Rarely do I write about a particular product. My role is not to promote but to inform, so I have to tread lightly. Every once in a while, however, a new tool for print production professionals comes on the market that sounds so cool, I can't help but follow my nose for news.

So today we say hello to ColorMunki Design, a new device for designers from the first jointly developed line of products from X-Rite and its recently acquired partner, Pantone.

To be totally honest, I fell in love with the name, which is why I followed the trail to this Tip. My hat's off to the advertising and/or creative team that came up with it. ...more

Print suppliers are facing continual demands for more services as they cope with a dynamic industry. Will they need to offer design, Web marketing and fulfillment in order to compete in the changing market?

An intrigued audience of printers, brokers and buyers looked for answers at “Future Shock and the Print Industry,” a panel discussion at the PINC Show 2008 in San Francisco. Sponsored by the Printing Industries of Northern California (PINC), the conversation was led by Jim Tracey of Electronics for Imaging and centered on both the advances and the hype currently making the biggest noise in print. ...more

This tip caught our attention because we’re always looking for ways to save you unnecessary work, particularly in the studio … that way maybe you’ll have extra time to enter your great designs in a contest or look at beautiful paper samples! PS

Need to know all the fonts that appear in a document, but you only have a PDF, not the original file? So right about now you’re naturally wondering if there is a way to tell which fonts are used in a PDF file. Why yes, in most cases there is, and it can be a real time-saver. However, there are a few caveats.

To view the fonts used in the original document, choose File > Document Properties (Command/Ctrl + D) or click on the arrow on the upper right of the PDF document, then select the Fonts pane in the Document Properties dialog. ...more

Depending on the printers’ customers, Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody (CoC) certification may be a necessity or a differentiator. An increasing number of corporate clients are requiring FSC certification for approved vendors. Of those who are not, many understand the public relations benefits that accrue from being able to display an FSC stamp.

“My belief is that it will be important for specific printers because of their clients. I assume that most large, international and even national corporations will push for certification. And this will make printers interested in certification,” says Gerry Bonetto, government affairs director, Printing Industries of California. ...more

Folding is my passion—having spent the past nine years of my life researching brochure folds. So, given my specialty, the first thing I do when I find a new folding style (after the victory dance) is to classify it. Yes, folding styles can be classified—in my work I discovered that folding styles have distinct characteristics that allow them to be classified into folding “families.”

I have found that there are eight different folding families: Accordions, Basics, Exotics, Gates, Maps, Parallels, Posters and Rolls. All brochure folds can be classified into one of these families, and once classified, can be further dissected, assessed for folding compensation requirements and named. ...more

Why is it that one misstep from a service provider can end a long-term relationship? Do we suffer from a chronic case of the-customer-is-always-right syndrome? Is it just too easy to take your business elsewhere when something nasty this way comes?

All I know is that improper or unprofessional behavior can ruin your company's reputation. Let me share three stories that are all true.

Incident #1
I've used the same car service for years to take me to and from Boston's Logan Airport. On my return to Logan one frigid and windy night, they failed to show up. ...more