address book listings, or plain text. Once created, and included as part of a layout, they give people the opportunity to read the code with their phone and instantly access the associated content. That means they can jump to the web link, see and/or save the address book listing, or just read the text.

Here are the "Whys":

• First, we acknowledges that people have incredibly short attention spans, and are not likely to enter a web address manually or write down contact information to input later. A "snapshot" of the information overcomes this problem.
• Second, and quite importantly, these codes appeal to certain very distinct portions of your overall market. Adding this functionality to your campaign signals that your message is relevant to them, and will establish right away you're on their wavelength. Of course, the actual relevance is up to you to establish. More on that below.
• Third, on a large or small scale the QR Code itself can be incorporated into the media. (Click on photo below to view full size.)
  

Here are the "Hows":
The easiest way to generate QR Codes are the multitude of online sites available, both free and by subscription. Here are three I found in less than five minutes:
http://qrcode.kaywa.com
http://zxing.appspot.com/generator
http://www.qrstuff.com

The process usually involves three steps; choose the type of information (web address, address book, text), enter the specifics, save the resulting image to your disk. Voila! The image is ready to place in any format you need. One happy feature about these images is that they are quite binary and have no diagonal lines, so even a tiny file (like 12 kb) will function properly. This is good news if small file size and quick loading are a priority.

The field of uses for these little codes is wide open, and any agency fluent in digital media (like our friends at Taproot Creative) can help you tailor benefits unique to your situation. A few caveats occur to me however:

• Be aware that people snapping a web link code may be skeptical if it looks cryptic. If your company name is included in the visible link (you see the address before choosing to go there) they will be reassured the destination is legit.
• A little tag line under the code saying "smartphone compatible" may help the uninitiated understand what they're looking at. Some phones come equipped with a barcode reader and the owners are unaware of its' existence. Help them learn!
• Be double sure the landing page (if that's what you encode) is smartphone friendly. Nothing says "loser" more clearly than sending a tech savvy customer to a non-functional site.

I hope you clever folks will bring us some interesting projects containing these codes. The USPS is so enamored of them they are offering mega-mailers a discount this summer for mailings displaying smartphone compatibility. Anything that will strengthen the links between the elements of your campaign, and do so at virtually no additional cost, is a winner!

In sum, let me just say:

Shiny, happy paper having fun

Just in time for the Holidays, we've come across two unique lines of paper ideal for the project your boss hasn't told you about. By that I mean the company Christmas card. The one that needs to be mailed the first week of December. Which is sooner than you think.

CTI Paper USA provides the following prose to describe their ASPIRE Petallics line, and I will quote verbatim being somewhat adjective-challenged on my own:

Capture the essence of life’s finer things with ASPIRE Petallics. A distinctly elegant canvas for your most discerning creative, ASPIRE Petallics sets the standard for sophistication.

The most impressive part of this flowery statement is that it's true. The distributors stocking information for this paper describes it as having a "Mica Finish", and if I had the shorten the description to two words those would do it. This stock comes in a white digital-compatible color which they (inexplicably) call "Beargrass", as well as several others certified for offset printing. Matching envelopes are available in three "A" sizes.

So far we have run business cards and a dinner program on this paper at our shop and the customers loved the results. (I've also seen some Holiday cards run commercially that were also impressive.) Please contact me directly to see some samples.

ReichPaper has similar superlative language to offer regarding their SHINE line of papers, and, again, I'm forced to admit they can be forgiven their enthusiasm:

SHINE brings a subtle shimmer to every design, combining natural minerals with organic pigments, for a rich, luminous effect.

Both of these stocks feature a bright, shimmery finish capable of adding a three dimensional feel to even a very plain vanilla design. Because they behave like a coated stock the printing colors, offset or digital, remain bright. The only drawback is fairly high cost, but these runs tend to be short, and therefore not much paper has to be bought. I think people are getting a lot of visual bang for the buck.

Please let me know if you would like to see samples of these papers...the personality of each finish is just not possible to convey online. We think there's going to be a lot of people wanting to try them out!

I've been looking at printing paper for almost thirty years and have never seen such a scarcity of interesting brands. Consolidation and belt tightening in the paper business are absolutely ruining the selection, and that is a major reason why these two lines are so exciting! This can give you an ace in the hole when the design request shows up at the eleventh hour!

Thanks!

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

Aspire Petallics and SHINE are registered trademarks of their respective manufacturers

Here is a Hymn to the 188C and the 4525C

If you're a friend of Florida State University you'll recognize the following verse, and a smile, or even a tear, may appear as you read:

Here is a hymn to the Garnet and Gold, ringing to the sky.
Here is a song for the men and women bold. Sing with heads held high.
Striving ere to seek to know, Fight for victory.
Alma Mater, this our song to you. Echoes, F.S.U.

The University Communications Office cares deeply about Garnet and Gold, particularly after having invested considerable effort in a 2009 update of FSU's visual identity. This update brought a contemporary and consistent look to all visual elements of FSU. The picture below shows about ten years and three iterations of design evolution between the old seal on the left, (ca. 1990), and one of the many new versions available today. See this link for a comprehensive guide to usage and different formats available.

(Click on image to see full size.)


Designers, printers, web developers, and anyone else involved with FSU identity can find all the guidance they need at FSU Voice and Visual Systems. This landing page, and then its link to the main Voice and Visual System Document (upper left corner) contain exhaustive graphics standards for everything from letterhead to vehicles to architecture and signage. Downloadable artwork is also available from the main page for anyone with an FSU Login and Password.

The section within the Voice and Visual System Document I want to highlight is the one devoted to color as many print jobs show up at our shop with incorrect colors specified within the file.

(Click on image to view full size.)


Note in the graphic above that FSU has taken great care to specify spot color Pantone numbers as well as their CMYK, RGB and Hex equivalents. To further refine the standards, distinct Pantone numbers for coated and uncoated paper are provided for the Garnet, and a Pantone Metallic number for the Gold if it will utilize metallic ink. (On succeeding pages of the Color Guide section specifications are provided for building color gradients of each.) All of this represents a tremendous amount of work on the part of FSU, and a unique opportunity to get your project off on the right foot.

If you don't know which color model your actual printing will use, it's important to find out before proceeding to first base with the file.

Beyond the general note that the University Communications Office cares deeply about these standards two things are important to understand; one is that FSU will help in any way they can to make this information accessible and understandable, and the other is that compliance is not optional. Like any major entity, FSU has a huge stake in projecting and protecting a unified brand.

On the latter point, compliance, you must become familiar not only with the guidelines, but also trademark and licensing issues. The last thing you want to happen is have your product look like a mismatch or, even worse, to get in serious trouble by misuse of copyrighted or trademarked material.

To end on a positive note, I've always found Frances Conaway (fconaway@fsu.edu or 644-2913) at University Communications to be an extremely helpful person for information beyond what's on the web page. She is one of many people who care deeply about FSU, and was kind enough to preview and help me with this post.

With best wishes to all friends of the printing business, both on and off campus,

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

Tradecraft

A few Fridays ago Terry Herbst, longtime press operator at our shop, retired after twenty years with the company. To give you an idea of his tenure let's note he printed one of our client's newsletters one hundred and sixty five times, and did so without any memorable problems. (Years prior to his stay here, Terry's Army unit in Vietnam also read newsletters that he printed.) Reflecting on Terry's career got me thinking about the things that have changed in our business, and, more importantly, the things that have not.

It's tempting to lump press operators into the larger category of skilled trades such as fabricating or construction. All trades involve the application of basic methods to accomplish the task at hand, but the skills required to run a printing press go further. This is true because of the intangible and fluid nature of the process, and the leap of faith required every time a press operator cranks up on a production run.

The leap of faith is necessary because, at the top of a run, press operators know that they only have limited control over what is going to happen next. Also, that no matter how it goes, they will be held responsible. Those factors that are not under their control include: the quality and personality of the paper; the atmospheric conditions in the shop such as temperature and humidity; the skills of the personnel upstream in the production process; and the fact that wet ink looks different than it will twelve hours later when dry. If you are about to commit $3,000 of the company's paper to a job it takes a lot of guts to push that "RUN" button.

So, what's changed? What makes the life of a press operator different than ten years ago?

The easy answer is digital pre-press and the high quality plates it produces. The elimination of hand assembled film in the platemaking process, and its replacement by laser platesetters, allows for a highly precise process. The plates delivered to the press are cleaner, line up faster, and require less tinkering. All of this gets you to the top of the run quickly; with less frustration and fewer false starts. No operator I know would willingly switch back to the "good old days".

The more complicated trend is the move to all-digital printing, (currently for shorter runs), with no plates at all. These machines are fundamentally different than conventional offset presses.

This leads to a conundrum in the operator's life, because it upsets the balance between art and science. (By art I refer to skill based on intuition.) There is much less interaction between the machine and the operator, and finely tuned adjustments cannot be made during the run. This could relegate the operator to the role of "mouse jockey", but fear not; here comes the basic fact which will never change.

Customers care deeply about the quality of work they receive. (I learned this firsthand at a print shop where I made all my own customer deliveries.) In order for the high-fives and victory lap to commence a lot of people have to do a lot of things right...and key to that success are the tradespeople who put the image down on the sheet. Any tradesperson "worth his salt" knows that the customer will scrutinize the work, and takes the steps necessary to be proud of what goes out the door.

This pride has always been the source of good tradecraft. Regardless of the level of technology, high quality work comes from equipment that is well cared for, run by people who give a damn about what they're doing. The knowledge that their extra effort make a difference, and that the customer deserves it, is what distinguishes a tradesperson from someone just punching the clock.

With sincere thanks to Terry for his millions of good impressions, and best wishes to him and Linda in the years ahead,

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

New Technologies and the Hype Cycle

The commentary cloud surrounding social media has made much of the "Hype Cycle" of new technology. I thought it would be helpful to place some printing technologies along this curve. Because this blog strives for original content, certain liberties have been taken with the following graphic explanation:



Our business has brought several new technologies into the mainstream with significant benefit to our customers. They're evaluated here in no particular order:



FTP File Transfer: File Transfer Protocol, or FTP, is a fully mature method of communicating production files to a print shop. Depending on their client profile printers use a dedicated FTP server, providing secure access to a client area, or a browser based system. Either way, files too large to email efficiently can be sent to or from the shop. For people like me, who used to have to drive everywhere to pick up disks, this technology is invaluable, and customers benefit from the ability to get their job inside the shop in minutes. If your printer doesn't offer FTP, clients can do it themselves by using services such as box.net or yousendit. My yousendit dropbox, for example, is here and requires no special software, login, or password.



Variable Data: "Mail Merge" on steroids, this technology has run out in front of user demand, and is often present in a local printing market just waiting for people to catch on. Digital printing technology makes the inclusion of customized data in a printed piece relatively easy, and usually ties that component into a larger campaign. Offer numbers, customer numbers, product keys, customer names, postal addressing, and various security features are all capable of being incorporated; all that is required is imaginative thinking and collaboration with your provider.



Soft Proofing: a/k/a onscreen proofing is a great way speed up and economize the approval process assuming the following: 1) You are a fastidious proofreader before submitting your file to the printer and 2)have trained everyone in your office to be the same. 3) You are a technical super-pro with a longstanding track record, and 4) a compulsive gambler. All the rest of us mortals should stick to hardcopy proofing. I personally do not know anyone who can proofread onscreen to a level which can guarantee a project will be error free. I know this to be true because I see our customers spend thousands of dollars correcting simple editing errors which are only caught in hardcopy form at our proof stage.



PDF submission: Most commercial shops use PDF based workflow systems because of their compact and reliable nature. Since the individual pages which make up your layout are going to be converted to PDF anyway customers can (and sometimes must) perform that step themselves and simplify file submission. There are a few common problems, however, which will fill you with a sense of rejection; most important, the file must be created with all fonts embedded.

The defining feature of a PDF file is its ability to render properly no mater which computer it’s on. Key to this ability is the file’s willingness to carry within itself a copy of all the fonts which were used by the original program (Word, InDesign, etc). Unfortunately, this feature can be defeated by the home computers desire to keep the file size small, and thus omit the internal font copies. It is imperative that the settings used to create the PDF instruct that the fonts be “embedded” or else the file will, without warning, substitute whatever fonts may be available in its new neighborhood. This can cause problems ranging in size from troubling to disastrous.

The solution is simple and easy to check. First, use the “Press Quality” settings from the menu at the PDF creation step. (For Microsoft products also be sure the “never embed” window is empty.) Second, after the file is created, go to File>Properties>Fonts to be sure ALL fonts listed are followed by the term “embedded subset” as in the following picture.


Second most important, the file must allow for extra image outside the trim size of the file if the printed image “bleeds” off the edge. My dog, Lassie, will now demonstrate, although you should click on the picture to see it full size:



Third most important, check to see that you ended up with the colors you intended for printing. The step in Acrobat is Advanced>Print Production>Output Preview and you'll see something like the following, and there is NO END of interesting details you can learn about your file:




I'm happy to return to this page after a two month hiatus during which the actual printing business was quite hectic. Many wishes came true at our shop, with the result being my neglect of you loyal readers. I hope the first quarter of 2010 was encouraging for you as well, and look forward to your feedback online.

Sincerely,

Hugh Butler
Your Friend in the Printing Business

Don't Tax Me, bro'....BZZT!

As someone who spent the formative part of his career in New Hampshire, a fairly Libertarian state, I devoted a lot of trial and error to my business dealings with sales tax after moving to Florida. The Granite State has no such tax, or income tax for that matter, so I guess I considered the whole thing kind of silly. Our highly skilled and efficient bookkeeper, Jennifer Walker, who has survived a full fledged sales tax audit, thinks otherwise and I have learned to defer to her wisdom.

Herewith is my best effort at saving you from the trouble I caused myself (and Jennifer). It is not to be considered professional advice, but a laypersons discussion of issues we run into here at the print shop. Before taking any action be sure to consult an actual tax professional.

Florida sales tax (plus local county kicker) must be collected on the sale of any printing project unless the buyer has furnished, in advance of the sale, one of two Florida Department of Revenue certificates. (This assumes the job is produced by a Florida company for delivery within the state...if the entirety of the product ships outside the state no tax is due.)

DR-14 Consumer's Certificate of Exemption is the proof that must be furnished by an entity who does not have to pay Florida sales tax by virtue of their non-profit or governmental status. This group would include schools, churches, government offices, and most charities. The DR-14 should not be confused with the Federal IRS form which defines their status as "non-profit" and exempt from Federal income tax...that is a separate issue entirely and will not suffice for FL DOR purposes.

The most common pitfalls regarding this exemption are 1) that the certificate has not been applied for and granted, or 2) the tax exempt entity is the end user, but not the payer of the printer's invoice. The latter situation arises when the job is ordered and paid for by a third party, such as an ad agency, who may not utilize the tax exempt status of the end user in their intermediate transaction with the printer. We worked on a job recently where the agency pre-billed a non-profit for printing without including sales tax, but was then liable for it in their transaction with the shop. The 7.5% tax ate up half their mark-up. The solution to this problem moves us to the next form.

DR-13 Florida Annual Resale Certificate for Sales Tax is proof of a buyer's eligibility to make purchases exempt from Florida sales tax when the goods will be re-sold to a subsequent end user, with appropriate tax to be paid on that final transaction. In this scenario the buyer becomes a seller and is then responsible for determination of the end-user's tax status and collecting any tax due for submission to the state. The resale certificate requires a fair amount of record keeping and reporting, but is the most legitimate way of doing business if you routinely act as a printing "broker".

The most common pitfalls with resale are 1) the certificate must be presented to the vendor prior to the first transaction and then resubmitted each year they continue to do business, 2) the "Presented To" and "Presented By" section at the bottom must be filled out, and 3) the goods must actually be for resale...you can't buy your own business cards this way. It's important to communicate to the print shop whether the job is for resale or not.

To sum up: Be prepared to pay sales tax on any purchase of printing produced and delivered within Florida unless one of the two certificates has been presented, and further that the entity named on the check or credit card tendered for payment MUST match both the name on the invoice and the name on the certificate of exemption. If all three don't match the exemption can't be honored because of the potential for fraud.

It's the customer's responsibility determine the tax status of the job, and to communicate with the shop if an exemption is appropriate so the transaction can be processed appropriately. Failure to do so leads to unnecessary paperwork and a "retrospective" approach which may viewed in a dim light by the Florida DOR in the event of an audit. This is no joke...just ask Jennifer, who spent several days with DOR auditors some years ago and learned many lessons as a result.

On a final note, before you consider moving there to escape sales and income taxes, remember this; when you open your New Hampshire property tax bill, or register a car up there, it's best to be seated. The money has to come from somewhere.

It's also a little snowy just now...

Hoping 2010 is off to a good start,

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

Move Update Update

A recent project clarified a question which comes up from time to time, and since I needed a short post here it is:

The United States Postal Service (USPS), in an eco-friendly endeavor to cut down on undeliverable mail, has enacted a requirement called "Move Update". This requirement must be satisfied to obtain the "automation" rates in First Class Presort or Presorted Standard mail, and that means a lot of money is at stake. If you're a glutton for punishment here's the USPS page on the subject. More simply, there are two ways to be sure your mail complies:

National Change of Address (NCOA) is a database maintained by USPS. Various commercial services, such as printers and mail processors, use specialized software to process your mailing list through the NCOA database to be sure all the addresses are valid. This is a routine step performed by mail shops everywhere, and if they send you an itemized bill you can probably find a line item for NCOA of about $25.

Ancillary Service Endorsement, the alternative to NCOA, is wording you add to your return address to request that undeliverable mail be handled by USPS in various ways (depending on the endorsement you choose). The goal is to get feedback about listings in you mail which are Undeliverable as Addressed, (or "UAA" to prove that USPS has an acronym for everything). This feedback is then used to keep your data up to date. A fairly clear webpage at USPS discussing the endorsements, their timeframes and costs is here.

If you're a do-it-yourself mailer it's important to check this out in some detail as savings may be available. More usually, people use a printshop or mailshop to prepare their stuff, and so this step is almost certainly taking place anyway. I've noticed, however, that information about mailing requirements is disseminated slowly, so this post seeks to answer the few questions that come up. Maybe we also need a friend in the mailing business.

Few will remember 2009 as a great year, but your friend in the printing business has a lot to be grateful for. First, our industry continues to provide a bastion of good paying trade-based employment for Florida's citizens. Second, our technical people, who peer relentlessly into the future, are insuring our customers get the benefit of every innovation that can be found. Finally, our colleagues in the public relations and advertising business still look at printed collateral as a good investment, albeit one which must be made prudently. All of this is reason to look toward 2010 with guarded optimism.

At the risk of repeating a theme from several posts, I must observe that there has never been a better time to buy printed material. The downward pressure on prices and increasing technical firepower are converging in a way which makes higher quality and greater speed available across a wide range of quantities. This is particularly true for shorter runs, and is a unique development in our business...the ability to purchase multi-page high quality color printing in short runs, (50-100), at an affordable price. Don't miss out on this!

On a personal note I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has taken the time to visit this blog, and particularly those PR pro's who gave me so much support and guidance to get it going. I'm also very grateful for the printing and finishing professionals who form the knowledge base that goes far beyond my personal expertise.

Let me close by wishing you a Happy 2010, and a reminder to buy local and support your local printshop!

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

The best, simplest question so far...

One of our fine Tallahassee PR firms, The Moore Consulting Group, recently sent their graphics intern over for a tour of our shop, (an invitation we extend to everyone, BTW). She asked several good questions, including: "What do I need to know to keep from running into trouble when I take my jobs to [fill in the name of your favorite print outlet]? I thought it was the best, simplest question I've ever been asked in this context. I hope I provided an equally cogent answer, which follows.

1) What are the physical characteristics of your project? These include overall size, size and configuration when folded (with allowance for shortened panels), and weight and finish of paper.

2) How should my file be set up to be consistent with the printing method? These considerations relate to how many colors will the file will separate into: one, four (CMYK or process color), or multiple spot colors.

If you can't answer these questions you'll depend on someone else to fill in the blanks. This doesn't mean trouble, necessarily, but remember this; the person who is ultimately responsible for the success of your project is...you. Many customers have said, about unpleasant prior experiences, "I can't believe they put it on that paper". "They" did that, most likely, because the customer defaulted on the choice.

I often ask people to characterize the printing business, and, after the silliness that follows, most people say "it's a service business". That description is not really accurate. Although we strive to offer good service, printing is, primarily, custom manufacturing. It's the customer's role to convey, as clearly as possible, what they want to achieve, and it's up to the printer to insure that goal is met in a professional manner. The responsibility for communication goes BOTH ways.

Too often the printer may feel that if the customer doesn't know, they don't care; and their customer may be thinking something else entirely. Worse, at some retail shops, the service person may not be much more knowledgeable than the customer. The devil (or angels) are in the details...be sure they know you care.

The best way to stay happy is to take positive charge of your role in this custom manufacturing process. If you can't answer the two basic questions don't whistle in the dark...seek out the people who can help. If all else fails, send your intern over for the tour, and have them explain it to you when they get back.

Until then, you can always find help here!

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

PS My next post will be a brief tour of Florida sales tax rules, so, if this prospect is unpleasant, please feel free to suggest a different topic. Having spent half my career in New Hampshire, where there is no sales tax, I see the whole process as somewhat barbaric, but it's a fact of life. The consequences of getting the rules wrong can be dire, so undertake it we will. Please feel free to help me postpone this topic by suggesting one of your own...we'll all appreciate it.

Happy Thanksgiving

(Click on image to view full size)

Best wishes to my friends and colleagues, and all readers of "Your friend in the printing business". With hope for a world in which everyone has a home to journey toward with a warm heart,

Hugh Butler

Folding Fanatics at foldfactory.com

It's always a pleasure to come across someone who loves what they do. Take a peek at the Folding Basics video at this link and then c'mon back and we'll talk about Trish Witkowski and foldfactory.com.

Beyond pointing to the wealth of information and entertainment at foldfactory.com this post will highlight FOLDRite template master, which is their plug-in for InDesign. This invaluable tool solves the myriad problems we see with customer layouts of folded brochures, and does so through an efficient and easy to use interface. This is a very powerful, time saving tool.

(Before that, however, I am compelled to disclose that, in order to evaluate this software, I was given a copy of FOLDRite which I do not have to give back. No other consideration was given or received. I am still a penniless blogger.)

For those who skipped the video, (bad idea) let's recap:

• Any panel folding inside another panel must be shortened, (a concept FOLDRite refers to as compensation). This is not optional...it's true the same way gravity is true, and on a multi-panel brochure can be wickedly complicated. (For more background see here.)
• Real people hate fractions and long decimal points. No one wants to take a prime number (11" for instance) and divide into three panels (letterfolded) two of which are equal and one which is shortened. Life is too short.
• The consequences of getting the compensated panels wrong are quite dire...either the layout must be adjusted and re-proofed, or the printed job, on the way to the folder, will be chopped short which makes the layout look wrong. The video contains an interview with an actual folder operator who shows you the gruesome result.

This is where FOLDRite comes in. The basic screen shows you pictorial choices of folding styles, and lets you enter either the final folded size (e.g. 4 x 9) or the sheet size you want to begin with (e.g. 9 x 12). Within seconds FOLDRite will build you an InDesign template with guides in place, and designations on each panel such as "outside front", "inside left", etc. You build your design from there, and save it as you would any other .INDD file. No math, no mind-bending mirror image for the inside vs. outside, and, most importantly, no mistakes.

It's FOLDRite's ability to construct the template in either direction, from the final folded size up or the beginning sheet size down, (and do so with no user computations), which makes it unique. The fact that the panel compensation can be adjusted for various weights of paper through a simple, non-numerical choice, (normal, increased, heavy), is the crowning feature I was looking for. This is obviously a product engineered with real world feedback from design, production, and software professionals.

Like anything truly great, this product is easy to underestimate. It is a powerful and thoroughly engineered add-on to the de facto standard page layout program, and is easier to use than most of InDesign's standard features. At the current special price of $99 (single user license) it will pay for itself by saving you one set of revised proofs from a bad layout. More important, it will save you five to thirty minutes every time you start a layout from scratch. Most important, the website gives you a wealth of creative ideas, many of which are practical even for a budget minded client.

foldfactory.com and FOLDRite are a one, two punch...the website gets you excited about the design possibilities, and FOLDRite will build a layout which is fail safe. Your printer will be literally amazed when you say, "here's my broadside vertical roll folded brochure", and the layout is right on the money. Like a pool shark, you might even want to sandbag your rep and place a side bet on success...maybe make some extra money. I would probably fall for it. (Once.)

Here's a regular feature from foldfactory.com called the 60 Second Super Cool Fold of the Week. Clearly, these are people who know how to have a good time:


I love these self-proclaimed "folding fanatics" because they've built a bridge from the art of paper folding to the science of cutting edge graphics technology, and had a blast in the process. That's what I want to do when I grow up!

Until then, I look forward to your comments online.

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

Note: InDesign is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc. FOLDRite Template Master is a registered trademark of the Finishing Experts Group, Inc. Images and videos used with permission.

The Annual "December Surprise"

My customers are caught off guard every year when, seemingly without warning, the Holiday Season jumps out and screams "Ha! You forgot about the greeting cards again!" Consider this post your own personal warning...it's almost November.

We should actually jump ahead to something even more overlooked than the card, which is the envelope it will travel in. This is, without a doubt, the most overlooked object in the world of printing...if I had a nickel for every Holiday card that showed up at the shop sans enveloppe I could immediately retire and buy a yacht. This is unfortunate because, at the very least, it's an inconvenience to throw one together at the last minute.

More problematic is the fact that envelopes are only available certain sizes and paper stocks, and if your card is not designed with an existing envelope in mind you may end up with a misfit. Below is s a link to help keep you out of trouble...I urge you to be sure you know which envelope you plan to use before you lay out the card which'll go in it:

MAC Papers Anatomy of an Envelope Note that the style you will want is either "A-Size" (with a square flap) or "Baronial" (with a pointy flap). Hold your cursor over each style to see the sizes available. The A-Sizes are usually available in a range of paper stocks but the Baronials (which are less expensive) are limited to white and ivory. Thanks to MAC Papers for this great link.

So far as you actual card is concerned there are two options; a stock card can be purchased and sent to the printshop to be imprinted, or something fully customized can be designed and produced for you. Both options are quite affordable, even in small quantities, and can be finished in just a few days. (The printing, that is, not necessarily the design.)

For those who call in a panic during the third week of December the printers will have nothing but cheer, and goodwill. (You can always discuss moving to a New Years greeting.) But just think how proud you'll be if you get started now and have plenty of time for a great design, and mailing well in advance of the Christmas rush.

Bring it up at the next client or staff meeting...see what the budget is...talk to the designer. Why wait to the last minute to put together something fun and maybe even meaningful. It's that kind of season, after all.

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business

PS. As "Your friend in the printing business" moves into it's second year I hope to expand readership by offering this non-commercial blog to as many people as possible. If you are a member of an organization whose membership could benefit from our discussion please let me know. Thanks again!

Weird Rules and Good Habits

This is a post with two parts...one which you have no control over, and one which you do. Both have to do with our relationship with the U.S. Postal Service. The first is a rule change effective October 5, 2009:

QSG 201b Commercial Letters and Postcards - Using Tabs, Wafer Seals and Glue Strips

This two page notice is self explanatory, and worth printing out if you do a lot of mailing. It's current information may impact your design decisions and mail processing costs. USPS is serious about automation-compatible mail, so be aware that all regs are being strictly enforced. For those who are picture oriented here's the relevant graphic, which is page two of the notice:

(Click on the image to see full-size)

You can't do anything about the Byzantine USPS rules, but it's important to understand those parts of the mailing process you must participate in directly. If something goes wrong in this regard we all feel bad, but it's you, the customer, who bears responsibility for compliance, and will sacrifice the discounts available for automation-compatible mail. With that in mind, Your Friend in the Printing Business discloses the Mail Service Provider Top Five suggestions:

1) Be familiar with USPS requirements about elements on your mailpiece. Notice 67 from USPS is a plastic template which defines various elements such as min and max sizes, clear area for barcodes, OCR Read Area (optical character cognition of address), and FIM location (facing identification marks for reply mail).

This graphic is a simplified version of the template available at the Bulk Mail Entry Unit of the Post Office. If you print this one out, please be sure it's true to scale before you use it for real! (Click on image to see full size.)

Many requirements have changed recently, and they are important! Phil at Modern Mailers in Tallahassee, (who supplied a lot of information for this post), told me that USPS has rejected about 6 jobs in the last two weeks for problems such as background printing in the barcode clear area.

2) Confirm, in advance, whose permit number will be used, and what type of postage the indicia should specify. This insures that the correct permit language can be incorporated into the original design, and not have to be tacked on as an afterthought. It will also prompt you to tackle some logistical decisions, such as where does the job deliver to for mailing, do they know it's coming, and is there money in the permit (see number 5).

3) Submit your list to the mail service provider before you place your printing order. New regulations require your list be processed through the NCOA database (National Change of Address) to eliminate uncodable entries. We have actually seen jobs drop in quantity by thousands, (even, in one case, tens of thousands) after this step. If the printing order has been placed, and stock cut to size, you may end up owning a lot of extra paper!

4) Watch the thickness minimums Chuck at TCB Marketing (who also provided much insight for this post) told me the #1 problem he sees is material printed on paper which does not come up to the thickness minimums. If your final size is 3.5" x 5" (the minimum) the final thickness must be .007" which is equivalent to #65 uncoated cover. If your final size is larger than 4.25 x 6" all the way up to 11.5 x 6 (the max for letter-size mail) the thickness must be .009" which is where most of the problems come up.

Here's a chart of typical papers relative to the .009" thickness standard, (please bear in mind these are somewhat general):

(Click on image to see full size)

5) Be sure there's money in the permit! If your job gets to USPS and there's no money in the permit the result is obvious...confusion, delay, embarrassment...all the worst parts about working with a tangible product.

The Domestic Mail Manual, the definitive rules and regulations, is well over 1,000 pages long and the USPS website is equally impenetrable. It's difficult even to be conversant in this area, but you have responsibilities as a mailer none the less. The good news is that there are always friendly, competent people available to help at your printer, mail service provider, or the bulk mail unit at USPS.

The secret, as with so much of what we discuss, is to get a hold of these good people while your project is in development so changes can be worked in. The consequences of getting these details wrong can be dire, but some planning, (and a few timely questions), should keep you out of trouble. Neither snow nor sleet, nor dark of night or crazy rules will keep you from looking like a pro!

Thanks for reading! I am proud to observe that this post marks the one year anniversary of this blog! I'm having way to much fun!

Hugh Butler
Your Friend in the Printing Business