Software - Web-to-print

Marching Off to On Demand and VUE/Point NEW YORK—The On Demand 2001 conference and exposition is slated to run at New York's Jacob Javits Convention Center from February 28 to March 2. Over the course of the event, corporate printing professionals reportedly will learn about improving customer relationship management (CRM), increasing response rates with 1:1 marketing, outsourcing successfully and lowering costs while driving sales. Print-for-profit professionals will gain insight into the best migration strategies, the newest technology, what the competition is doing, as well as what corporate customers want next. The event managers have announced the addition of two more keynote sessions: "e-Printing

BY MARK SMITH Upon returning from serving in the army during World War II, brothers Ozzie and Vary Aslanian founded a photoengraving shop in New York City. The name "Quality" was adopted sometime later, but management has always taken pride in the high level of craftsmanship offered by the company. At the same time, Quality House of Graphics has been a leader in adopting new technologies. The philosophy guiding its investments is that craftsmanship is enhanced, not replaced, by technology. Benchmarks in the company's history include being the first in its market to install a Quantel Graphic Paintbox, for high-end retouching work; and

BY MARK SMITH Like a pit bull on a mail carrier's ankle, there are some issues that just won't seem to loosen their hold on the graphic arts industry. Font-related issues are the best case in point, having caused problems since the earliest days of desktop publishing and still hindering the processing of many jobs today. Similarly, digital proofing has presented challenges for most of that same time period. There is no solution that is perfect for everyone, so debate has raged about what is the best—or even just an acceptable—approach to digital color proofing. The points of disagreement usually are rooted in the

DAX: Connection People Over the past six years, Digital Art Exchange (DAX) has built a reputation in the industry as being a company that knows all about connectivity. DAX has helped commercial printers navigate the uncharted waters of building a network infrastructure and choosing the most productive online applications to help them take advantage of digital workflow technologies. Martijn van Steeg, COO of DAX, recently sat down with Printing Impressions' Caroline Miller to talk about the hurdles that printers must still clear before they can implement a totally digital workflow, as well as the benefits of going digital. PI: What is the

I first starting writing about printers and the Internet in the summer of 1995; a mere five years ago in human time, a lifetime ago for technology. Since then I've continued to harangue you in this column and in my seminars. Get with the Internet, get with the Web, I've admonished. This really is going to affect printing and publishing—it's inevitable. The problem is that I've been a little short on specifics about what exactly a printer is supposed to DO about the Web. Was I suggesting that printers learn a lot more about the Internet and the Web? (Definitely.) Was I suggesting that you

I had to laugh when one seminar attendee said I was a windbag so full of hot air that he felt he was going into a melt down, because my wife has said the same thing to me before. But, so far, she hasn't gone into a melt down, at least not from the drone of my chatter. However, many were enthusiastic and said I gave them much to think about. It was amazing just how diverse the comments on my talk at the Seybold Conference in San Francisco were. My impact appeared to range from "wow" to "get lost." But, I think

BY CAROLINE MILLER In the realm of printing management systems, there's probably no hotter topic right now than printCafe and PrintTalk. The January 2000 announcement of the merger of nth degree software and Prograph to form printCafe, then the subsequent acquisitions of AHP, Hagen Systems, Logic Associates, M Data and Programmed Solutions left the industry confused, nervous and full of questions. That air of uncertainty was further fueled when, in June, the remaining MIS systems and 10 e-commerce companies announced the formation of the PrintTalk consortium. Both PrintTalk and printCafe made promises of seamless integration from the buyer to printer, but many in the

Dotcom companies enable printers to find new employees and attract more customers via the Internet. BY CAROLINE MILLER With just a click of the mouse, Miami Valley Publishing's Paul Barrett is improving his chances of finding qualified employees. And Rich Stevens of Stevens Printing is expanding his customer base. Both Barrett and Stevens are improving their businesses by taking advantage of the services two dotcoms are offering the printing industry. HireSkills.comIn today's tight labor market, finding seasoned employees in the graphic arts industry can be a challenge. But it's a challenge that HireSkills.com is helping commercial printers meet head-on. "The industry is challenged

BY CAROLINE MILLER "This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." —a Western Union internal memo, circa 1876. Sound vaguely familiar? There are many in the graphic arts industry who have said the same thing about the promise of the Internet. But, in reality, the Internet is becoming intertwined in the commercial printing industry. One area that has seen the most change is the way printers communicate, not only with their customers, but with their employees. By integrating the Internet into their overall business strategies, printers will

The latest advances in digital photography and color scanning make image capture not only a snap, but exceptionally high quality. And the prices may be coming down, too. BY ALLISON ECKEL Take no specifications for granted. "The old models for discussing image quality are starting to dissolve with respect to evaluating the potential quality of an image," states Eric Zarakov, vice president of marketing for Foveon, a Santa Clara, CA-based manufacturer of image sensors and capture systems. While commenting on Foveon's recent digital chip breakthrough, Zarakov has voiced a trend in the digital image capture industry. Everything you thought you knew about the numbers