Online proofing may be a way for small publishers to save valuable time and money, said a printing professional at an Independent Publishers Association of Ontario (IPAO) meeting in Toronto Wednesday night.



Ryan Burke, who handles quality assurance at Trade Secret Web Printing in Toronto, was speaking during a special Printer Night hosted by IPAO. "Online proofing is fantastic," he said, adding it can save hundreds of dollars. But he noted it can be difficult to judge images on-screen such as product shots that need to be bang-on. Dave Kochany, account executive at Dollco Integrated Print Solutions, suggested to get printed proofs to compare to on-screen colours for calibration. "Always judge by photos inside [the publication] that don't change," said Kochany.

Jack Tachdjian, a print industry sales professional who is launching Absolute Print Group, said publishers can ask for random proofs as a safety measure. "Keep those randoms rolled up in a dark place [to refer to] if you're having an ongoing problem with a colour," he said.

The question of paper prices also arose — as in how small publishers can ensure their paper costs don't rise. Kochany said he can guarantee prices for a year or more if he has a contract to show his supplier. "When the paper mill raises prices, we can say a certain amount of that paper has already been sold... printers can use contracts [with particular papers] for bargaining," he explained.

On that note, Tachdjian noted earlier in the meeting, "the price of pulp is actually going down, but the price of transportation is driving paper prices up."

When it comes to adding fancy features to a magazine such as gatefolds, there has to be a measurable monetary gain involved for the publisher to make it worthwhile, added Tachdjian. "If you can get the advertiser to flip the bill, do it," he said.

In order to get ideas about new features for a publication, browse magazines at Chapters and Indigo and pay attention to what the Europeans are doing in print, agreed those on hand.

The printers said receiving a thank you from publishers for a job well done will go a long way. "We as the printer will go the extra mile for the nice person," said Tachdjian. "It's not uncommon for printers to fire customers."

In return, printers strive to make the experience positive from beginning to end, said Kochany. "An incorrect invoice will leave a bad taste in the customer's mouth," he said.

Added Tachdjian, "Anyone can put ink on paper. The true gentlemen of the industry will help you when you need it."