February 2011 - Sign business

Feb. 2011

www.annanandsons.com tel: 416.536.6156 fax: 416.536.4874

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Feburary 2011 Magazine

Sign business

GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE is published ten times per year by B.K.L.K Inc. 72 Main St. Mount Albert, ON L0G 1M0 Phone: 905-473-9111 Fax: 905-473-6826 Outside Toronto: 1-877-513-3999 e-mail: info@graphicartsmag.com www.graphicartsmag.com Submission deadlines are as follows: February 16 for March 2011 March 14 for April 2011 Publications Mail Agreement No. 40029380 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Graphic Arts Magazine, 72 Main St. Mount Albert, ON L0G 1M0 email: circ@graphicartsmag.com

Publisher: Joe Mulcahy Associate Editors: Natalia Gilewicz

Kristen Read

Copy Editor: Mandy Bayrami

Senior writer: Tony Curcio

Columnist: Diana Brown Production Manager: Barb Vowles Account Managers: Maureen O’Sullivan

Sandy Lee

Tim Mulcahy Classified Manager: Bruce MacLean Creative Director: Javad Ahmadi AliveProStudios.com

Layout: George Dedopoulos

Cover: AliveProStudios.com CTP supplied by: Sina Printing

Paper: SNZ Trading Inc.

Printing: Sina Printing

GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE would like to thank our contributing writers: Rich Adams • Diana Brown • Tony Curcio • Peter Dulis Natalia Gilewicz • Andrea Mahoney • Tim Mitra • Kristen Read Kelley Robertson • Cindy Thai • Ruth Tupe 2011 EDITORIAL BOARD

Javad Ahmadi, AliveProStudios.com Ernie Bardocz Danny Ionescu, HP Evan Cambray, Spicers Steve Klaric, Heidelberg Canada Jana Lucatch, Magnum Fine Commercial Printing George Mazzaferro, RP Graphics Group Brian O’Leary, Kwik Kopy Angus Pady, Digital Solutions Paul Tasker, Spicers

17 Sign business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Rich Adams

What applications of printing can’t be replaced by a computer screen?

22 Sharing on social networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tim Mitra

Using Dropbox to share files and Facebook security

24 For the record: Jeff Ekstein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tony Curcio

This month: Jeff Ekstein, president and CEO of Willow Printing

26 Product Profile: Large-format digital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Diana Brown

A look at seven industry-leading devices

28 Folding vs creasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tony Curcio

How folding and creasing work and the pros and cons of each

34 Management 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Diana Brown

What kind of manager are you?

38 For your print information: Ink viscosity . . . . . . . Cindy Thai and Ruth Tupe Viscosity 101 with RYETAGA

40 Use peak season analysis to improve workflow . . . . .

Andrea Mahoney

Analyze and strategize for a better year ahead

48 The world of 3D printing expands to build a house . . . . . .

Peter Dulis

Is the moon the limit with new developments in 3D printing?

50 Overcoming the dreaded price objection . . . . . . . . . . .

Kelley Robertson

Making the sale

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Installations & Investments

44 .comments CMCA AUDITED

Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily intended to reflect those of this publisher.

Graphic Arts Magazine accepts no responsibility or liability for claims made for any product or service reported on or advertised in this issue. Graphic Arts Magazine also reserves the right to limit liability for omissions and errors to a printed correction in the next issue.

46 List of advertisers 47 Classified

SUBSCRIBER’S NOTICE: From time to time we may rent our mailing list (names and addresses only) to select third parties whose products or services may be of interest to our readers. Please contact us should you wish to be excluded from these mailings using the contact information at the top.

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When making submissions, please forward to the following email addresses: ADS ads@graphicartsmag.com NEWS news@graphicartsmag.com CLASSIFIED classified@graphicartsmag.com ARTICLES articles@graphicartsmag.com INSTALLATIONS installations@graphicartsmag.com SUBSCRIPTIONS circ@graphicartsmag.com

Joe Mulcahy

Publisher’s note Welcome to a challenging new year and, hopefully, one with more positive news than we had in 2010.

CPISC has released another skill standards report as part of its Skills for the Future project. These standards cover estimators, sales and customer service reps and production coordinators. All reports can be downloaded for free at the CPISC website.

Jeff Ekstein, president and CEO of the Willow Printing Group, cochair of CPISC, CPIA director and PIA secretary, has a unique perspective of what lies ahead as well as some timely and sound advice in this month’s “For the record” feature. I echo his opinions, especially when it comes to the importance of getting together and becoming more involved in the good work done by our industry organizations. I also strongly agree that you should always insist on a fair price for the quality work you produce.

Canadian postal rates have increased slightly, but there’s good news too. Canada Post is extending its successful Registered Partner Program to smaller print shops. The program, in part, promotes direct mail use amongst printers and helps direct businesses to mailing houses and other related service providers.

Place Bonaventure in Montreal will once again host the Grafik’Art Show. The 2011 event will be held April 14 – 16 and will focus on press techniques, prepress techniques, sales and marketing as well as management. Be sure to stop by our booth and say hello.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper (from Harmony Printing’s pressroom in Toronto) told reporters recently how Canadian businesses spend billions annually to meet federal regulations. So, he has introduced the Red Tape Reduction Commission that will consult with businesses to help find ways to stifle the negative effect of these costs on growth.

I see that more strategic alliances are being forged in our everchanging industry with manroland and Océ partnering to offer an array of digital printing solutions. Watch for more news on that front.

It sounds like a lot of positive things are happening to begin 2011.

Let’s keep it going. And, as always, stay positive and stay focused.

Congratulations to Montreal-based Transcontinental, whose 2010 fourth-quarter reflects the best operating performance in its history. Ricoh Co. Ltd. is also on the upswing and plans to invest $300 million over three years in its Managed Document Services infrastructure. Let’s hope the recent success of the U.S. magazine industry, which posted gains in revenue for the third quarter in a row, is duplicated here in Canada.

Joe Mulcahy Publisher, Graphic Arts Magazine joe@graphicartsmag.com

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Natalia Gilewicz

Looking forward to 2011 So it’s 2011! Hopefully, as we enter into February you are recovered from the holidays. I like to think that with each year that passes we get older and wiser.

In this month’s issue, we also welcome a new lead columnist. Dr. Richard Adams will help you understand the technology and industry of signs. His hands-on article, “Sign business” will quickly help you understand what you need to know and consider in this end of our business. The article discusses inkjet printing for a variety of “sign-type” applications. For example, wall covering, or custom wallpaper is a possibility with inkjet. Leaving aside the industrial applications, I can’t think of a single 10-year-old who wouldn’t completely love it in his or her room. In addition to his article, this month’s product profile will give you some more information about inkjet technology. If you are still thirsty for more, I highly recommend Inkjet! Volumes 1 and 2 by Frank Romano.

They are highly informative books about the industry.

At GAM, we have made some editorial improvements that we hope you will enjoy. Let’s begin by navigating this issue through our three new columns. The focus of the new columns is to stay fresh and make you a more rounded reader all in one place. For starters, we have our For Your Print Information (FYPI) series starting this year. Each month will feature a different topic related to graphic arts processes that will help you understand how things work. The column is authored by Toronto’s own TAGA (Technical Association for the Graphic Arts) student chapter. This is an award-winning group of students led by Professor Martin Habekost at Ryerson University.

I hope that in addition to enjoying the issue, you will enjoy the improvements that we’ve made for the year to come. One of our resolutions for the year is to provide our readers with more comprehensive topics, tips and fun facts.

Second, we have the Product Profile column that will help you understand some of your options in different hardware/software categories of equipment. Diana Brown will help you navigate the different options available in the market. Lastly, my most favourite addition to the monthly regulars is the 101 series of articles.

On a more personal note, we’d like to wish you all a Happy Valentine’s Day. May your month be filled with chocolate!

These are articles meant to help you become a better owner, manager, and employee. Each month Diana will break down a relevant business topic giving you additional resources such as books and websites, along with a quick facts section that you can skim in an instant. That covers us off for a bit of science, product knowledge and business acumen.

February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

Natalia Gilewicz is a full-time Assistant Professor in the School of Graphic Communications Management at Ryerson University. Her teaching concentration is in areas of prepress, typography, and layout. In her research, she studies e-print and its applications.

Contact her at ngilewic@ryerson.ca

6

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www.manroland.us.com www.manroland.ca

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Installations & Investments

Colourchrome Lab’s owner, Greg Sue-A-Quan, with Ernest Green’s Systems Engineer Babak Doostar in front of the new HP L25500 latex printer.

Impressions Alliance 9000 press operators, working at the new Presstek 52DI-AC console

COLOURCHROME LAB

IMPRESSIONS ALLIANCE 9000

Colourchrome Lab in Oakville, Ontario has just installed a new 60-inch latex printer from HP. The L25500, purchased through Ernest Green & Son, has a maximum speed of 246 sq. ft. per hour. Colourchrome Lab has been serving Oakville and the surrounding area since 1990. The HP L25500 latex printer suits a variety of applications, including: indoor and outdoor signage, polyester fabric printing, vehicle wraps and more.

Impressions Alliance 9000 is a Quebec-based non-profit printer, whose mission is providing jobs for people living with a disability. The organization has just added a Presstek 52DI-AC digital offset press to its facility in order to expand its short-run printing capabilities. “Adding the Presstek 52DI-AC to our production platform better aligns us with today’s market requirements and ensures that we are well-positioned to continue fulfilling our mission,” says Stephane Jean, general manager.

True Colours president Carl May, with the new Fujifilm Acuity Advance flatbed printer

TRUE COLOURS LTD.

KELLY SIGNS

Located in North Vancouver, True Colours Ltd. has bought a Fujifilm Acuity Advance flatbed printer. Delivered in November 2010, the machine can print on rigid materials up to almost two inches thick, and 4 x 8 feet in size. True Colours has been in the business for two decades. The company specializes in producing many types of digital printing, signage and displays for sales centres, conventions, trade shows, shopping malls, museums and exhibitions, as well as unusual items for advertising stunts and film studio props.

Kelly Signs, a large-format printing and sign company based in Ottawa, has recently installed an Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 printer. The company says this new technology will enable them to turn around high-quality, high-volume jobs even faster than before and for less money. The company is part of a major sign organization that has been in operation since 1947. “The GS6000 has allowed us to react faster to our customers’ needs,” says Mark Steinberg, general manager, Kelly Signs. “We can produce jobs far beyond our customers’ expectations.”

February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

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Kristen Read

Océ launches new printer

Packaging trend predictions for 2011

Just launched by Océ is the ColorWave 600 poster printer. The company says that this system is the fastest in its class, producing robust, instant-dry prints at speeds of up to 106 square metres per hour.

Global branding agency Landor Associates has recently released an in-depth packaging trends forecast for the new year. Experts from the organization predict that the challenge will be finding ways to do more with less – reducing waste, using fewer natural resources, and cutting down transport distance.

The ColorWave 600 was designed for businesses that need to increase throughput and reduce production costs for quick turnaround. Companies in display graphics, offset printing or retail could use the system for applications such as POP posters and event materials.

The following excerpt is from Landor’s trends forecast report for 2011. The entire report has sections on shopping behaviour, social media, design, sustainability and colour.

In 2011, expect packaging to become more sustainable, incorporate recent technological advances, and feed into consumers’ desire for their purchases to serve a greater purpose.

Dale Mortimer, director of marketing, Océ Display Graphics Systems, says, “POP campaigns are moving at lightspeed. They have to be produced in much shorter timeframes and tailored for individual customers and regions. Print providers have to produce shorter runs and turnaround jobs faster. We developed the Océ ColorWave 600 poster printer to meet the need that print providers and retailers have for a faster POP and low operational costs.”

Bells and whistles: Modern consumers are shopping experts who spend mere seconds making purchase decisions. Especially in supermarkets, packaging must work hard to tempt shoppers into trying new products. Revolutionary technologies such as thin film and printed batteries can have a phenomenal impact at the first moment of truth, adding light, sound, and movement to packaging. Sound chips can deliver promotional messages from store shelves; paper-thin video screens can demonstrate product use. The first brands to adopt these cutting-edge strategies are sure to make a splash in the crowded marketplace.

The device’s size and speed means a company can print up to 1700 A1-size posters in an eight-hour shift. The printer uses Océ TonerPearls solid toner, that the company says creates no fine dust, odour or emissions.

Graphics of the Americas show announces keynote speaker

Reusable: After noticing the product (first moment of truth) and reading the product label (second), there is now a third moment of truth for consumers: reusing packaging. More brands will make this possible, banking on the cool factor to extend brand message beyond the life of the product. Burt’s Bees, whose natural body care line already appeals to environmentally conscious customers, now provides reusable carrying cases for its lip balm.

Bracken joins the prestigious list of keynote speakers at GOA, known for its cutting-edge educational programs. Bracken currently directs the Knight News Challenge, a philanthropic contest currently in its fifth year. The Challenge offers $5 million each year to fund new digital experiments in community news.

The Challenge’s goal is to spur media innovation and find new ways to inform and inspire communities.

Sustainable: More companies will pledge to lessen their impact on the environment and look for innovative ways to do so. Paper Mate recently introduced biodegradable pens with compostable outer shells that break down into organic matter within a year. Following a more traditional route, Kraft Foods plans to reduce its carbon footprint in 2011 by decreasing waste from its plants, eliminating 150 million pounds of packaging material, and cutting CO2 emissions by 25 percent.

The 36th Graphic of the Americas show, scheduled for February 24-26 in Florida, has recently announced its keynote speaker. John Bracken, director of Digital Media, and of the Knight News Challenge, will lead GOA’s keynote address titled: Inspiring Digital Innovation.

During the GOA Keynote Session on February 24 from 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., Bracken will report on the innovative projects that have been funded by the Knight News Challenge and will offer insights as to what he sees as the future for media and society.

Purposeful: To remain relevant in 2011, brands must stand for something and align their brand promise with the good they do—and convey both through their packaging. The Tide Loads of Hope program and its corresponding limited-edition detergent give back to the community in an on-brand way: by providing laundry facilities in areas affected by disaster. In New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, the Procter & Gamble-sponsored initiative washed almost 14,000 loads of laundry for 11,000 families.

“John is a visionary, leading an important, successful initiative within a premier media organization, himself on the front lines of the digital frontier,” says George Ryan, GOA president.

“Under John’s guidance, news organizations of every shape and size are shaking up the media landscape and laying the groundwork for future generations of communications professionals. We are thrilled to have John Bracken as the GOA Super-Event keynote speaker, where he will inspire us with his unique perspective and a glimpse into tomorrow’s communications networks.”

February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

The burning question for 2011: The challenge will be finding ways to do more with less— reducing waste, using fewer natural resources and cutting down transport distance—while using packaging to communicate brand promise and the actions that back it up.

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B E U P T O D AT E

News and comments

Your perfect connection to the printing and graphic arts industry

C.P. Bourg celebrates 50 years

of the 1.1 billion already-printed bills were folded slightly during production, reports CNBC. When they are pulled flat, a blank un-printed section of the bill is revealed.

C.P. Bourg, a leading document feeding, binding and finishing equipment company, has recently announced a special milestone in the company’s history. On December 15, 1960, the company was founded, making December 2010 the start of its 50th year in business.

At this point, the Federal Reserve is reportedly unsure of exactly how many bills contain this flaw. Sorting them by hand could take decades. They are now being securely stored in vaults in Fort Worth, TX and Washington DC. Defective bills will have to be destroyed, costing millions of dollars. Printed on expensive cotton and linen fibre paper, each bill costs 12.5 cents to produce (twice the cost of conventional bills).

The company is directed from its European headquarters in Ottignies, Belgium. C.P. Bourg also has subsidiaries in France, Germany and Luxembourg in Europe. Its U.S. headquarters were founded in 1977 in New Bedford, Massachusetts. All together, C.P. Bourg operates three manufacturing facilities and employs more than 600 professionals to support its more than 40,000 customers worldwide.

The total face value of the potentially unusable bills is $110 billion dollars. In the meantime, while the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve begin resolving the issue, production of the old-style bills has been resumed. The release date for the new bills has been suspended indefinitely.

Christian-Pierre Bourg, who has served as company CEO and leader for the past 50 years, starts his sixth decade supported by management and engineering teams in Belgium and the U.S.

MGI reveals brand new product in Paris During December 2010 in Paris, the Cartes 2010 show took place – considered to be the world’s leading event in the secure technologies industry. At the show, MGI revealed its latest product: the JETcard inkjet card printing system.

Commenting on the significance of his company’s 50th anniversary, Mr. Bourg said: “It is humbling to have been part of this vibrant industry for half a century. The world of graphic arts has probably been through more change in the last 50 years than in the previous 500 [years]. We have seen letterpress displaced by offset and now offset being displaced by digital. The world is a more connected place and the internet has transformed the old ways of working with print.”

He continued: “We look forward to continuing to meet the needs of our customers for the next 50 years and beyond, and to manage the demands of a constantly changing business environment.”

JETcard uses blank cards (with smart chip, magnetic stripe or RFID) and, all in the same machine, can print, personalize, coat, encode and verify cards. Targeted for card manufacturers and commercial printers, the device can produce run lengths from one card, up to millions of cards.

Printing error on new U.S. $100 bill: a billion-dollar mistake?

From an individual blank ISO CR-80 card, the JETcard is able to achieve in one pass, the following processes:

In April of 2010, the U.S. Treasury Department and Federal Reserve revealed a re-designed $100 bill, complete with high-tech anti-counterfeiting security measures. The bills were supposed to hit mass circulation starting this February, however, plans have been put on hold after a massive printing defect was discovered.

-P re-print coating to ensure a full compatibility with the substrates available on the market (PVC, ABS, etc.)

-P rinting in four to six UV colours including micro text and guilloché patterns -F ull variable data printing including text, barcodes and images -S pot UV coating or flood UV coating for card protection -S ecurity inks revealed only under a black light -P rinting of signature panel -R ead and write on the embedded magnetic stripes -T extured backgrounds printed with a slight embossing effect (wood, leather, etc.)

- Automated quality controls and ejection into a rejection bin of the defective cards

The U.S. Government spent more than a decade designing the new “Benjamins” to include scientific measures for thwarting counterfeiters. With a disappearing liberty bell, watermarks, colour-shifting inks and a blue security strip, the bills would be nearly impossible to reproduce.

Now, it is speculated, production complications of these special security features could be the very cause of the printing error. It was discovered that possibly as many as 30 percent

Drop-on-demand technology and an integrated RIP enable full variable data printing on all JETcard inks and coatings. For example, the security coating can be used as an anti-counterfeiting feature, revealing inks only when held under a black light.

MGI’s JETcard is a true Card Factory and can replace up to five different pieces of equipment traditionally used in the plastic card production chain: Litho press, a collator, a lamination press, a die cutter and an encoder/personalization printer.

February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

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Your perfect connection to the printing and graphic arts industry

step-by-step. In turn, Océ will receive access to new customer segments and will therefore have the opportunity to considerably extend its market share in the graphic arts industry.

“This cooperation opens up a very promising growth market for us, one that is positioned very close to the core capabilities of manroland,” says Gerd Finkbeiner, manroland CEO. “Digital printing already has a market share that cannot be underestimated…Many of our customers are investing in digital printing. This is the first concrete step in opening up new growth opportunities for manroland…”

More news at graphicartsmag.com

Océ’s Sebastian Landesberger also had this to say: “As the market leader in digital continuous feed printing, Océ has for many years been successful across the globe in companyrelated high-speed transaction printing… In the coming years, we will utilize our leading position in Europe and North America to expand our business, particularly in Asia and Eastern Europe. The strategic alliance with manroland offers us the ideal opportunity to firmly establish Océ Inkjet technology in the graphic arts industry.”

New partnership for manroland and Océ

It was recently announced that manroland and Océ will join together in a strategic alliance in the area of inkjet-based digital printing solutions. Starting in 2011, the duo says it will be “the first on the market to offer total digital printing solutions aimed at the graphic arts industry.”

Dr. Abhay Sharma set to team up with NorQuest College

Solutions include consulting, systems, services and materials, provided by a single source. A press release from manroland reveals that the main beneficiaries of this new corporation will be printing operations. Printers will be able to select technology and workflow solutions after being jointly advised by manroland and Océ.

Edmonton’s NorQuest College has announced that Dr. Abhay Sharma is joining the school for three months (starting January 2011) as a visiting professor. Sharma, former chair of Ryerson’s GCM program, is working with faculty and equipment in the school’s Centre for Excellence in Print Media.

During his time at NorQuest, Dr. Sharma will engage in applied research projects around digital colour printing, and will also use the opportunity to work one-on-one with small

In the partnership, manroland will make its entry into digital printing and build up its own digital printing competence

www.manroland.us.com www.manroland.ca

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February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

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Carol McLeod joins PrintLink Canada

and medium size print companies in Alberta.

“Helping printers in Western Canada be more competitive in the global marketplace is the Centre’s purpose,” says Josh Ramsbottom, coordinator of the school’s Centre for Excellence in Print Media. “Dr. Sharma will be able to use all the equipment that’s located in our facilities to help him with his applied research, but more importantly will give companies in Western Canada the opportunity to have him work directly with them to manage and expand their colour systems to world class benchmarks.”

PrintLink Graphic Arts Placement Service has recently announced the appointment of Carol McLeod to PrintLink Canada as Placement Specialist. Myrna Penny, Managing Director of PrintLink Canada said in a recent release that Carol will be a positive addition to the organization. McLeod brings broad-reaching print industry experience to her new role. She has had a long and diverse career with Heidelberg Canada, Linotype-Hell and The Printing House.

Retraction

Dear Graphic Arts Magazine readers: We regret to inform you of incorrect information printed in GAM’s October issue article titled ‘Transpromo’. The article incorrectly credited a very successful variable data pilot project, done with Best Western in late 2008. The pilot, executed

by Ricoh’s InfoPrint, used control groups and clearly demonstrated the potential for analytics driven variable marketing to increase response rates. In the article, this project was incorrectly credited to InfoTrends instead of InfoPrint.

Dr. Abhay Sharma will also participate as a guest speaker in NorQuest College’s Digital Graphics Communications Program. “This is an extremely rare opportunity for someone of this stature and expertise to work with our students and faculty over a three month period,” says Mike Yez, Digital Graphics Communications instructor. “For a university and community college to work together on so many high level projects, it will not only diversify what we are able to do here at the Centre but also enhance the students’ education about colour management that they might not otherwise have gotten.”

We apologize to InfoPrint and Graphic Arts Magazine readers for any confusion this has caused. A corrected article is available to read at graphicartsmag.com/articles/2010/10/ transpromo

In addition, Dr. Sharma will also participate in the upcoming Colour Management Essentials: Proof to Press Workshop that’s taking place February 2011 in Edmonton at the Centre.

February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

Sincerely, Jason Lisi and Chris Smyth, Contributing Writers, Transpromo article, October 2010 issue

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Your perfect connection to the printing and graphic arts industry

Eco News

unnecessary printing and encourage a new awareness about the use of paper, we’ve developed a new, green file format: WWF. A format that can’t be printed out. A simple idea that saves trees. Join in. Decide for yourself which of your documents don’t need printing – and save them as WWF.”

Domtar invests millions in green technology at Canadian pulp mills

The new format is available for free downloading on WWF’s site (though currently only available for Mac – PC version is reportedly coming soon). In order to create a WWF file, the software must be downloaded, which adds a “save as WWF” option in the print menu. WWF documents can be opened with most programs that can open PDFs. Other file types can also be converted to WWF.

In 2009, the Canadian Government announced a $1 billion program designed to create a greener and more sustainable pulp and paper industry. The Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program supports e n v i ro n m e n t a l l y - f r i e n d l y investments and provides funding for mills in Canada that want to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The program’s website says that “By making a smart investment today, we are laying the groundwork for a greener, more secure future for the pulp and paper sector and the people who work in the industry.”

While the WWF’s intentions may have centered around helping the environment, the new file format has sparked a lot of controversy within the graphic communications industry. An organization called Two Sides has issued a public rebuttal to WWF’s new file format and its promotional tactics, asking the industry “not to be fooled” by the WWF’s new PDF file format.

From its website, here’s a little about Two Sides: “‘Two Sides’ is an initiative by companies from the Graphic Communications Supply Chain including forestry, pulp, paper, inks and chemicals, prepress, press, finishing, publishing and printing. Our common goal is to promote the responsible production and use of print and paper, and dispel common environmental misconceptions by providing users with verifiable information on why print and paper is an attractive, practical and sustainable communications medium.”

Domtar, a global paper manufacturer, (with four mills in Canada) was allocated a total of $143 million to be used toward investments aimed at improving energy efficiency. The program states that businesses have until March 31, 2012 to draw on the funding to finance approved capital projects that offer demonstrable environmental benefits.

The rebuttal from Two Sides is available for download at graphicartsmag.com.

Recently, Domtar announced how it will begin making use of some of these funds. Two capital projects will be implemented at its Windsor, QC mill, worth a total of $24.8 million. Firstly, the biomass burner on location will be made more energy efficient so that it can burn more biomass and reduce its consumption of natural gas. The second project will see the amount of steam used by the paper machines reduced. Domtar says these improvements will reduce the mill’s consumption of natural gas by 17 million cubic metres a year, and its greenhouse gas emissions by more than nine percent per year. Both are expected to be completed by March 2012.

Eco-friendly pressure-sensitive paper just launched by GPA GPA, a North American provider of specialty printable substrates, has just launched an eco-friendly stock of pressure-sensitive paper. The 100 percent PCW Recycled Uncoated Pressure Sensitive Paper is FSC and Green Seal certified, as well as acid-free, lignin-free and process chlorine-free.

Furthermore, $17.3 million will be used towards three energy conservation projects at the company’s Kamloops, BC pulp mill.

These are scheduled to go online by the third quarter of 2011.

“We welcome and appreciate the support we have received from Natural Resources Canada under this program,” says Eric Ashby, vice-president and general manager of the Domtar Kamloops Mill. “This is the second major capital improvement in our mill announced in the last twelve months and we look forward to further improving the energy efficiency of our operations.”

The paper is part of the company’s Ultra Digital line, made for HP Indigo presses. The 50 pound stock is made with 100 percent post-consumer waste fibres, and boasts a 92 brightness shade.

The un-printable PDF The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the world’s largest independent conservation organization, has launched a new file format called WWF that is aimed at preventing the unnecessary printing of files.

The modified PDF format is actually impossible to print. The initiative’s tagline is “Save as WWF, save a tree.”

GPA defines pressure-sensitive paper as: “any label paper or similar material with an adhesive coating, protected by a backing sheet (liner) that when the liner is removed, will adhere instantly to most substrates with the application of pressure, by hand or machine.” The paper itself is made up of three laminated layers (the liner, adhesive and facestock).

From the “Save as WWF” website:

This stock from GPA is compatible with a variety of finishing processes, including: die cutting, perforating, scoring, UV coating, laminating and foil stamping.

This type of paper is designed for applications such as product labels, point of purchase labels, carton and packaging labels, mailing/shipping labels, sticker book sheets, scrap-booking stickers and decals.

“Every day, entire forests are cut down to make paper. Paper that’s senselessly used to print out documents all over the world: websites, emails, even entire books, in spite of the fact that it’s easy to avoid printing by saving the document as a PDF. But even PDFs can sometimes also be printed out. So to stop

February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

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JohnAdams Rich Zarwan

Sign business

What applications of printing can’t be replaced by a computer screen?

disadvantage is that the print heads are fairly expensive and are not user-replaceable, so replacing a damaged one can be costly. Print heads are fairly reliable, but can be damaged if they collide with the media or are not used for a long time.

People often point to packaging as an area that still requires ink on paper. Another growth area where ink can’t be beat is signs and banners, and a host of other applications of large-format inkjet printing.

Thermal. HP developed a different technology known as the thermal print head, which uses a burst of heat to eject a droplet from the print head. Thermal print heads are cheaper to make, but the heat causes them to wear out faster, so they must be replaced more frequently than piezoelectric print heads. Most of these printers, however, have user-replaceable print heads.

Frank Romano, professor emeritus at Rochester Institute of Technology, points out that printing is the most democratic form of communication — it doesn’t require a computer nor Internet connection. You’ll really understand what “democratic” means if you know about all the creative applications of inkjet printing technology.

Ink. Ink includes three main components: • Dye or pigment for colour • Vehicle for dispersing the pigment and carrying it to the substrate • Additives for viscosity control, rub resistance, adhesion, fade-resistance, and other properties.

Inkjet Technology

Technology for inkjet printing includes the printer, ink and substrate (media), along with related technologies like computers, software applications, colour management instruments and software, and raster image processors (RIPs).

Pigment. Inkjet printers are available with dye or pigment-based ink. Dye is a colourant that dissolves in water. A pigment consists of larger particles that don’t dissolve completely, but are suspended in the vehicle. Generally, dyes have brighter colours, but less fade resistance than pigments.

Printers. Inkjet printers originated with the pen plotters used for outputting computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) drawings. More recently, two main manufacturers — Seiko and Hewlett Packard — developed print heads that spit microscopic droplets of ink onto the substrate. Droplet sizes are measured in picoliters, billionths of a litre. The smaller the droplet size, the finer the resolution and higher the quality, but the slower the print speed. These new print head technologies provide a great leap in print speed and quality.

Vehicle. Consumer-market inkjet printers use water as the vehicle, so they are safe and convenient to use in the home and office. Some printers, like those from Epson, are made for pigment-only inks. Others, such as HP’s 5000 series (Figure 1), can be changed from dye to pigment—dye for more brilliant colours, and pigment for greater longevity.

Piezoelectric. Seiko developed the piezoelectric print head, which uses a burst of electric current to eject an ink droplet from the print head. This type of print head is found in Epson, Canon and Océ printers, among others. Its main advantage is that the print head remains cool and, therefore, lasts for a long time. Its

February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

In the late 1990s, manufacturers introduced industrial printers with solvent-based inks that were much more durable and faderesistant than aqueous inks. Solvent is in the same chemical family as gasoline, so the ink emitted fumes, and the printers had to be ventilated.

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Your perfect connection to the printing and graphic arts industry

Rich Adams

Sign business

use aqueous, solvent or eco-solvent ink.

• Flatbed printers are designed for thicker substrates, like corrugated board or plastic. They usually use UV-curable ink.

Laminates

Inkjet prints for outdoor or commercial use are commonly laminated with plastic for greater durability and longevity.

Laminates are heat- or pressure-sensitive plastic, or liquid aircurable plastic, and may be applied to one or both sides of a print. Lamination increases fade- and water-resistance for long-term or outdoor applications. Some laminates impart a colour cast to prints, important in photographic reproductions.

Laminates without colour casts are available, but are more expensive.

Figure 1: The HP 5000 series are roll-fed printers that can be switched from dye- to pigment-based ink in about 30 minutes for greater longevity.

Infrastructure for Inkjet Printing

In the early 2000s, some of the same manufacturers introduced so-called eco-solvent ink, based on glycols, which is in the same chemical family as antifreeze. Eco-solvent inks had the durability of solvent inks, but did not give off volatile compounds so were safe to use in an office environment without special ventilation.

The printer or service provider that wants to get into inkjet printing will need to have a completely digital infrastructure in place. This includes a digital camera image capture, Mac or Windows PCs for processing images and creating documents, a raster image processor (RIP) for controlling the printer and a colour management system for matching original, monitor, proofs and prints.

While digital cameras, computers, and desktop publishing applications are commonplace, many readers may not be familiar with the specialized RIPs used for large-format printing or with the colour management software used to match colour.

RIPs. The RIP is the software that controls the printer. Its primary function is to convert vector- and bitmapped-graphic files into a customized raster, or pattern of horizontal and vertical inkjet droplets. Large-format RIPs are different from those used in commercial printing, such as Agfa Apogee, Kodak Printergy, and many others. The most popular large-format RIPs are Onyx Graphics’ PosterShop, SA International’s FlexiSIGN and PhotoPRINT, Wasatch Softworks’ SoftRIP and Electronics for Imaging’s Fiery, among many others. Some printers, such as HP’s, have available hardware RIPs built into the printer. Other printer manufacturers, such as Roland, offer their own RIPs.

Figure 2: Mutoh’s ValueJet roll-fed printer, an example of an industrial ecosolvent printer for producing durable outdoor graphics.

Large-format RIPs have specialized job-handling features In the mid-2000s, manufacturers introduced UV-curable inks unique to inkjet printing, including the ability to preview, crop, that are colourful, durable, and fast-drying — but more expenrotate, size and position jobs. Another popular feature is nestsive. Their vehicle is liquid plastic that hardens upon exposure ing, or arrangement of multiple jobs to save media. Some RIPs to ultraviolet radiation. The print heads must have a UV source keep track of print time and ink and media usage for billing strong enough to cure the ink purposes. Virtually all of at production speeds, so this today’s large-format RIPs ink technology is confined to use ICC profiles for large industrial machines.

Figure 3: Fuji’s Acuity, an example accurate colour preview, of a flatbed UV-curable printer.

Printers. Inkjet printers range proofing and printing. in size from home or office Colour management. desktop models to flatbed Due to the wide variety UV-curable machines, some of printers, inks, media of which are larger than a and RIPs, the large-for4-colour offset press and just mat industry quickly as expensive. recognized the value of Printers are generally using colour profiles described as belonging to one based in the International of two types: Color Consortium (ICC) profile standard. Many • Roll-fed printers were media manufacturers developed from the first offer profiles for the most pen plotters. They’re popular printers, ink, and designed to print media RIPs on their websites. ranging in size from 18 to However, the most versatile companies will want their own 64 inches long. The printer may drop prints into a bin or colour management system. spool them onto a take-up roll. Roll-fed printers usually

February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

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A colour management system consists of a handheld spectrophotometer and profiling program. Emissive instruments read monitor colour, while reflective instruments read printed colour. Many can do both.

Available colour management software can calibrate and profile digital cameras, monitors, printers and proofers. Devices that can be profiled are detailed in Table 1.

Applications of Inkjet

Signs and banners. Look anywhere. Signs and banners hang from street lights, ceilings and sides of buildings (Figure 4).

They’re used for advertising, promotions, corporate identity, interior decoration and trade shows — almost anywhere you want to catch people’s attention or inform them. Such signs can be printed on paper or, more commonly, PVC, depending upon the durability and length of time they’re needed.

malls, artists who sell signed, numbered prints of watercolour or oil paintings used to get their originals reproduced by lithography; however, the prepress costs made this impractical for fewer than 100 copies. Today, artists take advantage of inkjet’s wide colour gamut and ability to print small runs with high quality. Media favoured by artists includes watercolour paper and canvas. Prints can be made by pigmented aqueous, eco-solvent and UV-curable ink.

Photography. Inkjet printing has become the “digital darkroom,” all but replacing conventional darkrooms and photographic enlargers for making prints. The cost of aqueous inkjet printers and supplies has declined to the point where almost any professional photographer can buy a printer. And, with manufacturers claiming archival quality exceeding 200 years, their prints should be around for generations.

Table 1. Colour management in large-format printing Device to be profiled

What profiling does

How it works

Digital camera

Makes digital captures match the original artwork, product, or scene.

Compares a digital capture of a colour target with the target’s measured values, then calculates a profile to match capture to original.

Monitor

Makes monitor preview match original file.

Emissive colourimeter or spectrophotometer measures colour patches of known value, then calculates a profile that matches preview to original file.

Printer

Makes print match original file

Reflective spectrophotometer measures colour patches of know value, then calculates a profile that matches printed colour.

Backlits. These are usually inkjet-printed on clear plastic (polyester) material illuminated by a fluorescent light or LED box. They’re commonly used for advertising or promotional displays (e.g., restaurant, movie posters).

Floor graphics. What better way to get people’s attention than to put a sign right in front of them, under their feet? This is the idea behind floor graphics (Figure 6). For durability they’re usually printed with eco-solvent, solvent or UV-curable ink on slip-resistant PVC, or PVC covered with skid-resistant laminate for durability.

Artistic prints. Commonly seen at craft fairs and shopping

Figure 4: Signs and banners commonly seen today are made possible by large-format inkjet printing. The ink and media must be selected for the desired longevity and durability, whether days or years.

Custom wall coverings.

Decorative wallpaper, known as “wall coverings,” for industrial use in hotels, restaurants and office buildings where paper isn’t strong enough, can now be printed by inkjet, either on paper or PVC. The process can be used for making custom patterns and murals that no one else has, or for prototyping mass-produced coverings to be printed by gravure.

Figure 5: Backlit graphics require special transparent or translucent material that is illuminated from behind using fluorescent or, more recently, LED displays.

Custom fabrics.

Fabrics printed by inkjet can be used for custom-made curtains, room dividers, furniture (Figure 7), and clothing (Figure 8).

Fabric with the greatest printability and colour gamut includes at least some polyester. As with wall coverings, inkjet can be used to print unique products or for prototyping products for the mass market.

Speciality media. A variety of even more specialized media is available for unique applications. Vehicle wraps (Figure 9)

February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

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Your perfect connection to the printing and graphic arts industry

Rich Adams

Sign business

Figure 8: Fabrics can be inkjet printed to make custom or prototype furniture or garments.

Figure 6: Floor graphics call for durable ink and media that’s also slip-resistant.

2. How long should it last? This will determine the quality and durability of media, ink and (if necessary) laminate that must be used. Longevity can be quoted in days, weeks, months, or years. For example, banners for trade shows or events may need to last only a few days, while a truck graphic would need to last several years. are very popular, where a car or bus is turned into a moving billboard. Vehicle wraps require special media that adheres securely, but can be removed without damaging the paint. The design continues from the body of the vehicle onto the windows with perforated media that allows occupants to see what’s outside. Reflective media is available for signs and for automobile and truck graphics. Corrugated paper and plastic laminate can be used to make point-of-purchase displays, including unique product stands and holders for retail display.

How to Buy Large-Format Printing Large-format inkjet printing offers many opportunities for creative expression and attracting attention. To make intelligent buying decisions, the print buyer should know: 1. What is the application? Is it a poster, banner, floor graphic, point-of-purchase display, backlit graphic, vehicle wrap, or truck sign? This will determine the type of printer and media necessary.

3. What is the size? This will determine the size of printer and media needed, as well as the cost of the media.

Some specialized media can be very expensive, such as see-through (Figure 10), perforated and reflective, as well as artistic media, like acid-free watercolour paper and canvas.

4. What files are necessary? Files for type and flat colour could be resolution-independent vector graphics created in Adobe Illustrator or CorelDRAW, while photos would need to be captured on a digital camera and processed in a program like Photoshop or Corel Photo Paint. Probably every demo centre manager has had to explain to a prospective customer that the 250-KB, 4×6inch image does not have a high enough resolution to make a 2×3-foot poster. On the other hand, some printers that do artistic reproductions send out the image capture to a studio with an expensive, large-format digital camera that can take a 20 or 40-megapixel file.

Selected Manufacturers PRINTERS Epson. www.epson.com Agfa. www.agfa.com Fuji. www.fujigraphics.com Roland. www.rolanddg.com Mimaki. www.mimakiusa.com Mutoh. www.mutoh.com

RIPS Onyx Graphics. www.onyxgfx.com SA International. www.saintl.biz Wasatch Computer Technology. www.wasatch.com Electronics for Imaging. www.efi.com Figure 7

COLOUR MANAGEMENT X-Rite. www.xrite.com

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Image Resolution for Inkjet Printing For people with a background in traditional graphic arts, one thing that may be hard to get used to is that the image resolution requirements for large-format inkjet printed work are different from those for traditional printing. The recommended resolution for lithographic printing at normal viewing distance is twice the screen ruling, or 300-350 ppi for commercialquality work. However, this applies to images seen at normal viewing distance, i.e., 14 inches.

In large format, a lot of images are obviously reproduced at larger sizes for viewing at longer distances. A commonly used formula says that the viewing distance for a document is normally equal to the diagonal. That is, if you produce a 3 x 4-foot poster, people could be expected to view this at a distance equal to the diagonal, which is a little more than 4 feet.

(A geek could calculate the exact distance using the distance formula.) Recommended resolutions range from 200 ppi at normal viewing distance to 50 ppi for a large billboard that’s far away. The recommendations start at 200 ppi and not 300-350 because resolution requirements are lower for inkjet, since it uses stochastic screening.

Figure 10: 3M’s rear-projection media looks clear from behind but shows video images or still photos projected in the front.

A good example of this is a movie poster, which is intended to be viewed from several feet away. Up close, the poster may look pixelized, but when standing back you cannot see the pixels.

Rich Adams is assistant professor in Ryerson’s School of Graphic Communications Management. Previously he was a research scientist, trainer, writer, and consultant for the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation and was involved in inkjet printing at the Graphic Intelligence Agency. He has an M.S. in Printing Technology from RIT. February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

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Your perfect connection to the printing and graphic arts industry

Tim Mitra

Te c h n o l o g y

Sharing

on Social Networks My friend and I regularly share files. Can we use a USB stick or is there something else we can use so that we don’t burn CDs? He’s on a PC and I’m on a Mac.

said no. I suggested that he unsubscribe while we investigate the issue. What is your take on Facebook?

Facebook is becoming a necessary part of your digital life more and more. It has many good points, such as allowing families and friends to keep in touch, as well as allowing Facebook users, or “fans,” to follow people and companies that they are interested in.

Yes, you certainly could use a USB stick, or thumb drives. They’re usually formatted for use on Windows PCs, which means your friend can also read and write on it using a Mac. Using “file transfer” services is often the most cost-effective and convenient method. Lately, I’ve been recommending that users check out Dropbox. All you need to do is create an account on dropbox.com and you’ll get 2 GB of free storage space. Once you’ve got your account set up, you create a folder and invite your friend to share the folder. Your friend will also get 2 GB of free storage and he can invite his friends to share, and so on, and so on.

In the area of web development, we are finding more and more websites are using Facebook accounts to authenticate users. The benefit of that is that the end user has only one account that they need to manage. By authenticating themselves against Facebook, they are able to access other sites quite easily. This is also more convenient for the developers.

There are ways you can monitor your son’s use of FaceBook.

First of all you should have an open honest discussion with him about the dangers of using a service like Facebook.

Make sure he’s aware about such things as Internet bullying and that there are unscrupulous people out there who will take advantage of him if he’s not careful. You can insist that he add a trusted friend, such as a favourite aunt or uncle.

Also when you set up an account don’t publish your birth year and don’t put too much personal information on it, such as a cell phone number. In the excitement of social networking people often lose sight of things that should be kept private.

Dropbox is a really handy tool for sharing files with people across multiple platforms. Each user creates his or her own account and password so there’s no confusion about setting up and remembering passwords and letting people know what your own settings are. That’s great for security as well.

All the files stored on Dropbox are encrypted so your data is secure. If you need more space you can certainly buy more with their monthly hosting plans.

You can access Dropbox with a web browser and instantly start sharing files. You can also download a client for Macintosh or Windows, iPad, iPhone, Android and BlackBerry operating systems. More and more app developers are including Dropbox as a storage location. For a lot of people this is their first foray into Cloud computing by extending their file system into the Cloud.

Also make sure that your son understands that he is the master of his destiny, not Facebook, or Apple or Microsoft. In the light of wikileaks, keep in mind that if something is “nobody’s business” then it doesn’t belong online.

A. Timothy Mitra, BFA Application Developer and iT Guy iT Guy Technologies www.it-guy.com

I am asking for an opinion on this one. I am very suspicious of Facebook. My young son wanted very desperately to have an account, so much so that he has created his own account after I

February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

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Your perfect connection to the printing and graphic arts industry

Tony Curcio

For the record

For the record Jeff Ekstein

This month, I spoke with Jeff Ekstein who has a unique perspective on the Canadian printing industry. He is President and CEO of Willow Printing Group, headquartered in Concord, Ontario; Co-Chair of CPISC (Canadian Printing Industries Sector Council); Director of CPIA (Canadian Printing Industries Association); and, more recently, Jeff was appointed Secretary of the Printing Industries of America (PIA). And, he has no shortage of opinions on our industry, what we need to do to survive and thrive, and what the immediate future holds.

Printing used to be viewed as a job for life, aided by the fact that many shops were family-run organizations and were passed along to their children. For instance, I am the third generation in my family business and I grew up in the industry. There are still many families in our industry today, and we must encourage young people – show them what a great industry we have and get them to embrace this fascinating technology as a key component of integrated marketing.

What are the challenges that face us in the near future?

Print is still extremely important in our everyday lives. It’s all around us, but consumers often take it for granted and seldom give it a second thought. In the same way, I feel that many members of our industry have become complacent when it comes to contributing to important industry associations. Contributing time, expertise and sometimes money to industry associations helps to create solutions for our current and future challenges. Many of these organizations, such as CPISC, CPIA, PIA and numerous others, do worthwhile work and we should be more open to helping them because in the long run, they help us.

Willow has successfully navigated through this flat economy. What factors have played a role in your success?

Yes, it’s a tough economy and print share-of-market continues to diminish. Yet in 2010, Willow had an excellent year. First and foremost, we have a superb team of 35 hard-working and experienced team players. But our ongoing success, I believe, has been in identifying and predicting trends and acting well ahead of time. We do a strategic plan every year and are focused on aligning our team and resources so that everyone is pulling in the same direction.

We sat down as far back as the year 2000 and formulated a long-range strategic plan. We saw what lay ahead and knew in advance where we wanted to be at any specific time. Then, we followed-up at every monthly management meeting to assure that we were on course. For example, much of our printing was and still is distributed through the mail, so it made perfect sense to purchase a mailing company. Next, we were flexible and created strategic alliances that moved our company forward. Also, we found ways to add value to our customers’ businesses, rather than engage in cut-throat pricing. Finally, we have been able to continually differentiate ourselves from our competition by making Willow a key resource for many different types of clients.

Another future concern is Canada’s strong dollar coupled with America’s current struggling economy. And yes, while our loss in consumer confidence in Canada has not had as much of an impact as it has in the U.S., the end result will likely be fewer exports of printing and products that support printing heading south to our largest trading partner. This, coupled with the fact that print may still experience further decline in “the mix” makes me believe that 2011 will be a tough year for all of North America, not just Canada.

Any final advice?

Absolutely. Don’t give it away. As an industry, we have to work together to stay focused and bring the value back to print in order to stop the downward spiraling of pricing that turns it into a commodity. This shortsighted approach is contributing to the demise of our great industry. Be innovative and create new products that bring value to your customers.

We must maintain standards and keep them high if we are to grow and prosper.

As a Co-Chair of CPISC, can you give me an overview of the Canadian printing industry today and what we need to do to improve?

Any organization takes time to gain credibility. I believe that in our relatively short existence, CPISC has earned that respect, but more importantly, we have put standards and tools in place and the next phase is to implement them.

My immediate concern is that the baby boomers in our industry are retiring and there will be a shortage of skilled labour in the near future. On top of this, we must do more to attract younger people and make our industry more alluring as a career choice.

February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

Tony Curcio ajg.curcio@gmail.com

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Product Profile

Product Profile

This month’s topic: Large-format Digital As businesses become progressively more advertising-reliant (including signage for every imaginable product and service on the market) and companies drive to customize this advertising to an increasingly focused audience, largeformat digital printers will be at the forefront of production for short-run needs. Digital flatbed and roll-to-roll systems allow printing houses to provide efficient schedules and produce as few as one copy to satisfy increasing customer expectations. Increasing use of vibrant colours and detailed graphics demand high-quality equipment that will please even the toughest client’s critical eye. Below are seven large-format digital devices that will print everything from signage, to vehicle wraps, to fabrics.

Roland’s “Intelligent Pass Control” technology that eliminates banding. Automated maintenance, Ethernet connectivity and take-up roll system add to this technology’s capabilities. The VersaCAMM is up to 50 percent faster in “standard” print mode than past models and can be purchased in four, six or eight unit ink configurations for enhanced colour fidelity (including metallic options).

MIMAKI

Mimaki introduced its Tx400-1800B printer approximately one year ago, which is a direct-to-textile dye sublimation inkjet device, revolutionizing the way fabric can be printed.

Mimaki’s Adhesive Belt Carrier System ensures the fabric is fed properly into the printer and does not stretch or contract during production. Textile printing that would traditionally be achieved through a screen process can now be achieved ondemand via inkjet technology. Other unique features of this textile printer include Mimaki’s UISS (Uninterrupted Ink Supply System) that automatically switches empty ink cartridges to full ones for long, unattended runs. The Tx400-1800B can print 25 square metres per hour in 8-colour mode (600 × 600 dpi).

EPSON

Epson offers a commercial solvent-based large-format digital printer, the Epson Stylus Pro GS6000, which measures 64 inches wide. This equipment uses Epson’s UltraChrome GS Ink system (eight colours for increased gamut including CMYK, light cyan, light magenta, orange and green) that eliminates the need for air purification systems because of the reduced VOC emissions and additional toxins removed, making the system nearly odourless. Decreased VOCs makes this system safer for employees and the environment, alike.

The ink system is also “hot-swappable” and there is a media take-up reel for increased productivity.

HP

The HP Scitex FB700 printer delivers a robust combination of efficiency, quality and flexibility, with added innovative features that make HP famous. This device uses UV-curable, pigment-based ink to print on flexible or rigid media up to 2.5 inches deep. Interruptions and downtime are reduced because there is no daily print head maintenance required and HP’s Embedded Web Server allows for remote monitoring of the system. Functionality, such as white ink application, double-sided printing capabilities, matte and gloss options, as well as full bleed allowance are incorporated. Lastly, operators can load up to six sheets of media, print and collect the finished product simultaneously, allowing for increased productivity.

AGFA

In 2010, Agfa Graphics introduced the newest member to its :Jeti family of products, the :Jeti 3020 Titan. Agfa Graphics’ Director of Marketing, Deborah Hutcheson, believes that “new high margin printed and high demand applications like retail signage, tradeshow graphics [and] fleet graphics are the future.” The :Jeti 3020 Titan offers a range of capabilities based on production needs, including 10 different levels of speed and capability, from a 16-head unit printing at 113m2 per hour to a 48-head unit capable of printing at 226m2 per hour.

MUTOH

FUJIFILM

Mutoh’s ValueJet 1618-64” Dual Headed, 8 Channel printer uses the Drop-on-Demand Piezo drive method to produce exceptional print quality. Mutoh has created an Intelligent Interweaving print technique called i2 that lays down the ink in optimized wave patterns, versus straight lines for increased speed and quality. i2 virtually eliminates banding and mottle and allows for up to 480 square feet of printing per hour in production mode. This device is capable of printing on coated and uncoated media up to 63.97 inches wide.

Fujifilm’s most advanced wide-format UV digital imaging printer, the Acuity Advance HS, is one option in the line of Acuity UV devices. The Acuity Advance HS has the highest productivity (up to 657 ft 2 per hour in new “express” mode for billboard quality prints) and lowest ink consumption (8 ml per m2 on average) in its class. The flatbed allows for full-bleed printing on rigid substrates, and independent roll media option allows for independent loading and production of flatbed and roll systems. Additionally, the Acuity Advance HS inking system permits white ink to be printed in-line and allows for up to three distinct layers to be applied on any job with opaque Uvijet white ink.

Diana Brown is an account executive in the Trade Book Publishing division with Toronto-based book printer, Webcom Inc. diana.brown@webcomlink.com

ROLAND

Roland’s line of VersaCAMM wide-format inkjet printers are available in 42 inch, 54 inch or 64 inch model widths. The VersaCAMM has integrated print/cut capabilities, as well as

February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

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Tony Curcio

Bindery

Folding vs creasing Creasing versus Scoring

finished documents that need to be folded.

There are several methods of scoring paper or card substrates. However, we will focus on the two most common processes today – rotary scoring and creasing.

To eliminate these problems, a whole range of table-top and fully automated mini-creasers are available. Morgana started the trend in 1998 with the table-top, hand-operated Docucrease. Since then, digital printers have bought creasers in the thousands. PreLOWER viously, the only way they achieved this CREASING quality of crease was to use a letterpress.

MATRIX However, with time-consuming setup and overruns required, this was not profitable, especially in the realm of on-demand printing.

Scoring

Most standalone rotary scoring and perforation machines today are air-fed and have a rotary scoring wheel included or available as an option. Traditional rotary scoring devices use circular blades or wheels that are in constant motion as the stock passes through them. This creates a ploughing action, which scores by breaking the surface and fibres of the paper.

This makes rotary scoring suitable for unprinted paper as well as some printed material in which the ink is absorbed into the sheet (offset), unlike digital toner which sits on the paper surface. With traditional offset, rotary scoring is not a problem.

The ink is absorbed into the paper and has no difficulty flexing to allow the paper to bend around the scoring wheels. In almost all cases, a rotary score should be in the same grain direction as the paper to achieve the maximum quality.

Creasing on these units is done using a creasing rule and matrix action that applies pressure to the paper or card material to create a channel-style crease. This type of scoring is similar to an embossing and weakens the paper fibres.

Unlike a score made with a rotary wheel, the substrate being creased will need to be stopped each time a crease is placed on the sheet, so the process is not as fast. However, a fully automatic creasing will allow multiple creases on a single sheet of paper using just the single-crease matrix. In the world of rotary scoring, you would need to have a scoring wheel for each score. Finally, the appeal of the creaser is broad and has been integrated into other industry sectors such as packaging and greeting cards, in addition to commercial printers.

The appeal of rotary scoring is its high speed as the sheet does not need to stop. Scoring wheels can be applied to folding machines before folding. Add cross-fold attachments, and the sheets can also be scored as they change direction.

Varying thicknesses of scoring wheels can also be attached.

Generally speaking, the thicker the card or paper, the thicker the score will have to be in order to allow the substrate to bend without cracking. Many scoring systems have adjustable lower hubs (see diagram) to allow the adjustment to be made by the operator instead.

Pros and cons of scoring Pros

• High-speed (sheets do not have to stop to be creased) • Scoring can be combined with the other finishing applications (folding/gluing) • Easy adjustment of score width for varying paper thickness

For printers, the challenges begin when they integrate a digital print device into their production workflow and find that their existing rotary scoring will not perform with satisfactory results on the toner. In many instances, a combination of creasing and scoring is needed for outputting both offset and digital.

Cons • Most rotary scoring is on larger commercial equipment and requires setup by skilled operators. Often, machines cannot be set up by digital staff or temps.

• Setup results in more paper waste than creasers.

Creasing

Rotary scoring can be a challenge to the small digital printer because the paper chosen can create problems with finishing.

Extreme heat during printing can cause the sheets to curl or become brittle. And once the toner is applied, it sits on the surface of the paper and is easily removed by a rotary scoring wheel. Printing with the grain running in the wrong direction can create even further difficulties in producing professionally

Pros and cons of creasing Pros

• Matrix style crease is the highest quality (similar to letterpress) • Easy setup – most creasers have simple inch inputs and new creasers are particularly easy to set up and adjust • You can crease across the entire sheet length

ADJUSTABLE HUBS

Cons • Lower operating speed • Must change crease matrix in order to accommodate different crease widths.

Tony Curcio ajg.curcio@gmail.com

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February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

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It’s the number one seller at Sydney Stone for the last five years. As a standalone bookletmaker, the DBM 120 is easy to operate with one touch automated setup of standard sheets sizes and memory for custom booklet sizes. The DBM 120 can be upgraded at anytime from a hand-feed machine to either the industry leading DC 10/ 60 Air or DFC 12 Friction Feed Collator Towers, as well as an affordable face trimmer.

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Affordable and easy to run and with up to 2400 sets per hour, the bookletmaker and face trimmer can also be hand-fed independently from the collator with pre-collated booklets from a digital print device, making this the ideal choice of many of today’s commercial mixed media printers.

Designed for the printer with mid-range production requirements, the System 3500 Collating and Bookletmaking system incorporates up to two high speed DC 10/60 Pro Suction Feed Collators in-line with the fully automatic DBM 350 Bookletmaker and Trimmer. Available at a competitive price the System 3500 allows printing departments and commercial printers to bring their finishing operations in-house.

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Heavy Duty Hohner Heads are automatically adjusted from the main control panel. The DBM 500 bookletmaker can be ordered with two or four stitching heads for two-up applications.

DUPLO 10/60 PRO PUTS YOU IN CONTROL! Unlike any other collator on the market, the Duplo DC 10/60 Pro has a bin size of 2.6” and each collator bin maintains separate fans for air separation and vacuum. This allows the feeding of different stocks without the necessary constant adjustment seen on single pump machines offered by the competition.

Downtime is now dramatically reduced as a special book block function allows continuous, on-the-fly reloading while the other towers are in operation. The Duplo DC 10/60 Pro is the only suction collator on the market to give you total control.

LCD SCREEN & KEYPAD The DC 10/60 Pro’s simple to use touch screen keypad and colour LCD display allow for easy navigation and programming.

REAR STACKER DBM 400 Stacker allows nonstop offset or straight stacking up a 17” pile height.

DUPLO SHEET FEEDING SYSTEMS

DSF 2000

The DSF 2000 feeds up to 200 sheets per minute directly into the versatile DBM 120 S/S Bookletmaker and DBM 120T Face Trimmer.

A sheet counter, end of set mark recognition or optional bar code reader, controls the amount of sheets per set.Combining the advantages of both in line and off line finishing solutions the DSF 5000 and DSF 2000 sheet by sheet feeding systems are designed to serve the growing need of finishing digital print on-demand documents.

DFS 3500

Designed to completely finish full bleed booklets in one pass, the DSF-3500 Bookletmaking System is the ideal slit/crease/fold/trim near-line solution. It combines the slitting and creasing features of the DC-445 Creaser with the stich, fold and trim features of the DBM-350 Bookletmaker to create high quality booklets without the time-consuming set-ups that are common in traditional binding. It can also convert a straight stack of pre-collated output from a production digital colour press into fully finished, full bleed booklets.

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MEET THE OWNERS George Klein – Management Graphics

BUYING A USED DUPLO SYSTEM? WHAT TO KNOW MAINTENANCE PARTS PRICES Almost all Duplo Bookletmakers and Collators have counters which makes it easy to get a feel Suction Belts for DC 10/60 - $7.33 each for just how much production a machine has had in its lifetime - it is common to see cycle counts on Mylar Seperation Tabs for DC 10/60 - 3.84 each machines of 10 million plus. If the machine you are Hohner Stitching Head Clinchers - $18.69 each considering to purchase is under power, then you Feed Belts for DBM 500 - $170.00 will have a better idea of what is working smoothly. Feed Belts for DBM 500T - $95.00/ set Be sure to ask to see a changeover from one size of booklet to another to ensure that all programming controls and automatic mechanical systems activate as they should. For bookletmakers, in-feed belts and delivery belts are worthwhile regular maintenance items, and Hohner stitching heads are easily rebuilt with new clinchers.

In most instances, all that face trimmers will require is in-feed belts and a knife sharpening.

The Duplo DC 10/60 Towers are very robust, a thorough clean up which will include the sensors, combined with new suction belts and Mylar separation tabs for each bin is often all that is required. Budget $500.00 to $1000.00 per tower for parts and labour to bring back to factory spec. For a more thorough evaluation Sydney Stone will be pleased to have one of our specialist technicians evaluate your potential purchase.

“Sydney Stone performed the installation and training and removed the worry for me, from sales to service they know their stuff 110%” George Klein has been in the marketing and printing business for over 30 years and provides high quality marketing, photography and printing services to variety of clients.

With metal fold rollers and fully automated setup the DBM 120 will accept both offset and full gloss digital stocks. George loves the reliability and the ease of use.

Baris Simav – Laservision Graphics Ltd

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Sydney Stone believes that having parts in-stock is crucial to your success. We maintain a large inventory of parts on hand in our Toronto warehouse for immediate dispatch to you directly or as part of a service or maintenance call. Sydney Stone also maintains a full-time inside technical support technician to help you diagnose a problem or find a part number.

Please contact our service department to speak with one of our helpful staff.

YOUR DUPLO SPECIALIST FOR RECONDITIONED EQUIPMENT Sydney Stone understands that buying pre-owned equipment provides your business with a more affordable option, and we currently maintain one of the largest inventories of reconditioned smallformat finishing equipment in Canada.

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Our pride of workmanship is reflected in the warranty provided on all our reconditioned machines. With many machines being available through brokers and online auction, our in-stock parts supply and fully trained service staff allows us to stand behind this commitment. This is the protection that buying from Sydney Stone provides.

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Your perfect connection to the printing and graphic arts industry

Diana Brown

MANAGEMENT

Management 101 Welcome to the first of Graphic Arts Magazine’s 101 series (the “non-print-related” column for the print professional)!

The intent of this article is to provide you with some basic groundwork into proactive management techniques and offer you links to books and electronic resources to learn more for yourself.

or break a successful manager. It is important to remember that employees seldom quit companies. Rather, employees quit their managers in the form of leaving the company.

Acting as an ethical and responsible manager is not rocket science, but cannot be overlooked. For example, a manager must do what they say they are going to do, when they say they are going to do it. This simple concept is important to building employee trust and leading by example. In addition, supporting your team’s ideas and recognizing your team’s successes is very important to maintain working momentum and employee engagement.

“Management” is often defined as the process of dealing with or controlling things or people. As with any activity involving human interaction, there are variables involved that can make

TOP 10 MANAGEMENT GOOD TO KNOW

MBWA (management by walking around) is a technique employed to gather as much information as possible from employees in an informal manner to proactively combat potential issues. Speaking directly with employees enables unfiltered information to be shared that may not present itself in a more formal setting, like on a report. MBWA is a hands-on management style, but the key is to use it in an open and honest capacity and not as a way to micro-manage employees.

1. Listen, listen, listen.

2. Continue to improve your craft by reading relevant materials, participating in seminars or taking classes to broaden your knowledge.

3. Encourage employees to question the status quo for continuous improvement.

4. Bring diverse groups within the organization together to discuss ideas and gain different perspectives.

Whatever type of management style you choose to employ, there are no right or wrong methods. On the contrary, a manager may chose to make use a range of management styles in various environments, or dependent on the nature of the task. Therefore, the best tool in a manager’s tool kit is a willingness to adapt and be flexible to stay relevant to their team.

5. Be honest with your team.

6. Never underestimate the power of recognizing a job well done.

7. Provide a pathway for open two-way communication for continuous feedback.

IN ACTION EXAMPLE

8. Admit your mistakes and take blame for your failures.

Sachin Agarwal worked for Apple Inc. as an engineer for six years and he has taken away some key lessons about the successful execution of Apple’s management techniques.

These best practices draw a direct parallel to the success of the organization as a whole.

9. Be responsive to your team – answering emails and returning phone calls in a timely manner help lead by example.

10. Be genuine and, when appropriate, laugh at yourself.

February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

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Management

For one, Apple is almost completely managed by individuals with strong engineering backgrounds, which harbours respect between various levels in the organization. Small, close-knit projects, driven by long-term goals that push the current technological landscape, is another building block to Apple’s success. Lack of bureaucracy within projects and a mission to improve their own products and focus on their own goals (instead of trying to one-up their competition) is deeply ingrained in Apple’s culture. In addition, Agarwal suggests that his managers at Apple always challenged him with projects slightly above his skill level to encourage employee development.

Another very important policy employed at Apple is the emphasis and requirement of absolute deadlines. It’s not good enough to have innovative and quality products, but they also strive to live up to time commitments and are unwilling to waver on deadlines. Lastly, strong corporate culture, including generous holidays, healthcare and emphasis on work/life balance help keep employees motivated and committed to working hard for the company.

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t

Apple Inc. is breaking the rules when it comes to managing its business and there is no denying its working for them.

Thinking outside the box and simplifying business relationships can improve the efficiency of the entire management process.

First, Break All The Rules: What The Worlds Greatest Managers Do Differently

Jim Collins (Author)

Marcus Buckingham (Author), Curt Coffman (Author)

Author Jim Collins and his team of researchers set out to uncover how and why some companies move from “good to great” and why others fall short. By profiling a selection of Fortune 500 companies that improved over time, Collins and his team narrowed the list down to 11 companies that rose to the top. He unveils that the common trait in all 11 companies, and the apparent key to success, lies in a corporate culture that attracts and promotes disciplined employees. Collins uses examples of his theories throughout the book.

This managerial tool discredits common management myths, tactics and beliefs. Written by management consultants, authors Buckingham and Coffman draw from over 80,000 interviews conducted by the Gallup Organization over 25 years. The outcome of years of primary research is a set of “four keys” to becoming an excellent manager: finding the right fit for employees, focusing on strengths of employees, defining the right results and selecting staff for talent – not simply for knowledge and skills. This toolkit also contains techniques for helping employees perform better in their positions and lays the groundwork for performance-based evaluation.

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ONLINE RESOURCES

The website expands beyond the scope of a management website and encompasses useful information regarding how to run a small business. The management section of the website links to useful articles and is a great jumping off point for managers to increase their understanding and gain perspective.

WEBSITE

www.entrepreneur.com BLOG http://www.entrepreneur.com/feeds/latest.html

The blog associated with this website is a fantastic way for managers to receive topical and relevant daily news…all for free! This blog is updated several times daily and includes such articles as “14 Management Dos and Don’ts to Motivate Employees” and “Three Need-to-Know Technology Trends for 2011.” Organize this blog and others in a free web-based RSS feed reader like Google Reader or receive updates directly via your email in Microsoft Office Outlook 2007.

I have yet to find a more comprehensive website or blog on the topic of business management. Entrepreneur.com (an extension of Entrepreneur Magazine) is full of useful articles, links, free advice from business professionals and a “community board” to facilitate connections with like - minded individuals.

February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

Diana Brown is an account executive in the Trade Book Publishing division with Toronto-based book printer, Webcom Inc. diana.brown@webcomlink.com

36

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Cindy Thai and Ruth Tupe

FYPI

For your print information

Ink viscosity Welcome to a new column dedicated to helping you understand the science behind printing. Before the topic of ink viscosity is addressed, let us begin with a background of your team of authors. RYETAGA (Ryerson Technical Association of the Graphic Arts) is Ryerson University’s official Student Chapter of TAGA (Technical Association of the Graphic Arts).

As Canada’s only TAGA student chapter, RYETAGA student members take part in every aspect of our journal production.

We will be submitting our student journal publication to the competition at the TAGA Annual Technical Conference in March 2011. The TAGA conference provides industry and student members the opportunity to learn about the latest research and technology in the graphic arts industry, through conference presentations, seminars and networking opportunities.

RYETAGA’s student journal publication will be competing against student chapters from other universities to keep the grand prize for best overall student technical journal, the Helmut Kipphan Cup, and the Harvey Levenson prize for the undergraduate research paper at Ryerson University.

Dr. Martin Habekost, professor at the Graphic Communications Management School, advises the team. To learn more, visit our website: www.

RYETAGA.com. We hope you enjoy learning about print.

viscosity of ink. For example, a temperature increase of 5.5°C can reduce the viscosity of a printing ink by 50 percent or more (DeJidas and Destree, 2005). This strong correlation between temperature and ink viscosity can have serious implications. Colour changes on paper can occur over the course of a press run if the ink is not at its optimum temperature. Similar colour variations can occur between printing units if temperature is not kept stable. A cold ink, which will be higher in viscosity than an ink at the proper temperature, is also more likely of promoting picking, where ink pulls fibres from the press sheet, resulting in wasted sheets.

Impact of Viscosity

By understanding what influences ink viscosity, you can be more aware of what impact viscosity has on your printed job. The viscosity of ink characterizes multiple aspects of how well the ink will transfer onto its substrate, thus affecting the quality of the printed image.

Throughout a press run, the properties of the ink’s viscosity can have several effects, on ink absorption, colour strength and drying.

Highly viscous inks can be problematic as a result from the amount of tackiness it has; higher ink tack causes difficult image transfer to the substrate. With low viscosity, inks become more mobile and tend to flow on the printed substrate; this will often result in issues such as a growth in size of halftone dots, which causes the image to lose its sharpness and dirty printing (Akshay, 2007). Therefore, the viscosity of the ink on press dictates the quality of your final printed image.

What is Viscosity?

Viscosity is a measure of a liquid’s ability to resist flow. A thick liquid that does not flow easily has high-viscosity; a thin liquid that readily flows has low-viscosity.

The viscosity of ink strongly affects how it behaves on the press and is ultimately transferred to the sheet.

Conclusion

The ideal ink viscosity depends on the press configuration, since the ink viscosity also has an influence on the ink/water balance. Your ink supplier can recommend the correct ink for your press. The viscosity of ink increases when it is not being worked and decreases when there is a constant applied force. Temperature also plays a factor affecting viscosity. As the temperature of the ink increases, the viscosity decreases.

If the ink is not at the suitable printing standard, the ink’s viscosity increases or decreases to the point where the ink will not transfer properly. That is why it is important to keep the press at a constant temperature to minimize fluctuations in ink viscosity, which could lead to fluctuations in print quality and unacceptable print products.

What Influences Ink Viscosity?

Thixotropy Ink viscosity dictates many aspects of a job. To control your ink’s viscosity, one must understand what causes the inks to have a high or a low viscosity. Liquids such as printing inks have thixotropic qualities. Inks are highly viscous under normal conditions, but will gradually become less viscous as force or stress is applied. To illustrate this phenomenon, consider what happens to an ink over the course of an average press run. Before it is removed from the can, an offset ink behaves more like a semi-solid than a liquid. However, as the press’ rollers work the ink, it becomes less viscous and more fluid in state. We can clearly see that as the ink is subjected to force, it becomes less viscous. This can negatively impact print quality, as low-viscosity inks are less capable of reproducing sharp halftone dots.

Cindy Thai and Ruth Tupe are students who are involved with RYETAGA

Effect of Temperature on Viscosity

Fluctuations in temperature can have a drastic impact on the

February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

38

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Andrea Mahoney

TECHNOLOGY

Use peak season analysis to improve workflow Now that the busy season is over, it’s the perfect time to analyze the results to make improvements for the next year. Looking back on the busy season, problems always cropped up, one or two customers didn’t get the best service and everyone worked extra hours to get everything out the door. Use this time after the rush to gather data for budgeting, hiring and upgrading for the new year.

with them. If problems were the result of customer files, invest in a PDF creation program for them and install it with your own setup. You can also configure a preflight server with a special hot folder for their work to be checked for specific problems.

5. Upgrade automation software including scripts and flows.

Use the data collected from the steps outlined to improve automated workflows by incorporating load balancing, upgraded plug in software and new preflight steps. It is not uncommon to look at your workConcentrate on flow a year later and decide it will eliminating the be much more efficient to approach one recurring the workflow in a different way.

Moving the platform to a faster issue by server may be desired as well. implementing a

1. Get feedback from your entire workforce. This is the first step, and it is important to ask direct questions. Not all employees will volunteer information or be critical, but taking the time to talk directly to everyone will be worthwhile.

You will get information that you can use to improve the entire workflow end to end. Knowing what works and what requires workarounds is key to developing improvements.

2. Peak season highlights the capacity of people and equipment. Look at peak speeds for data transmission, processing, ripping, printing and handling. If you didn’t use automation to keep equipment running off hours, look into it for next year.

Use the data collected to plan balancing strategies, automation strategies and budget for faster equipment or upgrades.

Using the time after the peak seaworkflow strategy son to analyze your methods, equipment and software is key.

Don’t forget to illicit as many opinions from those involved in production to get the complete picture.

This input will give you insight to improve your workflow so it is more efficient and more profitable for the next round.

Upgrade during the period after the rush; this way you can find how to use new features to improve your workflow and be prepared for the next rush.

3. Pinpoint trouble spots that occurred and develop a way to catch known problems before they happen. Analyze rework to determine any recurring issues that happen at peak speed. Concentrate on eliminating the one recurring issue by implementing a workflow strategy. Also, add elements to preflighting software and update your customer service representative’s ability to catch known problems ahead of time.

4. Make sure customers are aware of upgrades put in place especially if they were among those whose service was affected during the peak period. Emphasizing that you are putting time and effort into improvements and that you recognize their service suffered may help with your relationship

February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

Andrea Mahoney designs and installs automated workflows for all types of printing professionals. Tribay, a workflow automation company, offers the tools, training and setup for successful automated workflows.

Visit www.tribay.ca and/or email Andrea at andrea@tribay.ca.

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Sherbrand Industries

Tel: (519) 621-1729 • 866-621-1729 • Fax: (519) 621-1936 E-mail: sherbrand@rogers.com • www.sherbrand.ca

WE NEED USED EQUIPMENT - PRESSES, BINDERY, CONVERTING, ETC SHEET FED PRESSES

BINDERY 1997 MULLER MARTIN PRESTO STITCHER, 4 POCKETS, COVER FEEDER, TRIMMER, BELT DELIVERY, 10+ HRS 2005 BOURG COLLATOR 2 10 BIN TOWERS,STITCHER, FOLDER, SHEETER, STITCHER, FOLDER, SHEETER STAHL FOLDER , 20” W/ R ANGLE, KNIFE FOLD UNIT SULBY VACUUMATIC PAPER COUNTER CHALLENGE EH3A 3 HOLE DRILL GBC SEMI AUTOMATIC COIL INSERTERS, 700 PER HR 2000 DIGICOIL 4.25 X 5” X 14.5” X 12”, COIL AND PUNCH DIE CUTTERS HEIDELBERG 13 X 18 W/ AFTERMARKET FOIL ATTACHMENT HEIDELBERG 10 X 15 WINDMILL HEIDELBERG 10 X 15 WINDMILL W/ FOIL 1981 HEIDELBERG GTP 68,000 13X18 FOILSTAMPER 1996 BLUMER PB-18-1 LABEL HIGH DIE CUTTER, FEEDER, BELT CONVEYOR DELIVERY, COMPUTERIZED 2003 PMC 200, 7” X 8” LABEL DIE CUTTER 1994 GEITZ FSA 7905, 2 DRAW FOILER, DIE CUTTER CHASE & PLATE NON STOP FEEDER & DELIVERY, 2 HONEYCOMBS 2005 BRAUSSE CLAM SHELL DIE CUTTER 50” X 60” VALUE LINE 1050-S AUTOMATIC DIE CUTTING PRESS W/ STRIPPING, 29.5 X 41.25, 25O MAX PRESS LOAD, THOMPSON DIE CUTTER 28”, CLAM SHELL KENSOL HOT STAMPER #K36F3 SHEETERS & SLITTERS 1998 JAGENBERG SYNCHRO-SPRINT 65” SHEETER, 2 SHAFTLESS UNWIND STAND, SLITTING, 2000 CONTECH 80” SHEETER W/SHAFTLESS ROLL STAND KOLBUS SLITTER 55” #KS702 WESTERN GRAPHIC SLITTER 59” COATERS 1996 SAKURAI SC 28/4011 28” X 40” SILK SCREEN PRESS. SPOT & FLOOD COATING, UV DRYER, COVERTI STACKER 1995 SAKURAI SC72A, COATER , UV LIGHTS, IR DRYER,SIZE 28" X 23.6",

1988 HEIDELBERG 102-ZP, TWO COLOR, 28” X 40” 1999 HEIDELBERG 102-2P, 28” X40” 2002 HEIDELBERG CD-74-5-LX FIVE COLOR 23” X 29” AUTOMATED-COATING 1989 HEIDELBERG MOSP-H, SIX COLOR, 19” X 25”, CONSOLE 1997 SM 52-5, 14 X 20, 5COLOR, ALCOLOR 1987 AKIYAMA BT 628, 6 COLOR, 29” 1987 HEIDELBERG 102FP, CPC102, 5 COLOR , ALCOLOR 2000 HEIDELBERG QMDI46-4+, 3+ MILLION IMP, AIRTECH DRYER, PDR SPRAY, HARLEQUIN RIP WEB & FLEXO PRESS KOMORI-CHAMBON 8C ROTOGRAVURE PRESS # 3 (1994-98)

8 UNIT PRESS, 28”

APECO WEB O PRESS16 UNIT PRESS, 16” ROTO PRESS 10” FLEXO PRESS CUTTERS MANDELLI 45” CUTTER , GERGEK COMPUTER 1998 POLAR 137 ED CUTTER W/ POLAR(TR 1ER 145-4 UNLOADER 1989 LAWSON 52” CUTTER, FACTORY COMPUTER, AIR TABLES 1986 LAWSON 60" MPU CUTTER ,LAWSON COMPUTER, DOUBLE END PULL 1986 LAWSON MODEL MPU100, 70" GUILLOTINE CUTTER, WITH LAWSON DIGITAL SPACER; 85” SEYBOLD HYDRAULIC GUILLOTINE CUTTER, MICROCUT COMPUTER, AIR TABLES 100” SEYBOLD CUTTER, MICROCUT COMPUTER 2005 EUROCUTTER 102" PAPER CUTTER,SAFETY LIGHTS 2000 LAWSON 110 ‘ MILL TRIMMER (CUTTER), LAWSON MCC COMPUTER, SAFETY LIGHTS, 1977 LAWSON 110” CUTTER W/ LOADING SYSTEM 1987 LAWSON 87: CUTTER, MICROCUT COMPUTER SCHNEIDER CUTTER 34” #35162

February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

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Your perfect connection to the printing and graphic arts industry

A

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Newman International

North America’s best kept printing industry secret From a quiet office in a tree-lined suburb of Kansas City, John Newman (yes, the John Newman you may already know), has been successfully buying, selling and brokering multi-million-dollar, high-production web presses worldwide.

He is the consummate minimalist as he farms out everything to 24 foreign sales agents, press mechanics, warehouse companies, accountants, riggers, etc., so he can concentrate solely on “the deal.” Newman credits his wife, Mary, with being “the company’s brains and emotional stability,” leaving him free to focus on his real strength – the intuition of the deal.

For 32 years, he has kept Newman International LLC low-key, staying within his niche market – large printers looking to buy and sell very specific web presses for newspapers, magazines, directories, books and bibles. “I’ve always tried to keep our business narrowly focused so transactions can be done thoroughly and well,” he says. “As a result, our business gradually went from brokering to investing and we were able to confidently put our personal investment funds to work.” Newman’s deals would fill every page of this magazine and then some. A few notable Canadian transactions: • Expedited purchase of presses for the largest printer in Argentina. “Within 90 days, two presses in 22 ocean containers formerly owned by ITT Canada were on their way to South America,” Newman recalls.

• Quebecor went to Newman Int. when one of its large web presses had to be moved as a new one arrived.

“We had no immediate buyers but purchased it anyway,” he recalls. “It took sixteen 48-ft. flatbed trucks to get it to the warehouse in Kansas City.”

• He bought a 12-unit Harris Commercial heatset in Rimouski, Nova Scotia for a 20-year customer in Manila, Philippines.

• A 7-unit, V25 newspaper press from Transcontinental’s plant in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia was installed in Campeche, Mexico.

• He bought a newspaper press in St. Catharines, Ontario from a 20-year client and shipped it to Karachi, Pakistan.

Old-fashioned service and a personal approach His patient, amiable demeanor belies his vast knowledge of the printing industry, and web presses, in particular, as he matches buyers with sellers throughout the entire Western Hemisphere. However, it’s his personal, face-to-face approach that separates him from competitors.

“Basically, I travel there, meet the owner in his office, assess if he has the capacity for mutual trust, and if so, continue to visit and develop the relationship,” he says. “In South America, an owner won’t even take you seriously until after the third visit.

Once a good relationship exists, the complexities of transactions vanish because you’re dealing with someone you know. Only three times in 32 years has a client insisted on a letter-of-credit,” Newman adds. It also helps that his total database of large, high-volume web-press printers is relatively small – only 150.

In this day of instant communication, Newman feels that ease of communication has replaced quality of communication. “Perhaps my personal approach is old-fashioned, but it has always been invaluable in this business,” he says. “This lets me utilize my intuitive skills and avoid the pitfalls one can’t recognize from an e-mail response. Then I decide with whom to invest my time and effort.” But while his method is low-key, his knowledge must be cutting-edge. “The circumference of a web press only one centimeter off the optimal for a given large printer can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in paper waste,” he says.

“So, my database also has each client’s current and primary, trimmed product sizes down to a fraction of a centimeter.”

Newman graduated from the University of Missouri with a BA in Economics. In 1972, he went to Brazil on a business program sponsored by the U.S. Peace Corp.

He later joined companies that conducted business in Central and South America. In 1979, he started Newman International and currently has agents and sales associates in just about all Latin American countries.

“We continue to thrive because of all the work and relationships developed over the years, mostly in Brazil,” he adds. Brazil is doing remarkably well despite the world financial crisis and Newman is keeping a sharp eye out for deals and constantly building valuable liaisons.

Of course, it helps when you know most every client from Canada to Chile, know web presses inside-out, are a pleasure to deal with, speak English, Spanish and Portuguese fluently, and have put in enough air miles to fly to the planet Mars and back. I think if there were presses on Mars, John Newman would already have a buyer in mind!

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Your perfect connection to the printing and graphic arts industry

Kristen Read

.comments

.com ments .com ments .comments

The latest activity at graphicartsmag.com

What’s hot? Check out the top 5 most read stories from graphicartsmag.com:

1 2

3 4 5

Printing error on new US $100 bill: a billion-dollar mistake?

The un-printable PDF

Pantone chooses its “Colour of

the Year” for 2011: Honeysuckle

UK’s Royal Mail to issue lenticular

‘Thunderbirds’ stamps Packaging trend predictions for

2011

Talkback Topics - check out what the industry is saying about some of the latest news: Re: The un-printable PDF “The WWF neglect to inform the world that recycling is also a major part of preservation. How many of us use 2 sides of every sheet anyway? Or buy recycled paper?

I have a ton of PDF’s that I have never printed, and keep filed away for reference. So trying to ‘force’ me to not print just turns me off the WWF. The only thing this WILL waste is time, as frustrated people have to then re-contact the provider of the file, to ask for a printable version!”

-Brent

Re: Packaging trend predictions for 2011 “Another trend that’s likely to gain some more traction in 2011 is personalized packaging. Perhaps it can be added to the “Bells and Whistles” section. Consumers are looking for ways to put a personal touch on everyday gift items, and what’s better than adding custom text and photos to a box of chocolate, for example…”

-Christine

We’d love to hear what you think.

Feel free to leave your comments and opinions at graphicartsmag. com and don’t forget to vote on our weekly web polls!

February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

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Data Processing Laser Personalization Canadian and US Mail Sorts Complete Lettershop Services Project Management 750 Birchmount Road, Unit 47 Toronto, ON M1K 5H7 Telephone: 416-755-9494 Fax: 416-755-4343 Contact: Tony Grosso or Rod Jones

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Classified FINE ART INK FOR EPSON Very high quality pigmented fine art ink for Epson Up to 12 colours, archival quality made by a master Symphonic Inks, from A.I.C. inks@scan11.com www.scan11.com

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Your perfect connection to the printing and graphic arts industry

Peter Dulis

Digital

The world of 3D printing expands to build a house In April of last year, we reported on the rapid growth of 3D design technology in product development and online consumer 3D print services, as well as the growing adoption of 3D software in architecture, interior design and manufacturing, resulting in a strong demand for 3D printers to produce these prototypes. As of lately, we have had announcements from an Italian inventor, Enrico Dini, chairman of the company Monolite UK Ltd., who has developed a huge three-dimensional printer called D-Shape that can print entire buildings out of sand and an inorganic binder.

This D-Shape three-dimensional printing apparatus has hundreds of nozzles on its underside, which spray the inorganic binding glue that turns the sand into solid stone and builds up objects in layers from the bottom up. This D-Shape printer can generate a building about four times as fast as the traditional construction method at about half the cost. Less waste left behind also makes the 3D printing process environmentally friendlier than conventional alternatives. The D-Shape printer can easily “print” curved structures that are difficult and expensive to build by other means. Dini is proving the technology by creating a nine-cubic-metre pavilion for a roundabout in the town of Pontedera.

prototypes, casings for medical and electronic devices, camera cases, initial parts for first-run productions, parts for robots and prototype inventions of all sorts. On top of these commercial applications, new online companies, such as Shapeways.com are bringing customized manufacturing to the masses by allowing consumers to submit digital designs of products that are then printed with 3D product prices typically selling for between $50 and $150. Another 3D printing company called Figureprints.com can recreate your favourite World of Warcraft character as a fully detailed 3D replica rivaling the beauty of any miniature figure ever made for $100 and up. Some sculptors use the technology to produce complex shapes for fine arts exhibitions. Opportunities are everywhere!

The printer can be moved along horizontal beams and four vertical columns, and the printer head is raised by only 5-10 mm for each new layer. The printer is driven by a computer running CAD software and prints at a resolution of 25 dots per inch (dpi). The completed material resembles marble, is stronger than concrete and does not need iron reinforcing.

The printing process can successfully create internal curves, partitions, ducting and hollow columns.

Advantages of 3D Printers

In recent years, 3D printers have become financially accessible to small- and medium-sized business, thereby taking prototyping out of the heavy industry and into the office environment. Today’s smaller 3D printers can now easily be used in an office environment. These smaller office-sized 3D printers can make parts with a build size of 8”x10”x8” up to 10”x15”x8” and are easy to use and cheaper to maintain (compared to the older Rapid Prototyping (RP) machines). Both of these printers are used to verify a design, create a prototype, or make a one-off part or proof of concept, but now 3D printers make it a lot more affordable.

Interestingly enough, D-Shape’s next challenge might be building moon bases. Its inventor is currently in talks with the European Space Agency about creating a version of the device that could use lunar dust to build structures on the surface of our nearest celestial neighbour. Dini says his ultimate dream is to complete Guidi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, which has been under construction since 1882 and which is not expected to be completed until 2026 at the earliest.

Also in the news recently was a 3D printer that created a functional flute. While 3D prototyping technologies are not new, the development in both materials and accuracy is allowing for impressive and functional products to be produced. MIT’s Media Lab has created a fully functional flute composed almost completely of printed components. Using an Objet Connex500 3D printer, a flute was crafted in three parts in 15 hours. The printer is the first device to be able to jet multiple materials, which make up the flute. Only the springs required for the keys were added later on. The flute is made out of three materials: one for the body of the instrument, another for the mouthpiece and a third for the seals in the keys.

Summary

If you are looking to expand your revenue stream into a dynamic new market, then 3D printing might be worth a look for you. Add a 3D scanner and you will be able to reproduce real objects in just a few minutes. The real fun of 3D printing will come alive when ordinary consumers at home feel free to let their creativity run wild, and when 3D software programs will become more readily available to the general public. If you can imagine it, you can build it!

Peter Dulis Wide Format Printing Specialist Canon Canada pdulis@rogers.com

Market Opportunities

3D Prototype printing is being used by a variety of industries for a number of different applications. These industries utilize 3D printers to produce architectural models, automotive

February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

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February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

49

Your perfect connection to the printing and graphic arts industry

Kelley Robertson

Sales

Overcoming the dreaded price objection Objections are a natural part of the sales process. Yet, after 15 years of working with salespeople I have found that many have a difficult time dealing with price objections. Here are a few strategies that will help you overcome price objections more effectively.

ively presented your solution. Your prospect may still say, “Your price is too high.” In these situations, the first question you need to ask is, “Compared to what?” This will help you understand why they made that statement. This will help you prepare an appropriate response.

First, it is critical to know that price is not the primary reason people make their buying decision. Unfortunately, too many salespeople fall prey to the myth that price is the only reason people buy a product or service. While this may be the case in some situations, it is seldom the focal point of a person’s final buying decision. Unless you are dealing with someone whose sole focus is to get the lowest price (and that does happen), the best strategy is to effectively demonstrate the value of your product or service.

You may be wondering about situations when the prospect has a certain budget and the price of your solution exceeds that amount. What do you do then?

I will be the first to admit that budgets are always an issue.

We all have to work with budgets and corporate buyers are no different. Here are a few strategies that can help.

1. Deal with the highest level of decision maker possible. High level decision makers will always find a way to pay for a solution IF it makes good fiscal sense. Once again, I bring you back to the importance of demonstrating the value of your solution. If you can effectively demonstrate how your prospects will achieve a good return on investment (ROI) they will find a way to pay for it.

Simple in theory; however, difficult to execute.

Many salespeople use an approach that is ineffective.

They fail to clearly demonstrate the value of their product because they use the same approach when presenting their solution. They use a “canned” pitch which seldom addresses the prospect’s key issues. Even though their solution may be the best, they fail to present it properly.

2. Sometimes budgets can be reworked. I once contacted a company to help me develop a training video. When I mentioned that I had a specific budget to work with, the salesperson immediately asked me when my fiscal year ended. I was working with my current year’s budget and our new year began in three months. He suggested that we arrange the billing so that half of the project was billed in the current year and the remainder was billed at the beginning of the next year.

This helped me arrange the financing and he secured the project.

The key is to ask enough of the right questions to determine exactly what is important to their prospect. Although this is a fundamental step in the sales process, too many salespeople “short-cut” their way through the qualifying stage so they can talk about their product. But this means they end up presenting elements or features of their product that are not relevant to their prospect. Every time you talk about something that is not important to your prospects, their desire to buy drops.

3. If budget is a key issue, consider offering a partial solution (if possible). In some cases, a partial solution may be enough to get the project started while meeting your prospect’s limitations. It doesn’t always make sense, but it can be an alternative.

The trick is to uncover their hot buttons or the impact of their existing problem and focus on showing them how your solution will overcome those problems. Here are a couple of key questions you can ask that will help you achieve this.

4. Be prepared to negotiate. Are there aspects of your solution that can be eliminated or changed so that you can secure the sale AND your prospect gets what he or she wants? Be creative. Consider barter. Think outside the proverbial box and look for ways to make the deal happen without resorting to a straight discount.

“Mr. Prospect, you mentioned that your current vendor was late with their last two deliveries. What did that cost you?”

“What problems did you encounter as a result?”

“How did that affect your business? You personally?”

Price is a factor in every sale; however, it is seldom the primary reason someone makes a buying decision unless, of course, you fail to demonstrate the value of your product or service.

“What will happen if you don’t make a change?”

These are tough questions and they require a certain amount of courage to ask. However, I have learned that most executives will share this information if you summon up the courage to ask them. You may think that these questions are too probing or too personal, but it’s important to know that executives are used to asking tough questions and they respect sales professionals who can do the same.

© 2010 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved. Kelley Robertson, professional speaker www.kelleyrobertson.com 905.633.7750

Let’s say you have asked these types of questions and effect-

February 2011 | Graphic Arts Magazine

50

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