It's not elegant: it looks like a large photocopier. But the Espresso Book Machine could herald the biggest change for the literary world since Gutenberg invented his printing press more than 500 years ago.
Unveiled today at Blackwell's Charing Cross Road branch, in central London, the machine prints and binds books in five minutes.
Blackwell believes the introduction signals the end to the frustration of being told a title is out of print or not in stock. The Espresso offers access to almost half a million books, from a facsimile of Lewis Carroll's original manuscript for Alice in Wonderland to Mrs Beeton's Book of Needlework.
The company hopes to increase the catalogue to more than a million titles by the end of the summer, the equivalent of 23.6 miles of shelf space or more than 50 bookshops rolled into one. The majority of these books are out of copyright, but Blackwell is working with UK publishers to increase access to in-copyright writing. So far the response has been overwhelmingly positive, the firm says.
"This could change bookselling fundamentally," said Blackwell's chief executive, Andrew Hutchings. "It's giving the chance for smaller locations, independent booksellers, to have the opportunity to truly compete with big stock-holding shops and Amazon ... I like to think of it as the revitalisation of the local bookshop industry. If you could walk into a local bookshop and have access to one million titles, that's pretty compelling."
The Espresso can cater to a wide range of needs from serving academics keen to purchase reproductions of rare manuscripts to wannabe novelists needing a copy of their self-published novels, says Blackwell, which will be monitoring its use to decide pricing and demand. The plan is to roll out the innovation across the 60-store network, with the flagship Oxford branch likely to be an early recipient as well as campus-based shops.
The Espresso is the brainchild of the American publisher Jason Epstein and was a Time magazine invention of the year. It proved a star attraction at the London Book Fair this week, where it printed more than 100 pages a minute, clamping them into place, then binding, guillotining and spitting out the (warm as toast) finished article.
Described as an "ATM for books" by its US proprietor On Demand Books, the Espresso machine has been established in the US, Canada and Australia, and in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt.
The Charing Cross Road machine is the first to be set up in a UK bookstore. It cost Blackwell about £120,000, but Phill Jamieson, head of marketing, said: "It has the potential to be the biggest change since Gutenberg."
Taken from The Guardian and thanks for pointing this article out: David Colpitts at david@digitaljoy.ca
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Showing posts with label Digital Variable Print. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Digital Variable Print. Show all posts
What is the average percentage to expect for overs in print projects?
Answer: That’s a great question. However, there isn’t an easy answer. The average percentage of overs could be between 0-10% depending on many factors, such as the:
print technology or process used – Typically the percentage of overs is higher for some types of print processes such as web printing, in which you might commonly see 3% over. Compare this to a well-executed variable-data print job which might result in no overs, as digital printing allows for a print run of one piece.
print quantity – In general smaller quantity print projects usually have a higher percentage of overs, then larger quantity jobs. So if your print quantity is 1,000 – a print supplier might deliver 10% overs and those 100 pieces might be highly valued. If your print quantity is 1 million, 10% overs – or 100,000 pieces - would certainly not be acceptable.
buying company’s standards – If a buying company communicates to their print suppliers upfront the percentage of overs that they consider acceptable and that they’ll pay for, universally solutions providers adapt to those requests.
and the print supplier – Every print solution provider is different. There are printers who still try to maximize their profitability by delivering and billing for a large percentage of overs that were not explicitly ordered by the buying company. That tactic is much less tolerated by today’s professional print buyers. Moreover, almost all printers have responded to the customers’ increased sensitivity to waste. In addition, many solution providers have streamlined there workflow for less waste.
print technology or process used – Typically the percentage of overs is higher for some types of print processes such as web printing, in which you might commonly see 3% over. Compare this to a well-executed variable-data print job which might result in no overs, as digital printing allows for a print run of one piece.
print quantity – In general smaller quantity print projects usually have a higher percentage of overs, then larger quantity jobs. So if your print quantity is 1,000 – a print supplier might deliver 10% overs and those 100 pieces might be highly valued. If your print quantity is 1 million, 10% overs – or 100,000 pieces - would certainly not be acceptable.
buying company’s standards – If a buying company communicates to their print suppliers upfront the percentage of overs that they consider acceptable and that they’ll pay for, universally solutions providers adapt to those requests.
and the print supplier – Every print solution provider is different. There are printers who still try to maximize their profitability by delivering and billing for a large percentage of overs that were not explicitly ordered by the buying company. That tactic is much less tolerated by today’s professional print buyers. Moreover, almost all printers have responded to the customers’ increased sensitivity to waste. In addition, many solution providers have streamlined there workflow for less waste.
HP announces partnerships with MySpace, MTV
HP executives focused on how the company will capitalize on what they called the transformation of print from analog to digital, and announced key partnerships with brands such as MTV, MySpace and others to help achieve HP's goals, at the company's annual Imaging & Printing Conference in San Diego.
To help grow its retail business, the company also announced the November launch of a new Web-based program, which will offer small and midsize business owners affordable marketing services, such as stationery and Web sites.
Approximately 53 trillion pages will be printed in 2010, 10% of which will be digital, according to HP. The company outlined a series of initiatives and new products to help it build market share and accelerate growth with consumers, small and midsize businesses, print service providers and enterprise partners. All were an extension of HP's Print 2.0 strategy, which was introduced at last year's imaging and printing conference.
The market is dominated by analog, but there are opportunities for digital print in commercial print, signage, publishing and packaging. This week, HP announced a new business development program to help print service providers make the transformation from analog to digital.
To help grow its retail business, the company also announced the November launch of a new Web-based program, which will offer small and midsize business owners affordable marketing services, such as stationery and Web sites.
Approximately 53 trillion pages will be printed in 2010, 10% of which will be digital, according to HP. The company outlined a series of initiatives and new products to help it build market share and accelerate growth with consumers, small and midsize businesses, print service providers and enterprise partners. All were an extension of HP's Print 2.0 strategy, which was introduced at last year's imaging and printing conference.
The market is dominated by analog, but there are opportunities for digital print in commercial print, signage, publishing and packaging. This week, HP announced a new business development program to help print service providers make the transformation from analog to digital.
A New Horizon coming!
During this year’s CMA Annual Convention, I saw a company demonstrating an example of how communication solutions have changed. We all understand what is changing but now there is a requirement to identify partners that can integrate the change.
Effective communication is dependent on individual consumer’s media preference. As users of print including digital variable print, we have entered a new era where familiar strategies and methods are no longer sufficient to deliver a comprehensive consumer experience.
The sample below is collision of media; interactive, web, e-mail, 1:1 Direct Mail and print.
Using the iPOD Touch, customers could pick and personalize a nature-themed tablecloth demonstrating an interactive, rich data collection utilizing a non-traditional device. The tablecloth was then printed using dye sublimation technology and delivered 4 weeks later.
We understand that the printing industry is changing and that the integration of online solutions within the traditional and digital printing spaces is becoming more prevalent. This sample is a unique example of a customized web-to-print campaign. For more info please contact: kevin.miller@transcontinental.ca
Do you want your marketing communications to have impact, be memorable and generate a response? Of course you do.
Grab your customer’s attention.
While your customers might expect to see Repositionable Notes in the workplace, seeing them on the outside of a mailing will really get their attention! Since Repositionable Notes affix directly to the front of your piece and stay on until delivery, they hold centre stage when the recipient picks up your piece.
Motivate a response.
Whether you have a special offer, reply deadline, new product or service, or a call to action, Repositionable Notes can help put your message front and centre. Use them to help generate interest and encourage customers to look inside your mailing to find out more.
Get your target involved.
Repositionable Notes can be moved and “repositioned” anywhere (to a computer, telephone, file cabinet, refrigerator, etc.) so they can help increase interaction with your mail package, help increase response, and make your message more memorable.
Produce amazing results.
Rogers Communications Inc. tested the impact of Repositionable Notes on a Home Phone service Direct Mail campaign. They found the results to be spectacular. Direct Mail pieces with Repositionable Notes generated almost double the response rate of those without .
Any mail house, printer or lettershop that has some type of automatic labelling equipment can apply the notes Per Canada Post guidelines.
Make it Personal. Make it Relevant.
With VDP (Variable Digital Print) services you can speak to your customer in a way that is all about them – with personal and relevant information that matters to them, with offers and information that is valuable to them – all in a professional offset quality colour format.
Below is a example of a great package:
Designs were created for a highly personalized Kit including:
• Custom personalized folder that contains the Owner’s Name and has an image of the exact vehicle model and color that was purchased including such car options as the correct wheel pattern selected. The owner’s province and dealership was showcased as well to show geographic variables.
• Custom Personalized Key Fobs that contain the Owners’ specific VIN numbers.
• Custom Personalized Roadside Assistance Card with VIN #.
• Personalized Letter and generic Terms and Condition brochures.
The result was 4 color offset quality on a variety of paper/card stocks with customized variable images and text to create a unique and relevant package for each and every new vehicle owner. For more info please contact:gabea@thefsagroup.com
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