Seattle Publishing Journal
DECEMBER 2008

Dear Seattle, Welcome to the 3rd edition of our online journal. Through the coming year, we will be sending this monthly journal to keep you informed about trends, topics and happenings at Seattle Publishing.

TIPS & TRICKS

Out Sourcing Projects

As many of our clients look to trim costs by reducing staff and overhead by out-sourcing non-core activities, out-sourcing is becoming a popular subject. Though the cost for out-sourcing services can be less when you factor in taxes and benefits, it is important that you follow these basic guidelines when selecting an out-sourcing vendor:

1. Clearly define the scope and schedule for an outsourced project.
2. Evaluate the service provider like a potential full-time hire.
3. Look for a specific experience fit for the project.
4. Don’t base your out-source vendor selection solely on price.
5. Review demos, portfolios, or samples of previous work.
6. Start with a small project, not the whole enchilada.
7. Tie payments to project milestones.
8. Negotiate ownership of work before starting the project.
9. If there is support post-project, include this in the agreement.
10. Get any changes or modifications of the project in writing.

FEATURED PROJECT

Gutenberg Publishing Catalog

Tacoma Screw’s 11th Edition catalog was completed this year with the Gutenberg Publishing System®. By utilizing our production services, Tacoma Screw’s 950 page catalog was published within eight weeks of content approval. Using Gutenberg in combination with SP’s publishing services was a significant milestone for the production of the 11th edition catalog and sets Tacoma Screw’s standard for publishing future editions of the catalog on an annual basis.

THE ART OF PUBLISHING

What is CMYK?

CMYK stands for cyan, magenta, yellow and key, or black. These are the four colors of ink used in the traditional method of printing hardcopies of images, called offset printing, which is how most catalogs, sales flyers and books are printed. The three colors, plus black, roughly correspond to the primary colors, which can be mixed to produce colors across the visible spectrum. CMYK is a color mixing system that depends on chemical pigments to achieve the desired hues.

Before the advent of desktop ink jet or color laser printers, most images printed on paper used offset printing with CMYK colors. A color picture is split into its separate, constituent parts to create four related pictures in cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Each image is made into a plate onto which the right concentration, or amount, of colored ink is applied. When the four plates each print onto a page, the colors recombine and form the original image. For example, a deep plum might have equal amounts of cyan (bluegreen) and magenta (pink), with a tinge of black.

Of course, CMYK cannot reproduce every color that exists in the world, but it does account for millions of colors. It’s impossible to match things like a parrot feather, rose petal, or oak leaf, but the color system can get remarkably close. CMYK is capable of creating so many different colors because we not only use inks in varying ratios to each other, but also with a varying concentration, noted as a percentage. These combinations create colors that span the spectrum in hue (what we think of as color) as well as tone, or intensity.

DID YOU KNOW...

Going Green

Seattle Publishing is doing its part to help reduce our carbon footprint. Here are some ways that we are doing so:

Everyone at SP is encouraged to use alternative transportation whenever possible and we provide each employee with access to a ZIP Car. ZIP Car is an hourly rental company with over 20 vehicles in our Pioneer Square neighborhood. We have reduced our dependence on driving to work while providing the flexibility of having a vehicle when we need one.

For those of us that ride our bicycles to work, we have bike storage and shower facilities for getting ready after the ride. Also, our Pioneer Square location is close to many Metro bus and Sounder train locations.

In February, our production facility lighting was upgraded to more energy efficient lighting that will reduce their energy consumption by 40%. Our computers are set to be put to sleep on a nightly basis, further reducing our energy consumption.

Sincerely,
Seattle Publishing, Inc
www.seattlepub.com

The Gutenberg Publishing System's^® namesake, Johannes Gutenberg, defined modern publishing when he blended 1400’s ink, type and mechanical technology to invent the moveable type press. With the same drive towards efficiency, Seattle Publishing’s database-driven system helps organizations manage their information and streamline the production process for print- and web-based publications.

Seattle Publishing, Inc. is a 36-year old company that blends current technology with time-tested publishing techniques. The company is a recognized leader in database-driven publishing and is constantly working to be the standard by which all competitors are compared.

Press Contact

Amber Zapffel
Seattle Publishing
206-903-1333
amber@seattlepub.com