Copresco: April 2005 Overnight Lite

Copresco

Squeeze those files...

Condensed Comments on Compression Do's & Don'ts

File compression, or archival, is more often referred to as zipping or stuffing, names derived from common compression file formats.
Copresco's Tech Topics No.3, File Compression Utilities, provides details and enumerates five reasons to compress: speed, organization, protection, security, and storage.

Everything Is Digital

Nearly everything you send to Copresco to print is in digital format, and most commonly sent via FTP or (gulp!) e-mail. For this reason speed (files send faster), organization (files stay together) and protection (less likelihood of file corruption) are of great value.
Detailed explanations are found in Tech Topics No.15, Internet Print Files Transmission. Here we present the Lite version of compression do's and don'ts.

Don t Go Overboard

Don't Encrypt A great security feature, encryption and password-protecting are useful tools that don't belong with the transmission of print files. This is even more important since rival supporters of the .zip format have toyed with employing conflicting encryption schemes, so we might not be able to open your files even if you give us the password!
Do Respect Standards The .zip format has long dominated the Windows world, as the stuffed (aka .sit) format has on Mac. These aren't necessarily the very best, but they are universally recognized and usable. The .alz format, for example, is popular among college students (natch, it's free) but almost unheard of in the business world.
Don't Use Self-Extraction The self-extracting or executable archive requires no special software at the receiving end. If you choose this option when compressing your files, a decompression applet will be included in the resulting .sea or .exe file.

The receiver need only click on the file to expand. Great, but this is also exactly how viruses are installed. Because of this, many mail servers block or delete such files outright. This defeats the purpose of compression, namely, to make sure files arrive alive.
Compression can be a good idea. Just remember why you've chosen to compress in the first place. Remember the above suggestions to avoid problems rather than creating them.

Stranger Than Fiction?

   Last month Overnight Lite ran a story about little-known adjustments the Pantone folks made to their famous Pantone Matching System (PMS) color formulas.
   We mentioned that PMS is the universal linga franca for communicating color values in print. Without the system color matching would be little more than magic.
    Apparently it is magic after all. Pantone has launched Colorstrology, "a new system that combines elements of astrology and numerology to help people understand the emotional and influential powers of color," to quote their press release. "Pantone has teamed up with an author, healer, and psychic to develop the new system." If you say so.

No Fooling

We were going to run an April Fools item, but reality tops anything we could dream up. Skeptical? Check out the Colorstrology website.

The Real Future of Print

   Many predict the future of print, but to see the future firsthand attend the GAMUT Excellence Awards. No, you won t find any winning entries from Copresco. This new award program showcases the work of the high school, vocational school and college students who will one day be leading the industry. Award categories include Digital Graphics and Imaging, Digital Publishing and Press Operations.
   In the Chicago area? Come out to College of DuPage on Thursday, May 12 at 5:30pm and lend your support by viewing the award-winning entries and meeting the students. Visit the website or call (630) 942-3014.
   Need digital printing right now instead of in the future? Call Copresco.

Internet Addresses Mentioned In This Issue

The defacto industry standards for compression may be found at:
http://www.winzip.com
http://www.pkware.com
http://www.stuffit.com/mac

If you find color matching to be a cosmic mystery, you might enjoy:
http://www.colorstrology.com

For more information on the Gamut awards, visit:
http://www.cod.edu/gat

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