Friday Fact—Paper Has Two Sides
Did you know that there are two sides to a sheet of paper?
The FELT side and the WIRE side.
The Felt side is considered the top of the sheet and is generally smoother. The Wire side is the side that laid against wires during the manufacturing process and is considered the back of the sheet.
Fab Five iPhone Apps—Production Management
I’ll admit it. I’m a gadget geek. At least I am to the extent that my tech knowledge, geekness level and pocketbook will allow. One such gadget that has become an indispensable part of my daily routine is the iPhone. Today I’m sharing some of the applications that I’ve come to rely on for production management.
1. Evernote
Where do I begin? Hands down, Evernote has become my one-stop location for anything and everything I need to remember. I use it for placing to-do lists, images, screen shots, web pages and countless “you’re getting old, you’d better write this down” notes. This app makes getting organized easy. You can download a desktop application and browser plug-in, too. Once you’ve created an account it all syncs, so the information saved is available from any device, on any computer, at any time. They’ve even got saving Tweets covered with @myEN.
Also available: Android, Blackberry, Palm Pre, Windows Mobile. Cost: Free
2. Eco-Calculator (Neenah Paper)
More and more, our clients like to know the environmental savings achieved from the paper selected for a project. The Eco-Calculator allows you to calculate the environmental savings of using paper made with post-consumer fiber. It includes a 100% renewable energy option, as well as a glossary. You can create a new project based on sheets or pounds. A few clicks and the savings statement, complete with sources, is just an email away. I’ve found this app to be easier to use than many web-based calculators and I can save my projects for future reference.
Also available: Blackberry. Cost: Free
3. The Converter (Vladimir Kofman)
Admittedly, I didn’t grasp the metric system as a child. Yet, several of the designers I work with set their files using pica. Converting picas to inches is just one of the uses I’ve found for The Converter. It includes more than 1500 units across 65 categories, translated in 16 languages.
Cost: 99¢
4. Color Expert (Code Line)
While Color Expert won’t help much if you’re trying to use it to match color on press, it’s great as a quick reference guide. Can you remember, without peeking, if that red was Pantone® #485 or #4485? Exactly! In addition to the Pantone swatch book, it also offers a color wheel, image picker and camera for color selection. Once you’ve completed your color selections, the palettes can be emailed.
Cost: $9.99
5. Delivery Status (Junecloud)
I found this gem while working on a project with over fifty FedEx shipments to multiple countries. Once you’ve plugged your tracking number(s) in, it does the rest. Delivery Status will track packages from most common carriers (FedEx, UPS, USPS and more) as well as packages shipped from Amazon, Apple and others. You can also view the location of your package in Google Maps and the desktop widget is great for use while you’re at your computer.
Also Available: Mac OS X Widget. Cost: Free
A few more apps I love:
- RedLaser: A utility to scan bar codes.
- BeeTagg Pro: A utility to scan QR-codes.
- Dropbox: To sync and share files online and across computers.
- Jobs: A time sheet and time tracking app.
- Reeder: My Google Reader (RSS feed) app.
- The Font Game: Because sometimes you just have to play.
Do you use any of the apps listed here? Are you currently using any for business that aren’t listed? I’d love to hear your recommendations.
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kitcowan/731269699/sizes/o/#cc_license
Disclosure: I have not, in any way, shape or form, been compensated for the mention or endorsement of any product listed here.
If Print Were Really Dead. . .
Recently, my friend and respected print industry champion, Margie Dana, posted a tweet that started a series of head spins. My head. I spent the next few days of rush hour madness (my commute is 30-45 minutes each way) thinking about how I’d finish the sentence “If print were really dead, there would be no . . .”
Margie's Tweet
At one point, I considered writing a post about the many scenarios I had envisioned. Some quite humorous. Some very sad. Then I started to wonder how my industry peers would finish the sentence. Then, how would non-industry friends finish the sentence? Has anyone really given it much thought?
I landed on an idea that I think will be fun for us all. I’m going to ask you to write this week’s post. Take just a minute to imagine a world where print does not exist. How would it effect you? Your family? Your job? Your life? Then respond in the comments below by finishing the sentence: “If print were really dead, there would be no . . .”
Printer Proof Reviews and The Ticking Clock
A few weeks ago my husband announced a business trip that would take him away for two nights. My immediate (secret) reaction was “Yes!” I promptly began to dream of the wonderful, enticing possibility of two full nights’ sleep with no noisy snoring and no obnoxiously loud fan. (I think that’s a guy thing.)
My plan for a sleep-filled eight hours in full motion, the long-anticipated first night of bliss arrived. As I walked down the hall to the bedroom I smiled in celebratory anticipation. It was all about me. I turned off the obnoxiously loud fan, hopped into bed and snuggled my head on my pillow. Bring on the sleep!
And then . . . tick, tock, tick, tock, tick.
Oh no! All these years of attempting sleep through the noisy snoring and obnoxiously loud fan and I never realized that the clock on the wall was not meant to coexist with silence. That clock was loud!
As I contemplated how the clock would meet its demise, it occurred to me that my plight was like reviewing printer’s proofs. Printer’s proofs are the last stage of a project before hitting the press. It’s so easy to focus all of your attention on one or two potential problem areas while reviewing them that you forget to check for other possible mishaps. You may, for example, focus so much of your attention on correct image color that you miss an inconsistent rule. It’s easy to do.
Remember to take the time to review ALL aspects of the proof. Don’t forget that there may be a ticking clock waiting to jump off the page after your project is completed. Try this five-step review process:
1. Take It All In
The first step is to look at your proofs as a whole project. Don’t zero in on one area (yet).
2. Check Your Concerns
Next, take a look at the photos and areas you have concerns or issues with. Go ahead. You know you want to!
3. Inch By Inch
Now it’s time to check EVERYTHING else. And I do mean everything. Don’t miss a single inch. For example: Are all images/photos included and properly placed? Are photos cropped correctly and showing correct color? Are all fonts correct? Is the text clean and nicely kerned? Has all text been proofed and properly placed? Have you checked all names, addresses, email addresses, website URLs and telephone numbers? Have you noted any dust spots, printing marks, or dirt marks on the proofs? Have you confirmed that bleeds extend beyond the trim marks? . . . and that’s just a partial list, but I think you get the idea.
4. Specs Check
Next, confirm that all project specs have been clearly articulated and that the printer understands your needs. Be sure to verify and confirm page order and numbering, folds, trim size, quantities and substrate, ink colors and coatings, finishing requirements (e.g., die cut, foil, embossed), due dates and delivery requirements.
5. Take It All In Again
Have you forgotten anything? Are you sure your notes are clear and concise? Have you made any adjustments that could compromise other aspects of your project? If the edits you’ve indicated are made, will you be pleased and ready to go on press?
While I haven’t covered everything that needs to be checked and confirmed as you review printer’s proofs, I do hope I’ve convinced you to remember the ticking clock. Do you have a process for reviewing proofs? Do you have any proofing lessons learned? I’d love to read your thoughts on the subject in the comments below.
Oh, my second night of blissful silence? Let’s just say that clocks don’t work without batteries. I wonder when the next business trip will be . . .
Photo courtesy PhotoXpress.com
This Blog’s For You, Mrs. Kellog
“To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world.” —Brandi Snyder
I met Mrs. Kellog 35+ years ago over the course of four or five visits. Each time we walked into her room, her face lit up. She was eager to talk, happy to learn about our young experiences and anxious to share stories from her life. Mrs. Kellog had long since lost the use of her body to disease and was confined to a bed. That didn’t stop her. She never missed an opportunity to learn something new or to provide a lesson to her visitors. She was an inspiration and immediately loved by all who entered the nursing home doors.
If I could talk to Mrs. Kellog today, she would be proud to know that I’m dipping my toes into the blogosphere. She’d want to know every detail. She would take the time to provide an analogy or some related story from her teaching years. I have no doubt that she would be genuinely excited.
I can’t tell Mrs. Kellog about the experiences I’m about to encounter like I did in those brief meetings as a child. I can tell YOU, however, that she was one of the first outside of my family to teach me that knowledge is an important factor in the light of one’s life.
I’m not an expert, guru, specialist, master or queen of anything (okay maybe queen of my house, but let’s save that discussion for another time.) Like Mrs. Kellog, I’m eager to share my knowledge and equally excited to hear about your experiences. The Production Side is for you, Mrs. Kellog . . . and for you.
My mission is to share stories, perspectives, analogies, thoughts and general information from the production side of the advertising/marketing/graphic design world. I’ll focus a great deal of attention on print and printing, direct mail, paper, proofing, estimating, data management, production management . . . you get the idea. If I am able to help just one person in some small way, I will have succeeded. Let’s get started, shall we?
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathanrussell/2976451403/
