On June 8 the Governor of California announced that the state would no longer purchase K -12 textbooks. On June 10, Adam Dewitz started a thread at Print Ceo Blog that has attracted 21 responses as of Sunday morning, June 14 . Clearly this is an interesting topic in our print centric world.

While many reactions will be more End of Print blabla, I would like to share a path that allows printers to benefit from the deep troubles in the textbook industry.

On the most theoretical level, the idea is to connect Print to Video to create a possibly new communication media. As a robust global distribute and print network becomes operational, there will be the scale to make this media channel interesting to global marketers.

When I was teaching at design school, they always told me it was better to show than to tell. So in that spirit, I ask you to consider the following clickable postcard. The same principle works for clickable A4s, printed in MFPs in school districts and clickable posters, signage and packaging, which are already being used extensively in Asia.

The Front of the Postcard

GOP Activist Makes Controversial Remarks:
Written by Robin Hinson
Saturday, 13 June 2009 22:48

Friday’s gorilla escape at Riverbanks Zoo prompted a prominent Republican to make some controversial remarks about First Lady Michelle Obama.

In an article posted on the website, www.fitsnews.com, Rusty Depass, a former chair of the State Election Commission, commented on the gorilla escape on www.facebook.com.

The post says quote, “I’m sure it (referring to the ape), is just one of Michelle’s ancestors…probably harmless.”

ABC Columbia News attempted to contact Depass, but he did not return our phone calls.

The Back of the Postcard

http://tinyurl.com/qgfwe

created at QR code generator

The video

There are more examples of how this could work at my blog at Clickable Print + Printernet Publishing.

Headed to Graph Expo later this month? If so, Océ is offering free passes to the event. All you have to do is register for Graph Expo using this form.

Mark you calenders for this event:

Xplor International, the worldwide electronic document systems association, today announced that their 2009 Xplor Global Conference and Exhibition will take place March 4-7, 2009 in the Tampa Bay, Florida area. The conference and exhibition will be held at the Trade Winds Island Grand Hotel and Convention Center, a 4-Star, 585 room beach front resort destination.

The 2009 event, themed Trends in Customer Communications, will provide attendees with the latest in industry and technology trends; new and emerging technologies, application developments, operations; and print, mail and web. In addition, the 2009 event will feature several scheduled networking events and receptions as well as a large pipe and drape exhibition. Xplor’s Global Conference will also offer a number of flexible registration packages including a Platinum Passport (all courses, all days and all events) as well as a choice of day passes. Platinum Passport conference registration will range from $695 to $1095 based on register timing and Xplor membership.

“For the last two years our members and longtime attendees have indicated a strong desire to return to a standalone conference event rather than part of a larger event. With attendees staying at multiple hotels they felt the opportunity to network with peers was significantly limited compared to previous years,” says Skip Henk, President and CEO of Xplor. “The hotel and convention center combination will provide a backdrop for the strong conference programming Xplor is famous for and give our attendees the maximum opportunity to share information, network and get to know each other over the course of the conference.”

Designed for senior level management, marketing, sales, designers, recommenders, consultants, influencers, technical staff, implementers, and operations personnel, the conferences courses are targeted for any company who sends statements, bills, direct mail and customer communications and who are looking for new ideas, solutions and the latest the digital document industry has to offer.

In addition to the conference and exhibition, attendees can enjoy a variety of Xplor-only networking events including region and chapter meetings, attendee receptions and the Xplor Document University spring break evening party.

The DOCUMENT Strategy Forum will take place next week in Chicago September 10–12. The Forum is the place where all departments involved in the creation, production, delivery of the transactional document come together to discuss best practices all phases of the transactional document life cycle.

For more information about the DOCUMENT Strategy Forum visit http://documentstrategyforum.com

WhatTheyThink.com Senior Editor Cary Sherburne has posted some notes from the first day of InfoTrends’ second annual TransPromo Summit. Sherburne reports that attendance is up 30% with about 400 people in attendance.

A theme set by Barb Pellow at the event is that of simplexity:

Industry veteran and InfoTrends Group Director Barb Pellow kicked off the session by introducing to the audience the concept of Simplexity – the title of a new book that talks about how complex things can be simple and simple things complex. This is the perfect concept to help kick TransPromo to the next level. The technology infrastructure for TransPromo is now the simple part. The complex part is more human-related—organizational issues, and even a lack of creativity and vision on the part of implementers.

Simplexity: The consumer sees a simple, elegant interface, and the complex inner workings make it all happen. This is the mantra for the future of TransPromo.

TransPromo Summit the 2-day event focused on helping marketing executives and print service providers develop stratgies for using transpromo in advertising and marketing campaigns begins tomorrow in New York City.

Here is a look at some of the news announced in conjunction with the event.

Rochester Software Associates will be demonstrating its Enterprise Workflow System which offers a closed loop, integrated solution for transactional job transform, PDF conversion, variable data personalization, and output management.

GMC will showcase PrintNet, the companies application suite for designing and producing high impact, personalized print and digital communications. Dr. René Müller, CEO of GMC Software Technology will participate in a keynote panel titled: “Software, A Critical Enabler.”

Crawford Technologies will exhibit its Document Enhancer, Electronic Envelope, and Dynamic Document Archive products.

Solimar Systems will demonstrate suite of enterprise output management solutions including Rubika, the companies application designed to automate and enhance processes associated with legacy and pre-composed applications.

Kodak experts will offer insight on trends and advances in TransPromo. Ron Gilboa, Director, Current Marketing & Operations, Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group (GCG), will join other industry executives for the keynote panel “Recent Hardware Announcements and Their Impact on Your Business.” Pat McGrew, EDP, Transaction & Data Center Segment Evangelist, Kodak’s GCG, will share her expertise on how to successfully develop and implement a TransPromo campaign.

Pitney Bowes experts will take part in a number of Summit sessions including Innovative Software Tools, Software – A Critical Enabler for TransPromo, Advances in Finishing & Mailing Equipment, and White Space Marketing…Generating Revenue with Statements.

Printable Technologies is launching a new Transpromo On-Demand module for the companies FusionPro Web 6.5 Web-to-print solution. The module enables print and marketing professionals to design templates that can be map promotional information into ordinary transactional statements.

Océ is launching a suite of TransPromo Solutions and Services including the Océ TransPromo Application Development Services which will help customers design or redesign TransPromo applications for maximum impact. Océ TransPromo Support Services takes a consultative approach to helping customers develop a TransPromo strategy, implement a new infrastructure or upgrade existing workflows, streamline processes and keep operations running at peak productivity.

Sponsored Message

There are more reasons than ever to visit the Océ Print City exhibit at drupa 08, opening May 29 in Duesseldorf, Germany. In Stand A44, Hall 6, Océ’s latest hardware and software solutions will cover 14,000 square feet (1,300 square meters) of space. Attendees can experience live application demonstrations, real production workflows and new product introductions designed to help print professionals take business beyond the ordinary in publishing, personalization, promotion, and corporate and technical printing.

Digital book printing
Océ will demonstrate a full range of cut sheet and continuous feed print-on-demand and short-run book manufacturing technology. Solutions will include producing books and loose-leaf booklets in run lengths as short as one, along with newspapers and special interest publications in color and black and white. The Océ VarioPrint 6250, the Océ VarioStream 9710, the Océ CS650 Pro, the Océ ColorStream 10000 and an Océ CPS900 color production system will all focus on profitable book production.

Personalization
Personalized transactional and direct mail printing are experiencing rapid growth. By combining database-driven, personalized messaging with transactional and/or direct mail messages, print professionals can engage recipients through relevant and personal direct marketing pieces and TransPromo bills and statements. High-speed, digital black-and-white and color printing systems from Océ already tuned for personalization include the Océ VarioStream 9240 and Océ VarioStream 8000 continuous feed systems, the Océ JetStream and the Océ CS650 Pro and Océ CPS900 color systems.

Promotion
From collateral to signage, compelling promotional and marketing materials are increasingly important for branding and business identity. Applications include interior and exterior signage, banners, posters and point-of-sale displays, brochures, and materials with unique textural effects. At drupa, Océ is demonstrating advanced digital color and workflow solutions for creating highly effective large format materials using the Océ Arizona 250 GT, the Océ CS9090 system, and an exciting new wide-format innovation. Océ production printing systems for promotional jobs include the Océ ColorStream 10000 and Océ CPS900 color production systems, and the Océ CS650 Pro color production system with a Creo controller.

Corporate and technical printing
To help customers transform the print center into a center of competence for technical printing, high-volume production printing and document management, Océ will demonstrate a suite of wide-format solutions for corporate and technical environments. Guests will experience the latest wide format solutions for printing plans, technical drawings and posters in black & white and color. Products on display include the Océ TCS500 and Océ CS9090 wide format systems and a new wide format innovation soon-to-be-announced.