Indigo Training

[svharter]

Does anyone have any experience with file setup & working with the front end software for an Indigo.
We're trying to make a decision on who should be trained for the prepress part of the workflow.
Do I need someone with prepress experience to run this workflow or can I take someone with a basic knowledge of digital printing and Illustrator and send them to HP's training program.
Any thoughts or comments from someone with experience on this equipment would be appreciated.

Thanks

Scott

 

[jlazerus]

Scott,
I have been managing and doing that job for several years. Here's my take on it:
1- ALWAYS find the smartest person available.
2- ASK for volunteers. Some people may be interested and enthusiastic, others will be obstructionists. You want someone open to constant technological change. It's a personality type, more than a skill set. You're better off training someone fresh out of school who is interested, than someone who feels like they "have to" do this.
3- ALLOW the person time to experiment and screw up. A third of their time should be spent learnng, developing, testing ideas, fixing mistakes, etc. Plan it.
4- This is not a simple job, although it appears that way on the surface. Compensate accordingly.
5- The best person is someone who knows a little about prepress, systems (Windows, Macs, etc.) and has a high level proficiency in excel, or better yet, Access or some other database management software.

If either of the people you're considering is like this, take them. As I said, it's more of a personality type than a skill set. The more prepress experience, the better, all things being equal. Many of the challenges on the HP rips are similar to prepress challenges, so if you have a troubleshooter, that's going to go a LONG way. Good luck, tell us how it goes.

Jeff Lazerus
http://www.jefflazerus.com/blog
jeffATjefflazerus.com

 

[svharter]

Jeff thanks for the feedback, I agree personality and attitude are a big part of it.
I just want to make sure we don't place someone in a position where they feel like their in over their head.

Thanks again

Scott