This may be the last time…
With drupa finished for another four years, and the lazy—or at least slightly lazier—days of summer beckoning, it’s my pleasure to introduce our July/August double issue, which is full of some post-drupa reading which will benefit both attendees and those who didn’t manage to get across the pond.
I know it’s always tempting to just press on in the summers, but slowing down can mean a chance to reflect and refocus for the fall. Two articles in particular should help with that reflection, as both take a big picture look (though with lots of practical applications, too) at current industry trends and events.
First up, John Zarwan gives us his own personal “highlight tour” of his drupa favourites and things to look out for—if you didn’t get there, it’s the next best thing, and if you did, it’s worth comparing your own notes to his.
Secondly, summer is also the season for weddings, and Tony Curcio complements John’s piece with a look at one of the most-talked-about marriages of the summer (at least in the printing world…)—I’m speaking, of course, of the marriage of digital and offset technologies. It’s something we’ve been talking a lot about here at Graphic Arts, and we’re delighted to bring you yet another informative look at how you can be a matchmaker between these two seemingly antagonistic mates.
For more specifically focused pieces relating to Tony’s topic, check out John Anderson’s “Dig Deep”, on the importance of good information to variable data printing. As he reminds us, the days of consumers being impressed with merely their names and addresses personalizing their admail are long gone. Without good information, your investment in VDP technologies will not maximize your ROI.
Peter Dulis also digs deeper with his review of Canon’s “Insight Report: Digital Printing Directions”, released in conjunction with drupa. He describes a technology that some thought was “only good for quick and dirty printing”, but which is now a market leader in many segments. I’ll leave it to you to read the article and find out what type of print he’s referring to.
Finally, I must inform all of you that this will be my final issue in the Associate Editor’s chair at Graphic Arts Magazine, as I am relocating in the fall. I hope to pop back in from time to time with some articles, and I can’t wait to see what new heights the magazine will achieve under my successor.
So kick back on the patio or in the pressroom with your summer libation of choice and enjoy this issue until our September edition lands in your mailbox, with more of the breaking news and insightful commentary that you’ve come to expect.
All the best!