Is iPad the print publishing killler we been waiting for?

[gordo]

I don't recall the Metropolitan Fine Printers example. However, something similar was on the cover of the January 2000 Printing Impressions (conveniently sitting on a bookshelf nearby...)

Perhaps this is what you are referring to? Faust Printing - Home

If Metropolitan eclipsed this, I'd like to read about/see it as well (assuming you ever find it.)

No, not Faust. The Metropolitan poster was run at 1,640 lpi. I think Met did theirs after seeing the Faust piece. For some reason, big lpi numbers seem to impress printers and I guess Met saw that as a challenge. The Faust piece did have some tone reproduction issues (which are clearly visible in the poster at the link you provided). I worked on solving the technical issues with Met that enabled them to do the 1,640 lpi since the workflow screening engine wasn't designed to generate AM/XM halftones at those kinds of frequencies.

I wish I'd kept a printed copy of the poster as a reference piece.

It's interesting that Faust does not say what kind of screening they currently use. Metropolitan was running 20 micron FM at the time, circa 1999. After the poster they adopted 10 micron FM as their standard screening.

best, gordon p

 

[Alois Senefelder]

Cri de Coeur

Cri de Coeur

Gentlemen,

My very good friend Mr. A. Nother- Bookworm asks the members of the forum, will being placed on the "Endangered Species Register" be of any help?

"What is a bookworm?
Tell me if you can; I merely mean the Insect, not the man ----
A reptile whom a wit like Hood might dub.
A grub that grubs in Grub Street for its grub "


Regards, Alois

 

[graficworx]

iPad vs iPrint

iPad vs iPrint

I don't see print media going away any time soon, maybe never. As a printer as well as hosting provider I work a lot with conventional print, digital mediums, and even specific to iPhone material. In the past decade I have personally seen local demand for print media quadruple as full color press and digital printed prices have dropped. True, our local newspapers are strugling to survive, but that's not because of the print, it's because their content is lacking. My parents for one subscribe to several print and digital papers across the country. Digital news papers give people an oportunity to see "local" news from an area that they have family or used to live when they no longer have the oportunity to get it physically. Before digital news my parents would recieve weekly 3rd classs mail deliveries from many papers, but by then the news was up to 2 weeks old.

As far as books going away I agree that this argument has been proposed before and will be talked about again. My opinion is not likely now or ever. There is something about paper. Why do we still hand out busines cards? The technology exists to "bump" your vCard from your iPhone, blackberry, or palm to other people, but no one does. I remember the first palms with IR. Everyone thought that the business card was history, but it has survived. Paper cards give you a unique feel and weight, as well as a physical presence. If you get 200 vCards at a conference would you really go through an already huge contact list and look at them? They would probably get lost. But, with a spot gloss card, your business really stands out!

Since apple created a large iPhone and not a true tablet pc I don't think it will kill off anything except lesser products. I can't put CS studio on it. I can't put my existing enterprise software on it. However I have been looking into the iPad for new more reactive enterprise software. My sales people go out and make a sale using the iPad, enter it in, and it's instantly on the server. If I want I could get a push notification on my iPhone. Press operators could carry one around and browse the job queu when the have a spot for a small job before the end of their shift. I think it's uses like these that make the iPad unique as a tool for business. Yes, millions will buy it and watch movies on it, but I think enterprises will adopt as they did with the iPhone platform.

 

[jkabouw]

With great interests I have been Reading the forum and about the future death of a big or small part of our industry.
Things are changing and have been since a long time, since the personal computer age has started. This note is written during my stay in a very private place.

Many thoughts came to me up during this process.

Important from what i read and clearly see the good news Print is dead! Long live the Digital Print!!!​

They way we print today is dying offslowly but certainly.

BUT the even better news is that there is a reborn at the same time, that has been there a while!


Print is reborn the information knowledge, it is there by the masses, from the masses and to the masses. Example visit Self Publishing - Lulu.com and publish you book!
You then print it, in what you need on the substrate whether it is either paper, or a ipad or …..
Print what you need when need where you need.
Knowledge is here to stay and anybody can access it.
1) Several questions and the answers have to do the value of things.
2) What is the value walking in to a book shop where you know that, 75% of what is published there will be disposed of and you cannot find the title you need or want to read?
3) How many of you have movies or pictures of their great grand parents? Has any one a 8mm movie player? And if so what value will it have to your great grand children?
4) I found pictures of myself on the internet that are 25 years old, had no clue of them and came across the by accident. They have no value to but only to me.
5) OOO companies and their value…..
a. Kodak has any use of the old Creo sale and loss reports or ……. information. Little or none value to them. As well as Technology surpassed itself.
b. Any value in the design of a formula 1 that 20years old? Will there be for the current car driven by Micheal Schumacher in 5 years from you when they should be electrical driven cars?

My 4 year old daughter doesn’t know how to read yet, but knows her way around with her penguin in clubpenguin, and in youtube to see her favorite programs on any iphone. Not to mention she and WII. Current and next generations are chip build in just a fact.

I recommend looking at the gamers industry and see how they have been absorbing technology and get marketing budgets assigned! The figures speak for them self’s.

And pls start seeing the big picture of Print on Demand and use a HP Indigo to do so.

Benny Landa said in 1993 at IPEX “Everything that can become digital will become digital and print is no exception.

There are more and more solutions out there doing it, the iPad and the Apple marketing machine will only accelerate the process.

Long live digital.

 

[spongebobbyga]

There are so many possibilities for the iPad, Slate, and others that are soon to be announced soon. I wouldn't get too hung up on the promises or limitations of first generation eDevices. Like all early technology, we are going to learn from what we have in hand and then ask for more. As far as these devices being the end of publishing as we know it today....well perhaps it will be the transformation of publishing and document management to another form of media that will eventually be transformed to still other forms of media that we cannot yet imagine. Regardless, it is progress and progress has a price. However those that do not buy into it at any price, will miss out on the wonders of "Avitar" if you follow me.

 

[Laurens]

A lot of print actually deserves to die

A lot of print actually deserves to die

I just finished reading the latest issue of 'Popular photography', as far as I know one of the biggest photography related magazines in the US. There is so much advertising in it, its reviews are so shallow and the tips & tricks are so plain stupid that I think this is one piece of print that actually deserves to die... and that goes for some other publications as well.

We may have seen the number of books and magazines double of quadruple over the past 10 years but a lot of it is trash. Now that free web garbage becomes easily accessible with devices like the iPad, let's hope it is the quality print stuff that survives.

 

[kirandeshpande]

Similar story

Similar story

I think you missed the point of my Creo story. Accessibility in the bathroom is one thing - it is current information in digital form and hence is likely accessible. However, digital accessibility tends to break down over time. I have a box of 3.5 floppy and optical disks, and ZIP disks - but I can no longer access them because the technology has changed over a short ten year time. But I can access the contents of a 100 year old, or older, book because the technology of the printed book allows it to maintain accessibility over time and despite technological changes.
Permanence is somewhat different - since nothing is truly permanent. Even so, a printed book, under typical environmental conditions will outlast digital media (while maintaining its accessibility).

The images I created on my 128K MAC for a corporate brochure for Quebecor are easily viewed in the printed piece - but the digital originals are long gone on media that can no longer be accessed.

Yes, you can reproduce content relatively easily these days, however achieving permanence and accessibility is not so easy.


best, gordon p

Coincidentally, I just read an interesting article in NewScientist which mentions a similar story: Digital doomsday: the end of knowledge - tech - 02 February 2010 - New Scientist

This article (Digital doomsday) is quite relevant to the current discussion.

 

[T]

Coincidentally, I just read an interesting article in NewScientist which mentions a similar story: Digital doomsday: the end of knowledge - tech - 02 February 2010 - New Scientist

This article (Digital doomsday) is quite relevant to the current discussion.

I too read this article and I was wonder what their book were made of. -HA I mean most archeological documents are not left in someone's garage. I fell we will treat our "Digital Document" in the same fashion as a rare book some day. (Carefully. Even if Microsoft Word or Acrobat are no more)

 

[kslight]

At $500+ I don't find the iPad as much appealing as worthless. I already have a device that does all of this...and it fits in my pocket...its called the iPhone. Go back to the drawing board.


I agree that books should go digital (for indie authors, similar to indie music) but the iPad to me is not the solution...I'm sorry I don't have $500+ to blow on a book reader...the value is not there for me. Let alone that book publishers right now want to charge FULL PAPERBACK PRICE for most eBooks...no thanks. Book publishers are going to do themselves in with this just like the record labels...history repeats itself.

 

[Tech]

At $500+ I don't find the iPad as much appealing as worthless. I already have a device that does all of this...and it fits in my pocket...its called the iPhone. Go back to the drawing board.


I agree that books should go digital (for indie authors, similar to indie music) but the iPad to me is not the solution...I'm sorry I don't have $500+ to blow on a book reader...the value is not there for me. Let alone that book publishers right now want to charge FULL PAPERBACK PRICE for most eBooks...no thanks. Book publishers are going to do themselves in with this just like the record labels...history repeats itself.

**iPad will be more than an iPod Touch or iPhone... the larger format will enable developer to create better apps and content delivery.

**I completely agree, book/magazine/newspaper publishers will follow music industry and their mistakes...hence iPad will not kill publishing/printing right away

 

[Tech]

I just finished reading the latest issue of 'Popular photography', as far as I know one of the biggest photography related magazines in the US. There is so much advertising in it, its reviews are so shallow and the tips & tricks are so plain stupid that I think this is one piece of print that actually deserves to die... and that goes for some other publications as well.

We may have seen the number of books and magazines double of quadruple over the past 10 years but a lot of it is trash. Now that free web garbage becomes easily accessible with devices like the iPad, let's hope it is the quality print stuff that survives.

I think the problem with hoping "quality" will save printing/publishing is at best just a hope. Once end users' perceptions changed, you can't make them go back. The real question is how long will it take to change those views.

 

[Van]

Now that the ipad is here it seems to be more of a laptop killer than print killer although I'm sure ebooks will have a niche. This publisher has a very clever video that says not so fast to the end of print:

YouTube - The Future of Publishing - created by DK (UK)

 

[Gregg]

Now that the ipad is here it seems to be more of a laptop killer than print killer although I'm sure ebooks will have a niche. This publisher has a very clever video that says not so fast to the end of print:

YouTube - The Future of Publishing - created by DK (UK)

I saw this video a while back. It is so well done.

I work for a book publisher, and this video circulated around the office quite quickly.

 

[ajr]

Its early days yet for the Ipad look how long its taken from the ipod to evolve into the iphone. Dont forget the younger generation will demand this technology and expect. Goodbye to books, newspapers magazines it wont be long.

Ajr

 

[Gregg]

Its early days yet for the Ipad look how long its taken from the ipod to evolve into the iphone. Dont forget the younger generation will demand this technology and expect. Goodbye to books, newspapers magazines it wont be long.

Ajr

I don't think books will ever go away. Perhaps reference books/manuals will go completely digital. That would make sense, since the information in those books could be easily updated.

There will be people who still prefer printed books, and not just "old-folk".

Nonetheless, even if print runs start to get smaller, and certain books are straight to digital, stories still need to be published. There are still stories to be told. Whether or paper, eInk, or on a fancy back-lit iPad screen.

What about the going-green notion? Do you think printing can get to a point where it is more green than the production/energy usage of all of these new devices?

Here's an interesting article in the NYT.
Op-Chart - How Green Is My iPad? - NYTimes.com

 

[Van]

Books are still easier to read than a computer screen for any length of time. My teenagers still read books and magazines while they continue to have facebook and myspace pages, cell phones, watch tv etc.

It looks like digital editions won't be quite the same as a paperback book:

Wired Magazine’s iPad Edition Goes Live | Magazine

Animation, videos and music:
Animated 360° images show readers every side of Iron Man and let them explore the history of Mars landings.

Four editorial videos including an exclusive clip from Toy Story 3. All video is embedded into the app allowing for automatic load, display in HD and access without a connection.

Music to enhance story telling, including an exclusive listen inside Trent Reznor’s recording studio.

Advertising in the issue is also enhanced. Nine advertisers took advantage of premium sponsorships in Wired’s June digital edition, allowing them to incorporate interactivity and enhancements including 360º images, slide shows and videos.

The Wired app is available now for $4.99.

 

[Tech]

I have been giving this more thoughts lately, the interesting part about iPad's success isn't that it can replace netbooks or laptops or other ebook readers. Apple/Mr Jobs cleverly created a product that has the capabilities to do all those things and maintain the portability without sacrificing too much performance [it can only get better].

When I started the thread, I wanted to gauge the print community's reaction. Some of you kept an open mind while some rejected the idea print can be replace. Publishing changed a lot in the last century and I expect our industry to forge ahead faster than ever before. In the last 15-yrs along, I went from working with rubber cement and paper to 8+hrs a day in front of a computer... I wonder what will happen in the next 15-yrs or will I be out of a job?

Granted, even if iPad does become a global success [as it appears to do so right now]... the promises for ebooks and ezines are still limited to publisher's visions, developer's abilities and how far they are willing to invest in this unproven consumer format.

We can disagree on readability-legibility of ebooks vs print materials [or going green, this is a different can of worm] but what we don't need to argue about is that ebooks/ezines are easier to update. From a production cost point of view, I would be surprise publishers are not taking this into account especially during this harsh economy.

I think it's easier to argue that we are not ready for change rather than trying to forge ahead and really explore the possibilities. What Wired magazine is doing can prove the viability of e-format over their print edition or in fact, readers are not ready for change yet. At least they are experimenting and providing the options to their readers. Ultimately, success of e-format will be decided by consumers, their dollars and iPad is just a stepping stone.

 

[Gregg]

From a publisher's standpoint, look at how much focus has been put on books lately. Certainly, it is mostly eBooks, but when you have seen books get so much coverage? Look at the Sony eReader ad that has Payton Manning and Justin Timberlake talking about how many books eBooks they have read.

We have many eReader devices at our office. We have numerous Kindles, we now use these to circulate manuscripts (before it was stacks and stacks of paper). We also have a Sony eReader, a Nook, and an iPad.

In my opinion, the iPad wins, hands-down. Reading the books as actual spreads (with cool page turning, too) is what did it for me - not to mention color artwork. As far as portability, I actually like the Nook. It's pretty compact and feels solid in your hand.

 

[Van]

Magazines: Consumers prefer print

Magazines: Consumers prefer print

According to Print in the Mix:
Two-thirds (67%) of consumers surveyed feel that e-readers have their place, but prefer the experience of holding a print magazine.

Nearly nine out of 10 (87%) say they will continue to favor their print magazine subscriptions.

More than none out of 10 (92%) of magazine subscribers receive their magazines in a printed format. When asked about delivery channel preference, 90% indicate they prefer the printed magazine to the e-reader or online version. With this said, 24% predict they will eventually migrate to digital delivery.

Thirty percent of respondents said they have been surveyed for their insights and preferences as how to best deliver content and promotions to them -- yet 67% of readers said they would participate in such a survey if it meant the delivery of more relevant, targeted content and promotions.

Eight out of 10 (78%) consumers state that relevant, personalized content and promotions would increase their loyalty.

Print in the Mix: Fast Fact - Magazines: Consumers Prefer Print; Hesitant to Embrace E-Reader Advertising

 

[prepressguru]

Hey can you pass me the paper when you are done.... oh wait... you have a ipad.. and well I don't... dam...

ipad, is and interesting device.. but do we really need this when it is all said and done? Seems more distraction then real purpose. I do like how the iphone and ipad does a majority of computer chores and can fit within most persons computer needs rather then a honkin huge computer on your desk. That is the real story, I believe.

p