What's so wrong with Comic Sans?
25th October 2010
If you're familiar with the Comic Sans font, ask yourself the following...
Q. How did schools ever advertise their Christmas fairs without it?
Q. Has a homemade birthday card ever looked so friendly written in anything else?
Q. Have type lovers ever found anything they loathe as much?
If you wrote these questions in Comic Sans you'd have something that was warm, inoffensive and rather unsuitable, a typeface that's gone wrong. And you'd also have something guaranteed to provoke a howl of protest.
Comic Sans is unique: used the world over, it's a typeface that doesn't really want to be type. It looks homely and handwritten, something perfect for things we deem to be fun and liberating. Great for the awnings of toyshops, less good on news websites or on gravestones and the sides of ambulances.
Last year it stuck out like an unfunny joke in Time magazine and Adidas adverts, and even the BBC wasn't immune, choosing the font to promote its Composers of the Year during the Proms.
What can be done? One can buy the "Ban Comic Sans" mugs, caps and T-shirts, and help finance a documentary called Comic Sans, Or the Most Hated Font In The World.
Read the whole of the article here
Fineprint's view
While Fineprint prefers to remain non-judgemental and believes that all design is subjective, we would urge those customers of ours who use Comic Sans to think long and hard as to whether it's really the most appropriate font to use.
Naturally, there are supporters of this particular font and in some cases for very good reasons. However, there are many hundreds (if not thousands) of alternative fonts available which may suit your needs better and which are still available within the suite of Microsoft Office products.
If you're in any doubt which fonts would be most suitable for your print job, get in touch with us and we'll offer you some well qualified advice.
Enfocus launch triple whammy of new and upgraded pre-press productivity products
13th September 2010
Enfocus announces PitStop Pro 10, PitStop Server 10 and PitStop Workgroup Manager.
Enfocus, a business unit of EskoArtwork, is a global supplier and integrator of solutions for packaging, commercial printing and professional publishing have made a flurry of announcements regarding their design and production tools for document creators and document receivers. Enfocus provides solutions for designers, printers and publishers to communicate PDF output requirements for error-free print production.
PitStop Pro 10
A major upgrade of its long-established and widely used PDF editing and preflighting application, this latest version offers customers improved color management, user-requested features and expanded collaborative working tools.
PitStop Pro 10 includes new and improved tools for colour handling with a wide range of color management settings. Multiple colour management presets can now be saved for quick and accurate application when needed and automatic checks for ink coverage issues while taking into account transparency, overprint settings, overlapping items and layers.
PitStop Pro 10 runs as a plug-in with Adobe¨ Acrobat 8 and the latest Adobe¨ Acrobat¨ 9 and supports the current Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and Windows 7 operating systems as well as older systems.
» Read more about PitStop Pro 10
PitStop Server 10
A new version of the widely-used, automated PDF preflight and editing application, PitStop Server 10 introduces major new automatic features, including transparency flattening, new color management capabilities and PDF optimization to reduce file sizes.
PitStop Server 10, in common with the enhancements applied to the new PitStop Pro 10, can now automatically check for ink coverage issues while taking into account transparency, overprint settings, overlapping items and layers.
Black Point Compensation is supported when using the Adobe¨ CMM or Little CMS and you can choose the Adobe¨ settings directly from the PitStop Server preferences and hot folder editor.
» Read more about PitStop Server 10
PitStop Workgroup Manager
A new way to centrally control Enfocus PitStop Pro settings in a collaborative workflow environment.
PitStop Pro is designed to operate as a standalone desktop application but in practice it is often used in workgroups where people need to collaborate. Until now, here has been no way to manage and control settings across a workgroup from a single central point.
PitStop Workgroup Manager solves this issue. It runs on a central computer and allows one person to control the allocation of settings. For each licensed PitStop Pro copy in the local area network, PitStop Workgroup Manager can automatically be used to distribute settings such as Preflight Profiles, Action Lists, Global Changes, output intents, Workspaces and colour preferences.
It also manages the PitStop Pro licenses by acting as a license server for Floating Licenses.
» Read the PitStop Workgroup Manager Press Release
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the preparation of digital files for press, contact us now or telephone 01256 814 144 to see how Fineprint can help. We can also advise on any aspect of print commercial print from origination through to print finishing.
Fineprint (Basingstoke) invests in Duplo System 5000 finishing machine
24th August 2010
Fineprint has invested in a Duplo System 5000 bookletmaker as part of a planned upgrade programme by the Basingstoke-based commercial printer.
With an increase in demand for both litho and digitally printed booklet work, the business increasingly felt the need to look for a faster and more automated machine to improve turnaround times.
Mike Woolhouse, Managing Director of Fineprint explains, "A search for upgrades to our print finishing technology began at IPEX in May 2010. We had some long-standing finishing equipment that served us well but we were in need of upgrading."
Mike added, "During busy times, we could expect up to 3,000 booklets to pass through the bindery in a very short timescale and we needed a workflow that was sufficiently fast and efficient which would remove the bottlenecks. After investing in a Docucolour Digital Printing System, we wanted the finishing to be equally as seamless."
Having first purchased an Horizon bookletmaker back in 1998, which lasted over 10 years, the decision was made to purchase Duplo's flagship bookletmaking solution the System 5000, consisting of a 10-station, vertical, collating tower feeding into the DBM-500 bookletmaker and trimmer.
Wayne's world
As far as approval from the machine operator is concerned, Wayne Lock, Mechanical Finishing Manager at Fineprint, could not be happier."
Wayne said, "The bookletmaker handles our typical job size of A3 down to A4 and A4 down to A5 very comfortably. We've also run smaller size jobs and A5 landscape jobs with ease. In particular, I have been very impressed with the infeed settings of the collator tower, which allows individual bins to be set up for different stock weights, typically 350gsm covers with lighter weight text pages and the set-up of the whole system is less than 60 seconds. As well as being much more automated, there is a very accurate position of the stitch and fold (+/- 0.01mm) which all adds to a good quality finish."
Getting technical
The System 5000 runs at up to 5,000 finished books an hour and is Duplo's high-end bookletmaker.
It boasts 12 memory programs which can be recalled instantly enabling the system to be set up within 35 seconds and the latest Hohner stitching heads with 'out of wire' sensors are fitted as standard. Loop heads are also available. A built-in, corner stitch-tray can accept corner/side-stitched sets.
The finishing touch
Mike Woolhouse concludes, "It's really helped us to become more efficient as we continue to provide a one stop shop from concept through to final product and meet the changing needs of our client base".
Contact us now or telephone 01256 814 144 to see how Fineprint can help with with your print finishing or any other aspect of commercial print.
STOP! Top 5 money-saving questions you need to ask before going to print
11th August 2010
It seems everyone is looking for cost-savings these days. It's a perfectly reasonable thing to do and, on the face of it, seems fairly easy too.
The tricky bit is reducing cost without reducing quality, and that is certainly less easy. Any mistakes could prove to be very costly and completely nullify any savings that could have been made.
Listed below are our top 5 money-saving questions you need to ask before even thinking about going to print.
Q1. Ask whether the print job has been read by more than one person?
No matter how many times we proof read a job, there's always a possibility that an error can be found. Get another pair of eyes (or better still, more) to check the job. The bottom line is this - unlike online content, print is permanent and, unless caught early, any mistakes canÕt be corrected and have the potential to be very costly indeed.
Q2. Ask if the quantity to be printed is correct?
The cost of a second print run is likely to cost a lot more than the cost of an extended first run (or 'run-on' in printer speak). For example, if you request a quote of 5,000 copies, always ask your printer for 'run on' costs. This will help enormously with budgeting and may save you a pile of cash.
Q3. Ask if the weight of your chosen paper stock is sufficiently opaque?
Always check that the opacity of your paper is sufficient to minimise any 'see-through' which will impact the quality of your print job. A good weight of paper will not only maintain the quality of your job but your colours will print more brilliantly too. There is always a cost attached to quality.
Q4. Ask how much value better quality paper would bring?
Cheap paper will always feel exactly that - cheap. This is rarely the impression most people want to give with their print jobs so factor in a few different types of paper when rwquesting a quote and you might be surprised at just how little extra you need to pay for a better quality paper and a better quality print job.
Q5. Ask whether your printed sheets need a varnish?
If your print job is likely to be either stacked or packaged, you need to be careful that ink doesnÕt transfer from one job to another during storage or transit. Varnishing can prevent this as well as guarding against fingermarks, scratches and handling in general. A varnish is normally sufficient to prevent any ink offset, but if in doubt, speak to your printer.
If in doubt...
Finally, if you're in any doubt about how or where to make possible cost-savings, always speak to your printer. TheyÕre the ones who know best - especially if you make them aware of your future print plans too. If your printer knows what projects are coming down the track, they might be able to run your print jobs in combination as another option to help save your money.
Contact us now or telephone 01256 814 144 for some friendly advice.
BPIF 'Priorities for Print' briefing document sets out the industry concerns
19th July 2010
Printing, packaging and graphics communications is one of the UK's largest manufacturing industries with sales of around £14.5 billion.
The industry employs around 140,000 people in about 10,500 companies spread throughout the UK. 75% of companies employ less than 10 people and account for 20% of industry turnover whilst 0.5% of companies employ more than 250 and account for 25% of industry turnover.
'Priorities for Print' was published by the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) in June 2010 and sets out members' current concerns on a number of key issues facing the industry and the actions they believe need to be taken by Government to address these.
It also introduces MPs to one of the UK's most technologically advanced and economically important manufacturing sectors.
'Priorities for Print' calls for action in eight key areas:
- Pre-pack administrations
- Promoting print
- VAT zero-rating
- Energy and Environment
- Postal services
- Public services
- Pension schemes
- Skill development.
Read the full story on the BPIF website.
Alternatively, you can download 'Priorities for Print' here. [PDF]
Can paper books survive the threat from e-readers, and what does this mean for paper companies?
21st June 2010
2009 was named the year that e-books went mainstream, but was it also the year that paper books went into terminal decline?
They have been around for a number of years, but until recently e-books were widely viewed as a speciality sector used by a small number of dedicated enthusiasts and ignored by the majority. This is changing and changing rapidly as the technology has improved. E-books have become more user friendly and most importantly costs have come down, opening up the market to a much larger consumer base.
What was viewed as a curiosity is now seen by many experts as a threat to paper based books. With the worldwide launch of the Amazon Kindle, this threat that has now become global. Until recently, the bulk of the e-book catalogue broadly consisted of textbooks and scientific publications but this is now expanding across a range of categories. Amazon has been growing its digital book range since the launch of the Kindle in 2007 and in August 2009 added 13,713 titles. In July 2009, Barnes and Noble in the US was offering 700,000 titles.
Putting this growth in perspective, according to the Association of American Publishers, between 2002-2008 e-books grew at a compound annual rate of 58%, compared to 1.6% for the overall book industry. More worryingly for the paper producers, Amazon announced at the start of October 2009 that for all books it sells in both print and e-book versions, Kindle versions now account for 48% of unit sales. Six months earlier the figure was around 12%. Clearly this trend will impact paper demand.
Read the full story on the Pira International website.
Next-gen Pantone Matching System set for Ipex launch
11th May 2010
Pantone will unveil the next generation of its iconic Pantone Matching System, the Pantone Plus Series, at Ipex next week.
The Pantone Plus Series features the same 14 base inks and reference numbers as its predecessor, although it adds 224 new solid colours, giving 1,341 in total, as well as 300 Premium Metallics, 42 neons and 2,868 process colours.
The Plus Series also brings a return to a chromatic arrange?ment that was lost in the original Matching System as new colours were added.
As with Pantone Goe, which was launched three years ago, the new solids are printed with uniform ink film thicknesses to allow easy matching on press, with the new colour numbers beginning at 7,548.
Pantone said that Goe was an ideal companion for the new Plus Series, as it was better suited to aqueous and UV coatings, and favoured by packaging designers and printers.
Read the full story on the Print Week website.
Ipex 2010... just a few weeks to go!
19th April 2010
As we go to press (no pun intended) on this news item, there's barely a month to go before Ipex 2010 - the world's largest English-speaking showcase event for the print, publishing and media industries
Ipex 2010 is being held between 18th and 25th May 2010 at the NEC (National Exhibition Centre), Birmingham, UK and will feature about 1,200 of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of printing equipment and associated services.
Those who've been before, including many of the current staff at Fineprint, recognise its value as a terrific resource for everyone involved in print - from large organisations to smaller, family-run businesses.
The show will feature four key sections representing the print production workflow:
- Output / Presses
- Creation & Design / Pre-Media / Digital Solutions
- Post Press Systems / Packaging & Converting
- The Print Process: Pre / Press / Post / Used Equipment (UPEX)
» Have tickets, will travel
Managing Director of Fineprint, Mike Woolhouse said, "Fineprint definitely intend to be there."
"Personally, I've been to Ipex more times than I care to remember but it's always been a great place to go for lots of reasons."
He added, "Mostly, I'm on the lookout for new and innovative products as well as a chance to see some of the latest technologies that'll help Fineprint serve our customers better."
"But it's also a terrific place to meet up with people I've known past and present within the industry for a good catch up. So if you're planning to go to Ipex, get in touch with me and we arrange to get together for a chat."
Fineprint deploys new customer file upload facility
22nd February 2010
The nature of digital print files is that they generally tend to be quite large - and can often be very large indeed.
So Fineprint are pleased to announce a great new way for customers to send their print files to Fineprint that's quick, easy, convenient and secure.
Sending digital print files by e-mail is a viable option but is constrained by the relatively small file sizes that will be permitted to pass through a mail gateway. A CD or DVD is another popular choice but is at the mercy of the postal system or courier - especially where long distances are involved.
Easily one of the best options to despatch print-ready digital files is to use a file hosting service which is precisely what Fineprint have recently implemented.
» The benefits of the new upload facility include:
- It's quick: The process takes only minutes (depending on your network connection)
- It's easy: Just fill out and submit a simple form and away you go
- It's convenient: Access 24 x 7
- It's secure: Your data will not be available to prying eyes.
See the new customer print file upload facility.
Fineprint Managing Director, Mike Woolhouse commented, "We're always on the look out for ways to improve workflow processes for both ourselves and our clients."
He added, "If I'm honest, the technology behind the new customer upload facility isn't exactly rocket science, it's more to do with harnessing the technology available as a business enabler. Without doubt, the new facility has already become a very useful addition to the range of services Fineprint offers and I'm pleased to say that the uptake so far has been nothing short of amazing."
So the next time you need to send your print data files over to Fineprint, consider our new, easy-to-use customer upload system powered by YouSendIt.
