Energy cost for a typical office copier is $110 to $130 per year according to the Pacific Gas & Electric Company. Because approximately seven million copiers are now in use in US homes and businesses and over 1.5 million new ones are sold each year, copiers are the most energy intensive type of office equipment. Because they waste energy sitting idle for several hours each day, there is great potential to improve their energy efficiency. If your office copier or printer does not have the EnergyStar® , this is one small but important step you can take to reduce your organization's burden on the power grid and the environment.

For more info, visit the PG&E site.

Low-priced (sometimes free) personal printers from “big-box” electronics stores are not the answer, but they can be found in every office. These small, slow devices may have hardware costs of only $99 or $199, but their real operating costs can be prohibitive for a sizeable organization. With a color ink cartridge cost of about $36, many people don’t realize that the yield averages only 300 pages or so, which results in a cost-per-page of 12 cents or more.

Alternatively, some organizations buy pre-printed full-color templates or shells from print vendors and then copy text in-house on a black and white copier. Not only is that method slow and tedious, it is also costly, as these pre-printed shells tend to cost 10 to 12 cents each.

In recent years, purchase prices of color copiers, printers and MFPs (multi-function printers) have declined to more attractive levels, allowing more churches to be able to afford color printing. But how affordable are they? Most color copiers and MFPs have cost-per-copy charges of six to eight cents. At an average cost-per-copy of seven cents, an organization printing 1,000 two-sided newsletters would spend about $140 on copy charges, plus the cost of paper. During the course of a year, those costs exceed $7,200.

In addition to the operating costs of color copiers, buyers also need to consider their reliability and durability in handling high volumes. Copiers use a heat process to fuse toner to the paper and as volumes increase, so do paper jams and equipment service calls. Unfortunately, as many have learned, these machine breakdowns often occur about half way through the print run.

So before you buy your next copier or printer, take a closer look at your total cost of ownership for the next several years.

In past posts, we have discussed paper weight and Brightness, now lets look at the 3rd characteristic, Finish.

Finish Inkjet photo paper comes in various finishes. Which finish produces the most satisfying results is a matter of personal taste, but always make sure to set the printer driver to match the paper finish you've selected.

Gloss Finish.

Photo paper with a gloss finish has a high shine with the look and feel of traditional glossy photo lab paper. The finish may be described as high gloss, gloss, soft gloss, or semi-gloss, each reflecting the amount of shine. Satin is a less shiny coated finish.

If you want the best possible results in terms of color richness, clarity and sheen then glossy inkjet photo paper is the way to go. This type of paper has several layers within each sheet. There are top layers to help with ink absorption, and intermediate layers to store the ink and prevent bleeding. The coating keeps the paper from readily absorbing the ink and therefore may dry more slowly, so look for a quick-dry gloss finish.

Matte Finish.

Matte photo paper has a smooth, almost velvety, finish. Any image printed onto a matte photo paper will have a richness of color and overall softness but it won't resemble a lab processed photograph. Matte photo paper is less shiny and has less of a glare than glossy paper. It is often used to produce superior text results.

Images printed on photo matte papers appear soft and non-reflective, not shiny. Matte finish photo papers are thicker and are specially formulated for photos. They are often used when prints are displayed under glass. Many matte finish papers are printable on both sides.

For a list of recommended papers for the RISO HC5500 Printer click here.

Ok, maybe it's not quite that easy. But researchers at USC hope to move in that direction sooner rather than later.


The CRAFT Center is working on devices that combine CAD and inkjet technology.
By substituting the ink with concrete they hope to be able to build full size structures. Structures that normally would have normally taken months to complete could theoretically be finished in a mater of hours.

Contour Crafting equipment, is currently capable of creating six-foot walls without any human interaction.

[props to The Register]

Last post, we discussed the 1st of 5 important paper characteristics. In this post we will discuss the 2nd, Brightness.

BrightnessContrast is a key element between the ink and the paper. The whiter the paper the better your copies will look. The brightness of a piece of paper is typically expressed on a scale of 1 to 100 with 100 being the brightest. The multipurpose bond paper used in copy machines and desktop printers generally has a paper brightness in the 80s. Photo papers are normally in the mid to high 90s.

Paper brightness affects the images printed on the paper, especially the vibrancy of the colors. Photos appear brighter and colors clearer on inkjet photo papers with higher paper brightness ratings. With matte finish papers a higher paper brightness can make a greater difference than it does among gloss finish papers of varying paper brightness.

Even when the paper manufacturer supplies a paper brightness rating, the true test is how your images print on that piece of paper with your particular printer. Before making a sizeable investment in a specific type of paper, print some images on in-store printers like your own, ask for paper samples to try at home, or ask your commercial printer or paper supplier for samples printed on paper you are considering. The best way to determine brightness is simply to compare two or more papers side-by-side.

Don't be fooled by the name a manufacturer gives the brightness. Manufacturers often use terms such as Bright White or UltraBright instead of numbers. These labels can be deceiving and not truly indicative of the brightness or whiteness of the paper. When buying paper for printing photos, check its number rating. For top quality prints, get photo paper with a brightness rating of around 95 and above.

For a list of recommended papers for the RISO HC5500 Printer click here.

In the next posting, I'll discuss paper finish.

Known as screening, which selects the method of half-tone processing.
Half tone is a method of processing for expressing continuous color tones with the limited number of ink types by changing the density and size of inks discharged onto the sheet.
Error diffusion (default setting on the HC5500 with the IS700C RIP) it expresses tone with dot density. Higher density makes darker images, and lower density makes lighter images
Dot screen expresses tones by adjusting the size of the dot. A larger size makes a darker images, and a smaller size makes lighter images.
Selecting Dot screen enables you to set the screen width/dot screen, gives you the ability to choose what lines per inch (lpi) you would like, from 43, 71, and 100. So, printing at 100 lpi gives fineness to an image.

Did you know that these features can also be found on The RZ990, MZ790 and EZ590 with the PS7R5000 RIP.

Which do you prefer error diffusion or dot screen?

GRAPH EXPO earns best-ever ranking among Tradeshow Week's Top 200 largest U.S. Trade Shows. This year there will be over 600 exhibitors and over 400,000 net square feet of exhibit space with 70 educational opportunities. Known for being the event of the year for the most comprehensive prepress printing, package print, converting mailing and fulfillment and digital equipment trade show in the Americas.

Important Dates to Remember for Exhibitors:
August 20- Ad closing date for the Pre-Show Planner Promotional Listing Form
August 25- Mail your company pre-show news release to media
August 27- Class III & Electrical Hanging Items Form Due
Register before September 26 and save!

Dates and Times for the Show:
Sunday, Oct. 26 10 am-5 pm
Monday, Oct. 27 10 am- 5 pm
Tuesday, Oct. 28 10 am-5 pm
Wednesday, Oct. 29 10 am- 4 pm

What to Expect:
* New improved digital duplicators
* Process-free ink jet offset plate exposing
* Increasing emphasis on integration and use of management information systems
* Increasing number of software options for the printer to participate in cross-media production * Single pass ink jet wide format printers
* More hybrid presses
* UV coating and low energy-using LED lamps
* Increasing emphasis on post press operations with upgraded conventional and digital print post press integration
* New entries in the production color ink jet digital printing segment
* New models of significantly improved toner-based digital printers, both sheet and continuous feed
Lots of eco-friendly products
* Seminars
* Executive Outlook Conferences

For additional event information visit Click Here

Inkjet printers are arguably today's most versatile printers. They print black and white documents quickly and flawlessly, and they can be used for a variety of different color printing needs including photographs, signs, invitations, labels, cards and presentation materials. You'll be surprised at the professional quality of your inkjet printing jobs when you select the right paper. This will be the first in a series of 4 Blogs on this topic.

Successful inkjet printing requires the paper to have exactly the right degree of absorbency to accept the ink but prevent its sideways spread. And for whichever type of paper you select, the settings in the printer driver must be adjusted to suit the paper, so that the right amount of ink is delivered.

Inkjet Paper Characteristics: There are really five main characteristics to consider when selecting inkjet paper for a project: Weight, Brightness, Finish, Opacity and Caliper. In this segment we will restrict our discussion to the first of the 5, weight

Paper Weight refers to the weight of a 500-sheet ream of 17" x 22" paper. Each of these sheets is equivalent to four letter size sheets. Therefore, 500 sheets of standard 20# paper weighs 5 pounds. The higher the paper weight, the thicker the sheet of paper. Higher weight paper is more durable and has a more substantial feel. It also allows less light to pass through. Standard 20# paper is used for everyday printing and copying, and for high-volume needs.

Weight refers to the thickness of paper. Paper weight may be expressed in pounds (lb.) or as grams per square meter (g/m2). Different types of paper have their own weight scale. The bond papers which include most inkjet photo papers are found in the 24 to 71 lb. (90 to 270 g/m2) range. Terms such as heavyweight do not necessarily indicate a heavier paper than other comparable papers. Paper used to print photos is usually thicker, with the average about 62 lbs.

Heavier, thicker papers feel more substantial and can lend visual weight to a project. Heavy weight paper can lend an aura of importance and seriousness not found in flimsier products, and they will give you crisper text and less ink bleed, however if you're buying heavier weights of paper do bear in mind that every inkjet printer has a maximum paper thickness it can handle. Be sure to consult your printer documentation before you feed very heavy paper through it - otherwise you risk seriously damaging your printer.

For a list of recommended papers for the RISO HC5500 Printer click here.

The next blog in this series of 4 will discuss Brightness.

Once again the topic is going green. You have heard it before, or perhaps it was worded as eco-friendly. There really is no escaping this topic. It's everywhere from cars, to household cleaners to office technology. Knowing that this issue is everywhere, I still found the following market information shocking.

In March 2008 the following were the amount of documented US search engine queries on eco-friendly products:
6.4 Billion on Google
2.3 Billion on Yahoo
953 Million on Microsoft
503 Million on AOL

Source: ComScore

The following are the percentage of consumers willing to pay for eco-friendly products:
94%- Thailand
83%- Brazil
53%- US
45%- UK

Source: TNS

So, the short and sweet of it is that this is a growing issue. Companies are taking a more "green" or "eco-friendly" approach to their products and the statistics speak measures. What's more, consumers are interested in being more environmentally aware as well. Have you joined the Green Team yet? RISO has along with other office technologies.

With postal rates on the rise, and gas prices fluctuating the importance of overcoming the challenge to offset cost while generating revenue increases. According to The Marketing Report, there is good news in what seems such a bleak future. In the article there is reference that we can reduce direct mail cost while boosting business and customer retention. The key is simply to reduce waste.

How do we go about reducing waste? There are three recommended steps:

1. Give the customer periodic options- 62% of best-in-class companies provide their customers with options on what type of offers they's most like to recieve and when. They also allow their customers to update their preferences periodically via phone, mail, e-mail, person, ect. This in theory allows the buyers to get what they want just when they need them.

2. Entice customers to act- Very few companies offer incentives to customers who notify the company of duplicate mailings, or incorrect addresses. By offering incentives it allows the company to maintain an accurate customer data-base, and provides opportunity for building loyalty.

3. Create a repository of data- Keeping a central data-base of customers and mailings is a great tool. This allows everyone in the company to know what customers have been mailed what. A central data-base proves to be an effective, cost-efficient tool that enables the company to cross-sell and up-sell.

Reducing waste is easy: Give customers periodic options, entice, and create a central data-base! There's no time like the present to save money on postage for mail that is either missing your target audience, or being returned to sender. Mean what you say, get your message across and save some money while you're at it!

Printers providing mailing services should note that as of Nov. 23, 2008, the U.S. Postal Service will enforce new addressing rules for Move Update that increase the minimum frequency of Move Update processing from 185 days to 95 days prior to the date of mailing and extend the Move Update standards to include all Standard Mail--letters, flats, parcels, and "not flat machinables"--as well as automation-rate and presort-rate First-Class Mail. Click here to learn more.

Move Update, the USPS process for updating names and addresses, is required if mailers want to get discounted rates for First-Class Mail service. Mailers who use the so-called "exceptional address format" (e.g., Jane Doe or Current Resident) do not have to meet this requirement.

Since July 1997, the Postal Service has required that all addresses on mailings receiving discounts for First-Class Mail service, whether Presorted or automation, undergo name and address correction within 185 days of the mailing. As of Nov. 23, corrections must be made within 95 days of mailing and the regulations are extended to Standard Mail.

The Postal Service offers mailers four approved and two alternative Move Update methods. Mailers can meet the Move Update requirement in the following five ways:

Ancillary Service Endorsement.

Address Change Service (ACS).

National Change of Address Linkage (NCOALink™) System.

FASTforward®.

Alternative Move Update Methods (Legal Restraint or 99 Percent Accurate).

" Every mailpiece, regardless of class, has two things in common: the intended recipient and the address," notes the USPS. "When both are accurate and complete, the Postal Service can deliver quickly and easily. If the recipient has moved, or the address is incorrect or missing an addressing element, the mailpiece could become undeliverable as addressed (UAA) mail — a waste of time, effort, and money for mailers and for the Postal Service.

For answers to Update questions you may have, visit the Postal Service website at www.usps.gov/ncsc/services or call the National Customer Support Center at (800) 238-3150.

Thanks to NAPL for this information. Click here for more info.

PODi (Print On Demand initiative) is a not-for-profit industry consortium of vendor companies that was formed in 1996. Its charter is to foster the growth of the digital printing industry through market and standards development activities. PODi promotes interoperability through the PPML suite of open, XML based standards, test suites and certification. PODi supports the regional communities and other markets by producing the highly acclaimed Best Practices in Digital Print reports and case study database.

PODi Program Affiliates are regional communities that are focused entirely on digital print service providers, consultants, marketing service providers, agencies and enterprises interested in digital print. Caslon & Company is the PODi Affiliate for North America and is serving as the international Affiliate until other regional Associates are formed.

PODi members are industry leaders representing all facets of the digital printing ecosystem, including software, hardware and other industry vendors, print and marketing service providers, and enterprises. As digital printing becomes a more powerful and widely used communication medium, PODi helps members understand how it can be integrated into their marketing, customer service, IT and executive management strategies.

Inkjet printers first appeared on the consumer market in the late 1980s, however they had been under development for over 20 years. In the 1970s, when PCs were becoming common place, dot matrix printers were the norm. These printers which used a series of hammers which impacted a ribbon and created a dot on the paper. At best, these printers were labeled as being NLQ (Near Letter Quality) and printer companies began to realize the potential of inkjet as a way to produce letter quality prints. The challenge was how to create high quality printouts and keep it affordable.

At first, the technical challenges seemed insurmountable. Researchers soon realized that print quality depended on multiple variables: Ink, print head, and the paper being used. Then there were the problems of creating a controlled ink flow to the page while preventing the print head from becoming clogged with dried ink. Once these challenges were met, liquid inkjet printers appeared on the market. Inkjet printers have come along way since their introduction and today are the most popular printers in the consumer market. When HP's Deskjet printer was first introduced in 1988, it was priced at $1,000.00.

Every once in a while, you might notice blank streaks on your prints created on a digital duplicator. These streaks are a signal that the thermal head needs to be cleaned. No problem. Begin by sliding the top lid of your RISO machine to the left, then open the unit to expose the masters. Locate the black metal strip on the lifted part of the master unit, and wipe it gently with a soft cloth.

PPML is Personalized Print Markup Language; it’s a printer language. It’s primary advantages over other languages are:
(1) It is Open Source and doesn’t belong to any one company like languages such as PCL and PS.
(2) It’s small and RIPs faster than other languages.

PPML is an open, inter-operable, device dependent standard that will enable widespread use of personalized print applications. It was developed with commercial intent and will allow personalized print to be more flexible, easier to use, and more affordable. In short, it is ideal for transactional and trans-promotional printing.

Development of the new PPML standard is the responsibility of the Printing On Demand Initiative, a consortium of major suppliers in the POD market. The RISO HC5500 supports PPML when the Professional Dongle is purchased and installed in the ComColor Express (IS700C) RIP.