Web to Print storefront

[brent]

Well at least you got your training done in November...When I went to Minneapolis for training, it was in February... Note to self... Never EVER go to training in February. It was the first time I EVER experienced what 30 below zero felt like! Brrrrrr...it was cold! I don't know how they live like that!!!

[digitalatsigonedotcom]

If I may, I just want to pick your brain for a minute.

We are exploring digital storefronts, and want to launch early in 2011. We are currently redesigning our website and want to integrate with ASI (with whom we are a member) for seamless framing of ad specialty products.

Currently we run EFI Print Smith and utilize EFI ColorProof XF, EFI Fiery for color digital and Rampage for offset sheetfed. I am just starting the research process, and have looked at Creo/Kodak InSite, Printable's MarcomCentral and EFI's Digital StoreFront. I think I have already eliminated InSite because it is too Kodak biased, but MarcomCentral seems interesting because I believe it will have a lower cost and more user control than EFI's Digital StoreFront.

I think we want to use our website to automate quoting, ordering, billing, digital printing (and VDP printing - we have Printable's FusionPro) and perhaps proofing.

We are a small 2-up shop (26" Komori) with 4 employees, and therefore not a lot of disposable cash to throw around.

Are any of you using anything like this on your company's website and if so, what do you use and why? Do you have any other recommendations or can you point out any issues or problems with your digital storefront? Maybe things we haven't explored or thought about here... the owner here would appreciate your feedback. Thank you!

[Viva'sPress]

If I may, I just want to pick your brain for a minute.

We are exploring digital storefronts, and want to launch early in 2011. We are currently redesigning our website and want to integrate with ASI (with whom we are a member) for seamless framing of ad specialty products.

Currently we run EFI Print Smith and utilize EFI ColorProof XF, EFI Fiery for color digital and Rampage for offset sheetfed. I am just starting the research process, and have looked at Creo/Kodak InSite, Printable's MarcomCentral and EFI's Digital StoreFront. I think I have already eliminated InSite because it is too Kodak biased, but MarcomCentral seems interesting because I believe it will have a lower cost and more user control than EFI's Digital StoreFront.

I think we want to use our website to automate quoting, ordering, billing, digital printing (and VDP printing - we have Printable's FusionPro) and perhaps proofing.

We are a small 2-up shop (26" Komori) with 4 employees, and therefore not a lot of disposable cash to throw around.

Are any of you using anything like this on your company's website and if so, what do you use and why? Do you have any other recommendations or can you point out any issues or problems with your digital storefront? Maybe things we haven't explored or thought about here... the owner here would appreciate your feedback. Thank you!

I'm in the same boat and would like more info as well.....I'm all ears

[digitalatsigonedotcom]

We have opted to go with PrintlinQs (www.printlinqs.com); the price point to get in was relatively low ($1100 set up and $150/mo with no minimum subscription) and it was geared towards the print industry. Since they are more concerned with keeping you long term, they have a lower entry cost, but still offer all the same great services you might find from Printables, EFI and OPS.

Tell Tim Christian from Sig-1.com gave you the referral!

[kingpd@businessprints.net]

This stuff isn't cheap is it?

At these prices a company would be best to hire a programmer or outsource to a software company and have a truly customizable solution made that can be programmed to interact with any other software program that you have.

I personally am not a fan of solutions where you have to pay a monthly fee. Companies do this so you are stuck constantly paying them revenue and take a huge loss if you ever decide to leave them and have to start from scratch rebuilding your site.

They argue that with the subscription at least your getting the updates to the system...to which I argue that just proves your current and prior version was either junky, insecure, or deficient in offering.

Hey Zbret

How is the search coming along for a Web-to-print storefront? I noticed that you had been provided with the name sof some of the major players in the web-to-print area and should tell you a little bit about what we have to offer and why we are different.
Firstly Web4print Web-to-Print solutions for Variable Data Printing document production is a smaller company so our solutions are less "out of the box" and can be customised in almost anyway to suit your needs.
Our software is based on a very powerful technology and in terms of typography and formating we are excellant.
Web4print is signifigantly cheaper than alot of our more established rivals though. Just to throw it out there (and I would more than welcome comments from any of these company's representitives) heres how some of our prices compare

PageFlex Licensed Starts at $30,000

efi DigitalStoreFront Licensed $17,995 (Job submission only) Hosted $8995 start up $800 - $1700 monthly

PrinterPresence Hosted Setup Starts at $2000 Monthly Starts at $75

Press Sense Licensed Starts at $31,150 Hosted Set up $9900 $275 - $1500 monthly

Web4print Licensed Starts at €12500 Hosted Set up €750 Monthly starts at €150

Drop me a mail barry@documation.ie if you'd be interested in finding out more

Barry

[digitalatsigonedotcom]

In our position, we don't have the upfront capital for that kind of personalization... but yes, it would be nice... however, unless you're skilled in CSS, HTML, XML, Java, Flash, etc., you wouldn't have the ability to keep things up-to-date or add new products. Plus, if you want to offer any kind of design-on-line features, you're probably out of luck unless the guy you hire has that ability as well. By the time you keep paying this guy to update, update, update, you might as well do a monthly fee to stay on the cutting edge. And if there are any hosting issues, they're not your problem.

Printlinqs was only like around $1200 to get started and only about $150/mo. They update and add new features frequently, and if I need anything, I send an email or make a phone call and it's solved. It offers all the customization we need, and has design on-line products that I program myself with their modified PDFLib blocks software plugin for Acrobat. To me, that's a bargain.

[kingpd@businessprints.net]

You have to watch though because sometimes the updates (which are mandatory and forced for continued support) aren't always things that you want.

I was comparing more to the $20k-$30k options.