Desktop publishing for dealers

lly l,anu M. l,citner I )ircctor ol' ('onrmunications Mid-Anrerica l.umbcrnrcns Associtti<ln

Ll OW many of you recognizc this scenario? lt's 4:-'10 TI l;riday afternoon and you haven't seen a proof of the ad you're running in thc Sunday paper. When your rep llnally does show up. he's in a rush to get back to the olllce before the layout people lcave. You better hope there aren't many corrections because the production staff will get upset il'they havc to stay late on l;riday.

With a desktop publishing system, you can avoid this scene and put awily the Xacto knife, pica rule and rubber cement or, if you do your ads like I used to. your scissors, ruler and glue stick. (lomputerized publishing systems are revolutionizing the way independent building material dealers can produce their own advertising in an efficient, cost elfeclive manner that puts them in control.

lror desktop publishing to be worth the money, you should produce more than advertising on it. I)epending on the software you purchase, there are lots of ways to use your P('when you aren't doing ads on it. llusiness lorms, spreadsheets, fornr letters, tracking co-op advertising - the possibilities are limited only by your software and your imagination. l:mployees in the advertising department don't have to be computer literate. Within a week. they can be trained to be productivc with working lull speed achievable within a few months. lt helps il'they know the basics

Llsing a P(', page layout software and a printer. one person can complete all the steps for an ad, from layout to camera ready art, on screen. The P(l eliminates pencil layouts, typesetting and pasteup. lt also allows a retailer to keep (or nrove) the entire advertising program inhouse.

Sunbelt Matedd Handling Co.

DISTRIBUTORS

Consider

All steelcantilever "T" shed.

Reduces treated loss due to sun warpage. Less lifl truck handling means less damaged lumber.

Saves man hours through faster loading and unloading of trucks. Contact

Fax of effective advertising and how to type. A PC is an artist's tool, not an artist. lt can do only what it is told to do.

. Better inventory control.

Safely and efficiently stores long length units ol l-joist, LVL, and PSL.

Tax savings through accelerated depreciation as a portable building.

How much is it going to cost? Hardware and software requirements for desktop publishing vary according to a user's needs. Basic black and white ads require a minimum of equipment. liour color ads require more equipment and more sophisticated software.

I'-rom my own experience, I suggest that you consider the following when you make your purchase:

(l) Do not underestimate your requirements, especially when purchasing memory and storage. Get as much as you can for the money you want to spend.

(2) A full page or two page monitor will increase productivity and reduce hassle.

(3) lf you plan to invest in a scanner and use it regularly, purchase a full page, stationary one (looks like a small copier), not a hand held model.

For black and white ads, basic requirements are a computer with at least 20 megabytes storage and 640 kilobytes of random access memory (RAM), a monitor with at least V(iA graphics capability and a laser printer with a minimum resolution of 300 dots per inch (dpi) for proofing work. You might consider a scanner to scan line art into the computer for placement on a page, but you can use black and white line art and photographs.

Required software includes a page layout system, a word processing or text program and a selection of fonts (type styles). An illustration program such as Adobe lllustrator is useful, but optional.

To produce color ads, the equipment needs are more sophisticated: a color monitor and CGA (color graphics adaptor) graphics capabilities, at least 40 megabytes of storage capability and 1.2 megabytes of RAM, a color scanner and a colorscript printer for proofing ads. An illustration program is required to produce color separations for line art.

Be aware of hidden costs. Many DTP programs work best with a mouse. Although some systems have a mouse, it is optional with others. Adding one requires an additional "card" or circuit board. lt is tempting to add more advanced and expensive software and hardware to increase the speed of,a system and produce more professional looking results, but newspaper quality ad slicks can be poduced by using a service bureau for the final output. This costs between $7 and $15 per page, but a service bureau can print an awful lot of pages for the $30,000 that a 1000 dpi printer costs. Make sure that the service bureau you choose is compatible with your software and fonts to avoid major problems.

Story at a Glane

How to produce ads, f,yers and statement stuffers. basic equipment requirements . suggestions for setting up in-house advertising departments.

In addition to producing ads suitable for newspapers or supplements, you can print statement stuffers, flyers, direct mail pieces and catalogs. With a desktop publishing system, there's virtually no limit to what you can produce.