Case Studies
Case #1: Advertising agency gets G7™ color
management makeover
The Challenge: This Boston advertising agency depended on a studio staff of 20 people, 4 large format printers and 4 color copiers to produce color-critical collateral for a lengthy list of major clients. Because the printers were not calibrated to industry color standards, or each other, the agency could not produce accurate, repeatable color across all of their print devices. This meant that multi-piece pitch campaigns could only be run on one device to ensure color consistency, costing the agency major delays in production and expensive, unnecessary overtime. Art directors were forced to make color judgments based on inaccurate laser copies, which cause additional delays and expense when the job was released to vendors.
The customer needed a solution that would ensure consistent color accuracy on all of their print devices, as well as any equipment used to color proof collateral.
The Solution: Williams & Partners installed two EFI XF RIP servers with swappable, backup servers for redundancy to manage color. We also worked with the agency to implement the GRACoL color space. Using the G7 method for calibration, we were able to calibrate all large format printers within 1.5 deltaE of GRACoL, and all color copiers within 3 deltaE of GRACoL. In the studio, all workstation and workspace monitors were also set to GRACoL to allow for accurate color proofing on any device. Williams & Partners completed the transition by instituting quality control and training agency staff.
The Result: Once the agency adopted an industry-accepted color space, the results were immediate. New business pitches were completed in half the time because they were able to match colors across multiple devices and mediums. The proofing process was also simplified because every color laser closely matched vendor proofs, eliminating the need for extra rounds of color corrections. Expectations were met quickly, fewer remakes were needed and overtime decreased dramatically, saving the agency – and their clients - thousands of dollars in the process.
Case #2: Large office supply chain taps
Williams & Partners IT know-how
The Challenge: One of New England’s largest office supply chains realized that their sizeable IT staff, while adept at SAP and windows for managing merchandise inventory systems, was not equipped to manage the IT demands of a Macintosh production studio and its applications. As a result, production issues would linger unresolved and critical system maintenance was not performed. This left the catalog production organization without critical technical support, and no opportunity for the integration of key technologies and best practices to drive much needed performance and system improvements.
The Solution: The company retained Williams & Partners to support, manage and maintain their production studio workstations and MediaBank image server. Our IT team
· Resolved major issues with in-house font server and problems between the OPI file server and Adobe InDesign
· Resolved corruption issues in the file server
· Instituted a hardware and software file backup routine
· Catalogued and consolidated all software licenses
· Developed custom scripting to automate all repetitive tasks
· Set up remote management support/help desk to resolve issues immediately
The Result: Williams & Partners immediately began eliminating issues that were impeding the functionality of the system and the productivity of the organization. By resolving digital asset management system (DAM) conflicts, files could be immediately located and properly managed. Software upgrades are now less expensive through the use of group licensing, and the file backup routine has eliminated the threat of downtime caused by hardware failure or file corruption. Most importantly, an efficient, productive workflow is now in place, supported by predictable system performance, knowledgeable IT support and targeted automation.
Case #3: Agency/Client relationship improved through online collaboration
The Challenge: The traditional hard copy proofing and approval cycle, including constant overnight deliveries, was straining the relationship between this agency and its client, wasting valuable time, money, and most importantly patience. Projects were time-sensitive and required a turn-around time that was much shorter than the 36-48 hours it was taking for the agency to distribute proofs, obtain approvals and deliver the final file.
The Solution: Williams and Partners implemented a secure online approval workflow which works like this: The agency’s studio can upload digital files to the CreativeSafe digital asset management (DAM) system, then files are preflighted, prepared and entered into the workflow. The agency electronically routes the project, allowing the teams to collaborate on a single file, tracking all comments and approvals. After agency approval, the project can then move to the brand for final sign off. When all parties have approved the file, the agency can deliver the final version, uploading it on the CreativeSafe server.
The Result: The automated online workflow saved not only time and money, but also allowed the agency and their client to collaborate more efficiently and effectively to meet deadlines and expectations. The previous proof/approval/delivery cycle, which took up to 36-48 hours, was reduced to 2-4 hours, and many times, is now achieved in less than 30 minutes.