Dec 10
RE: Xerox’s iGen4 has the colour accuracy to take digital print into packaging, Andrew Tribute, PrintWeek, 27 November 2009
In response to this article I emailed Andrew Tribute to clarify a point.
AT: “the really interesting comment came when comparing colour variance from iGen3 to iGen4: the variance was only one Delta E Colour, variance between offset presses typically measures between three and five Delta E.”
CJ: “I believe that I am correct in saying that digital print is not encompassed within the framework set out by 12647-2. However, as you talk of variance, which is an impressive level produced by the iGen4, is the target Delta E comparable to the one set out for offset? And as such how do the printed results compare to the naked eye?”
AT: “I really cannot answer the question as my quote was taken from the quality control manage of one of the leading and largest photobook suppliers in the world. They have HP Indigo 5500, Xerox iGen3 and iGen4 presses. His comment was purely on measurement of the results on the iGen4 taking account of page to page repeatability over a run. Since the company does not run any offset they cannot comment on how the output compares. In terms of 12647 digital print is not covered within 12647-2 nor in any of the other iterations of 12647. One day perhaps it will be! Sorry I cannot be of more help.” He adds, “One additional point. The variance of 1 delta E is better than can be achieved by offset however this is not surprising as there are far fewer variables in the digital process than the offset process.”
Well it appears that that day is about to arrive as prompted by this article gleaned from Printspeak.
This lead me to check it out with the ISO and it would appear that ISO12647-8 is ‘under review’ – The dawn of another new era I suspect!
Tagged with: Colour Management • Packaging • Print
Dec 02
I am posting this blog in response to the release of the 2009 Printweek Top 500 report released this week.
Having been in the print industry for 23 years I have clearly seen many changes. However, the transformation that the industry is going through at the moment is unprecedented. Clearly the accounting period covered by the report is a little out of date but what it does do is highlight the fact that change has been well under way for some time and at this moment we are in a period of accelerated change. The rankings show that you you only needed sales of £452,000 to be included in the UK’s top 500 print businesses in 2009, in comparison to £859,000 in 2008 and £1.9m in 2007 – the point of entry into the list of the UK’s largest printing businesses virtually halving each year over the three year period, even taking into account merger and acquisition activity, is a shocking statistic.
Amazingly, in the word of Printweek columnist Darryl Danielli, it appears that there is hope “On the bright side, it appears that the smaller companies have had a positive impact on the average profit margin of the Top 500, with companies with sales of less than £2.5m typically notching up a 4% pre-tax profit margin – by far the highest of any of the turnover categories – proving that it really can pay to be small”.
Yes, proof that is does pay to be small – being able to be flexible, adaptable and to offer a personal service is clearly a good thing but do pre tax profits of 4% offer hope when credit has been crunched, paper costs are spiraling skywards and debtors are falling over more often than Emile Heskey on a good day?
Clearly the business of print production is unsustainable at this time and it will require print business owners to be more adaptable and open to change than ever before. Certainly the industry has been well known for the poor quality of its representatives and the need for training has never been highlighted more, but being able to add value to a print businesses proposition is key – closer ties and reduced levels of risk are the way forward for all.
Tagged with: Print • Profits
Dec 02
There is clearly nothing like an overdose of spam to hurry things through the system. No not quite another award winning ditty from the Mulberry Square copywriters – just a situation that has come to a head in fact. A few weeks ago we held meetings with a potential new client and what with the pressures of this company fulfilling its daily duties, winning business and attending an exhibition in far flung lands, communication has been limited to say the least… until today that is.
This client had an exchange server installed by Mr IT guy some time ago to work his email through the system and at the same time Mr IT guy organised his email hosting too. To cut what is a short story to the chase, our new client has been overwhelmed ever since by unsolicited approaches by random emails offering to boost his prowess amongst many other things – I think you all get the gist of it! Anyway what we at Mulberry Square have been able to do is recommend our IT guy, Lorne Smith of Unecom, to provide our client with a server solution to suit the size and type of business that it is and switch his email to pop3 or imap email accounts hosted on our reliable UK carbon neutral web hosting servers which feature industry leading spam filtering software which, once installed, will provide our client with virtually spam free email and a much happier demeanour I’m sure!
Tagged with: Carbon Neutral Web Hosting • Spam filtering
