Printing & Copying

I have a special relationship with mice although being scared stiff by them when they enter my home, but that is only the furry kind. I have a few other mice in my life of the human kind and they mean the world to me, particular the eldest and original one of them...

My Mouse © Irene Lundgaard

Today I was watching paint dry, again, while doing my job and I had a random piece of doodle paper out and only the pens and this is what spilled onto the page. A cute mouse with printing potential. I bet ya actually that it will print up just nicely, I just wonder when...

It seems like every day I come in to Independent Printing, I see we're looking at another eco-friendly initiative. We are now a SmartWay Transport Partner, the Environmental Protection Agency's program to promote a stronger economy and a healthier environment.

We are currently updating our fleet of delivery vehicles to the Freightliner Sprinter trucks. With their 5 cylinder engines we average 23 MPG versus conventional shipping vehicles getting 13 MPG.

These delivery vehicles are pretty neat, and now we can finally see the technology of the automotive finally paying off in the commercial arena. I've even read a road test article in Road & Track Magazine about these machines. While they hardly live up to their namesake (on the track that is), it's an efficient and reliable direction for the state of commercial delivery vehicles. Besides, I think it's pretty clear that a Ferrari cannot deliver much more than a coin purse in addition to the driver. However, we do let our delivery drivers wear Ferrari undergarments. From what I hear, you get nearly the same thrill.

At any rate, SmartWay is the smart way to transport, and I recommend your company check it out to not only reduce fuel costs but also to help out the good 'ol air we breathe.

Find out more about SmartWay here http://www.epa.gov/smartway/

CV. CAVKRAWALA tempat di mana aku bekerja dan aku mengakses internet dengan free, cakrawala adalah perusahaan yang bergerak di bidang printing dan advertising.

Beberapa universitas dan perusahaan ternama telah mempercayai kami untuk mengerjakan segala kebutuhan cetaknya.

cakrawala terletak di jl. kusuma berbek waru sidoarjo

no telp yang dapat di hubungi (031) 8668881

atau web www.cakrawala-print.com email cakra_print@yahoo.com

sedang kan untuk web ku silahkan kunjungi wwwhijria.multiply.com, www.myspace.com/suyanto, http://KlubPulsa.com/?id=hijria

There has been a lot of news about Miley Cyrus aka Hannah Montana - with her purportedly billion-dollar worth of franchise and now her transition from tween-queen to the ranks of Mickey Mouse graduates like the Olsen twins and La Loha. This time around, it’s about the flesh-baring photo shoot with world-renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz.

Not too many people make the right choices, but I think Miley Cyrus did. How can you go wrong working with Annie Leibovitz? Her substantial work and profile of business clients says it all.  If you want to break away from the bopping-kid crowd as your target market, how else would you have it? A summer-thriller film?

Annie Leibovitz is an icon herself. The legendary shutterbug who captured John Lennon and Yoko Ono for an album cover before he was killed hours later has also captured the smiles of Angelina Jolie, the controversial and then pregnant Demi Moore, Queen Elizabeth and of course, Susan Sontag. If I could instantly whip up a portfolio of her works right here, right now either online or custom brochure printing, you’d know just who Annie Leibovitz is.

And now, publicity statements are flying off from all across directions. It’s quite insulting to Annie Leibovitz if you ask me, with all these negative feedbacks that they spun off from the picture and the shoot just to make it all the more bigger, controversial, and talked about. It’s just the hypocrisy which I can’t stand. Now, everybody is speculating online or on print, from tabloids to blogs and more.

Miley Cyrus is saying sorry to her fans. Her parents are now saying “shame on you”. I say what gives?! Wasn’t this all set-up like an initiation that Miley Cyrus has indeed made it? No one else would have captured a much better picture, a picture that will be remembered years from now - all with the great eye and aesthetic taste of an Annie Leibovitz.

Interpret the photograph anyway you want it. In the end, you’ll see what it truly reveals – like the saying truth is beauty, beauty is truth - that is all ye need to know.

So I say brava! While the mouseketeer graduates are crashing their cars, guzzling their booze, and checking in rehabs, yours is a road way safer than the others and more tasteful.

...an attempt to add some important information about the issues, discussions and concerns facing today’s printing industry.  Bear with me as things may have an ebb and flow to them as we get started.  From time to time we will pull from many different viewpoints, writers and associtions, but I'd like to think that's why we have blogs, to interact with one another and to help define some rare and what may seem like some very peculiar thought processes.

Recently I was reading about some of the issues faced with print buyers.  Margie Dana and Frank Romano from WhatTheyThink.com write that they often have a lack of formal training, low awareness by management about what they do, having limited resources for education and professional development, and more.  I've talked to few now and perhaps they are right.   Noel Ward another writer suggested, "why do we need people who’s job title is “print buyer” at all?  Is the the title on the verge of being relegated to history like those of color separator or stripper?”  He say's he's not being contentious or merely cynical.  He adds, "I used run a massive customer satisfaction program and part of my responsibility was buying all the print–several hundred thousand dollars a year, both digital and offset. I worked with a number of printers who were happy to educate me and help me along. I got comparative bids on everything, asked about better ways to do what we were doing, and made the decisions based primarily on price, service, added value, and relationship–all weighed about equally. On other projects at that firm and in a later job as a marketing director, quality was also an issue along with how well the printer could provide die-cutting, bindery and other services.  While more knowledge on my part would have been useful at times, the last thing I needed was a “print buyer.” I could rely on in-house and external graphic designers to handle things I couldn’t or I’d work with printers I trusted. In many cases, I negotiated better deals than the designers would. Our jobs always came in on time, on budget (we always got multiple bids) and the quality was fine."

It seems that Noel used his ability to understand where his strengths and weakness lied and delegated well when it came to getting a printed piece priced...again this is not rocket science. it still isn’t today, although more knowledge is always helpful.  Still, with so many different people buying print these days, the title of print buyer is becoming meaningless. There’s nothing wrong with this provided –and this is critical– whoever is doing the buying is being educated and informed about how to do that part of their job better. This is especially true for people who may be in a purchasing department and are signing off on truck load of office furniture the same day they are buying $200,000 worth of printing. It also holds true for graphic designers, marketing people and others who, like I once did, have to buy print as part of their job.

Most print has become a commodity, but an educated buyer (whatever their job title) of that print can add value for their employers by finding print providers who can add value to every job. With digital print– especially variable data– buying printing is not just putting ink on a page. This requires both marketing folks and “print buyers” to understand the entire value proposition. That requires ongoing education and resources, no matter what the job title may be. 

Hmmm, perhaps price shouldn't be the final factor!!!

Web 2.0 standards have challenged most industries. Increased digital literacies and high functionalities of other products have consumers asking for more than just static content. This paper will analyze the conflicting agents working against a more universal use of the electronic book.

Just received my latest copy of Deliver magazine. I'm in love with the paper and the vibrant colors produced on a matte stock. Not your typical magazine paper. I don't know the grade, but it made by Mohawk and is FSC-certified. Awesome. Nice choice.

If you own a printer, you'll know how expensive it is to buy new print cartridges. There are refilling centres which will refill cartridges for you but they sometimes use inferior quality ink and can either ruin the cartridge or worse the printer.

Enter Cartridge World, an international franchisee chain that specialises in the printing business.

I went to get a printer cartridge refilled, one that wasn't working well and they refilled it. I tested the cartridge and it worked fine. The guy at the Koramangala franchise was really nice and went that extra half-mile that makes a difference to you as a customer.

Cartridge World gives a one-month guarantee on their refilled cartridges and they'll even pick up and drop off the cartridges from wherever you are, for free.

Of course, the benefits of refilling the ink instead of buying a new cartridge is that you also do some good for the environment. That's good enough for me.

Thank you to all for bearing with me as we take a turn from our normal blog that focused on many different topics.

Inkspotprinter  will focus, for the most part, on printing, sales & marketing solutions & tid bits, tech notes and some other interesting topics that are going on in the printing industry.  From time to time we may float to some world topics, but for the most part we will try and see how the printing industry has taken shape in the last few years, were it is going and what part will it all have in producing messages that stir the masses.

Yell, Scream & Take Aim at the opinions that are generated...thank God we can and live in a country that allows those freedoms, gang we don't know how lucky we really are!!!

First, Thank You all for the huge number of responses. 

We honestly use this survey as a benefit for the industry in general 

and not for commercial reasons.

I think we all can be glad the first quarter is over; except for the fact that the 

second quarter, so far, seems to be even worse then the first. The last 2 

months have seen a severe contraction in most areas of the economy and 

in all geographic areas. The Fed's actions last Summer came several sessions 

too late to avoid this contraction. The relentless negativity from the media over 

the last two years reached a crescendo of hysteria in August that has scarcely 

abated till just recently. We all are grateful for the news media's recent more 

positive bias!!

A Big question now is have the stock markets hit bottom? If so, then the 

recovery will be approximately six months from that bottom. If you look at the 

current stock charts for Apple, the Dow and the NASDAQ over the last two 

years, It appears that we have hit the bottom and are on the upturn (barring 

another terrorist shock). If the charts are correct, then we should start to see 

improvements as early as September - October. Flex Staffing tends to be a 

leading indicator, like the stock market, so we at Semper should see improvement 

three to four months after the bottom. We will let you know. 

Another BIG change in the Industry this year was the demise of Annual report 

printing. One manager I spoke to, mentioned that last year they printed 100 Annual 

reports- this season only four. The result of the SEC allowing companies to post 

the reports "online." This single change has had a huge negative impact in that 

segment of the industry. I think of what will happen to Blockbuster and the movie 

theatre chains once the movie studios release first run movies directly online. It 

will likely be a similar issue- MAYBE I should sell any holdings.

Now to the survey results:

As you recall, the results are in the new easier to read and understand format 

which reduces the need for commentary.

The question on profitability I am sure is high on everyone's list. The trend line is 

clearly indicative of the stress we would expect to see ; this is a MACRO issue 

not just your firm.

The question on profitability I am sure is high on everyone's list. The trend line 

is clearly indicative of the stress we would expect to see ; this is a MACRO issue 

not just your firm.

The hiring question reinforces the above two responses. Hiring has dropped off, 

but it seems staying at the same staffing level is the course most firms are going 

with. Maybe others agree that things will improve sooner than later. (br>

Clearly, keeping expenses limited is on everyone's mind, with base pay and benefit 

costs showing big jumps in concern from respondents. Supply costs in general are 

now the largest percent concern of firms as opposed to technology issues.

In closing, we see positive news here in the expectations of sales for this quarter. 

Take a close look at the actual results and feel free to ask questions or give 

feedback - daver@semperllc.com

Click here to view the Survey:

http://www.semperllc.com/printing_survey/Semper_Survey_2008_Q2.pdf

Thank You