Jan/Feb

Transcription

Jan/Feb

REPRO REPORT
Digital Age:
New Services, New Income
Seven Tips for a Better Color Business
The Question isn’t Why Offer FM Services,
but Why Not?
Volume 27, Issue 1
January/February 2008
Promoting Sustainability to
Achieve Environmental Goals
The movement to go green has never been stronger.
Businesses are continually striving to improve operating
models to further reduce their impact on the environment.
For reprographers, this means embracing eco-friendly,
sustainable equipment capable of producing the highest
quality prints—with output equaling, or often surpassing,
the less “green” printing equipment of decades past.
Today, high-quality, ultra-efficient printing solutions
that support responsible paper use, low-emissions, energy
conservation and reusable components are making their way
into the market. They are engineered to help reprographers
increase sustainability and improve end products, with
the overarching benefit of enabling them to reach their
environmental goals.
Océ Technology: Designed
with the Environment in Mind
Océ, through its full range of wide format printing
solutions, meets head on the need for sustainable,
environmentally sound business solutions. As part of the
Dow Jones Sustainability Index since 2004, which enables
Océ to be a qualified and eligible investment option for
“green funds,” Océ products are designed with ecosystem
preservation in mind and offer the following:
• Low emissions, reduced waste: Océ is committed to
engineering products with low ozone emissions, dust,
noise emissions and toner waste, as well as systems
with inherently economical resource consumption
on a per-print basis.
Printing for
Professionals
• Reusability: Océ considers sustainability throughout its
design and manufacturing processes. Components are
designed for re-use and recyclability to gain maximum
utilization and minimize landfill use. Products are
manufactured with consideration for energy consumption
and preventing waste during the manufacturing process.
• Radiant fusing: This timesaving technology eliminates
warm-up time, guaranteeing that high-quality printing
starts as soon as a printer receives a job—offering the fastest
cold-to-start print time available on any wide format product.
• Modular, upgradeable design: Constructing products using
a modular, open-architecture approach prevents equipment
from prematurely entering the “waste stream.”
• High degree of productivity: Created to ensure the highest
level of quality, reliability, speed and ease of use, while at
the same time requiring low energy input to operate,
Océ wide format printing equipment helps to decrease a
company’s overall waste production and energy consumption.
• Maximum paper handling efficiency: With multiple paper
size concurrent loading and printing options, Océ equipment
helps reprographers produce less paper waste by ensuring the
right size prints, with the right images and optimum quality
level, are printed the first time.
For more information on how Océ can help reprographers
produce quality print output and promote sustainability
to help benefit the environment, call 800-714-4427,
visit www.oceusa.com or email [email protected].
Printing for
Professionals
®
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© 2008 Océ
s e pia li ne ®
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range of products and services are designed for AEC and reprographics to
track expenses quickly and easily. Sepialine’s range of products and services
are designed for FM and AEC professionals to track expenses elegantly, easily and painlessly.
For service providers like you, there’s FM Server™: our new secure online
service for transmitting, aggregating and working with your tracking data in a
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Our tamper-proof Print Tracking holds customers accountable without
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Find out how we can help your on-site FM program by visiting www.sepialine.com or call (800) 404-9558.
REPRO REPORT
The bimonthly news magazine of the
International Reprographic Association
401 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 2200, Chicago, IL 60611
Tel: 800/833-4742; Fax: 312/527-6705
http://www.irga.com
Vol. 27 • Issue 1 • 2008
Features
14
Digital Age: New Services, New Income
By Navina Waterman
Remember the good old days? Our industry’s workflow was fairly simple—
sheets in, sheets out—with relatively few options along the way. Then
came the digital revolution…
17
but Why Not?
By Scott Cullen
If you don’t do it, somebody else will. That seems to be the consensus
about facilities management services among reprographers who already
offer clients these services.
20
Seven Tips for a Better Color Business
Find new methods to increase new business
and revenues.
By Ed Avis
Color reprographics has been an important profit center for many
reprographics shops for well over a decade, but sometimes even reliable
money makers need a little freshening up.
Columns/Departments
4
6
8
23
Board of
Directors
President’s Perspective
Association Highlights
In The News
Print IT
4
2
25
26
27
Image Area
Sustainable Imaging
HR Insider
Product Innovations
Bryan Thomas
President
Thomas Reprographics
Richardson, TX
Michael Carter
Immediate Past President
Lynn Imaging
Lexington, KY
Patrick Chapuis
Océ Wide Format
Printing Systems
Chicago, IL
Dan Stephens
Vice President
Georgia Blueprint/QRS
Alpharetta, GA
Gary Wilbur
Director-at-Large
R.S. Knapp/Napco
Lyndhurst, NJ
Chuck Hayes
OCB Reprographics
Irvine, CA
Mike Cully
Secretary/Treasurer
AIR Graphics
North Quincy, MA
Earl Buchmann
Seiko-I Infotech
Escondido, CA
0
3
32
Robert Roperti
Jiffy Reprographics Inc.
Clearwater, FL
Classified Ads
End of the Roll
Woodie Rush
Plan Express Inc.
Memphis, TN
Casey Simpson
MBC Precision Imaging
Columbia, MD
Kip Young
Kal-Blue Reprographics
Kalamazoo, MI
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Use our newest solutions to get real-time intelligence on
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browser. Apply this intelligence to take immediate action
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Change is happening faster and faster. Make your business
more agile by tearing down the barriers to growth.
PLP helps you increase customer satisfaction, achieve the
competitive edge and improve your profitability.
Our other tried and true solutions enable you to integrate
devices from different manufacturers and eliminate bottlenecks associated with file formats that are proprietary or
difficult to manage.
Take control of your business.
© 2006 PLP Digital Systems | Arlington, Virginia | www.plp.com
To find out more call
1-800-444-7568 (ext. 3)
President’sPerspective
IRgA Branding Project Evolves
to New Logo and Tagline
T
Bryan Thomas
President
2007-2008
his issue of REPRO REPORT
marks the introduction of a
logo and tagline for the IRgA.
The new look and feel is needed to
bring our association up-to-date and
portray a more modern message of
what our association and its member
companies stand for. The new identity
marks the next phase of the IRgA’s
ongoing re-branding initiative. The
next step is to incorporate the new
logo and tagline into all IRgA
correspondence and to bring the new
messaging to the AEC industry.
What follows is a summary of the
branding project—how it came to
be and the logical progression to
where we are today. On page 6 is an
article about how the new logo and
tagline came to be. On page 32, our
executive director, Steve Bova, offers
some suggestions on how you can tap
into the IRgA’s brand messaging to
maximize your company’s connection
with the AEC industry.
Evolution of the IRgA Brand
In January 2004, the IRgA Board of
Directors met for an intensive strategic
planning session that helped set the
future direction for our organization.
The top priority was to develop
an identity for the reprographics
industry as the premier resource for
construction printing and digital
document management services.
end customer telephone interviews.
We got feedback on primary products/
services, needs, trends, challenges,
competition, factors determining
the use of an outside reprographer,
perceptions of the reprographics
industry and the unique benefit/value
of using a reprographer.
This data helped form a quantitative
research study aimed at identifying
AEC reproduction needs, current and
projected usage, influencers in using a
specific reprographer, benefits gained
by using a reprographer, perceptions
of the reprographics industry, issues/
challenges and professional affiliations
and their value.
We sent a survey in December 2005
to architecture firms, engineering
firms and construction companies in
North America. The study garnered
responses from 158 firms and
offers tremendous insight from our
customers’ perspective (you can view
the entire survey results on www.irga.
com by clicking on Branding under
the About IRgA tab).
The results were not necessarily
flattering. The general theme was that
reprographics customers perceived our
industry as being somewhat old and
stodgy—unsophisticated.
On the bright side, reprographers
were seen as ethical, responsive,
The other two priorities dovetail with professional, efficient, timely
and knowledgeable. However,
the re-branding effort: Add value to
the industry and to member companies reprographers were least perceived by
their customers to be on the cutting
as well as develop a knowledge
edge, innovative, leaders, proactive,
repository for the dissemination of
partners and specialized.
industry information.
The first step in our re-branding
initiative was to gain perceptions
about reprographics from the
AEC community. The IRgA hired
SmithBucklin Corporation to conduct
an independent study on the IRgA’s
behalf. The study included gathering
qualitative data through member and
This information quickly led the IRgA
Board to decide it needed to develop
a new look and message to change the
negative perceptions of our industry.
The IRgA Brand Essence
The survey results were conveyed at
the 2005 Annual Convention and
Continued on page 10
4
IRgA.com • January/February 2008
REPRO REPORT
Jay Strother: Publisher
Dennis Coyle: Managing Editor
William Wargo: Design
Jennifer Hanasz: Production
Editorial Committee
Tina Lemanowicz
eBlueprint
Cleveland, OH
John Marquardt
American Reprographics Company
Walnut Creek, CA
Bob Roperti
Jiffy Reprographics Inc.
Clearwater, FL
Bill Schaberg
Reprographics Consultant
Fairfield, CT
Navina Waterman
ReproScene
Myrtle Point, OR
Kip Young, Chairperson
Kal-Blue Reprographics
Kalamazoo, MI
Write Us
Send mail to: The Editor
REPRO REPORT
401 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 2200
Chicago, IL 60611, or to [email protected]
Any statement of fact or opinion is the
responsibility of the author alone and
does not imply an opinion of the board
of directors, staff, or members of the
International Reprographic Association
(IRgA). Subscriptions are free to IRgA
member contacts; additional subscriptions
are available at the cost of $30/year for
members and $150/year for non-members
(international subscribers; please add $20
per subscription). No part of this publication
may be reprinted without the written
permission of the editor. Send reprint and
subscription inquiries c/o the IRgA.
© 2008 The International Reprographic Association
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ASSOCIATIONHIGHLIGHTS
A New Face for the IRgA
As we kick off this New Year, the IRgA is also celebrating a brand new
image for the organization. This new logo was created not only to
look good on this page, but also carries a great deal of meaning
based on feedback from industry research that has been conducted
the past few years.
6
The process started with research of the AEC industry to
truly gauge their perception of reprographers, our business
and the services our members provide. This was an eyeopening process and one that led the IRgA to put a stake
in the ground for the industry with an aim to make IRgA
members the first choice for AEC companies and their
large/wide format document printing, distribution and
management needs.
Describing Who We Are
Before the logo redesign, the IRgA Board developed and
accepted a tagline to better describe who we are as an
organization. Over time, the group realized that more
people resonate with the term “blueprinting” and may
not necessarily understand or be familiar with the term
“reprographics.”
“Based on the research and the desired perception of
IRgA members and our organization, we set out to develop
a tagline that captured where we’ve been, who we are
and where we’re going,” says Executive Director Steve
Bova. This tagline highlights our roots in blueprinting,
differentiates us with our strong focus on customer service
and where our industry is heading with technology and
digital services.
Translating Words into Graphics
The next step was the creation of our new logo. The IRgA
team, along with the Branding Task Force and the Board
of Directors, set out to translate these words into graphics
and worked with a design team to create the new image for
the IRgA. This was an in-depth process with many different
options and careful consideration of each to choose the one
that best represents our organization and its membership.
The new IRgA logo brings the association into the 21st
century with its modern, bright digital look. The bold
letterforms communicate the strength and stability of our
established association of more than 80 years, while the
pixels demonstrate change, flexibility, modernity and the
direction of our industry with digital services. The roll of
the unique lower case “g,” which has long characterized the
acronym IRgA, is reminiscent of the printing press as well
as rolled blueprints.
The three colored pixels represent the three components
that make up the association tagline, corresponding to
the smaller colored bullets shown in front of each piece
of the tagline. The three RGB colors reflect the colors
of today’s multimedia, as well as modern digital printing
and traditional black and white print. The brightest red
pixel draws the eye to the beginning of the logo. The
arrangement of the third blue pixel at the base corresponds
to the blue pixel preceding “Built on Blueprints.” It
demonstrates the idea that blueprints as the foundation
of the association are being built on with the other two
components in the tagline.
Please refer to the End of the Roll column (page 32) for
information on how you can represent your membership in the
IRgA and use the IRgA brand elements in your business.
•
Thank you to the IRgA
Branding Task Force
The Branding Task Force participated
in several conference calls to consider
each logo option along with the colors,
typography and design elements that would
best represent the IRgA. Thank you to all
of them, and the IRgA Board of Directors,
for volunteering their time and for their
dedication to the IRgA.
Chair:
Dan Stephens, IRgA vice president
Georgia Blueprint Co. LLC
Task Force members:
Michael Shaw, IRgA past president
Central Blueprint Corp.
Pat Gremillion
A&E – The Graphics Complex, a Division
of Thomas Reprographics
Peter Lawrence
Product Manager, Océ North America
The IRgA would also like to thank
designers Bill Wargo and Jacqueline Fiedler.
7
AssociationHighlights
Regional
Chapter Update
Schedule of Events
Eastern Regional
Reprographic Association
(ERRA)
Nov. 12-14
Hilton Daytona Beach Resort
Daytona Beach, Fla.
Contact: Shirley Zawoyski
630/351-2202
[email protected]
Southeastern Reprographic
Association (SRA)
Nov. 12-14
Hilton Daytona Beach Resort
Daytona Beach, Fla.
Contact: Linda Maynard
407/679-4700
[email protected]
630/351-2202
[email protected]
Western Reprographics
Association (WRA)
Oct. 2-7
Westin Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Contact: Paul McKee
480/833-3912
[email protected]
Central Reprographic
Association (CRA)
8
IRgA Seeks Content for
Interactive, Online Library
The IRgA made a commitment to be the source of
all reprographic-related information for those within
the industry and as well as those outside the industry. In order to fulfill
this task, the association is dedicating resources to create an interactive,
online library.
The library is one of the many additional services that will be available
later this year when the association completes its Web site redesign.
The IRgA is asking its members to help build the foundation of the
library. However, the new resource of information will not be limited to
books. The association wants to build a repository of white papers, articles,
columns, best practices lists, tips, links to related Web sites/Web blogs,
recommended universities/educational facilities, etc. The focus of the
content should be diverse – management, leadership, sales, marketing,
industry trends, new product releases, product comparisons, etc.
Please send all recommendations to [email protected]. All
recommendations will be reviewed by the IRgA Board of Directors.
If you have any questions, you can e-mail IRgA Headquarters or call
312/245-1026.
•
IRgA Members Leverage Free Webinars
Celebrate a new year with new ideas. Jan. 16 marked the IRgA’s first of
four Webinars planned for 2008.
The first Webinar focused on Improving Performance through Operations
Innovation. Dr. Jeremy Lurey shared his key learnings from a recent
operations assessment at one of our own IRgA member firms. The
Webinar explained basic principles for process improvement to help
reprographers not only to redesign your key business processes but also
to achieve extraordinary outcomes through innovation. As an active
IRgA member company, you and your colleagues have free access to
online Webinars where you can gain tips and tricks from industry
insiders. Take a listen!
Did you Know?
Registration is free and open to all IRgA members. In addition, your
IRgA membership grants you access to archived Webinars. The
following are currently available:
Sept. 10-13
The Millennium Hotel
St. Louis, Mo.
• PDF Technology and Trends in the Construction Industry;
630/351-2202
[email protected]
• Improving Performance Through Operations Innovation.
• Managing Complex AEC Designs with Autodesk DWF;
• Operational Efficiency: How to Become More Efficient; and
Start your new year out right. Access an IRgA Webinar today. For more
information, visit www.irga.com.
•
IRgA Members Set to Enjoy the Links at TPC Las Vegas
The IRgA 82nd Annual Convention & Trade Show –
held May 13-15 at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Las
Vegas – is known for its education sessions, networking
events and dynamic exhibitor show. In addition, it is
also known for excellent golf.
The host of this year’s annual golf tournament is the
TPC Las Vegas on May 13.
The 12-year-old course, which has hosted the Senior
PGA Tour’s Las Vegas Classic in past years, sits north
of the bustling city of Las Vegas and south of dramatic
mountainous views.
TPC Las Vegas has been called “desert elegance.”
There could be a no more apt description of the par-71,
7,063-yard golf course that offers a stern test of golfing
skills along with stunning vistas.
Lush green parcels of manicured turf are woven
throughout a rugged tapestry of arroyos, barrancas and
other natural features in the southern Nevada desert.
While the course meanders over several hundred acres,
it has only 110 acres of irrigated land – another plus in
the realm of environmental conservation and wildlife
preservation.
All golfers must be registered IRgA Convention &
Trade Show attendees. Registration for the IRgA Golf
Tournament is available only through convention
registration. A $250 early bird registration fee is
available until May 2. After that date, registration
is $300 per golfer. If you have any questions, please
contact IRgA Headquarters at 312/245-1026.
•
golf Tournament Schedule – Tuesday, May 13
6:15 a.m.
Shuttle begins from Paris Las Vegas Hotel
6:30 a.m. – 7:50 a.m.
Check-in and Continental Breakfast
7:10 a.m.
Last shuttle departs from Paris Las Vegas Hotel
7:50 a.m.
Welcome & Rules (golfers in carts)
8:00 a.m.
Shotgun Start
After the conclusion of the tournament there will be a luncheon and awards presentation, followed by transportation back
to the Paris Las Vegas Hotel.
Exclusive Convention Discounts Available
Make the safest bet in Vegas by attending the IRgA 82nd Annual Convention & Trade
Show May 13-15 at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev.
Register today and put money in your pocket as all IRgA members receive $300 in
savings on registration over non–members and an additional $100 dollars off when registration is received by
March 28. A new registration incentive allows further discounts for multiple registrants from the same company.
In addition, the IRgA arranged discounted room rates, airline tickets and car rentals for all attendees of the IRgA
Annual Convention & Trade Show.
Visit www.irga.com to register online or simply return the registration form included in this issue. We look
forward to seeing you in Vegas.
•
9
IRgA Branding Project Evolves
to New Logo and Tagline Continued from page 4
were posted on the IRgA’s Web site for download. Following
the survey, the IRgA worked with a branding expert,
Cindy Kuhn of SmithBucklin, who led the board through
a series of exercises to funnel down and define our brand
positioning statement.
IRgA Brand Essence:
Reprographers offer professional expertise in
project-critical large/wide-format document
distribution and management.
Concepts Behind the Logo and Tagline
It was agreed that the IRgA would create a strong brand
identity and consistent messaging with its new logo and
tagline. It was important for the final product to:
• Differentiatereprographicsprofessionalsasbeingleadingedge partners in the AEC community;
• Generateawarenessintheindustryofthebenefitsof
partnering with reprographers; and
• EstablishtheIRgAasthe organization for reprographers.
We wanted the tagline to describe who/what the
organization represents, speak to prospective IRgA members,
speak to IRgA members’ customers—the AEC industry, and
create a tie between the past and present—print and digital
services. We focused on the importance of drawing a link
from our blueprinting roots to establish credibility by virtue
of our longevity, emphasized the fact that our knowledge
and professionalism differentiates reprographers from other
printers, and connected to the future by focusing on how our
industry is evolving and becoming technology leaders.
We expect the new logo and tagline will help build
credibility for the IRgA and its member companies,
encourage greater participation in the IRgA and its offerings,
and help IRgA members to increase the number and loyalty
of customers. Our ultimate goal is for IRgA members to
be the first choice for project-critical large/wide-format
document distribution and management.
•
IRgA 2006 Operating Ratio Study
Focuses on Impacting Profitability
Due to the changing economic climate, the IRgA wants
to remind members that the IRgA 2006 Operating Ratio
Study is still available.
The study provides valuable industry profitability
information to the industry at large and the IRgA
membership in particular to be able to benchmark their
company performance. Q.P. Consulting, Inc. conducted
the survey by surveying more than 50 IRgA member
and non-member participants. In its second edition,
this financial report covers the 2005 fiscal year and
features a detailed analysis of financial performance
by companies in the reprographics industry. The 2006
Operating Ratio Study includes:
• 25ProfitandLossStatements;
• 14BalanceSheets;
• At-a-glancecolorcharts,tables,andgraphs;
• Anextensiveexecutivesummarybyreportauthor,
Larry Hunt;
• InformationontheOperatingRatioSurvey
and participants;
10
• Operationalratiosdataandcomparisons;
• 2006-2007ProfitabilityWorksheet;and
• Abonusarticleonequipmentleasingpayments
and negotiations.
The study represents a compilation of financial data
pertaining to various sales, expenses and profits
reported by more than 50 survey participants,
representing various gross sales categories, market sizes,
geographic locations, and many other significant sectors
of the reprographics industry. The groundbreaking
industry report is focused on impacting the profitability
of individual companies. Reprographic firms can
compare key ratios against similarly sized companies,
utilizing this information to achieve new levels of
financial success and to better understand the economic
environment of the industry.
Copies of the IRgA 2006 Operating Ratio Study
Report can be purchased at www.irga.com in the
IRgA Bookstore at $99 for IRgA members and $249
for non-members.
•
Full Page Ad
Early Registration Deadline: March 28
Register online at www.irga.com or complete the enclosed form.
International Reprographic Association 82nd Annual Convention & Trade Show
Paris Las Vegas Hotel • Las Vegas, Nevada • May 13 – 15, 2008
Attendee Registration Form
(For additional registrants, please make copies of this form. Forms must be received by May 2, 2008. After May 2, 2008, you must register on-site.)
REGISTRANT INFORMATION (Please type or print):
First Name: Last Name: First Name preferred on badge (if different from above): Company Name: Address: City: State: Zip Code: Country: Phone: Fax: E-mail: DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
3) What is your job title?
▫ Executive/CEO/CFO
▫ Vice President
▫ Director
▫ Manager
▫ Purchasing Agent
▫ Consultant
▫ Specifier
▫ Other
If Other (please specify)
______________________
1) Select your buying influence.
▫ Final Decision
▫ Recommend
▫ Specify
▫ No Role
2) What is your annual budget for
reprographic equipment and
supplies?
▫ $0 - $99,999
▫ $100,000 - $249,999
▫ $250,000 - $499,999
▫ $500,000+
4) What products and services would
you like to see?
▫ Wide-Format Engineering Output
▫ Wide-Format Color Graphics
▫ Small-Format Digital Printing
▫ Laminating and Finishing
▫ Scanning and Archiving
▫ Digital File Management
▫ Facilities Management
▫ Other______________________
▫ All of the Above
1. CONVENTION REGISTRATION FEES
Full Convention
Member
2nd Additional Member
3rd Additional Member
Non-Member
One Day (select one day only)
Member
Additional Member
Non-Member
▫
▫
▫
$250
$225
$350
Registration
(on or before 5/2/08)
▫ $799
▫ $699
▫ $549
▫ $1,099
▫
▫
▫
$275
$250
$375
Registration
(after 5/2/08)
▫ $899
▫ $799
▫ $649
▫ $1,199
▫
▫
▫
$300
$275
$400
Select day you wish to attend:
▫ Wednesday (OT). Includes Wednesday Keynote Breakfast, Sessions, Exhibits, Exhibit Hall Lunch and Reception.
▫ Thursday (OF). Includes Thursday Sessions, Exhibits, Exhibit Hall Lunch and Reception.
Two Day (Wednesday and Thursday)
Member
▫ $600
Non-Member
▫ $800
6) Please list other associations/industry groups to which your company
belongs (please check all that apply):
▫ PEiR Group
▫ ReproMax
▫ U.S. Reprographics Network
▫ RSA
▫ ARC
▫ Independent/None
2. CONVENTION SOCIAL EVENTS
Full Convention (Includes All Sessions, Evening Receptions, Keynote Breakfast and Exhibits)
Early-bird Registration
(on or before 3/28/08)
▫ $699
▫ $599
▫ $449
▫ $999
5) Are you a first time attendee?
▫ Yes ▫ No
▫
▫
$650
$900
▫
▫
$700
$1,000
Subtotal:
PAYMENT OPTIONS:
▫ Check ▫ MasterCard ▫ VISA ▫ American Express
Check/Credit Card number: ______________________________________________Exp. Date ___________
Name as it appears on card: __________________________________________________________________________________
Cardholder’s Signature: _______________________________________________________________________________________
(1 ticket for each event is included with Full Convention.
Enter number of additional tickets needed.)
On or before 5/2/08
Exhibit Opening Cocktail Reception
Tuesday
__ x $100
After 5/2/08
__ x $125
Wednesday Networking Reception
Wednesday
__ x $75
__ x $100
Keynote Breakfast
Thursday
__ x $25
__ x $50
Companion Program
(includes Tuesday and Wednesday Receptions)
__ x $150
__ x $175
Companion Name:
Convention Social Events Subtotal:
3. GOLF OUTING (not included in Convention Registration Fees)
Golf Tournament Tuesday, (May 13, 6:30 a.m.)
On or before 5/2/08
After 5/2/08
__ $250
__ $300
(select one) ▫ Vendor ▫ Reprographer
(select one) ▫ Male
Handicap = _______
▫
Female
SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS
Golf Rental will be paid at the course club.
If, due to a disability, you have any special needs, please detail your requirements: _______________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Cancellation Policy: All cancellations must be received in writing. Requests for cancellations before April 18, 2008 will be
subject to a $100 processing fee. No refunds will be issued after April 18, 2008. Substitutions can be made at any time.
Rental Information*
Club Rental: ▫ Right ▫ Left ▫ Not needed
(payment must be made upon pick-up)
HOW TO REGISTER
Golf Outing Subtotal (not including rental):
*Rental information must be received by Wednesday, April 25th.
By Fax (with credit card information): 905-479-9297
By Mail (with check or money order in US funds): IRgA – Registration, 5471 Paysphere Circle, Chicago, IL 60674
Online at www.irga.com (credit card information required)
Questions? Call 800-833-4742
Subtotal: CONVENTION REGISTRATION FEES:
Subtotal: CONVENTION SOCIAL EVENTS:
Subtotal: GOLF OUTING:
Please tell us how you heard about the IRgA 2008 Convention & Trade Show. Enter the source code (found on
12 mailing
IRgA.com
• January/February
2008 or promotional piece):
your
label,
advertisment, e-mail
TOTAL:
THANK YOU!
INTHE NEWS
Hicks Moves to Marketing Manager
for Paradigm Imaging Group
Paradigm Imaging Group, a leading large-format scanning
and printing solutions company, announced that Jane Hicks
has been named as marketing manager, effective immediately.
In this role, Hicks will be responsible for the company’s
advertising, industry events, new product rollouts,
promotions and channel marketing. Hicks previously served
in the position of service contract sales.
Hicks has more than 18 years of experience in the industry. Prior
to her employment with Paradigm Imaging her most recent
position was with Graphtec America where she held various
management positions in customer service and marketing.
Ricoh Named to the 2008 Global 100
Most Sustainable Corporations in the
World List
For the fourth consecutive year, Ricoh Company Ltd.,
parent company of Ricoh Americas Corporation, has been
named to the “Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in
the World,” known as the “Global 100.”
Started in 2005 by Corporate Knights Inc. of Canada, the
top 100 corporations in the world are selected from more
than 1,800 large corporations in all business sectors based
on research and analysis of data provided by Innovest
Strategic Value Advisors Inc. in USA.
The 2008 Global 100 was announced on at the Annual
General Meeting of the World Economic Forum held in
Davos, Switzerland. The companies selected for the Global
100 were analyzed in detail, compared to their industry
peers and evaluated as the global corporations with the bestdeveloped abilities to effectively manage environmental,
social and governance risks.
Achievement in these three areas, which significantly
influences their business results, was evaluated as a key
indicator of management quality and long-term financial
performance. Among the world’s leading corporations,
Ricoh’s aggressive environmental conservation activities
along with its long-term vision extending to 2050, was
highly regarded. While the rigorous selection process caused
more than one third of the Global 100 corporations to be
replaced between 2007 and 2008, Ricoh has the honor of
making the list four consecutive years.
3P InkJet Textiles Corp. Wins
Reader’s Choice Awards from Digital
Output Magazine
Digital Output magazine, a leading business magazine
for the digital imaging and desktop publishing industry,
has recognized 3P InkJet Textiles Corp. products with
the coveted Readers Choice Award. Their readers regard
Universal Glossy Canvas, Studio Canvas and the Value line
formerly SubliDirect line as top products in the printing
industry market.
Roland’s New 64" SOLJET PRO III
Inkjet Printer Wins Prestigious DPI
Product of the Year Award
Roland announced that the company’s
new SOLJET PRO III XJ-640 64" inkjet
printer was named DPI Product of
the Year for the Output Device Poster
Category in SGIA’s annual competition.
Roland’s VersaWorks 2.2 RIP software
and SCM-GPPG Glossy Photobase Paper earned DPI
Partner Awards for the Output Device Poster Category as
key components in producing the winning print.
Entries for the DPI Product of the Year competition were
judged on the Expo show floor at the recent SGIA conference
in Orlando by a team of digital imaging professionals. In the
Output Device category, entrants were required to submit a
test print produced from the nominated device. The image,
designed by SGIA, was intended to challenge the output
device’s capabilities. Roland’s SOLJET PRO III XJ-640
outperformed all competitive products to take top honors.
Contex Scanners, Distributed by IDEAL,
Awarded Prestigious BERTL Award
IDEAL has proudly posted the BERTL “Highly
Recommended” Four-Star Award on four of the Contex
scanners they distribute. The Chroma, Crystal, Cougar and
Chameleon all received this prestigious award from BERTL.
Océ TDS700 Large-Format
Multifunction System Awarded
Highest Honors from BERTL
Océ, a global leader in digital document management and
delivery systems, today announced that the Océ TDS700
large format monochrome mid-volume integrated print/
copy/scan system has received a “Five-Star, Exceptional”
rating from BERTL, an independent, industry-leading source
of product evaluation reports and comparative analyses.
Of the hundreds of digital imaging and production devices
evaluated by BERTL each year, only a select few that deliver
an outstanding range of business-critical functions, are
innovative, easy to use and present exceptional return on
investment are recognized with this prestigious rating.
Belinda Coberly Named Customer
Relations Manager for GEI WideFormat
Roger Ilgen, vice president and general manager of
GEI WideFormat, a Visual Edge Technology Company,
announced the appointment of Belinda Coberly to the
newly created position of customer relations manager for the
service arm of this growing wide format imaging solutions
enterprise. Coberly will report to Darrell Burchfield, director
of service for the company, who has been proactively
deploying service personnel throughout North America to
meet the increased demands and growth forecasts from the
equipment manufacturers serviced by GEI.
13
Digital Age:
New Services, New Income
By Navina Waterman
Remember the good old days? Our industry’s workflow was fairly
simple—sheets in, sheets out—with relatively few options along the
way. Then came the digital revolution which was going to make life
easier for everyone.
N
ow we still produce print
output, but the number of
services and the infrastructure
to support those services, has
expanded exponentially. We have put
a tremendous amount of capital into
hardware—computers, servers, printers,
scanners, routers and networks—and
software of all types, not only to run the
new equipment but also to access the
internet and to handle the myriad
types of file formats customers use.
Equipment costs have rocketed from
under $20,000 per machine to hundreds
of thousands of dollars or more.
14
The result has brought many more
choices and increasing complexity—in
how jobs arrive, in what formats they
are sent, in what processes they are put
through, the type of media they go onto
or into, how they are stored and how
and where they are to be delivered.
Not all existing employees have
been able to make the transition,
resulting in more internal training
as well as hiring a whole new level
of better educated, more skilled
employees. These employees have
been added to better answer questions,
train customers and employees, and
provide technical expertise. Most
are not directly involved in making
prints. These new employees also
require more compensation and more
incentives to stay.
The end result: in the digital world—
labor, overhead and capital expense all
shot up.
Furthermore, the reprographer no
longer creates prints (a commodity), but
rather provides a service involving the
handling and processing of digital work.
Yes, a large part of that service often
still involves printed output, but only a
part. And that too continues to change.
In retrospect, it is truly astonishing
how quickly these changes have
occurred. Other industries have gone
through digital transformations, but
few have undergone such radical
change as has reprographics. As
always in business, change brings
challenges…but also opens the door to
new opportunities.
What hasn’t necessarily changed
immediately is self-perception.
Every company has worked hard to
successfully make the transition from
blueprinter to reprographer. Most
in this industry pride themselves
on providing outstanding customer
service. But in many cases increased
costs have outpaced increased
revenue. Many have continued to
struggle with how to make the changes
financially viable.
It is clear that changes must occur for
success to follow. These changes can
take two primary avenues—workflow
must become more efficient and
services provided must be adequately
compensated. Here we will focus on
compensation for digital services.
Digital services can mean anything
having to do with handling data
electronically. Typically, it involves
the receiving and processing of print
files, troubleshooting, file conversion,
scanning, burning CDs, storing digital
files, electronic bid services, planroom
and content management, and
archiving of files.
The first step in charging for a service
is to understand why you must charge
for it. It sounds simple, but when a
customer asks, “Why do I have to
pay for digital services since I’m now
giving you a file in a way that’s easier
for you to handle and you don’t even
have to pick it up?” everyone in your
shop needs to know, understand, and
believe the reply which must be given.
The simple answer is that in order
to provide the service your customer
expects, you have had to make
a tremendous number of capital
investments for which you must
be compensated in order to stay in
business and continue providing that
outstanding service he or she expects.
Each reprographics company must
come up with its own storyline to get
that message across, both internally
and externally, and this is a critical
aspect of charging for digital services.
Most companies that are now regularly
and consistently charging for digital
services originally agonized over the
best way to do this. All expected great
resistance from their customer base.
As Betsy Kahn, President of Copycat
Print Shop in North Carolina states,
“We basically drew a line in the sand
one day and started charging [for digital
Hourly charges are easy to implement
and relatively straight forward to
understand for both employees and
customers. Those using hourly charges
generally have minimums. One
company has a $20 minimum for up to
a half hour of processing time for every
digital job. They find that most jobs fall
within this range. Most other digital
service charges are billed at a similar
rate, except ‘creative’ work in the color
department is billed at $75/hour.
It is clear that changes must occur for success to follow.
These changes can take two primary avenues—workflow
must become more efficient and services provided must
be adequately compensated.
services]. We sent out a statement
stuffer informing everyone and
made a diligent effort to convey the
information over the counter. Except
in only a very few cases, the charges
were not even acknowledged. Those
who balked are those who balk about
everything, including the weather.”
Another company bills a “rip” time at
$75/hr in 10 minute increments for
all digital files processed. Additional
file manipulation is billed at $100/
hr with a minimum charge of $25.
These charges appear on an invoice
with the department name and either
“computer rip” or “computer charge.”
Similarly John Davis, C.E.O. of Alabama
Graphics reports that his company sent
out a letter to all their existing clients
explaining why they would need to
begin charging for digital services and
outlining what those charges would
be. They also received very little
negative feedback from customers.
The advantage of hourly billing
is simplicity and the fact that the
minimum always appears on the invoice.
A disadvantage can be in ensuring that
all staff accurately and consistently
record time. Training is essential! A
problem can occur if a customer is
billed differently when the same job is
processed twice—simply because one
employee or piece of equipment may
be more efficient than another.
Astonishing though it may sound, this
has been the universal response. For
the most part, your customers have also
experienced tremendous additional
expense to go digital and they can
readily understand that you have too.
There will still be customers you have
to negotiate with and your negotiations
are bound to vary according to the
business that customer brings, but that
shouldn’t stop you from charging for
services you provide.
Like everything else in sales, if you
don’t ask for it, you won’t get it.
Those companies which have begun
to charge for digital services are using
three main methods: 1) hourly, 2) a la
carte or 3) a mix of the first two.
Occasionally a customer may also
call and inquire as to exactly what
happened in the time for which he
was billed, but both companies say
that this is fairly rare and a simple
explanation generally suffices. One
company is considering going to a
la carte pricing because it feels the
current system may miss additional
revenue opportunities.
The advantage of a la carte pricing is
that it is very clear exactly what services
the customer is being billed for.
15
Continued from page 15
This can be a disadvantage as well….
particularly if there is any lack of
consistency in the billing. Skip a
charge once and the customer believes
it should never appear again. It also
seems to be a challenge for employees
to remember all the different items
for which they should be charging.
One company ran a “mystery
shopping” job through all their sites
and found considerable variation both
in how it was billed and ultimately on
the invoice total.
Customer perception is an issue with
either billing method. Some like
knowing exactly what services they
are being charged, while others feel
like they are being “nickel and dimed”
when a whole list of relatively small (or
large) charges appear on their invoices.
them directions on how to set up
and save the files to most efficiently
process on your particular equipment.
This can be done on your Web site,
through handouts or by sales calls.
One company reports that the best
training tool is the extra charges
incurred by the customer when he
submits files that need help. But it is
important to also be able to mention
to that customer that the information
he needed was clearly available—so
that the next time the files will be
prepared correctly…if he wishes
to do so. Some customers simply
prefer to have their reprographics
company “hold their hand.” This too
is fine so long as the reprographer
has appropriate pricing in place to
accommodate this need.
While many may base their pricing on costs, it is also important
to consider “value” pricing. What is the value of the service
being offered to the customer?
Some companies only bill a digital
charge for jobs that require any kind
of “special” handling. This works
only if the square foot pricing is
high enough to offset the increased
equipment, labor and overhead costs
associated with digital file processing.
At least 20 percent of all digital
jobs received require some special
attention! And in some shops that
percentage is considerably higher.
The most common problems are
files missing fonts, images or xrefs;
corrupt files; jobs missing files/pages;
or incorrectly saved files which require
inordinate processing time.
While some problems will always
exist, obviously the fewer they are,
the more efficient job processing will
become. It is somewhat surprising
then that few reprographics shops
seem to have given much emphasis
to customer training. Offer your
customers choices but give them
guidance as precisely as possible about
the file formats you prefer and give
16
While many may base their pricing
on costs, it is also important to
consider “value” pricing. What is the
value of the service being offered to
the customer? The value will usually
have little to do with the cost. It can
be difficult to put a price tag on the
knowledge, capability and reliability
to perform a particular service.
In general, your customer cares
little about per unit costs. What is
important is to consistently meet
his expectations, hopefully better
than the competition.
Other industries are using subscription
models for pricing and this may be
something reprographics companies
can successfully incorporate into
their pricing structures as well. Most
subscriptions offer discounts for payin-advance and/or commitments for
a substantial time period. This allows
more accurate forecasting of revenue
while ‘locking in’ your customer.
The digital world is still evolving.
The potential for additional services
is practically limitless. AEC is going
increasingly digital. Listen carefully to
your AEC customers. What makes up
the new AEC workflow and where do
the pain points exist that the typical
AEC office is not well-equipped to
handle. If it is an area where the
reprographer can effectively step in
and help out, you got it. Look at other
customers and potential customers in
the same way.
Think ahead. Use your investment
in equipment, training, and people in
even broader ways than you currently
think possible. Get involved in
organizations in which your customers
are involved...not just to sell to them,
but to listen carefully to where they
are headed. And figure out how to
help them get there. listen carefully
to where they are headed. And figure
out how to help them get there. As
Chuck Gremillion, Regional President
of A&E – The Graphics Complex,
A Division of Thomas Reprographics
states, “We are customer service
oriented—we go out of our way to
help our customers be successful…
recognizing that if we can help them
be successful, we will always be part of
their team!”
Madeline Wilson of Universal
Reprographics in Los Angeles also
emphasizes, “We sell on service, fast
turnaround, print-on-demand…
If you sell on price alone, you
make the industry wide open to
commoditization. We do negotiate
price if necessary but something is
always charged for digital processes!
Remember that there will be no
commoditization of intelligence.
•
Navina Waterman is an independent
consultant with over twenty years experience
in the reprographics industry. She now provides
process analysis, technical, marketing, and
web development services as well as a
newsletter for reprographers to use to better
communicate with their AEC customers.
www.reproscene.com
but Why Not?
By Scott Cullen
If you don’t do it, somebody else will. That seems to be the consensus about
facilities management (FM) services among reprographers who already offer
clients these services.
D
arlene Billings is sales manager for Phoenix and
Tucson for Thomas Reprographics in Phoenix, Ariz.
Thomas Repro has been offering FM to clients for
at least 10 years now. Architects and engineers represent
Thomas’s core client base for FM services.
“That’s all very attractive to them because
this allows them to do third-party billing
and turn that (part of their business)
into a profit center,” observes
Billings. “We also have a couple
of general contractors and some
home builders.”
Thomas Reprographics has
about 40 unmanned FM
locations and five manned
FM locations in Phoenix and
Tucson. Billings estimates that
about 8 to 10 percent of Thomas
Reprographics’ yearly revenues
within Phoenix and Tucson are
derived from FM operations. The
company’s goal for 2008 is to increase
that number substantially.
NRI in New York City has been offering
FM services for 15 years. It currently has
120 FM clients, who represent about 33
percent of the organization’s revenue. This
portion of the company’s business has been
growing tremendously over the last five
years with sales up more than 300 percent.
Dan Gabrich, vice president of Outsourcing,
attributes that surge to NRI’s service
offerings. “It’s not just placing equipment
onsite, or labor onsite, it’s the tracking
solutions, color management, and the variety of
services like IT that we offer as well.”
The company’s biggest success within the FM arena over
the past three years has been with smaller architectural
firms. “It’s great to get a customer that has 150-250 people
in it, but it’s just as great to get five customers that have
10-20,” states Gabrich.
FM Benefits
Reprographic firms who offer customers an FM option have
found that it tends to strengthen that relationship.
“It really locks in your customer for a period of time,” says
Billings. “We try to get a three-year contract whenever
possible. We’ll do less than three years if the client
requests that, but it gives you the ability to
be in there for a certain period of time.
And you’re the printer of choice because
they’re getting their third-party invoices
and tracking information from you.”
“The first thing we look at is if our
client is looking for additional ways
to increase their revenue,” says
Layton Zellman, division president
of Engineering Repro Systems (ERS),
based in Minneapolis, Minn.
If clients don’t assist in reimbursement
ERS looks to assist them in providing
more equipment functionality and better
control of their overall expenses. By providing
outsourced printing services to clients who may
want to add or increase their in-house capability,
also provides ERS with an opportunity to expand
its revenue stream. “If we don’t, we’ve opened
the door to be challenged for our existing outside
service revenue,” notes Zellman.
He explains that by having an FM agreement with a
client, the reprographer has the revenue controlled
and is positioned to add additional services and
technology that will ultimately increase their
revenue. “Tracking FM’s have a tendency to grow,”
adds Zellman.
For example, if the client finds print tracking on the one
device a reprographic firm is supplying beneficial, they
might also find it beneficial to add other devices. It also
exposes them to more service offerings. Many of ERS clients
have started with one large-format device and then added
small-format equipment and color equipment along with
distribution services.”
17
“If we have equipment there, it gives
us an anchor into their account,”
adds Gabrich. “Not only do we have
equipment, but we get the overflow
work that goes with that. We show
them our support, we get to know
their people a lot better, and then we
get the work that comes back to our
shop that goes along with it.”
ERS has some clients who in the past
only needed to print small quantities
for one type of file format in black and
white. Today those clients may need
to print multiple file formats, many
times in color, and occasionally scan
documents in color. If they originally
purchased the equipment, they would
“We roll all of these different costs into unit prices and
we take advantage of our buying power to get better
pricing than the customer,” says Dan Gabrich.
either have to trade-in that device
or perhaps invest additional capital
for more equipment. An FM contract
allows them to seamlessly upgrade
the equipment. “And who is better
at providing this flexibility than a
reprographer?” asks Zellman.
An FM installation also allows
reprographers to derive additional
revenues from added services and
support. By adding technical support,
a reprographer can build that into the
price per unit and/or separately on a
cost-per-need basis. There’s also the
client who needs to track and have a
third-party bill so they can pass it on
to their clients. Since the FM provider
is already doing the work in house for
a client’s overflow or their big projects,
this places them in an ideal position to
provide those services too.
Pricing Model
Flexibility is the name of the game
when pricing FM services. “I think you
have to provide whatever the client
is looking for,” says Zellman. “I don’t
think one model fits all.”
“There really isn’t one model that fits
all,” agrees Billings. “That’s the beauty
of it. You can customize it based on
what the client needs.”
18
Thomas Reprographics’ pricing model
is based on a monthly minimum and
a per square footage price. “After they
meet that monthly minimum, then we
go to an overage price which is typically
a little bit lower than that original
per square footage price to make that
monthly nut,” explains Billings.
Pricing varies from client to client
based on the type of equipment they
have and what Thomas determines is
their average monthly square footage.
For example, if Thomas doesn’t have
anything to base it on, it offers clients
three different levels—1,000 square foot,
2,000 square foot, 3,000 square foot a
month. It then determines their average
square footage per month and then locks
them into a figure after 90 days.
NRI’s pricing is based on volume.
“We roll all of these different costs
into unit prices and we take advantage
of our buying power to get better
pricing than the customer,” says
Gabrich. “And even with the mark up
we can still offer them a better price.”
The Contract
What should be included in the FM
contract? It depends on the client,
contends Zellman. “If they don’t have
any reimbursement stream, and there
are some of them, we need to give
them the ability for upgrades and
flexibility for different volumes.”
It’s also important to consider if a
client averages, say 1,000 prints a
month, but has spikes three to five
times a year where he does five times
that amount, there has to be flexibility
in the price structure to accommodate
those spikes. With larger clients where
ERS does reimbursement, it needs to
take a look at how it can combine
the client’s in-house and outsourced
printing into the same agreement.
Much of what is included in the
typical Thomas Reprographics FM
contract is fairly obvious. This
encompasses the obvious, such as
equipment and the serial numbers,
what kind of tracking, how many
users they’re tracking, the certificate
of insurance for liability insurance
from the client on the equipment,
paperwork so it can file UCC
forms with the state, and the usual
boilerplate stuff—“you’re expected
to do this and we are expected to do
this,” and then a detailed explanation
of the pricing.
Service Department
Thomas Reprographics services
Océ and KIP large-format printers
internally. Any small format black and
white or color, or if it places inkjets
with a client are all handled via thirdparty service providers.
NRI handles 90 percent of service
themselves.
“It’s great to have the flexibility of
having my own technicians and
not having to rely on an equipment
manufacturer,” opines Gabrich.
“Our service and support is our biggest
selling point.”
Marketing FM
How do repro firms identify the best
clients to offer this kind of service to?
“It’s like anything, you’ve just got to
ask questions,” says Zellman. “Listen
closely to what the customer is telling
you. If he’s having a problem and he
can’t get his IT staff to spend enough
time to solve his problem because
they have other issues they’re dealing
with, there’s an opportunity. If the
device he’s had for X number of years
isn’t doing what he needs it to do and
he can’t get capital funds from his
company, can we provide it on a per
use basis? Sure we can. So we have to
ask the questions.”
NRI has an aggressive sales force
that markets its FM services. Most
of it is old-fashioned door-to-door
selling, visiting architects’ and
engineer’s offices. NRI’s approach
to marketing FM focuses on support
and cost recovery.
“We show them our support, our
help desk, our response times, our
different array of services, because
anybody can go in there and give
them a plotter,” says Gabrich. “It’s
the back-end stuff that we sell.
The last thing we talk about in our
proposal is the equipment.”
FM Obstacles
The FM arena is not without certain
obstacles, especially since today’s
environment is much different than
it was a few years ago. “We have to
be concerned about changes in file
formats and the programs clients use,”
states Zellman.
With the release of new platforms
and applications, FM providers have
to ensure that equipment remains
compatible as the technology changes.
“With the increasing transfer and
sharing of digital files, we must make
adjustments as necessary,” says Zellman.
For example, a client may receive files
from an architect or a consultant,
then all of a sudden the format has
changed because of a change in his
CAD program. A recent change is the
DWF file form. FM providers need to
be aware of those things and build its
responsibility on the technology side
into the FM agreement.
existing customers. “The FM model is
offered to our typical client base, so we
already understand their business and
have the opportunity to consult with
them on the best solution, becoming
more of a partner rather than just a
service provider.”
Billings agrees with Zellman about
the importance of vendor alliances.
“Thomas being Thomas and having
lots of locations and being prominent
in the repro world, we have the good
fortune to have some really great
relationships with many different
vendors,” she notes. “That makes it
easier for us to get the kind of service
we need when we are third partying
the service.”
Why Not?
There are a lot of unknowns in the
reprographics world, and this creates a
lot of unknowns for the reprographer’s
clients as well. “Clients are taking a
hard look as to whether they want
The FM arena is not without certain obstacles,
especially since today’s environment is much different
than it was a few years ago.
Overcoming some of these obstacles
requires vendor alliances. Some
reprographers only offer repro services.
“They don’t have a vendor product line
or alliance they can leverage or that’s
available to them,” notes Zellman.
First and foremost, he recommends
partnering with a manufacturer. And
because many small reprographers
don’t have good in-depth technology
to support the equipment, they should
consider hiring or developing this
expertise or partnering with a vendor
who can supply it. “The ability to
connect equipment to a client’s
network is a significant hurdle for many
small reprographers,” says Zellman.
When asked what Thomas
Reprographics’ biggest challenge is
in offering FM to clients, Billings
concedes that it isn’t much of a
challenge at all when approaching
to spend the dollars themselves for
their equipment purchases or do they
want to partner with somebody like
us who has the ability to increase or
decrease the capacity as their needs
change,” says Zellman. “We have
the availability of a much larger
client base to move that equipment
around as necessary. If we don’t as
reprographers assist our clients in
meeting these basic needs, they’re
going to look for other sources. Let’s
not let that happen.”
•
Scott Cullen has been writing about business
and technology issues since 1986. He is
managing editor of OfficeSolutions and
OfficeDealer magazines and a frequent
contributor to numerous imaging industry
publications. He can be reached at
[email protected].
19
SEVEN TIPS
By Ed Avis
for a Better Color Business
Find new methods to increase new business
and revenues.
Color reprographics has been an important profit center for many
reprographics shops for well over a decade, but sometimes even reliable
money makers need a little freshening up. From expanding the market to
expanding your marketing, here are seven tips to keep your color department
humming well into the next decade.
Tip 1: Expand beyond AEC
The architecture/engineering/construction business is your
bread and butter, so it’s logical that you’ve focused your
color work in that area. But color can be way bigger than
AEC. If you focus on the areas of color you do best in, and
market your services effectively (see tip 7), you can bring in
some serious new dough.
The first step towards tapping a non-AEC market is deciding
what color abilities your shop has that makes it stand out
from other color shops, such as photo labs, service bureaus
and quick printers.
For example, do you have a staffer who’s a wiz at color
correction? Or someone who knows mounting and laminating
so well that he or she never makes mistakes? Think about
what non-AEC markets these services could be used in.
For Blair Graphics in Santa Monica, Calif., one area that
has brought its color department competitive success is trade
show displays.
“I haven’t seen a lot of other labs cater to that market,” says
Dan Davis, who was director of information technology at
Blair Graphics for 15 years until becoming a consultant to
American Reprographics Corporation, Blair’s owner. “It’s a
nice way to bring in customers you might not see otherwise.”
At Blair, getting into the trade show market meant tapping
the talents of its best color people. “The work is very labor
intensive, and you have to know what you’re doing,” Davis says.
Some other important color markets outside of AEC include
advertising (posters, billboards, signs, etc.), municipalities
(signs, banners, decals, etc.), retail (point-of-purchase
displays, advertising signage), law (courtroom displays), and
many, many more. Tap one or more of these markets, and
your color profits will multiply.
Tip 2: Do More for AEC
OK, so this is a contradiction, but the truth is you’re
probably not even fully tapping the color market of AEC.
If you’re just duplicating renderings now, you’re missing out.
Color engineering drawings, for example, is a market that should
grow in the coming years. This is huge in Europe and probably
will eventually catch on in North America. Color engineering
drawings offer the advantage of using different colors for
different disciplines, making the drawings easier to use.
If you have a decent color inkjet plotter in your shop, it
can print CAD documents just as easily as the posters,
banners and such that you’re using it for now. Or you could
invest in a system designed for color CAD output, such as
those from Océ or Hewlett-Packard.
The key to color CAD is convincing your clients that it’s
worth the extra cost. That’s probably more persuading
than you want to do, but you could position it as a
competitive advantage for the AEC business that does it.
Imagine the impact in a competitive situation when one
architect provides his preliminary drawings in color, and
the others all are monochrome.
Kaye Kloster, executive vice president of Ford Graphics
in Portland, Ore., says her firm has sold CAD drawings
done in color already but mainly just to show redline
corrections. Kloster says Ford’s Oce TCS 500 inkjet plotter
is ideal for that kind of CAD color printing.
Tip 3: Focus on Color Control
It’s likely there are other businesses—including other repro
shops—in your community that offer color services. But you
can distinguish your shop by focusing on an essential skill
that many color businesses do not do well: color control.
Good, consistent color from print to print (and in
reprints) is essential for many applications, such as
advertising and corporate signage. Can you imagine the
Coca-Cola logo in pink? Businesses like that depend on
color providers that know color management.
How do you get good color management? It’s a
combination of having well trained staff, good software and
an equipment maintenance program that keeps your color
printers running well. Plus, it requires a commitment from
management to make sure it’s done right.
“You have to have someone who will be the champion
of color management and oversee implementation and
updating and measurements,” Davis says. This person
has to work closely with the operators to make sure the
work is done correctly. “There are a hundred ways to do it
wrong, and one way to do it right.”
21
Davis says good color management is a hallmark of Blair
Graphics’ color department. “Blair was an early adapter of
color management, so we offer better color control than our
competitors,” he says. This control has snagged Blair clients
in the entertainment and advertising industries, who need
their projects to have consistent color print to print.
Tip 4: Sell Up
The next time someone buys a color print, don’t let his or
her walk out the door with only a color print! There are few
color projects that couldn’t be improved with an accessory.
For example, frames add a wonderful touch to many prints,
such as family posters, semi-permanent advertising signs or
directional signage. You don’t need to be a frame shop to do
this—just create simple custom frames from systems such as
those sold by Trim USA.
Many prints benefit from mounting and laminating, or one
or the other. Davis says about 40 percent of Blair’s color
jobs are mounted, and 20 percent are laminated. Your
mounting and laminating department should be a serious
profit maker for your shop. Encourage your salespeople to
evaluate every color job and see if it would benefit from
mounting and laminating.
Other possible color accessories include grommets, hooks,
Velcro strips, hangers, poles, eyelets and many other items.
These small items can add tremendous value to a print and
bring a few more dollars to your bottom line.
Tip 5: Reduce Waste
Your color department can be a large source of waste. Prints
that are trashed because the color isn’t right, laminating
film trimmed off the edges of a print, inkjet cartridges
that are ruined because lack of maintenance…the list of
potential money-wasters is endless. Every dime that you can
save in reduced waste is a dime that goes straight to your
bottom line.
“We reduce waste by doing it right the first time,” says Kelly
Pitt, co-owner of Zen Reprographics in Louisville, Ky. “It’s
better to spend a little more time upfront getting a job right
than rushing it and having to do it over.”
Davis says an important waste-reduction tactic used at Blair
is to print samples of projects that the customers approve
before they run the entire job. That way there’s no question
that the customer will be satisfied with the final product.
However, this method only works if a shop has good color
management, because each print has to look the same
as the one the customer signed off on. “Without color
management you’ll never reduce waste because the colors
won’t be right,” Davis says.
Tip 6: Make Design Available
Most of your color department’s work will come to you ready to
print, but having a designer available—even freelance—could
be competitive advantage. Some of your customers won’t have
their own designers, and they’ll appreciate the “one-stop-shop”
22
service you can provide if you have a designer available.
And all your clients will appreciate the comfort of knowing
that anything your in-house designer prepares will be in the
right file format, with the right fonts, colors, resolution, etc.
Naturally, you’ll charge for that service. Even if you use
freelance instead of in-house designers, be sure to mark up
the fee to generate some profit.
At Zen Reprographics Pitt says their in-house staff will
turn PowerPrint files into print files and other simple
conversions like that. However, Pitt warns that if you
have designers as clients—as many reprographics color
departments do—they might resent the fact that you have
in-house designers taking away their work.
“You don’t want to compete with your client base,” Pitt says.
Tip 7: Market Better
You might have the greatest color department in the world,
but it will never succeed if your customers—and potential
new customers—don’t know about it. Marketing is essential
to the success of your color department.
Make sure you market your color department with the
basics—flyers, your Web site, your on-hold message, etc.—
but also consider some special efforts specifically for color.
For example, a great way to let people know you do color
is to donate color signage to a charity event. The chamber
of commerce would love a color banner announcing
its coming activities, and when the chamber president
announces that you’ve donated it, all the members will
become aware of your services. Is your church holding a
pancake breakfast fundraiser? Donate a sign for that, and
every church member will become a potential customer.
Did the high school band win a medal in a marching
competition? Create a banner to hang at the school
congratulating them—every band parent now knows
what you do.
Kloster says Ford Graphics often donates signage for
meetings of local chapters of the American Institute of
Architects, Associated General Contractors and other
related groups. “That really helps to connect that audience
with Ford Graphics,” Kloster says. “We’ve sponsored a lot
of events over the years.”
To market more color services to your AEC clients, try
adding color to one print for every set you send out in a
given week. Your CAD plotter operator should be able to
color code the disciplines with ease to create that one print.
Staple a flyer about your color CAD services to that print,
and your AEC customers will get a glimpse of the future.
Your color department should be a great profit center for
your shop. Hopefully, one or more of the tips above will
make that become a reality.
•
Ed Avis is a freelance writer in Oak Park, Ill., who specializes in
imaging issues.
PrintI.T.
Microsoft Excel Works but Why Stop There?
I
f you’ve followed my column
throughout the years, you’ve picked
up on the fact that I’m what they
call an “Excel Hater.”
They all ask me, “Why do you hate
Excel?” Fair question. It’s not so much
Microsoft Excel itself. It’s a great
program. It’s has a rewarding user
experience. It’s intuitive. It’s fast. The
new print previews are great and for
anyone doing financial duties, it just
can’t be beat. For financial duties. For
financial duties. No it’s not a typo, let
me say that one more time for effect:
For financial duties.
If you have numbers in cells that you
want to add, subtract, average, etc...it’s
awesome. Think of how much power
we have in a modern PC with Excel.
At some point in the not-too distant
past, only the largest of governments
had the kind of power each of us have
on our desktops for $1,000 or so.
So Excel is awesome. Great program!
Because of it’s flexibility, however, and
the fact that many of us do use it for
financial tasks means that we are familiar
with it and not intimidated by it, so
it ends up doing things it was never
designed to do—mainly being treated as
a database. This is especially poor form
on our part because we want to use it
like a database, but Excel has none of
the mechanisms of a database to keep
us in line (primary keys, relationships,
referential integrity, etc...).
How many of us use Excel to make
lists with no financial functions at all
and then email that file around? This
might not be insane by itself, but when
there are so many better alternatives
around, why do we continue to use a
screwdriver to pound in a nail? I can
only assume it’s my fault. I haven’t
properly described an alternative.
Many apologies, I’ll deal with that
right now—SharePoint.
Why SharePoint?
If you know about SharePoint, you can
stop reading. You have long abandoned
your abuse of Excel and have switched
to this Web-based solution. Then again,
you are twice as productive as the rest
of us since switching so you’ve got time
to burn. Might as well stick around for
the bad jokes and elitist comments.
There is a lot going on with
SharePoint lately. You definitely have
a lot of customers using it, especially
the Architecture crowd. They are all at
least trying it, if not using it regularly.
It’s been around a long time but it
gained wider acceptance after a recent
update. So even if you don’t use it
yourself, you would do well to install it
or buy a SharePoint account from an
ISP and play with it and then ask some
of your customers if they are using it.
So what is it already? This will be
over-simplified but it’s essentially a
Web-based system for making Excellike lists and storing documents. It’s
true document-management as well
with automatic revision control,
check-in/out functions, work-flow and
document routing, etc.
Lets say you want to keep a list of
FMs and related data. Normally you
might open up an Excel spreadsheet,
put some columns at the top and start
loading up data. You can do this exact
same operation with SharePoint but
it will be 100 percent Web-based and
you can share this list with anyone you
choose while locking others out.
You can use this list to populate other
lists you might keep, like a list of
equipment you own. The beauty of it is
that you can take existing spreadsheets
and just tell SharePoint to make that
into a list and begin using SharePoint
immediately.
You can also design the pages of
SharePoint to display data, filtered
data, include and exclude specific
columns, create groupings that expand
in a tree-view and simply drag various
components and lists around the page
to create the view your users see. This
is just the very beginning. SharePoint
lets you keep online calendars, multi-
stage tasks that can be assigned to users,
discussion boards, contacts, picture
libraries, wiki pages—the list goes on.
So where’s the catch? It must be expensive
and you’re probably limited to just one
site or something like that, right?
Need photo
No, there is no catch. Seriously.
It’s probably already running
somewhere in your company since
it comes free with Windows Server
(or it’s an easy install if your IT staff
have left that component off). On top
of that, SharePoint is arranged in a
self-managing hierarchical structure.
This means you can have a toplevel site and just create another site
“below” that one which can spawn an
unlimited number of child-sites. Each
site has that same capability.
By John Marquardt
For instance, you might have an
operations manager who runs a
SharePoint site and stores information
and lists for top-level execs. This
manager might “spawn” a SharePoint
site for each department in the company
and let each manager run their own site.
These sites can share user credentials
or have separate users. If you don’t
have a server to put this on, you can
buy time on a SharePoint server for
just a few dollars per user and begin
using it immediately with little or no
effort through ISPs like 1&1 or other
larger ISPs (and some small ones!).
If it’s not obvious, I’ve become quite
a fan of SharePoint because of it’s
simplicity and power, but mostly because
it allows us to keep doing all the stupid
stuff we’ve been doing but in a more
organized, secure and elegant way.
If you have any questions at all about
SharePoint feel free to e-mail me. I’d
love to help you get started or just
explain things in a more casual way.
•
Formerly the IT manager for Engineering Repro
Systems in Minneapolis, Minn., John Marquardt
is an industry speaker and educator. You can
reach him at [email protected].
23
ImagEArea
Marketing 101: Marketing is
More Than Advertising
L
et me begin by saying hello to
all of you. In my short absence
from the reprographics industry,
I have been missing the interaction
with colleagues and friends that I
had made in the past many years.
In a sense, it’s nice to be “back,” if
only in print.
Bob Margolis
My column—Image Area—will focus on
marketing, which is my occupation in
this life and was a passion of mine whilst
I swam in the ocean of reprographics.
I’m fortunate to be working with the
most talented, gifted, creative, energetic
and focused group of designers, writers
and strategists. My goal is to infuse some
of what we’re doing here at Fathom
into how you think of promoting
your business. Call this first article
Marketing 101 if you will.
What’s the difference between
marketing and advertising?
a radio spot on a local news station
or some collateral materials and sell
sheets. Marketing is a culture. It’s a
way that you lead your organization
that says, “We do things better.”
Every business aims to be somehow
different and better than their
competition. That’s the leverage
that they use to gain a competitive
advantage. If you’re exactly the same
as everyone else, all that you can
compete on is price. Don’t get me
started on that.
Here are some aspects of the
reprographics business that fall under
the marketing umbrella:
• The name of your company. What
is it and why is it what it is? If you
were starting your business today,
would you name it the same thing?
Is the name of your company doing
Often, business owners decide to take out advertising in a given
publication or to address an upcoming event. Marketing is a
more continuous process, one that companies engage in at every
stage of their interaction with prospective and current clients.
24
everything that it can for you? Is it
working against what you are trying
to achieve or causing confusion in
the marketplace?
Often, business owners decide to take
out advertising in a given publication
or to address an upcoming event.
Marketing is a more continuous
process, one that companies engage
in at every stage of their interaction
with prospective and current clients,
from the way your staff answers the
phone to how you present yourself
in brochures and online. In fact,
some business owners never think
of marketing at all, missing valuable
opportunities—some of them free,
some at relatively low cost—to win a
permanent spot at the top of mind of
their target customers.
• The names of your products and
services. Along with the name of
your company, your products or
services can have names. This is
common in today’s digital age of
reprographics. There are all kinds of
names or naming conventions out
there for digital prints, color output
etc. Are you taking advantage of
any of those names that are
available to you, or have you even
created your own?
Marketing is far deeper than some ads
placed in the local business journal or
newspaper. Marketing is broader than
• Taglines. A tagline can say a lot
about your business, especially if the
name of your business is not related
to your services. They can be
memorable, informative, humorous
and can even convey the personality
of your company to your clients.
• Positioning. Positioning is also the
attempt to control the way the
public perceives a product or service
in relation to competing products.
I’ll get more detailed about
positioning in future articles.
• Core Story. Sometimes also called
an “elevator pitch,” the core story is
a brief statement crafted chiefly for
spoken (rather than written) use.
The story unfolds in stages, with
each statement meant to invoke
“tell me more” from the listener.
• Collateral material. Folders, sell
sheets, business cards, stationery,
even your email signature is an
opportunity to capture the
imagination of your prospects.
• Web site. The Web is the first place
that your customers and prospects
will go to search for a new product
or service or to vet your business.
In more recent times, the Web has
become a portal for customers to
transfer documents to the
reprographic community. Every visit
a customer makes to your Web site
is a marketing opportunity. Think of
your Web site as your top salesperson
who can deliver the best possible
message about your company.
In my next column, I’ll focus on
Web sites.
•
Bob Margolis is vice president of Business
Development for Fathom in Hartford, CT.
Fathom is an interactive, brand strategy and
graphic design firm. Bob is a past-president of
the IRgA, and for nearly three decades was in
the reprographics business at Crest Graphics in
Farmington, Conn. Feel free to contact
Margolis at [email protected] or visit his
Web site at www.fathom.net.
SustainablEImaging
Going Green: The Employee Advantage
D
eciding to make your
reprographics shop “green”
can be an important step in
your business’ history. The potential
advantages are numerous—save energy,
entice some environmentally conscious
new customers, help reduce waste.
But one big green advantage that
many shop owners overlook is the
employee advantage.
Many employees want to be green and
would rather work for a company that
is green. They become happier, more
productive workers who care more
about their employer.
A recent survey of more than 4,000
people by the recruitment job site
MonsterTRAK found that 80 percent
of young professionals are interested
in securing a job that has a positive
impact on the environment. And
90 percent of the respondents said
they would rather work for an
environmentally friendly employer.
Consider how those statistics affect
your recruitment. If 90 percent of your
prospective employees would rather
work for a green company, being green
is going to make filling those openings
much easier.
Why do your employees care? Because
they want to feel that their work—
even if it has nothing directly to do
with the environment—is helping in
some small way.
Sounds great, right? But you know
your employees better than I do, and
maybe some of them don’t give a rip
about the environment. Or at least it
appears that they don’t. Then you’ve
got a challenge on your hands, because
you need to have everyone on board
when you go green.
Here are some tips to convincing your
staff that going green is vital.
First, start by convincing your upper
management. Hold a meeting with
your managers and explain your
rationale: Being green is good for
the environment, good for our
employees, good for our wallet and is a
competitive advantage. Three common
retorts you may hear:
1) We’re much too small of a
company to have any possible effect
on the environment.
Not true. According to Conservatree,
a nonprofit environmental group, for
every ton of 30 percent recycled content
paper—which is about 85 500-foot,
36-inch rolls of bond—you use, you can
save about seven trees. If you set up a
recycling program for your clients, you
can probably keep a ton of wastepaper
out of landfills. If 99 other shops like
yours start doing this, together we could
be saving 700 trees and keeping 100
tons of waste out of landfills.
2) OK, but recycled paper is inferior.
It’s going to gum up our machines.
When was the last time you tried
recycled content paper? Two decades
ago? When it first came out, yes, it
was inferior. That’s no longer the case.
Now recycled content bond is virtually
indistinguishable from virgin bond.
It runs in our equipment exactly the
same way as what we’re using now.
3) Being green costs more.
Recycled content bond does cost 10
to 15 percent more now. However, we
may be able to charge a little more for
it, since it’s a premium product. And, as
more shops start using recycled bond, the
volume will increase enough to reduce
the cost. Replacing our old copiers
with energy-efficient new copiers
would be an investment that we would
recoup with increased energy savings.
Same goes for replacing our old
lightbulbs with compact fluorescent
bulbs, caulking around the windows
and adding more insulation to the
ceiling—all of these things will cost
us some in the short term, but should
pay for themselves in increased energy
savings quickly. Plus, remember the
competitive advantage—if you snag
one or two more clients because you’re
green, all the costs will be covered.
OK, you’ve convinced the bosses. Now
move on to the frontline employees. A
great way to convince them is to start a
green committee.
Here are some ideas for making an
effective green committee:
• Make sure the committee chair has
a clear understanding of the green
concept. Use the same arguments
(above) you used on your senior
management to convince the
committee leaders that they have a
vital job.
By Ed Avis
• Appoint people to the committee
from all areas of your shop, from
management to delivery drivers.
Ultimately, you’ll need buy-in from
all levels, so including representatives
from each level in the committee
is essential.
• Have the committee write all the
ideas it can come up with—no
limits on creativity—and then
assemble them in a document share
it with you. Together with the
chairman, go over those ideas and
whittle them into a doable plan.
• Top management should have final
say on the plan, but make sure you
take the committee’s plan seriously
and communicate that fact to them.
• Once your plan is written, keep your
employees on the green bandwagon
by listening to their suggestions for
other green ideas. Remember,
they’re probably closer to the dayto-day situation than you are, and
they’ll see things you don’t. Take
their comments seriously.
Being green is a competitive advantage
in many ways, not the least of which
is employee satisfaction. Even if you
have to convince your staff at first,
eventually they’ll be a happier crew
working for a firm that cares about
the environment.
•
Ed Avis is the author of the Green Reprographics
Manual, being published this spring. Contact
him at [email protected].
25
HRinsider
Making the Interview Work for You
H
By Debra Thompson
iring a new employee is like
making a high-stakes gamble.
Will your newest worker turn
out to be a fantastic addition or a
fantastic failure? Finding the right
person will help you grow and build
productivity. Finding the wrong person
will cost you in wasted expense and
lost customers.
For years, I have been writing
and speaking about the need for a
disciplined hiring process. Often in
their haste to fill a vacancy, many
owners and managers do not follow
a process or they skip critical steps so
they find themselves ill-prepared to
get it done right. In these fast-moving
and challenging times, hiring the right
people is a strategic imperative. This
is no time to take chances.
education, personality and intelligence
to meet your needs. You can avoid
wasting time by using prescreening
tools to pre-qualify the candidate for
the formal interview.
Prescreening will help you quickly sort
through the pile of paper and weed
out the applicants who are not viable
candidates. Do not waste valuable
time on applicants who do not fit the
requirements of the job.
While there are different types of
interviewing styles, this step is called
the structured interview because it
involves approaching the interview with
a pre-planned agenda. The interviewer
knows ahead of time what he/she will
ask the applicant. This structured
approach provides the interviewer with
the information needed to make the
Don’t let the results of the interview be your single source for the
hiring decision but do make sure that the interview results
contribute to a thorough understanding of the capabilities of your
suitable applicants and provide a fair and equitable comparison.
It is critical to prepare for every step
of the process. One such step is the
structured interview. It is a critical
step in the hiring process and it
is important that hiring managers
perfect their interviewing techniques.
They must be well versed in how to
effectively conduct interviews while
being fully aware of federal and state
legislation that precludes them from
asking certain questions during the
interview or in any discussions with a
potential employee.
So often I hear from hiring managers,
“That interview was a waste of time.”
Often that is because there is a rush
to get to and through the interview.
The fact of the matter is that there
are going to be many applicants who
do not possess the skills, experience,
26
hiring decision. It is also important as a
defense against discrimination in hiring
and selection, since all applicants are
asked the same questions.
Consider the following in preparing
for and conducting the interview:
• Interviewers should be well-versed
in federal and state laws that
regulate the types of questions that
may be raised in an employment
interview. If you are not sure if a
question is permitted, you are better
off not asking. As a general
guideline, questions relating either
directly or indirectly to age, sex,
race, color, national origin, religion
or disabilities should be avoided.
Every question should relate to a
bona fide occupational qualification.
• Review each candidate’s application,
resume and other pre-submitted
information. Note any areas needing
further clarification. Thoroughly
familiarize yourself with the job
description. Determine what
competencies are important for
success in this job and what
behaviors will differentiate the top
person from the average person.
• Create a list of questions that will
give you the information that you
need to make an informed decision.
The outcome of your interview
depends on the quality, not the
quantity of the information you
obtain from each candidate.
The information received will in
turn depend on the quality of
your questions. Use behavioral based
questions related to past performance
regarding specific competencies.
Eliminate hypothetical questions.
Ask people what they have already
done, not what they might do.
Remember that the interview is only
one step in the hiring process. The
results of the interview become one
more measure that is integrated with
the results received from the resume
and the application and though
prescreening, testing, reference and
background checking. Don’t let
the results of the interview be your
single source for the hiring decision
but do make sure that the interview
results contribute to a thorough
understanding of the capabilities of
your suitable applicants and provide a
fair and equitable comparison.
•
No More Rotten Eggs – 13 Steps to
Hiring Grade AA Talent, the new book
written by Debra Thompson and Bill Greif
has even more information on interviewing as
part of a disciplined hiring process. Go to
www.tgassociates.com/IRGA/ for a free
download of Step 6, The Structured Interview,
from No More Rotten Eggs, to learn all of
the criteria for conducting a successful
structured interview.
ProductInnovations
Ricoh Introduces Aficio
Mp C6000/C7500 Digital
Imaging System
Neenah Paper Releases
Products for Ink Jet and
Laser Printing Markets
Neenah Paper, an industrial leader
in the development of heat transfer
papers, launched two new products for
the ink jet and laser printing markets:
JET-PRO SofStretch and TECHNIPRINT 4.0 Heat Transfer Papers.
Ricoh Americas Corporation, a leading
provider of digital office equipment,
today introduced the Aficio MP
C6000 and MP C7500, two new high
performance, color multifunctional
products (MFPs). Whether the task is
printing, copying, scanning or faxing,
these digital imaging systems deliver
output speeds beyond any other in
their class.
The new Aficio MP C6000/C7500
Series is not only an ideal solution for
general office environments looking
to cost effectively incorporate color
into their documents, but is also well
suited for CRDs and commercial print
shops as well as graphic houses looking
to augment their current printing
services. Bringing the production
of documents to the next level, the
Aficio MP C6000/C7500 Series is a
versatile system that offers an array
of document management functions
coupled with print speeds of 55
pages per minute (ppm) full-color/60
ppm black-and white and 70 ppm
full-color/75ppm black-and-white,
respectively. Both systems also provide
standard duplexing at 100 percent of
rated speed.
The Aficio MP C6000/C7500 Series
delivers sharp, vivid and consistent
color printouts and stylish black-andwhite documents at 600 dots per inch
(dpi). Ricoh’s new toner technology,
which has smaller, more uniform
particles, produces sharp image
definition and smooth transitions in
gradients. To ensure consistent color
throughout production, the Aficio MP
C6000/C7500 Series has a sequence
of internal calibrations running in
the background to maintain toner
consistency and registration.
JET-PRO SofStretch was created
to offer the look and feel of screen
printing yet provide the ease of
desktop ink jet printing. To work with
the latest toner chemistry and the
lower priced laser printers, Neenah
created TECHNI-PRINT 4.0 Heat
Transfer Paper. Using both JET-PRO
SofStretch and TECHNI-PRINT 4.0
is cost- and time-efficient. They run
well on most ink jet printers and laser
color printers, respectively (including
less expensive models), to produce
shirts more quickly and economically.
JET-PRO SofStretch, which was
designed for improved hand with a
soft feel and excellent stretch, is used
on light colored fabrics. It is Neenah’s
first product for hot, warm and cold
peels. It creates vivid colors and the
coating holds ink for maximum color
saturation. The finished garment has
the soft hand and stretchability that is
in demand by professional shirt makers
and screen printers adding desktop to
their line-up. Boasting great washability,
its excellent hand actually improves
with washing. After 15 or more washes,
color retention remains strong without
bursts or cracks. The product is
designed for cotton, poly and blends.
Xerox Launches New
Monochrome System
As it prepares for the world’s largest
printing exhibition later this year,
Xerox Corporation launched its fastest
yet continuous feed printing system
that helps print providers capitalize
on the high-speed, high-volume
monochrome printing market. The
new high-speed system makes it easier
to produce books, manuals and transpromotional applications. It’s called
the Xerox 650/1300 Continuous Feed
Printing System.
The Xerox 650/1300 can print up to
1,308 duplex 8.5" x 11" images per
minute. The system uses dry toner,
xerographic imaging and flash-fusing
technology – a unique process that does
not use heat or pressure or make contact
with the paper, allowing the device to
print on a wider array of substrates than
competitive systems. It is part of an
array of offerings that Xerox will bring
to drupa, May 29 – June 11, showcasing
how graphic communications
companies can expand their businesses
and profit from growth opportunities
in digital printing.
Legend 72HUV Printer Offers
Unrivaled Versatility, Reliability
The affordable Legend 72HUV
industrial inkjet printer from LexJet
enables graphics firms of all sizes to
cost-effectively produce signs, banners,
displays and exhibits on a huge variety
of popular sign materials. Engineered
and built by Digital Equipment
Company, the Legend 72HUV uses
UV-curable inks to print photo-quality
images and graphics up to 72-inch
wide on rolls of flexible materials or
sheets of rigid substrates.
Because the printer is built for
reliability and switches so effortlessly
from rolls to rigid sheets, users can
produce a higher number of jobs every
day, as well as the wide assortment of
signs and displays commonly required
for graphics packages.
Priced under $100,000, the
Legend 72HUV includes top-grade
components, built-in automated
maintenance technology, and a
24-month written warranty. To provide
smooth, trouble-free production
immediately after installation, the
price also includes a comprehensive,
rigorous training program for current
and future operators.
27
ProductInnovations
New: Xerox 7142 WideFormat Printer
Xerox increased the size of its portfolio
of wide-format printers with the
release of the 7142 colour wide-format
printer that delivers high-speed and
cost-effective printing, and the 6050A
wide-format black-and-white printer
for producing construction plans and
engineering renderings.
Specifically designed for the computeraided design (CAD) and geographic
information systems (GIS) markets,
the Xerox 7142 colour wide-format
printer is a high-speed, costeffective option for the engineering,
architectural and construction
sectors. The Xerox 7142 has
printing resolutions from 360 to 2880
dpi and a maximum print speed of
40m2 per hour, making it a standout
in the industry.
The device uses the latest inkjet
printing-head technology that allows
control over each individual droplet
size, giving finer lines and contours
even at lower resolutions. The
variable droplet technology allows
low-cost uncoated media to be used
for check plots at lower resolutions,
and at higher resolutions with coated
media it produces high-quality
output for presentation and artist
impression applications.
In addition, the inkjet heads are
permanent, so they never need
replacing and improve reliability and
drive down running costs. Printing
up to nine 594mm x 841mm (A1)
images per minute and equipped
with the Xerox FreeFlow Accxes
Print Server, the new system enables
users to keep up with the growing
demand for printed architectural and
engineering renderings, electrical
diagrams, GIS/mapping and
construction plans and drawings.
28
Océ Introduces New Thick
Original, Large-Format
Color Scanner
extends the highest level of color
fidelity and accuracy to the most
demanding reprographics professionals.
Océ, a global leader in digital
document management and delivery
systems, announces the availability
of the Océ TCS4XT color scanner,
which supports rigid and thick
originals up to 0.6" thick while
retaining all the functionality of the
current Océ TC4 scanner.
Among CopySmart’s new features are
support for the i1 X-rite (aka Eye One
Gretag Macbeth) spectrophotometer;
printer linearisation; adjustable detail/
brightness optimisation control; third
party RIP support; additional drivers
for popular HP, Canon and Mutoh
wide-format reprographics printers;
and an integral “assist” browser-based
Help system (text and video based)
to reduce the learning curve and
facilitate productive copying in a work
environment. All CopySmart users can
upgrade free of charge.
Similar to the Océ TC4 scanner, the
Océ TCS4XT high-quality scanner
supports monochrome and full color
scanning in one easy-to-use system.
The efficient, flexible Océ TCS4XT
scans documents at 600 dpi at over
16' per minute in black & white and
at an exact 1:1 ratio without any user
intervention. To support thick original
scanning, the Océ TCS4XT scanner
features a flat 10" feeding table in
front of the scanner; a flat, retractable
30" receiving table in the rear of the
scanner; and a lever in the scanner top
cover to allow adjustments for originals
thicker than 0.12”.
An attractive option for reprographers
and government users, the Océ
TCS4XT easily captures information
from thick originals, like applications
involving mounted maps or legal
booklets, for immediate copying,
electronic distribution and archiving.
This new scanner is available for
use as part of the Océ TDS450, the
Océ TDS700 and the Océ TCS500
multifunction systems.
Colortrac’s CopySmart
Enhances CAD,
Reprographics Color
Colortrac has released CopySmart
v1.3H2, the latest version of their
professional scan-to-copy software
solution for accurately duplicating
color technical drawings and maps,
etc, as well as superb, full-color,
reprographics artwork.
CopySmart supports the complete
range of Colortrac SmartLF Cx and
Gx wide-format scanners. It simplifies
the process of managing and accurately
matching the original drawing or
artwork through the scanned image
to the printed result. CopySmart
BXerox Unveils New WideFormat Color Printers for
Creating Posters, Outdoor
Signs, Banners
Xerox Corporation is increasing its
portfolio of wide-format color printers
with two new offerings – the Xerox
8265/8290 and 8365/8390 Color Wide
Format Printers.
They are designed for commercial
printers and in-plant operations, are
available in 65- and 90-inch models.
The new printers open up an entirely
new set of high-value print jobs for
customers looking to complement
their current capabilities or enter the
expanding graphic communications
color wide-format market.
The 8265/8290 printer is compatible
with a wide-range of media types
and produces vibrant graphics on
indoor and outdoor point-of-purchase
displays, banners, life-size photos and
floor graphics. The printers use a
combination of inkjet technology and
environmentally-friendly eco-solvent
inks, which means no ventilation or
purification systems are required during
production and prints can last up to
three years without lamination. The
8265/8290 print at resolutions that
range from 360 to 1,440 dpi at typicalquality production speeds from 162 to
215 square feet per hour.
ProductInnovations
Roland Introduces 2008
SOLJET PRO III XC-540
Printer/Cutter
Roland DGA Corporation, a leading
provider of wide-format inkjet printers
and integrated print/cutters, today
introduced the 2008 SOLJET PRO
III XC-540 print/cutter featuring
revolutionary new Roland Intelligent
Pass Control technology, a white
ink configuration option and other
enhancements that deliver even higher
levels of speed, print quality and
versatility. With the release of the new
2008 XC-540, Roland is making the
new performance upgrades available
to existing XC-540 customers across
North and South America (except
Brazil) free of charge.
The SOLJET PRO III XC-540 printer/
cutter is widely recognized as the
industry’s highest performing and most
flexible production tool for a wide
variety of applications including partial
and full vehicle wraps and graphics,
signs, POP displays, banners, labels,
decals and more.
The new 2008 XC-540 features
award-winning ECO-SOL MAX inks
and is available in the following ink
configurations: six-color CMYKLcLm,
four-color CCMMYK, and five-color
CMYK+W featuring new, improved
White ECO-SOL MAX ink. The
XC-540 white ink configuration is
ideally suited for packaging comps,
decorative window displays and
other graphics involving clear and
reflective media.
Roland Announces White
ECO-SOL MAX Ink for SOLJET
PRO III
Roland DGA Corporation, a leading
provider of wide-format inkjet printers
and integrated print/cutters, recently
announced White ECO-SOL MAX
ink, the company’s most advanced
eco‑solvent white ink to date.
Formulated specifically for use with
Roland’s high-performance 54"
SOLJET PRO III XC-540 inkjet
printer/cutter, White ECO-SOL
MAX is new and improved over
original Roland white ink, introduced
in 2005 as the industry’s first white
eco‑solvent ink.
New White ECO-SOL MAX ink offers
even higher levels of brightness, opacity
and durability and delivers superior
imaging across a variety of transparent
media for text and graphics that
reflect crisp, defined edges and smooth
gradations. Enhanced scratch and
chemical resistance adds durability to
finished prints and ensures performance
with a wide range of media options.
On a variety of transparent media,
White ECO-SOL MAX ink prints
flawless highlights, graphics and text,
and can be printed as an undercoat to
increase the opacity and vividness of
four-color printing. White ECO-SOL
MAX ink has been tested, profiled and
certified for outstanding performance
on both coated and uncoated media
options including Roland’s SCMSPVCT Clear Adhesive Vinyl and
ESM-CCVP Clear Calendared Vinyl
with Permanent Adhesive.
Paradigm Imaging Group
Announces New, Improved
Rocket Scanner Controller
a valuable addition to a variety of
popular scanners and printers. The
Rocket takes large-format scanning
and copying to a whole new level,
bringing performance, ease of use and
excellent scan quality for Graphic
Arts, Fine Art, Photography, Pre-press,
Reprographics, Point of Purchase, GIS,
Mapping, CAD, AEC and document
archiving applications. Used for large
format copying, the Rocket Scanner
Controller is a powerful solution
that supports several high-quality
large-format printers from leading
manufacturers.
LexJet Introduces True Photo
Quality Papers for Solvent,
UV-Curable Printing
LexJet recently introduced Prime Gloss
SUV and Prime Satin SUV.
Prime Gloss SUV and Prime
Satin SUV allow users who have
transitioned to solvent and UV-curable
printing from aqueous-based printing
to win back customer and market share
for higher-end production graphics and
photographic reproduction. For longtime users of solvent and UV-curable
technologies, the true photo-quality
papers open up a range of profitable
applications in both emerging and
existing markets.
In addition to photo and fine-art
reproduction, the 10-mil glossy and
satin photo papers can be used in a
range of applications, from trade show
graphics to point-of-purchase signage
and posters. It’s also an ideal photo
paper for décor applications, such as
corporate lobbies, hotel art and
retail environments.
•
Paradigm Imaging Group, a
leading supplier of large-format
scanning, printing and document
archiving solutions, announced the
enhancement of the Rocket Scanner
Controller. Paradigm’s exclusive
Rocket Controller is now equipped
with a powerful 2.4Ghz Quad-Core
processor, 2GB of RAM and a 250 GB
SATA hard drive.
Do you have a new product
ready to hit the market? Please
send all new product information
to Dennis Coyle, managing
editor, [email protected].
The Rocket Controller is included
with all of Paradigm’s EIS Systems
and is also available separately as
29
ClassifiedAds
REPRO REPORT shall not be held liable for the accuracy and/or warranties of equipment, supplies and services advertised in this
publication. For information about placing ads, contact [email protected].
Positions Available
NGI, a fast growing provider of
reprographics and digital imaging
solutions in the southeast needs
production management, digital
imaging technicians, customer
service and sales personnel for our
expanding organization. This is a great
opportunity for the right people to join
one of the most dynamic teams in the
industry. All applicants must be highly
motivated, possess excellent
communication skills and enjoy working
in a fast paced environment. NGI offers
competitive pay with incentive
compensation, health/life/dental
insurance, 401k, paid vacation and more.
Reply to [email protected]
and reference REPRO REPORT in the
subject line. EOE/DFWP.
A traditional bricks and mortar company that provides document management services to the
construction industry is looking for an executive to manage its On Site Services
(Facilities Management) operations in Southern California. The worldwide construction industry is
about $3.4 trillion and is in desperate need of more reliable, customer centric, On Site
Services, also known as Facilities Management, alternative in our area. This company is
investing heavily in personnel, equipment and technology to bring new products and service
to market to compliment its traditional services. We are looking for someone that can manage
sales and operations in this highly competitive market. Experience in top-to-top sales,
planning, staffing and launching a new business model is required.
Color and Digital Specialist: an
expanding houston based company is
looking for a qualified individual for
leadership role in our color and digital
services department. Graphics experience
needed. Please email resume to
[email protected].
Advertising Information:
C2 Reprographics is five years old and has achieved the distinction of being the fastest
growing reprographics supplier in Southern California. You will be joining a winning
management team of professionals dedicated to offering superior solutions to our customers.
We offer tremendous opportunity for growth in all areas, both professionally and personally.
Our benefits and compensation packages are competitive.
Please send your resume and salary requirements to [email protected]. Alternatively, you may
call 714/545-2743, extention 1206 with any questions.
The IRgA thanks the above companies for advertising in this issue of
REPRO REPORT. If you wish to advertise in REPRO REPORT or require
additional assistance, please contact Bill Spilman toll-free at 877/878-3260
or e-mail [email protected].
Opportunities
National Reprographics Inc. is looking
for acquisitions within the reprographic
and digital color industries. Interested in
well-managed firms of any size located
in larger metropolitan markets. Contact
Doug Magid at [email protected] or
212/366-7063.
30
For sale a full service reprographics firm
established in 1964 grossing between
$400K and $500K annually in beautiful
Corpus Christi, Texas. Financing available
to qualified buyers. Less than two-year
payoff of $150K purchase price from
profits if managed properly. Get the snow
and ice out of your life. Contact Joe
Watson – 361/882-5575.
For sale Oce TDS 810 Scanner and
Controller/Monitor/Cabinet and document
stacker. Excellent Condition. $30,000.
Contact Bob – Florida 800/780-7377.
ClassifiedAds
REPRO REPORT shall not be held liable for the accuracy and/or warranties of equipment, supplies and services advertised in this
publication. For information about placing ads, contact [email protected].
Merchandise Mart
Design Presentation is a leading
provider of raster to vector CAD
conversion services. Contact us for a free
trial: [email protected]
646/792-2093.
ENGINEERING PARTS for the complete
line of Xerox, Kip, and Océ systems. OEM
parts at a quarter of the price of the
manufacturer. We have been supplying
the large-format industry for over 10 years
and carry over 1,000 parts and supplies.
Call Reprographic Technology today for a
competitive quote on your engineering
parts. Call 888/746-1802 or visit
www.reprographic-intl.com.
Ad Index
DIGITAL ES has the industry’s largest
inventory of used wide-format copiers,
printers,and plotters. All major
manufacturers’ machines in stock.
Available as full refurbs or “as is where is”,
from our dock or delivered and installed,
20 years plus in the business. We speak
your language. Call us 800/749-1138 or
[email protected].
We repair Skrebba Staplers. (Factory
Authorized Service Agency) Model 23,
117 and all current models. Contact Zack
& Associates Inc., 847/462-1460 or FAX
847/462-1580.
Engineering Copier Parts & Supplies
for use in Calcomp, C-4, Dietzgen,
Gestetner, JDL, JRL Systems, K+E, Kip,
Lanier, Mita, Océ, Regma, Ricoh, Savin,
Visual Edge & Xerox. Image Products of
California carries toners, developers,
photoreceptors, cleaning blades, fuser
rollers, pressure rollers, fuser webs & much
more. IPC carries both OEM as well as IPC
(our own private label) brand products.
Make IPC your one-stop-shop and call us
at 800/221-8831, 714/282-5678 or fax
us at 714/282-5680, or visit
www.imageproductsca.com.
DISCOUNT LAMINATOR ROLLERS
New: In stock – SEAL – GBC – AGL –
Sales, Service – Tehan & Company
800/283-7290
5
American Reprographics Company
www.e-arc.com
BC
KIP America
www.kipamerica.com
IFC
Oce North America, Inc.
www.oce.com
3
PLP Digital Systems
www.plp.com
IBC
Seiko-I Infotech
www.seiko-I.com
1
Sepialine
www.sepialine.com
Advertising Information
The IRgA thanks the above companies for advertising in this issue of REPRO REPORT. If you wish to advertise in REPRO REPORT and/or in
News Digest, IRgA’s monthy e-newsletter, please contact Bill Spilman toll-free at 877/878-3260 or e-mail [email protected].
31
END of THE Roll
Your Role in Re-Branding the Industry –
Action Required
Note to IRgA member companies: After reading, immediately go to www.irga.com, log in and download the new IRgA logo from
the IRgA Branding Toolkit.
A
Steve Bova, CAE
Executive
Director
ll member companies,
reprographers and industry
suppliers alike, should proudly
associate themselves with their
industry association by posting the new
logo and membership association on
their Web sites, company literature
and company signage. The IRgA has
created a toolkit of information to
make this easy for our members to do.
In the Mail
The IRgA Branding Toolkit includes:
A Message to
Non-Member Companies:
• IRgA Logo Files and Logo Usage
Standards – that clarify proper usage
of the new IRgA logo and tagline –
what you can and cannot do. It is
essential, for brand recognition
purposes, that the IRgA logo be used
properly and consistently;
• IRgA Brand Perception Study –
containing the perceptions of the
construction industry of the
reprographics market;
The IRgA 2008 Membership Directory
and the 2008 IRgA member decal will
soon be mailed to the key membership
contact at all member companies.
Proudly display the decal prominently
at your company, where customers
can see that you are a part of your
industry association.
Only IRgA member companies may
use the logo and tagline. The IRgA
beefed up its logo police force; staff
will be checking member and nonmember companies and their Web sites
to ensure that the logo is being used
properly and that non-members are
not making false claims to being IRgA
members.
There is growing value in the IRgA,
and it is critical that only member
All member companies, reprographers and industry
suppliers alike, should proudly associate themselves with
their industry association by posting the new logo and
membership association on their Web sites, company
literature and company signage.
• Branding the Reprographics
Industry Presentation – A
presentation providing an overview
of the brand perception study;
• Branding Presentation – A
presentation to share within your
company on how they can uphold
your company’s brand; and
• Other items will be added in the
coming months including templates,
Web banners and pass-along
information to your customers.
32
companies have access to and use the
branding information.
It is so easy to join the IRgA! If your
company is not an IRgA member,
simply go to www.irga.com, click on
the join tab, complete the information
and submit with payment. Or, you
can call 800/833-4742 and the
friendly staff will personally sign you
up over the phone.
To know if your company is a current
IRgA member, simply go to the Web
site, click on the directory tab and
enter your company’s name. If it does
not come up, you’re not a member!
Now is the Time
The IRgA will be blitzing the AEC
industry in 2008 with our new look,
feel and messaging. We are actively
creating relationships with AIA,
AGC and other targeted industry
groups. The IRgA Web site is
undergoing an “addition” of sorts
that will appeal to the construction
industry. It is our goal to drive AEC
interest to the IRgA Web site and to
IRgA member companies.
It is important that every IRgA
member company align with this effort
during the first quarter of 2008 so we
can maximize our impact.
Finally, be sure to add me to your
contact list. Let’s stay in regular touch
regarding the IRgA and how your
association can help your company.
I want to hear from you:
• How do you like the new logo
and tagline?
• In what creative ways are you
using the logo and tagline within
your company?
• What suggestions do you have for
the branding effort?
• How can the IRgA do a better job
serving you and your company?
•
I look forward to hearing from you!
You know where to reach me at – call
800/833-4742 or e-mail [email protected].
TRUE WEB-BASED VIEWING,
PRINTING AND JOB QUEUE
MANAGEMENT
KIP PrintNET is a web-based print utility that
benefits users with versatile viewing, printing, job
queue management and system administration
features without the need to install any
software applications on network PCs. Users
may select and send single or multiple files
to KIP digital systems via a local network
or the internet. In addition, KIP PrintNET
generates customizable Email reports
detailing all system usage on demand or
at preset intervals. These reports contain
data compatible with spreadsheet
applications for easy customization
and analysis.
Contact KIP today to learn more.
Call (800) 252-6793 or visit
www.kipamerica.com

Jan/Feb

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