Lately, I've been hearing a lot about e-commerce printing solutions. Can you explain what these services offer and how they benefit buyers like me?

How is proofing handled in a fully digital prepress environment?

How can I produce an attractive product while getting the most for my printing dollar?

What are your specifications for supplied film jobs?

How can I effectively produce a mailing?

How do I know if my job is a candidate for the finishing line?

How do I know which paper is right for my printed piece?

We've investigated a number of these web-based services and have determined that printCafe is best suited to our clients' needs, as well as our vision for the future. Partnered with CreoScitex, printCafe is the only end-to-end solution that integrates with production management systems, which is vital in an all-digital workflow environment like Intelligencer's.

Here's a quick list of benefits for buyers:

• Streamlines the entire print procurement and management process.
• Offers automated web-based print ordering and reporting tools.
• Provides easy to understand user interface with access via Intelligencer's website.
• Coordinates with supply chain vendors to realize economies of scale purchasing.
• Allows 24/7 real-time print ordering, job tracking and account review.
• Integrates with our estimating and order entry system for processing efficiencies.
• Eliminates rekeying errors common to other systems.
• Involves no "hidden" costs to our clients.

While the system will greatly facilitate our communication with you, it won't replace the personal attention you expect from the Intelligencer team. We do believe, however, that B2B e-commerce will dramatically and positively impact the relationship we have with clients, making it easier for you to order and manage your printing projects.

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How is proofing handled in a fully digital prepress environment?

In our pursuit toward a totally digital computer-to-plate workflow, we have calibrated our various output devices to emulate on-press conditions. Our goal is to give clients a proof that is closely representative of the color reproduction they will see on press.

Intell has a range of available digital proofing devices-Kodak Approval, Iris and Kodak DC-9000 proofing systems-each designed for specific purposes. The Kodak Approval system is the newest addition to our proofing capability, and is generally regarded as top-of-the-line in color matching.

This system is unique in many ways, providing a normal printing dot structure and the ability to proof directly on printing stocks, eliminating the optical dot gain present in most analog (film) systems. It also gives us the ability to vary ink density and dot gain to match press printing standards.

The Iris digital proofing system is used primarily for high-end pictorial work. Here, the dot structure is considered a dithered dot, with the ink being applied directly onto Iris receptor stock. This system is also color calibrated to be closely representative of on-press results.

The Kodak D9000 Dye Sublimation proofing system is a postscript-driven thermal dye transfer used primarily for general color effect. While this equipment can be calibrated to printing press standards, it does not have the resolution or color fidelity of the Kodak Approval or Iris systems.

Our proofing systems provide clients with the means to match even the most critical color balancing, from proof to press. And stay tuned . . . we will soon install a digital plating system, the final step toward realization of a totally digital prepress environment.

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How can I produce an attractive product while getting the most for my printing dollar?

Involving your print rep early in the planning stage will prove invaluable. Your rep can advise you on Intell's equipment capabilities and limitations, and offer the best choices of paper weight and catalog size to minimize mailing costs.

The following checklist shows how your Intell rep can help. He or she:

• Plans smartly. By understanding what you want from the start, your rep can help you get as close as possible to your original idea.
• Explains possibilities. Variables such as size, number of illustrations, photos, colors, page counts and binding all affect the work to be done and the time it requires. So give as many details on the catalog's composition as you can.
• Suggests alternatives. Communicate your budget constraints early on. If you want to add special effects like metallic inks, but lack the funds, Intell can suggest alternatives that provide the savings you need to afford those finishing touches.
• Understands formats. While Intell can handle any format—i.e. film, color separations or digital files—you can save a good deal of time by using digital files.
• Saves money. Review your color separations or transparencies carefully before sending them. Certain corrections, such as brightening whites, can be fixed on the original scan to avoid costly color corrections.
• Knows stock. Consult with your print rep early on to get the best paper necessary for your job. If a printer has inventory on certain coated stocks, there can be economies you might not get when buying paper on your own.

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What are your specifications for supplied film jobs?

Film should be supplied as RRED (right reading emulsion down) negatives in printer's spreads. We can accept up to 200 line screen for sheet fed jobs and up to 175 line screen for web jobs. Uncoated stock may require different specifications. Please ask us.

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How can I effectively produce a mailing?

Here are several steps that will help you size up your direct mail piece:

• Design a test piece that can also be economically produced in roll-out quantities. We can help you do this.
• Take advantage of postal discounts. You can fold an 8 1/2" x 11" piece in half and mail it at the 6 1/8" x 11 1/2" business letter rate. Ask us about other suggestions.
• Decide whether the piece will be inserted into an envelope, pocket folder or recipient's file folder. If it’s to be machine inserted into an envelope the insert must be 1/4" smaller on either side and 1/8" smaller at the flap.
• Consider the number of pages required. Eight or sixteen page increments are most economical, and a self cover is less expensive than separate cover and text.
• Make the most of your paper. Choose standard sizes that efficiently maximize press image area. Also remember:
  • Paper on large orders accounts for 40-50% of the total production cost.
  • Our "house sheets" are a good, economical choice.
  • Substitutions of equivalent grades can also save money, without affecting quality.
  • It’s wise to ask for printed samples of paper, not just mill samples or swatch books.
  • Certain papers meet the 7 pt. minimum of postal requirements. These include 80 lb. coated cover, 65 lb. uncoated cover, 7 pt. hi-bulk matte or uncoated, double thickness of 70 lb. coated text and double thickness of 60 lb. uncoated text.
  • Dummies are for smart people. Ask us or your paper merchant to supply a paper dummy (mock up) of the exact size and weight of paper you are considering.
  • The paper dummy should be shown to your designer, client/marketing people, printer, and mail house/fulfillment center so that everyone involved has a clear sense of what’s involved.
• Use post production reviews to help the next job. How did we do? How can we improve?

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How do I know if my job is a candidate for the finishing line?

Here are some design tips to put your project on the finishing line:

• Folds must be parallel. A piece with a right angle or perpendicular fold cannot be finished in-line. The maximum number of folds that can be made to a piece is four.
• There are size limitations. The maximum overall width is 26". Economical height options are 11", 8 3/8", 7 1/4" or 5 3/8". Other sizes can be produced but will result in paper waste.
• Quantities count. Typically, a minimum order for the finishing line is 200,000 impressions. There is no upper limit to the number of pieces that can be economically produced. Production speeds of 60,000 to 120,000 pieces per hour are not uncommon.
• Leave room for glue binding. For pieces that are glue bound rather than saddle stitched, a 3/32" margin on each page needs to be designed into the piece to keep type or images from being lost in the binding.
• Slim jims are in. Direct mailers can take advantage of considerable postage savings by designing their piece in a 6" x 11" slim jim format. This format is ideal for brochures, catalogs, or trade show literature.
• For enhanced detail, we print on our web presses at 175 line screen, and in some cases up to 200 line screen. Our heat set inks help images jump off the page while allowing a time savings since they dry before leaving the press. We can print up to 80 lb. cover on the finishing line.

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How do I know which paper is right for my printed piece?

Intell always recommends you consult with your printing rep early in the process of choosing paper for your printed pieces. Ask about the economies of using house stocks. It's also good to have an understanding of how paper and its characteristics affect your finished product. Here is a list of paper terms you should know:

• Grain refers to the position of the fibers in paper. This is most important in printing and binding. Paper folds smoothly with the grain and is stiffer. When folded across the grain, it can crack or become rough. For example, grain direction in books and catalogs should be parallel with the binding edge to reduce curl and make the pages lie flat and turn easier.
• Basis Weight is a way of identifying paper. In the U.S., it refers to the weight in pounds of a ream (500 sheets) in the basic size for that grade. The basis size in the U.S. is not the same for all grades of paper. Book paper, cover paper, bond paper, newsprint, etc. all differ.
• Color affects the color reproduction of lighter tints. Paper colors vary with advertising fads from cool to warm shades. Type is more easily read against a soft or yellowish white, while process colors reproduce most accurately on neutral white paper.
• Gloss affects the appearance of the ink film.
• Smoothness is a very important property for letterpress and gravure, but has little effect on offset. Smooth surfaces have irregularities that cannot be seen by the naked eye, but can be detected by a magnifying glass. As smoothness decreases, solids and halftones become grainy in appearance. Type is not affected to that degree.
• Refractiveness relates to light absorption in the surface of the paper, causing halftones to appear darker than they should.
• Strength of paper is more dependent on the nature of its fiber content than its thickness. Papers which are subjected to considerable tension in use, such as those printed on web presses, should have high tensile strength as well as high tear strength.