Print Ambassador's Posts
Top 5 posts from the Print Ambassador
2 - Environmental Friendly Technology Can Remove Ink Stains in Paper Recycling - Traditional de-inking processes are environmentally unfriendly, which lessens the positive effects of recycling. So universities worldwide are looking for new ways to remove ink, especially in office waste—which is the most difficult paper to recycle according to Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and Sarawak Forestry Corporation.
Find out what their collaborative efforts brought to light after comparing a new ink removal process, enzymatic de-inking, with traditional chemical-based de-inking.
3 - The Other Direct Mail - Sandra Zoratti, vice president of strategic development and transformation for InfoPrint, believes marketers who have been using inserts should try using onserts—her word for the increasingly popular transpromo technology.
Why make the switch to onserts? A survey of 1,000 consumers, conducted by Zoomerang for InfoPrint, found:
- Almost 90% of respondents never made a purchase based on seeing an ad or offer on an insert
- 40% noted that inserts are often irrelevant or impersonal
- 64% said that they would use personalized offers printed on their bills or statements:
- 95%-100% of consumers open and read their bills and account statements
- 57 percent of respondents still prefer mail to e-statements for must-read documents
Zoratti also notes the challenges companies need to overcome to achieve success with transpromo. Read on and start improving your response rates!
4 - Five Tips for improving direct mail ROI - Five industry experts share their insight on how you can optimize your next direct mail campaign to improve response rates and boost ROI.
5 - The Environmental Impact of Mail: A Baseline - Mailstream technology leader Pitney Bowes Inc. recently published a White Paper that addresses the environmental impact of mail. "The Environmental Impact of Mail: A Baseline ," discusses how the industry measures financial, social and environmental success, and aims to help the public better understand the effects of CO2 emissions generated by mail.
Key findings include:
- Mail is a small component of most consumers' carbon footprint.
- Running a single refrigerator for a year is roughly equivalent to the creation and delivery of 5,000 letters.
- Americans generate about 40% of the total U.S. CO2 emissions through power used to operate their homes and fuel for transportation activities
- Sustainable forests and their related products are increasing in developed countries, despite growth in population and economic activity.
- The industry has adopted many initiatives to reduce mail's carbon footprint—but it must further understand and expand sustainability.
- Direct mail accounts for about 2% of the total tonnage of the U.S. municipal waste stream.
- Almost 39% of direct mail in the U.S. was recycled in 2006.
Comments
Posted By: Bob Perry (10/18/2009)
Comment: I certainly agree we are to reluctant to rely totally on instant retrieval and reporting that digital web provides. I feel as important or more so than even in the office pre-media and production areas is where we certainly need to address. Considering work in progress stations as the first priority of intranet access to each step from receiving to our shipping docks. Most downtime problems are halfway solved the second we have the right individual focused on the problem. Digital instant floor reporting provides this immediate access in good business communications not available when relying on paper reports. Consequently, a totally paperless company is more efficient. www.linkedin.com/in/tkdbperry Bob Perry US Navy Lithographer Offset Pressman Sheetfed with advanced Digital Pre-press skills.
Posted By: Bob Perry (10/18/2009)
Comment: My experience is any process that adds promise to faster and more profitable quality printing is a must. Every aspect of the printing and publishing industry is facing change. Time reduction is only one part of our printing process, the adaptation to change as this Print Ambassador points out is our main problem. Tracking every detail on a print job is a great management concern. I believe in general most office, pre-media and operators want to reduce downtime and promote quality. But, I too have seen a reluctance to using very innovative and time saving programs. What is your take, are the digital and analog press manufacturers up to the challenge of general commercial printing? Are we focusing on improving the process? 1) Instant floor reporting from all stations. 2) Autodesk ® Maya, and mental ray ® rendering 3D in print and need to capture or print a 10 micron dot. What do you think? I see a positive process of innovation by cooperation and competition. I do not mind change. The more overwhelming the better the challenge. This is why I enjoy two hours every morning in the latest version of Maya 3D on my MacBook. Practical intelligence is the ability to adapt to a changing environment and shape the environment to make the most of opportunities. Copy, paste as well as the flash drive could and will replace the school back packs over night is beginning to settle in. If time reduction is only one part of our printing process, department need to know what each is doing. Companies like Intergraph Corporation are designing a complete companies communication system where every work station will be plugged in so to speak with each other "Intergraph ® Releases SmartPlant ® Construction", A company wide approach to managing print cost. ( http://www.intergraph.com/assets/pressreleases/2009/09-29-2009.aspx ). This in my opinion is the only way to track prints without interrupting the printing process! So, what are the opportunities? 1) We will reshape our pre-media and pressroom eliminating paper reports and add instant floor reporting from all stations from receiving through work in progress to shipping. This will eliminate significantly our down time costs. 2) Luckily kids still like coloring books as I still do. But, with most cartoons having 3D characters, we will need to bring 3D in print. With raw file technology Adobe ® Photoshop Autodesk ® Maya, and mental ray ® rendering software to generate images of outstanding quality and unsurpassed realism. Since fine microdots in both the highlight and shadow are now reachable. Consequently, analog and digital printing will need to capture or print a 10 micron dot. What do you think?