BUZZ-words

From hybrid cars to solar power, almost every company is looking for ways to stay green as we learn more each day about global warming and its impact on our environment. The same rings especially true for the printing industry. Here at DDCC, we are researching and implementing new ways to stay environmentally friendly while still turning out quality products.

For years, we have used recycled paper to produce our brochures, posters and newsletters. Our stock paper is, in fact, recycled. Over the years, science has helped us say “so long” to those dull, brown, college-lined sheets stamped with the all-important “recycled paper” insignia. Recycled products can now be any color and glossy with no hint (besides the logo) that they had a former life—so much so, in fact that our clients often see their products and ask why it’s not on recycled paper for their needs. They’re delighted when we show them the insignia.

DDCC also stays on top of the engineering and scientific breakthroughs that will soon put all printing companies in greener pastures:

• Thermal oxidizers: Increasingly, companies are installing thermal oxidizers designed to destroy ink and varnish in a way that keeps toxicity out of the air.
• Soy ink: This environmentally friendly ink contains non-toxic soybean oil, most commonly used in food. It provides for eye-catching color and is easily stripped from paper in the recycling process. Not only does soy ink help the environment, but it also helps the nation’s economy by supporting a whole new market for a domestic crop.
• Biodegradable and Compostable Window Films: Plastic is probably the most tenacious culprit in our landfills. Made to last, a piece of plastic you buy today can be rediscovered by your great-great-great grandchildren in a landfill. With that in mind, printers are starting to turn more toward plastic that won’t last long. Biodegradable plastic breaks down naturally by microorganisms, such as fungi and bacteria, and compostable plastic breaks down at the same rate as other materials, leaving virtually no toxic residues. Other types of eco-friendly plastic include PLA, made from corn, soybeans and potatoes; and cellulose acetate and glassine, both made from wood pulp.

In short, nature provides us with many ways to sustain the environment for future generations. We all benefit from being lean and green.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah…” I said when our blog master asked me to contribute to the buzz.words blog by writing an article on color and how it interacts with different papers. “You must be kidding me!” is what I said when he told me that I had to keep it to about 500 words (with bullet points no less). What does he know about the printing craft? I have only been doing this for over 20 years and the knowledge I’ve accumulated over the years could probably fill something resembling Lake Mead shoved into a thimble, none the less, I vowed to do my very best.

Over the years one truism I have learned is that artists “make art” and printers “print.” Goes without saying (almost) that graphic designers being artists at heart, make…well you get the idea and printers put ink on paper. Somewhere in between these two symbiotic disciplines, the creative mind of the artist and the engineering mind of a print professional must come together. Typically this happens somewhere in a conference room or near a light table when a designer usually urges to the client (who is standing nearby) and insists that:

• He or she knows the job is 4 color process + 6 other PMS colors (but that is the only way to truly represent the scope of “their work”)
• Yes, he or she knows the paper has to be special ordered from the moon (with a corresponding cost) but, the “blind you in the sunlight uncoated brightness of the cover, contrasting with the not-so-blinding coated dull stock of the interior pages” will be well worth it when the client sees the overall quality of the 500, 8-page, 8 1/2” x 5 1/2” brochures for their new-fangled hair product.

The bottom line is that many designers—while being extremely talented in their art—sometimes do not take into consideration the cost to produce a printed item while they are in the initial design stages of a project. In the example above, maybe a more cost effective paper or converting some of those PMS colors to process-equivalents could save the client some hard-earned money while not affecting the look of the project. Certainly, while the paper cost for 500 brochures might not make a huge difference right now, removing 4 or 6 plates from the job would. Additionally, the big cost saving would be changing to a more cost-effective paper when re-printing 25,000 of those same brochures 6-months later (after the designer is long gone). Unfortunately, this is hardly ever explained and it costs the client quite a bit more money in paper and may cause some friction that could have been otherwise avoided.

To that end, we are happy to say that our team at DDCC takes a proactive approach to these (and many other) challenges and does things a bit differently. We get everyone (editors, designers and the print division) involved at the very inception of the project. That helps our clients and staffs produce the best quality products while still controlling costs. It’s a unique feature of DDCC, having all departments–editorial, graphic design, commercial printing and Internet services–all here under one roof. And it’s one of the many great reasons why the DDCC team can treat our clients’ budgets as our own.

I am Charles Dohs, VP of Operations for Drizen-Dohs Corporate Communications, thanks for reading and look for my next article that discusses why every job doesn’t have to be 10 colors.

In DDCC’s editorial department, we’re always excited to hear those magic words near the end of a project: “It’s perfect; go to print.”

What most of our customers don’t realize—and what even we sometimes forget in our eagerness to deliver—is that just because a project is a “go,” doesn’t mean it can materialize on press the next day. A lot has to happen to prepare the design file for print. In fact, it’s this pre-production phase of the process that ultimately ensures speed and quality on press.

Here’s what it entails:

Step 1) Pre-flight document: Our production designers immediately communicate with our printing team to confirm plate, press and positioning requirements for the job. Then, they color-adjust all images for the press (these adjustments vary, depending on press conditions and climate). They also make other necessary adjustments while double-checking fonts, post-script errors, bleeds, RGB images, crossovers, artifacts, spelling, etc.

Step 2) PDF: During this step, our production designers make additional file adjustments per our printing team’s input (i.e. switching spot colors, multiple layouts, gang runs, etc.). Then, they create a high-resolution, press-ready PDF for our True Flow printer. This is compared against the pre-flight document to ensure correct color separations, sizes and bleeds, and then saved to our general server.

Step 3) True Flow: Next, the job ticket containing the project number and specifications is edited for the print proof and plates. Our production designers import the high-resolution PDF into this ticket for processing. They re-check for correct color separations, sizes, bleeds, positioning and marks for each flat, or print signature, and make changes as needed. Once the processed PDF is approved, it is sent to our True Flow press proof printer.

Step 4) Press Proof: Once our True Flow printer processes the proof sheets, these are sent to the editorial department for a final review, quality check and sign off. The project editor then gives approval to print, or provides changes to the designer, who makes the changes and returns to step 2.

Step 5) Send to Plate: Once the editor gives final approval and the project PDF is finalized, our production designers send the job ticket to our plate recorder. The plates are then fed according to size, press and color separations, and are labeled, punched and finally handed to the pressman along with the press proof to use for quality checks during the print run.

You’d think that after more than 25 years working with CEOs, CFOs, HR directors and vice presidents, the ultimate truth of communications—keep it simple, stupid—would have sunken into my core. But you see, my son recently reminded me of this fact when he wrote me a postcard during his two weeks at summer camp. It said, “Dear Mom, They’re making me write this. I love you.”

Of course what I was hoping for was a soliloquy about his experience because I was missing him terribly. I wanted to know what he had for breakfast, if he made any new friends, and most of all, was he as anxious for the two weeks to end as I was. While I certainly didn’t get anything close to those facts, I did get the sense that yes he was having fun, and that yes he missed me too.

So what does this have to do with communications…especially in large conglomerates? It comes down to this: Say what you mean simply honestly and directly, and your message will resonate with your audience. It will inspire your employees, engage your customers and connect you to your community. It’s something I find myself reminding our clients of all the time…and it was nice to be the one being reminded for a change.

Speed and quality don’t always go together. For instance, you can’t crank up your oven to get the perfect beef brisket in under an hour (try as I might), and racing down the highway to your next meeting could net you some not-so-quality time with a law officer (need I say more). But at DDCC, we believe that when the right processes and a dedicated team are in place, quality and speed can be married for outstanding results.

Let’s start with speed. We work in an industry where it’s not uncommon for a client to ask for a turnaround of just a few days…or even 24 hours. The key for us to work quickly to meet our client’s expectations is the extensive scheduling that happens from the inception of every project. Whether it’s a 100-page training tool, a 20-page employee publication or a blog that must be posted on the same day every week, our editors create detailed production schedules that take into account every step of the editorial, design and printing processes. Plus, they reflect each client’s preferences and time considerations. Do they want to review copy before it is sent into design? Do they have multiple people who need to see and sign off on the design before it goes to print? Does the piece need to come out in sync with an important company meeting or announcement? These are just a few of the things that make every schedule unique.

Now, let’s talk about quality. At DDCC, our quality checks also start at the beginning of each project. In editorial, every written piece—from a 1,500-word feature article to a three-word marketing slogan—is read, edited and approved by a minimum of three editors before it is sent to the client or into design. We also double-check copy details—from company and brand names to titles and phone and fax numbers. This focus on quality continues in design and printing. Our design team marks and dates all revisions to keep track of a project’s history, spell-checks before creating final files for pre-press production, produces full-scale color proofs for final reviews of text, design, color and layout, etc. Plus, our printing team follows a quality checklist that includes everything from color to die cut to finishing checks.

It’s this marriage of speed and quality, as well as our vertical abilities that give us control over both, that makes DDCC—and the communications materials and services we provide to our clients—stand out.