How do you win in today's tough economy? There have been substantial advances in print technology to help digital print become increasingly competitive with offset. But improvements in printing processes are not the only major trend. Automation is essential. Processes before and after printing and the associated workflow tools and technology are the focus of measures to boost productivity. This includes everything from online order entry to inserting, mailing and fulfillment. Automated logistics systems to transport paper pallets and take printed sheets to other processing stations or in-line finishing systems are merely two examples of integrated solutions that manufacturers frequently offer in collaboration with partners. In this webinar you will learn about the best practices that are being implemented including new technologies that impact the industry today as well as future opportunities.
Topics discussed include:
-Automating order entry via the web
-Production workflow tools and techniques
-Online, inline and near line finishing options
-Automated inserts
-Delivering the mail
Sponsored by Océ - A Canon Company
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Software - Web-to-print
The brand-new GWG2012 specification addresses new functionalities, such as transparency and layers, in response to PDF/X-4 becoming the new standard for the industry. Additionally, preflight checks within the specification have been updated with specific new checks for different industry segments.
Blurb, the global creative publishing platform, has released two additions to its on-demand print products—magazines and brochures. This new offering allows consumers and businesses to print low-volume orders in one week. Both products are printed on HP Indigo presses.
Pinball Publishing combines the best of Web-based technology and traditional printing processes to let people publish miniature books—everything from customized sketchpads to personalized recipe collections. And its signature product, a 32-page, customizable booklet, just sold its millionth unit. Having monitored an ongoing explosion of digital media, founder Laura Whipple decided to blend both worlds in a diminutive way.
She explains, “We combined our ink and paper expertise with the changing nature of online communications to develop the perfect pocket sized publishing format called the Scout Book.”
Scout Books are 3.5x5˝ black-ink booklets covered with a semi-rigid cardstock that can be printed
Recognizing that digital printing has become a mainstream technology, offset printers are increasingly adding digital capabilities to their repertoire of offerings. In some shops, short-run jobs are run entirely on digital presses. Some do short-runs on a digital device and a longer runs of the same job on a offset machine. Others combine variable content digital pages with those from an offset press in the same job.
In each case, colors have to match and the overall look and feel of the document must meet customers' requirements with minimal differences. This webinar will discuss how printers are successfully using the best features of both technologies AND managing color across offset and digital presses.
Our expert panelists will share their experiences on such key issues as:
- Ensuring jobs run on different devices look the same
- Managing paper selections
- Setting customer expectations
- Color management tools and profiles used for success
- Managing color for logos and other branding requirements
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DG3 is migrating to Pageflex technology in order to enhance its value-added services, such as variable data publishing, integrated communication solutions, and seamless access to marketing materials anytime, anywhere. Based in New Jersey, the company also has offices in London and Hong Kong.
Ricoh Co. has made a significant investment in PTI Marketing Technologies, a provider of Web-to-print and marketing personalization solutions for enterprise users and print service providers. The companies will bring new solutions to market that drive relevant, multichannel marketing campaigns.
New York-based Mimeo.com is one of the first online printing companies, having debuted in 1998. Its market position gives the firm a unique perspective on the concept of online ordering interfaces. Web-to-print is an ongoing quest for the perfect beast, according to Chuck Gehman, vice president of product platforms.
DirectMail.com will support Affinity Center International’s direct marketing efforts by developing, implementing and overseeing an automated, Web-based marketing portal that can be used to order and customize professional-quality marketing materials and conduct direct mail and email campaigns.
In the highly competitive production printing marketplace, it can be difficult to persuade customers to buy from you if there is a perception that you offer similar products to competitors, but with a higher price tag. Furthermore, trying to beat competitors on price alone is cutthroat, risky, and not recommended. This strategy attracts bargain-hunters who are all too ready to defect to competitors for a better deal.
Service providers must focus on the real value that they are delivering to customers to attract and build a loyal customer base. There is a reason that people buy designer-label clothes and luxury cars... and that reason is perceived value! In this Webinar, you'll hear from experienced service providers about building a value-added pricing model. Topics to be discussed include:
- Pricing models for value-add
- Communicating your value proposition
- Bundled versus unbundled pricing
- Effective responses to customer "pricing objections"
- Creation of an effective proposal
