Writing a synopsis for the March issue while buried in snow is the cruel fate of being Canadian. With the excitement of so much Olympic gold glory I guess there are side benefits to being a winter-loving nation. We hope you had an amazing time rooting for our homegrown teams this past month as Canada left room for only one national anthem in the hockey arena, Oh Canada!
Wouldn’t it be nice if the tools we used in our industry performed to that same golden standard? In this issue, returning author Jason Lisi discusses the possibilities of creating output neutral workflows as lean as our athletes. For those of you not familiar with the concept, the idea of output neutral files is that you can use one file to output to multiple media platforms. The topic is taking off in the land of magazines where we would like to use one file to produce both digital and traditional publications. While the technology to do this exists, there are workflow considerations, which Lisi explains, are making the process not so seamless. There is no doubt, though, that we will get there!
The issue also features some Martha Stewart-inspired technology reviews. Peter Dulis shares Martha’s excitement for 3D printing technology. Also on the tech side we have another great article by Mark Corrigan about a variety of image manipulation software beyond your standard Photoshop.
Another topic covered this month is sales, with a look at how to avoid becoming invisible. Dave Fellman discusses some tips on how to keep your business away from the risks of disappearing in information clutter. With so many companies having good value propositions, it is difficult to keep fighting for a top spot. Strong marketing efforts are key! It’s tragic to me when a printer does not have excellent marketing collateral. If we are to support our clients we must understand how to do what they do. Buying print from a company with poor marketing materials is equivalent to getting a haircut from a frizzy-haired stylist, or going to a dentist who has bad teeth.
Also in store is a For The Record interview with Jeff Ekstein, third generation printer and owner of Willow Printing Group. You may recognize his name from the multitude of associations he has been involved in.
Enjoy the read and cross your fingers with us for some spring weather!