Remember when sending a client a physical proof of a print job was a chargeable service? That seems to have disappeared when we went to electronic distribution and suddenly clients started expecting a free emailed PDF proof. Many challenges arose with this system due to color inconsistency, productivity loss due to multiple revisions, etc. Today’s soft proofing systems offer convenient sharing, color accuracy thanks to screen calibration, automation, enhanced project monitoring, and other benefits that improve your workflow and reduce costs. How can you implement a system like this in your business? Here we spoke with Dan Caldwell, President of Remote Director, on the latest soft proofing innovations and how they can be the solution you’ve been looking for. Want a preview? Before you read this take a guided tour of Remote Director. PIA: What are the downsides of traditional soft proofing? DC: Most people feel that a PDF proof displayed on a monitor should cost nothing. But this has been eroding our value and profits as print providers. It used to be that the physical proof was like a signed “contract” for what we would deliver to our customer as the final job. These contract proofs had value and were charged for as part of the prepress costs. However as desktop publishing and CTP removed the need for creating film-based proofs, we shot ourselves in the foot by devaluing the cost of professionals in prepress. To regain prepress value, we can’t un-ring the bell of emailing free PDFs, but we can offer a better solution to restore value to the client, improve productivity, and create an automated audit trail for comments, revisions, and signoffs that were previously hidden in various email threads.. PIA: What is the solution? DC: Using today’s soft proofing systems, we provide a server-based solution where the final full-resolution files from prepress can be stored for all stakeholders to review. These systems eliminate the need for low-resolution files to be created along with the duplication required by email. PIA: Can you tell us about some of the key benefits of these systems? DC: There are plenty of benefits. For instance some systems can be automated with your current workflow software to provide hands-off creation. Once set up, files are added automatically and reviewers receive an email with the link to open the proof on their desktop. Using the provided tools, users can mark up and sign off on the proof. Another key functionality is the color management these systems provide through screen calibration. As dictated by the prepress coordinator, you can assign each user with a role that defines what tools they have access to. For example a legal viewer would not need the color...

If you read our last post that gave a sneak peek at Think Patented, host of the of the 2015 Automation Solutions Network Meeting, February 25–26, in Miamisburg, Ohio, you’ll probably want to know that there’s an additional second tour as part of this ASN Meeting. Kodak Inkjet Printing Solutions, a sizeable component of Kodak’s worldwide operations, is headquartered in Dayton and will host this Special Evening Event. It’s an opportunity to network and discover how and why inkjet printing is transforming the industry. After a dinner reception, your tour guides will lead you through their impressive facility where you’ll take part in print demonstrations while discussing the technologies with your peers. You’ll not only witness Kodak’s inkjet presses and imprinting systems in action, but learn about the science and unique capabilities of inkjet systems. The Dayton facility is where Kodak designs and manufactures its equipment, ink, and print heads.   High-speed inkjet technologies are having a significant impact on the printing industry since they offer cost-effective solution for variable, short and medium run printing. They give printers new capabilities and market opportunities and can shift work from higher-cost production methods. The growing array of equipment (now 15 suppliers with more than 60 models) targets various markets—transactional, trans-promotional, books, direct mail, newspapers, catalogs, brochures, newsletters, and packaging. You can find detailed information on the different solutions at www.printing.org/inkjetproducts, including the Kodak PROSPER presses featured on the tour. It is an exciting time of transition in the communications industry, and production inkjet is going to be an important facilitator for many of the changes occurring. Staying aware of inkjet developments is crucial for printing companies planning for the future. The February 25 tour to Kodak Inkjet Printing Solutions is a great way to do that.   You can experience the Kodak Inkjet Printing Solutions tour as part of the 2015 Automation Solutions Network Meeting, February 25–2, in Miamisburg, Ohio, hosted by Think...

If you read our last post that gave a sneak peek at Think Patented, host of the of the 2015 Automation Solutions Network Meeting, February 25–26, in Miamisburg, Ohio, you’ll probably want to know that there’s an additional second tour as part of this ASN Meeting. Kodak Inkjet Printing Solutions, a sizeable component of Kodak’s worldwide operations, is headquartered in Dayton and will host this Special Evening Event. It’s an opportunity to network and discover how and why inkjet printing is transforming the industry. After a dinner reception, your tour guides will lead you through their impressive facility where you’ll take part in print demonstrations while discussing the technologies with your peers. You’ll not only witness Kodak’s inkjet presses and imprinting systems in action, but learn about the science and unique capabilities of inkjet systems. The Dayton facility is where Kodak designs and manufactures its equipment, ink, and print heads.   High-speed inkjet technologies are having a significant impact on the printing industry since they offer cost-effective solution for variable, short and medium run printing. They give printers new capabilities and market opportunities and can shift work from higher-cost production methods. The growing array of equipment (now 15 suppliers with more than 60 models) targets various markets—transactional, trans-promotional, books, direct mail, newspapers, catalogs, brochures, newsletters, and packaging. You can find detailed information on the different solutions at www.printing.org/inkjetproducts, including the Kodak PROSPER presses featured on the tour. It is an exciting time of transition in the communications industry, and production inkjet is going to be an important facilitator for many of the changes occurring. Staying aware of inkjet developments is crucial for printing companies planning for the future. The February 25 tour to Kodak Inkjet Printing Solutions is a great way to do that.   You can experience the Kodak Inkjet Printing Solutions tour as part of the 2015 Automation Solutions Network Meeting, February 25–2, in Miamisburg, Ohio, hosted by Think...

Helping companies produce accurate, consistent color is a full-time job for Dillon Mooney. As our Technical Consultant for the Center for Technology and Research, Dillon, a 30-plus-year industry veteran, has encountered many of the challenges your company faces each day. Here Dillon dishes five key improvements you can make today to get the consistent color your customers demand. (Psssst! If you’ve ever called our Technical Hotline, you probably already know Dillon—he answers more than 1,500 inquiries a year!) The success of color management depends on consistency of the output devices. Once color management is implemented, it must be managed through process controls to maintain its repeatability. Run color bars on all jobs and include solid ink density patches, gray balance patches, 50% tint patches, and overprint patches to measure wet trapping. If you don’t measure it, you cannot control it! Consider using under some Gray Component Replacement (GCR). These techniques remove some of the CMY that makes up the grays and add weight to the K separation. This makes it easier to control the color on press. To ensure your presses are printing consistently, first check that the solid ink densities are running at you shop’s standards. Additionally the tonal value increase (TVI or dot gain) values should be in an acceptable range. Once you’ve created a color profile, it will only work if the press is printing with the same attributes. To monitor this, make sure to regularly measure the solid ink densities, TVI, gray balance, and wet trapping values. If different solid ink densities are run on different jobs, the ink film thickness differences can affect TVI, gray balance and wet trapping. Slurring creates differences in TVI and will cause a shift in the color of a process image. Random slurring can cause the appearance of the color to change from sheet to sheet. A good slur indicator is the Ladder Bars on Printing Industries Test Forms. Star Targets included in our color bars will also detect slurring. Maintaining the consistency of the output of the press also involves standardizing consumables, including ink, plates, and fountain solution. Use process inks that are ISO 2846-1 compliant. ISO 2844-1 inks are going to have very similar hue and saturation levels, and are specified in the G-7 methodology. Any time a different plate, blanket, fountain solution, or ink is used, check your process control aim points to ensure the press is printing the same way it was when the color management profile was created. Implement a preventive maintenance program that includes a good roller wash-up, deglazing, and roller setting procedure. For color management profiles to match your output, you need to address maintenance issues or face a gradual decline of...

Helping companies produce accurate, consistent color is a full-time job for Dillon Mooney. As our Technical Consultant for the Center for Technology and Research, Dillon, a 30-plus-year industry veteran, has encountered many of the challenges your company faces each day. Here Dillon dishes five key improvements you can make today to get the consistent color your customers demand. (Psssst! If you’ve ever called our Technical Hotline, you probably already know Dillon—he answers more than 1,500 inquiries a year!) The success of color management depends on consistency of the output devices. Once color management is implemented, it must be managed through process controls to maintain its repeatability. Run color bars on all jobs and include solid ink density patches, gray balance patches, 50% tint patches, and overprint patches to measure wet trapping. If you don’t measure it, you cannot control it! Consider using under some Gray Component Replacement (GCR). These techniques remove some of the CMY that makes up the grays and add weight to the K separation. This makes it easier to control the color on press. To ensure your presses are printing consistently, first check that the solid ink densities are running at you shop’s standards. Additionally the tonal value increase (TVI or dot gain) values should be in an acceptable range. Once you’ve created a color profile, it will only work if the press is printing with the same attributes. To monitor this, make sure to regularly measure the solid ink densities, TVI, gray balance, and wet trapping values. If different solid ink densities are run on different jobs, the ink film thickness differences can affect TVI, gray balance and wet trapping. Slurring creates differences in TVI and will cause a shift in the color of a process image. Random slurring can cause the appearance of the color to change from sheet to sheet. A good slur indicator is the Ladder Bars on Printing Industries Test Forms. Star Targets included in our color bars will also detect slurring. Maintaining the consistency of the output of the press also involves standardizing consumables, including ink, plates, and fountain solution. Use process inks that are ISO 2846-1 compliant. ISO 2844-1 inks are going to have very similar hue and saturation levels, and are specified in the G-7 methodology. Any time a different plate, blanket, fountain solution, or ink is used, check your process control aim points to ensure the press is printing the same way it was when the color management profile was created. Implement a preventive maintenance program that includes a good roller wash-up, deglazing, and roller setting procedure. For color management profiles to match your output, you need to address maintenance issues or face a gradual decline of...

As printing companies expand, sooner or later, they outgrow their Management Information System (MIS). Software must meet current needs by providing e-commerce, file submission, and more end-to-end solutions. If you’ve ever had to purchase a new MIS, you know it can be a daunting task. There is a lot riding on this one integral software solution that must integrate seamlessly into many different parts of the production process. Plus it’s extremely challenging to calculate the ROI, because of the fact that it is a software solution. How would you like to be able to compare and analyze a variety of different MIS?  A new Technology Bulletin just released from the Center for Technology and Research, the 2014 Printing Industries of America Survey of Management Information Systems,  profiles 49 different software programs. We asked each vendor to dish all of the details on their software so you can compare them side by side. The result is more than 300 pages of invaluable data to help you choose the right MIS to gain new efficiencies and a greater ROI. Solutions You Need to Know Section one lets you see the actual survey results from all 49 vendors. From accounting and estimating functions to real-time data collection, this feedback is especially helpful in getting a comprehensive understanding of each vendor’s capabilities. Then, in section two, all that data is collated into a convenient overview of all of the companies. Break It Down Many printers have specific needs that their new MIS must meet, whether it’s cost, specific functionality, operating system compatibility, and so forth. Each MIS is broken down based on these different criteria to allow you to directly compare based on the needs of your operation. Case Studies and User Feedback Before making this important purchase decision, become a better-informed buyer. New for 2014, the MIS Survey also provides additional resources with company case studies and customer testimonials. You can also read vendor white papers and press releases on the software.                 The 2014 MIS Survey is available free for Printing Industries of America members at www.printing.org/free(you must be logged in to our website as a...