How Colors Affect What We Buy

Did you know that color accounts for an 80% increase in brand recognition? Or that 85% of shoppers list color as a primary factor in making a buying decision? Or that 93% list visual appearance as a leading factor in making purchasing decisions?
ton Post:
Kiss Metrics put this study together, hat tip to the Huffington Post.

Photoshop Rap Tutorial

It had to happen: a rap video tutorial for Photoshop.

PIA/GATF Color Conference Finishes

The PIA/GATF color Conference ended on Tuesday with a keynote presentation from Mike Rodriguez of RR Donnelley on the history and future of color management or "The Tinted Ramblings of a Color Geek"

Things turning up for print?

According to "What They Think", print may finally be turning up:

Monday’s release of August’s US commercial printing shipments showed that they increased on a current dollar basis for the last five months. When adjusted for inflation, four of the last five months were up. The first quarter of the year was rather dreadful, but these last months have been quite a turnaround. If the month-to-month comparisons continue in this manner for the rest of the year, the industry could have a $1 billion increase compared to 2009. Keep your fingers crossed.

Too early to get our hopes up? Read the whole thing.

Color Logic Receives Must See'eum Award at Graph Expo

The Process Metallic Color System by Color-Logic received a coveted MustSee’ems! award at Graph Expo 2010 in Chicago.

Worth a look; It is amazing how well metallic effects can work if the design plans for them from the beginning.

Scott Sell Joins TECHKON USA Sales Team

Scott Sell of Scott Sell Associates in Redondo Beach, CA has joined the Techkon sales team as an independent manufacturer’s representative. In this position, Scott will represent TECHKON USA on the West Coast, in California, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, New Mexico, British Columbia and Hawaii.

I like this announcement because it lets me tell my favorite industry story: A few years ago I purchased the Techkon Spectro Scan for one of our Heidelberg presses at Schawk. A local graphic arts representative told me "Techkon makes good products, but they'll never make it out on the West Coast." "Why is that?" I asked. "Because they don't have Scott Sell", he replied.

Well, now they do, and I couldn't be happier to see my favorite rep teamed up with my favorite line of spectros.

Inkjets chipping away at commercial offset market

It's not yet a roaring stream, hardly a trickle, but little by little inkjet based systems are starting to chip away at the traditional commercial offset market

In the current market, seven companies (Agfa, HP, InfoPrint Solutions, Kodak, Miyakoshi, Océ and Screen) now offer high-volume, continuous-feed color inkjet systems. Fujifilm and Xerox have also publicized plans to offer their own products.

Color-Logic Appoints Vizutek as Representative

Color-Logic has named Vizutek as its manufacturers’ representative for the Northeastern United States, including the states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Eastern Pennsylvania.

Well, we are glad to hear it. Mark Geeves is one of the good guys in this industry and Color Logic is fighting the trend towards over-complicated solutions by providing software that works, and keeps things simple. Check out www.color-logic.com because these guys are getting it right.

Making a new start with flexo prep

Many pre-pres houses have gone the way of the dinosaur, but Four Color Graphics has made a new start b y venturing into the flexo prep arena.

Well, I'm slightly conflicted on this one......

JAQK Cellar just released a collection of wines whose brand identities and package designs existed before there was wine to put into the bottles. That's right, the old Captain Crunch scenario. Of course, as a wine lover, I'm truly horrified. But on the other hand, there seems to be some very nice printing involved here too, and that softens my heart. Offset printing, direct screen printing, embossing, metallics and more. Let's lift a glass to working printers!

DALIM Gets Their iPhone App

Well, it had to happen, Dalim got an iPhone app. Designed to allow users to participate in project OK's from iPhone or iPad, there is no mention of Color Management, so final color checks may still have to wait. Wow.

Sun Chemical Raises Prices

Sun chemical is raising their ink prices. Are they kidding???

Kodak Ends Pitman Pact

Kodak has picked up its marbles and moved over to xpedx, according to an article at newsandtech.com

Pitman Co. today responded to Kodak's announcement that it will cut distribution ties with the company and expand its relationship with xpedx.

Pitman will be replacing its Kodak line with Agfa products. Rumors of a possible Pitman/Agfa alliance have been swirling for some time, but this is the first concrete sign something may be afoot. Developing............

Are Trade Shows a Waste of Time?

I'm a big fan of trade shows, but attendance is declining as more and more people decide that it isn't worth the time and expense. Jim Goltz, writing in the NY Times, decides it is:

Trade shows are an opportunity to take some classes, find new vendors, have face time with existing vendors, see new products, and talk to people who do what you do but don’t compete with you. I can’t tell you how many insights I have gotten from casual conversations over the years with people who are standing in the food line, on the trade-show floor or in the restaurant after the show. I have made friends with a couple of people I meet every year and with whom I compare notes, share ideas and brainstorm.

IDEAlliance and IPA Plan Merger

Too early to read the tea leaves... let's hope that this works out for the best:

FEBRUARY 15, 2010 – The Boards of Directors of IPA and IDEAlliance have announced intent for IPA to merge with IDEAlliance, combining their memberships and resources into one robust organization serving the needs of the advertising, media, print, and publishing industries. The synergies and strengths of the combined organization will support member innovation and their effective adoption of cross-media workflows, emerging technologies and best business practices.
>
> Following final approval from a majority of the IPA membership in early March 2010, the new organization will provide for the coordinated development of standardized technical and business specifications and guidelines, new certification programs, broad new educational offerings, and enhanced online peer support networks. The combined organization will serve professionals from every facet of the media supply chain, including brand owners, agencies, publishers, printers, materials suppliers, technology suppliers and premedia service providers.
>
> Guy Gleysteen, Senior Vice President of Production of Time Inc. and IDEAlliance Chairman, said, “The graphic communication industry is looking to its industry associations to partner and create synergies based upon their distinctive competencies and shared objectives. By integrating IPA and IDEAlliance, we achieve a big win for the industry and will be able to provide a significant increase in our program offerings to our combined membership.”
>
> Chip Harding, President/COO of Harper House and IPA Chairman, said, “Current trends of change are ever accelerating. With like missions and unique competencies, this union will help lead our industry into the future. Harper House has been an active member of IPA for decades and the leadership philosophy of IPA offers us priceless insight into our ever-changing industry. Gaining the benefits of IDEAlliance will strengthen the knowledge base accessible to Harper House and all IPA members, helping us stay ahead of the curve.”
>
> Steve Bonoff, IPA President added, “IPA has a strong history of working closely with IDEAlliance. In 2004 the organizations formed an alliance and launched the joint industry venture, PrintTools.org, a web portal of tools and publications for the prepress and print community. In 2008, IPA and IDEAlliance announced the coordination of their digital press programs. And in 2009, IDEAlliance co-located its G7 Summit with the IPA Technical Conference. Industry applause of these joint efforts led the two organizations to examine coming together for the benefit the industry.”
>
> If approved by the full IPA membership, IDEAlliance and IPA programs, events and services will be evaluated, reorganized and staffed to provide the most value to the combined memberships. New program offerings will also be launched based on expertise now applied from across the two organizations’ knowledgeable staffs and memberships.
>

RIT developing an audit and certification program for printers in North America

OMG...when I scan Google for "Color Standards" I usually don't expect earth-shaking news. But maybe I just did:

To ensure North American printers achieve a color reproduction workflow that meets international printing standards, Rochester Institute of Technology will develop and offer process audits and certification services to North American printers.

Hmm...is this more of ISO vs G7? FOGRA vs IDEAlliance? Graybalance vs TVI? Are we headed for a nirvana of standards compliance or something a little more commercial"?

This subject will without doubt be getting more coverage, so do stay tuned.

Going the Last Three Yards with Profile Editing

ICC profiles are great things but once in a while they fall just short of expectations. John Nate of Fine Eye just put together a great introduction into the hair-raising world of ICC profile editing in his column over at News & Tech.
Check out the whole article.

Quad to buy World Color Press

Well, frankly, we're long past this sort of story being news anymore, but just for the record, here goes:

TORONTO (AP) — The U.S. commercial printing company Quad/Graphics Inc. plans to buy Canadian rival World Color Press Inc., which prints magazines such as Sports Illustrated and Rolling Stone.

Quad/Graphics Inc., which is based in Sussex, Wis., is the largest privately held printer in the U.S. but would go public in connection with the takeover announced Tuesday. The combined company will have 30,000 employees. World Color is based in Montreal.

Chief executive Mark Angelson said that layoffs would be no more than would have happened anyway.....hmmm, sounds a little squirmy to me but you can read all about it in The Times.

Creel Printing Achieves G7 qualification

Las Vegas-based Creel Printing has achieved G7 Master Printer certification, a distinction Creel shares with 409 providers worldwide.

Hey, I wasn't even involved in this one and I still couldn't be happier! Hats off to everyone at Creel for caring enough to go G7 and making it official by getting G7 Master Qualification. It really is more than your name on a plaque, its the best sign that you are committed to quality.

“As a partner to many of the most reputable publishers, businesses, and agencies, we are dedicated to providing unparalleled quality,” says Allan G. Creel, president. “Our G7 designation supports our mission as a leader in the technologies and processes that drive value."

Apple iPhone Becomes Most Popular Camera

It seems inevitable, but it still comes as a surprise: Apples iPhone has become the most popular camera on the planet, or at least on Flikr:

"The iPhone, with its bare-bones, two-megapixel camera, has been battling for the No. 2 spot for months in a tight race with two other Canon cameras and the Nikon D80, according to a graph plotting the overall user percentages of each model on Flickr's Camera Finder."

Camera capability has long been a feature on most cellphones, but it was often a one-way street...there was no easy way to upload the images or move them to a personal computer. With the iPHone it became seamless and near-automatic.

Smurfit-Stone Closing Stuns Missoula

Montana has been mostly insulated from the national recession. Local economists say the state is typically the last to enter a recession, and the last to emerge from it. In Missoula, the largest industrial plant (Smurfit-Stone) shut its doors last month — sending 417 people to unemployment lines.

Many of us close to the graphic arts industry have gotten used to closings and consolidations. But for many Montanans, this comes as their first close look at a recession that seemed to be happening far away. NPR coveres the story in their Morning Edition.

Graphics of the Americas

Graphics of the Americas is coming....Feb 25-27 and I wish I were going (Ire' el ano que viene, sin ninguna duda ). This will be year 35 of the second-biggest graphic arts event in the country. So what makes Graphics of the Americas special? Latino presence in the United States continues to grow, and a global economy has closed the technological gap between English-speaking North America and Spanish speaking Central and South America. Robust economies in countries like Peru mean that a lot of moving and shaking will be coming from unexpected directions.

And it's not just about offset:

"GOA 2010 boasts many niche offerings as well, including mailing, fulfillment, digital garment printing, vehicle wraps, ad specialties, wide format inkjet printing, digital envelope and letterhead printing and more."

Top 5 Obstacles to Technology Implementation

Printing is a technology driven industry, yet we too often drag our feet in implementation of new technology, and it's damaging.

Mark Scacco takes a look at the Top 5 Technology Implementation Obstacles:

"A failed technology upgrade can have a far greater impact than just the lost time and wasted effort that went into the unsuccessful project. Typically, it creates an atmosphere of general resistance to any future attempts to improve a process. It may also result in disciplinary action against or firing of the project leader; and perhaps most importantly, may put your company at a disadvantage when directly competing with other companies and when trying to attract and retain talented staff members."

HP Seizes the Day with Latex

Those of us who grew up doing around-the-house painting using oil-based paints hardly saw latex coming. We just assumed it would never match the quality and durability of traditional paint. How wrong we were! Today, it's hard to even find oil-based paints, and the quality gap has disappeared entirely.

Unexpectedly, the same thing is happening in the wide format world, with many of the major players making the same mistake we do-it-yourselfers made years ago. Latex is set to push solvent and even eco-solvent inks aside, yet almost nobody seems to be taking advantage, with the exception of Hewlett Packard, with their new Designjet L2550 latex printer.

FLAAR has a report outlining the trend, and if they are right (as they usually are), we are about to see a major shift in how wide-format printing is done, with pretty serious implications for the other players.

"If there is no new ink technology in the Roland, Mimaki, or Mutoh booth at SGIA 2009 then there is no evidence that these manufacturers of eco-solvent printers realize the impact that HP latex ink and the HP Designjet L25500 latex ink printer will have on market share of eco-solvent, mild-solvent, and full-solvent ink printers."

E&P finds New Owner, Shifts Focus

Editor & Publisher, pronounced dead just a week ago after a 125 year run, is back. Emphasis is shifting from newsroom/editorial to technology/business.

Cue the punch lines: The owner of a publication called FishRap has resuscitated Editor & Publisher, the magazine devoted to covering the newspaper industry. But the new Editor & Publisher returned to life late on Thursday, two weeks after it shut down, without two of its stalwarts....Mr. McIntosh said in an interview that he wanted to shift Editor & Publisher’s focus toward the business and technology of the industry, with less emphasis on what happens in newsrooms.

Vutek Announces QS220 UV

Not that I would normally shill for any particular product, but what I've seen of this series impresses the hell out of me....high speed, great consistency across substrates, and an image that could pass as a proof


VUTEk QS220 Extends Superwide Capabilities at Wide-Format Price Levels
FOSTER CITY, Calif., Jan 14, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- EFI(TM) (Nasdaq: EFII), a world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation, today unveiled the VUTEk(R) QS220, a direct-to-substrate, two-meter UV-curing flatbed printer with High-Definition Print (HDP) quality and superwide productivity that boasts lower ink running costs than traditional wide-format printers and unique application abilities that allow print businesses to expand into higher-end, premium-margin applications. The QS220 is ideal for businesses that want to fuel profitability by adding flexible, production-level equipment that will support their growth.

Aqueous Inkjet Eyes the Outdoor Market

The aqueous segment of the wide format industry looks set to grow into outdoor applications, driven by new technology and the "green" movement, according to Info Trends.

In addition, a whole new ink technology platform has been introduced in the last 12 months (durable aqueous inkjet) that promises the outdoor durability and running cost of eco-solvent, but with no environmental limitations. These new technologies prove that vendors are adding valuable new features and capabilities that InfoTrends believes will drive continued growth in the aqueous inkjet market.

Hamilton Goes Digital

Hamilton Printing Co., a Castleton, NY firm that says it is its state's largest web offset book printing manufactury, has added digital book manufacturing to its services. Hamilton, which operates in a 190,000 sq.ft. facility near Albany, NY, began its first digital runs last month. The 98-year-old firm serves commercial publishers and university presses.


Digital printing...it's growing up quickly!

NBO Rises from the Ashes of CBC

OK, this has nothing at all to do with graphic arts, but let's take a moment to be grateful that something wonderful has happened to start the new year off:

"VANCOUVER — A new year, a new decade, a new business plan, and a new name. But for many observers of the Vancouver music scene, our new National Broadcast Orchestra will forever be connected with the late CBC Radio Orchestra.

The good news is that the NBO begins its life as a free-standing orchestra for a new era Friday, at the Chan Centre, with a benefit inaugural concert featuring classic and contemporary repertoire. (Watch a video of the orchestra at work here.)

But its struggle for a place in our national music scene is a heroic one, and the circumstances of its birth tumultuous."......."When CBC officials visited Vancouver last month, "We asked why the corporation chose to spend just under $4 million on advertising in the Globe and Mail, on Toronto bus and subway panels, and on roadside signage in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. The Radio Orchestra could have continued for eight years with that money! [CBC President Hubert] Lacroix said the $4 million showed that CBC was 'where it was at' in Canada, and attracted attention in a busy marketplace. Somebody said, 'But we want to know your priorities!' So . . . next question?"

Well, I'm always happy to see money spent on signage, but this time it's nice to see the money going to the arts instead.

The Laws of Simplicity

Followers of Color Clarity know that our chief guiding concept is the idea of simplicity: the idea that technology works best when complex processes are made easy to understand.

I hadn't seen many references to this obvious idea, so I was happy to see that a new book has been written on the subject: "The Laws of Simplicity", published by MIT Press. Best of all, a short book.

"In The Laws of Simplicity, John Maeda offers ten laws for balancing simplicity and complexity in business, technology, and design—guidelines for needing less and actually getting more."....."And the features that we do have must be organized (Law 2) in a sensible hierarchy so users aren't distracted by features and functions they don't need."

Great advice all around. We printers aren't rocket scientists, but plenty of the engineers at MIT are. Maybe we should take a page from their book.

Clients From Hell

We've all had Clients From Hell...its about time they got their own web site.


"Client: We like the design, but could you make the blues all the same?
Me: It’s the same blue through out the design.
Client: It looks like different blues.
Me: That’s because colors are perceived differently dependent on neighboring colors.
Client: That’s stupid."

High Growth Forecast for Digital Textile Printing

Industry analysts are predicting through-the-roof growth for the digital textile sector-nearly 1,000% over the next five years! Digital inkjet fabric expertise is finding its way into the garment industry, and may lead a shift of production back from overseas

"The market for digital print for textiles is forecast to grow from €114.6m in 2009 to just under €1bn by 2014, according to a new study by Pira International published in association with FESPA.

• The display/signage sector is driving the development of digital print for textiles as inkjet printers have had a longer experience in the market"

It is fascinating reading, but check out the whole thing over at Large Format Review.

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Jim Raffel looks at color for 2010

Our friend Jim Raffel just posted some views on why color is important, and why it isn's easy:

"It never ceases to amaze me how integral color knowledge is to the graphic arts industry at large, yet how few people in the industry really understand the topic. The problem is that color, like the game of chess, is very easy to learn and almost impossible to master. I believe this is because true color knowledge requires solid math skills. Color Science, after all, is applied physics."

"In 2010 and beyond, the printing companies that thrive (profit leaders) will be leaders in color knowledge and implementation. For example, the GRACoL G7 methodology is the practical application of color science to achieve a more consistent and predictable print result regardless of where the digital files are converted to ink on substrate....."

I'd quote more, but you should read the whole thing!

Editor and Publisher Suspends Operations

NEW YORK E&P will shut its doors this afternoon after more than 125 years in operation as "the bible of the newspaper industry" and one of America's oldest magazines. Staffers are vacating the offices in New York City, but we still hope to be back.

It's probably just a sign of the times but I hate to see this site closing down, since I found a lot of good content there. There planning to come back and I wish them well...after 125 years in teh biz, they ought to have some staying power.

New Test Suite from Ghent

The Ghent Workgroup has been in the lead for years making PDF easier and more effective to implement. Now they have come out with a new test suite and it's FREE!

The new Ghent Output Suite 3; the latest set of Ghent Workgroup tests to determine whether PDFs will be processed as expected in real-world production environments, is now available at http://gwg.org/ghentoutputsuite.phtml

This is Almost Too Good

...I'm afraid I may just get the wrong sort of visits from this post, but really, it's all about the packaging.

Aussie low-carb beer brand Skinny Blonde has unveiled a label featuring heat-reactive inks which takes all the effort out of mentally undressing its 1950s-style pin-up.

As the drinker's hand gets sweatier, the scantily clad mascot's bikini disappears, leaving little to the imagination.

The concept came out of a bar-room discussion between the beer's brewers: Hamish Rosser, drummer with ARIA-winning rock band The Vines, and his mates, actor Richie Harkham and artist Jarrod Taylor.

"We had the idea of a pin-up girl from the get-go, we thought everyone uses women in their advertising campaigns so why not put it on a bottle," said Rosser.

Rosser, who actually has a degree in chemical engineering, added: "So we had this idea of the disappearing bikini and did some research into disappearing ink. Then we did a few trial runs and when we realised it worked we were stoked, we were over the moon."

Damn, this sucks

This is the kind of news I really hate:

The Los Angeles Times will close its printing plant in Costa Mesa, CA, and consolidate printing to one location. The move will eliminate 80 pressroom jobs. In a memo to employees, Times publisher Eddy Hartenstein said the paper would generate "substantial savings" by consolidating its printing operations at one facility in downtown Los Angeles. I know we are living in a digital world, but we're going to miss the newspapers when they're gone.

Will light-emitting wallpaper replace light bulbs?

Coaters, laminators and other specialty-substrate converters: Listen up. Revolutionary light-emitting wallpaper could replace light bulbs in only two more years. The opportunities for new business in this breakthrough field are wide open.

Read the whole thing at Converting Magazine.

Capping off the Year with Sense of Humor Intact

A "Survivor-themed" holiday party on December 3 was how Washington DC-based ABC Imaging expressed appreciation to its clients for their continued loyalty the previous year.

ABC Imaging, a printing and reprographic services company, hosted more than 200 clients at the party in the Lafayette Centre in downtown Washington...Continuing the Survivor theme, the borders on the invitations were cut with a laser engraving machine to resemble torn paper.

Well good for them. If you you made it through last year you are certainly a survivor and deserve some props for hanging in there

Open Color Standard

Ginger Coons over at Adaptstudio has taken on a sizable project: replace entrenched proprietary color matching systems like Pantone with an open (and free) standard. Quite a challenge, considering Pantone is having a hard time even getting their current users to move over to their Goe system. But the effort earns a big hat tip and a visit to the Open Color Standard site and Wiki-like development area.

Merisel's Crush Creative Achieves G7 Qualification

Crush Creative, a Burbank, Calif., graphic services company, has achieved G7 Master Printer Certification from IDEAlliance. G7 certification is an elite distinction that is limited to only a small number of printers and graphic service bureaus worldwide.

Calibration, proofing setup and G7 qualification were done by Glenn Andrews of Color Clarity and Mike Strickler of MSP Graphic Services working jointly.

A special feature of this installation is the Epson 9900 driven by the EFI Fiery rip, fine-tuned to match to final output device appearance within G7 parameters,

Is this a good sign, or just bad taste?

Pantone has announced that turquoise is the "Color of the Year" for 2010. I remember turquoise as an overall awful color..just slightly ahead of avocado green, but it may be a god sign. Turquoise first entered general popular awareness in the early 1950's during a pretty tough recession, and seemed to reach a sort of zenith around 1957, as that downturn was fading off to a dim memory.

Prinergy is Dead?

The rumor that Prinergy is dead have been swirling for a while, and seem to be gaining steam.

No doubt the economy is a factor here, but the fading of Prinergy may be as inevitable as the disappearance of Scitex as a color correction platform years ago. Large ultra-expensive workflows are inevitably being squeezed out by smaller, faster and cheaper approaches.