Extensis Portfolio vs. Xinet

November 10, 2011 | Arianna Valentini

Using both Portfolio and Xinet, in Digital Asset Management is interesting to reflect upon the ways that they are different representations of a DAM system.

Each DAM system varies in many different ways; the first way it varies is in the types of users Portfolio and Xinet providers for. Having used Portfolio first, I feel that this system is more aimed towards small or middle-sized companies. However it is expandable into larger companies such as the London Museum. Xinet, when initially opening it gives the impression of a larger system. It is more expansive and allows for use within a larger company.

In terms of metadata, the Xinet portfolio requires you to already add metadata prior to uploading to the server. Portfolio’s method of drag and drop metadata seems to me to be more user friendly and allows for easier adjustments to metadata. I understand why Xinet limits the addition of metadata because by making metadata more easily accessible like in Portfolio, you can run into standards problems. This also helps to control the vocabulary better than in portfolio, for this reason I believe that Xinet is more effective.

The interfaces are similar in that they both allow for preview icons with images and the option to display metadata next to each image or file. Portfolio’s interface is a lot cleaner and has a better navigation bar. I like that the navigation is easy to view as well as any action buttons. The overall aesthetic of Portfolio is reminiscent of a website and has amore stylized look to it. Xinet has a very plain interface and can sometimes be hard to navigate. I also don’t like the overall look of the Xinet it is very plain and the control buttons are very hard to see.

When controlling access to files in each system I feel that Xinet offers more security because you are allowed to make multiple user logins and expiration dates. Portfolio lacks this and I feel it would be a nice addition to the software. I also prefer the way you can access originals in Xinet through a server. I feel that this allows for more security when controlling original asset changes. I’m not aware that this is allowed in Portfolio. I wish Portfolio had the drag and drop from their website like Xinet, I would really like to see this feature added as well.

While I prefer the idea of Xinet, the installation process and set up is very long and labor intensive. For this reason I feel Portfolio is the better choice when it comes to more easily implementing it within a company. Also Portfolio is considerably cheaper than Xinet. I think that this will really play a part in which DAM system a person would chose for their company.

Taxonomy of Keywords & Their Importance

October 20, 2011 | Arianna Valentini

As the world becomes increasingly digitized, there is a new need for standardization of digital media files. The ways in which these files are stored are important, but even more so are the ways in which metadata is applied to allow one to search for a file once it has been placed within a content management system.

While looking at metadata standards, it is important to think about image capture standards as well. Images, especially those captured digitally, must meet certain criteria in order to be stored over a period of time, as well as allow for multiple uses. One example of image capture standards is the Digital Image Submission Criteria (DISC) standards provided by the IDEAlliance. DISC gives advice on how to store images for maximum reproduction in print and other media, while also lending itself to proper archival storage of digital images and files.

The DISC standards allow for digital media creators and publishers to deal with common problems found within a digital workflow. By following image standards, the digital file creator is able to determine the minimum quality level for digital images for printed output. Such standards also provide a way of creating a contract between the creator of the file and the acceptor, by creating guidelines specifying how images will be accepted or rejected. The DISC surveys also determine what format images should be submitted in. For example, in our Xinet project it was determined that images would be submitted as tiff files, using LAB color space and be at least 8 bit depth. A final aspect is how images should be labeled so that they fit within the digital workflow. This allows the image takers to create a standard to reach towards when outputting their work to the collective (Dougherty 2).

When images are rejected, it is understood that it is because the files did not meet the requirements laid out by the image standards. It is common for photographers and other digital file creators to not even receive payment for their work in the digital workflow world if their files do not follow the standards set forth by the receiving digital workflow. In a way, standards for image capture serves as a contract for both parties involved in the digital workflow.

Metadata is often utilized within the DISC standards. One aspect of metadata is the use of keywords to allow files to be searched. An important part of this includes the use of keywords. Keywords are part of an access structure, which “relates content types or publication pages to each other or to an external set of concepts that can be used to get to a particular content type” (Boiko par 40). Keywords fall within the indexing structure of metadata in the ranking of access structures making it the one of the most important fields. Keyword entry may come in different forms, for example in the IPTC Core, in which there is a spot for keywords. Similarly, within some museum systems there is a “Subject Matter—Description…A description of the work in terms of the generic elements of the image or images depicted in, on, or by it,” which may also hold keywords (Harpring par 10).

It is important when using keywords that taxonomy is applied to them. Since keywords may be free text, it is important to have a standard when using them (Dougherty 6). Taxonomy allows for “an orderly classification that explicitly expresses the relationships, usually hierarchical (e.g., genus/species, whole/part, class/instance), between and among the things being classified” (Gill par 80). It is also important to keep in mind that many times keywords are known as open lists so you must “make sure that you trust users to add new items responsibly” (Boiko 10). When creating keywords, you must keep in mind the result – an extensible series of categories for organizing digital assets into meaningful sets (Bock 4).

“Using a taxonomy, we know how to relate one term in the information hierarchy to another” (Bock 5). If we look at this from the perspective of a cataloger of an art museum, it may take place in three steps. The first is where keywords entered may be generic, such as “nude” or “woman”, which are elements that would be easily observable to any person that is viewing the work. The next level would be identification, providing information that is generally more specific, such as “Birth of Venus.” Finally, the last set of keywords would deal with an even more specific set of terms that allow for interpretation, for example “Sandro Botticelli Classiest representation of Venus Birth” (Harpring par 20).

In respect to my experience with Xinet for a classproject, the keywords were chosen in a similar fashion to the hierarchy described in Introduction to Art Image Access, Issues, Tools, Standards, and Strategies. The first level of keywords for the images represents an overall knowledge of the subject matter. For example, the topic chosen for the images was baked goods, so the first keyword to be entered was “food” since this is a general term for anything editable (and the baked goods are food). Next, a keyword identifying the type of food was added – bakery. Since the baked goods came from a specific store, it was also added so that someone searching for the bakery name would be able to find it, along with “menu” to denote that this may be found year round in their store. In addition, “sweets” was added to show the type of baked good in the photo. Finally, the specific name of the baked good was added, “vanilla bean slice”.

It is important to use taxonomy within any type of database when dealing with digital media, as it allows users of all occupations and knowledge bases to easily search for images in a timely manner while preserving the original intent of the digital media.

References:

Bock, G. E. (2005, October). Designing Metadata An Implementers Guide for Organizing and Using Digital Assets. Bock and Company, 1, 21.

Boiko, Bob. (2005). Content management bible, 2nd edition.

[Books24x7 version] Available from.

Dougherty, J., & Lam, K. w. (2007, May). DISC 2007 Specifications and Guidelines. Graphic Arts Monthly, 1, 9.

Gill, T., Gilliland, A. J., Whalen, M., & Woodley, M. S. (n.d.). Introduction to Metadata (Research at the Getty). The Getty. Retrieved January 1, 2011, from web.

Layne, S. S., Harpring, P., Hourihane, C., & Sundt, C. L. (n.d.). Introduction to Art Image Access (Research at the Getty). The Getty. Retrieved January 1, 2011, from web.

Isaiah Thomas Award in Publishing

October 6, 2011 | Arianna Valentini

A group of seven Rochester Institute of Technology alumni who have won a combined 11 Pulitzer Prizes are this year’s recipients of the RIT Isaiah Thomas Award in Publishing.

The Isaiah Thomas Award in Publishing, named for one of America’s great patriot printers, recognizes outstanding contributions made to the publishing industry. The honor is presented annually by RIT’s School of Print Media. This year’s recipients are all graduates from RIT’s College of Imaging Arts and Sciences.- Kelly Downs, RIT News

Two weeks ago the School of Print Media students had an opportunity to go to Washington, DC to see this award ceremony take place and meet the 7 Pulitzer Prize winning photographers. It was amazing! Each student was given a table with a photographer to sit with. I had the chance, along with my roommate Alex, to sit with Stan Grossfeld who won ” two Pulitzer Prizes in 1984 and 1985 while working for The Boston Globe. Grossfeld won in 1984 in the Spot News category for his series of photographs revealing the effects of war on the people of Lebanon. In 1985, he earned a Pulitzer in the Feature Photography category for a portfolio of images of the famine in Ethiopia and of illegal aliens on the Mexican border. Grossfeld was also among the finalists for Pulitzers in 1984, 1994 and 1996″ (Downs, par 3). It was really neat to hear his stories about what he witnessed in lifetime and meet his family. His daughter by far was our entertainment for the day! She was so sweet and is adopted from China, she serenaded us all over lunch and Alex even got to color with her!

It is always amazing to see people from RIT who really have made an impression with their work and have created something that will last within time.

315920_2000127447649_1377420062_31720122_1253224427_n — Nothing is better than Gutenberg!

304133_2000148888185_1377420062_31720193_507886814_n — Captial

308460_2000132367772_1377420062_31720146_167785291_n — It wouldn't be a trip DC with out a DC cupcake! This has nothing to do with printing but tastes amazing!

314985_2000138927936_1377420062_31720167_758672061_n — Lincoln

Digital Print Engine Comaprision

September 20, 2011 | Arianna Valentini

This is a recent paper I had to do for a Digital Print Processes Class I am taking at RIT

Cannon Image Press C6000

The Cannon Image Press C6000 print engine is very similar to the process of electrophotography. These steps are as follows – the charging of the photoreceptor, discharge of the image areas, developing of image areas, the transfer of toner to substrate and finally fusing of the image to the substrate.

Canon U.S.A. Incorporated, promises that the C6000 press will provide “image quality, productivity, and versatility” (Cannon 2). The first step that occurs within the C6000 engine is the charging of the photoreceptor. Then, the discharge of the image areas occurs using a twin red laser. Cannon claims that this special red laser allows for resolutions up to 1200 by 1200 dpi (C6000 Video). The next step within the process is the developing of the image using toner. The C6000 uses a four-color toner system, which does not allow for Pantone colors. However, much like other presses, the C6000 uses the Digital Front End to store CMYK equivalent colors in its library to allow for reproduction of these colors. Toner is placed on what Cannon calls an E Drum, a compact roller that helps carry the developed toner to the Advanced Image Transfer Belt (AITB) (Eddy par 4). The Advanced Image Transfer Belt is the main difference from the typical electrophotography process. The AITB is the intermediary that transfers the toner to substrate, instead of transferring the toner one color at a time, the AITB “transfers all four colors to the page in a single pass for a better impression on a wider range of coated, uncoated, and specialty stocks” (Cannon 7). Toner on the Cannon is known as a quick fix toner (often referred to as “V” toner) and allows for the fusing process to be faster than on a typical machine (Eddy 5). Lastly, the C6000 uses the fusing process to secure toner to the substrate. Cannon uses a “dual fusing system,” which is a method of heat pressure fusing, common in many digital printers (Cannon 6).

HP Indigo s5500 Digital Press

In contrast to the C6000, the HP Indigo varies more from the traditional electrophotography process. The most noticeable difference in this process is the use of liquid ink known as Electroink. This ink contains only two percent toner, imaging oil and an imaging agent, unlike that of the dry powder toner that is used in typical digital printer (Vogl Lecture). Just like a typical photoreceptor, also called the PIP or Photo Imaging Plate, is given a negative charge (Influence Graphics Video). Next, the image area is discharged using a laser on the PIP, which leaves a latent image area. The electroink is then attracted to the image area via the Binary Ink Development unit (BID), leaving electroink on the image areas of the PIP (Hewlett Packard Video). This is when the “inked image is then transferred to the electrically charged Intermediate Transfer Drum (ITM)” (Vogl Lecture). The Indigo is similar to the original process of electrophotography in that the image is not directly placed on the substrate with toner, but the process does differ in the fusing process of ink to the substrate. The impression cylinder makes a single rotation for each color instead of a traditional process, and the Intermediate Transfer Drum (ITM), which is electrically charged, transfers the image to the substrate. The inks on this printer dry almost immediately to the surface, allowing for prints to come out of the printer dry. This is due to the high heat that the ITM reaches, which causes the imaging oil to be refracted and the toner to bond and become solid (Print Applications Lab Video). The substrate “then passes between the ITM and the impression drum” (Vogl Lecture). The toner is transferred to the substrate, and the PIP rotates past the cleaning station, which removes any residual ink and charges (Vogl Lecture).

Xerox iGen 4

The Xerox iGen 4 utilizes a unique way to build an image, using as its base the steps of the traditional electrophotography process. However, it adds a slight twist, utilizing a belt mechanism to image the substrate being printed. The iGen contains four developer housings for each of the four colors of CMYK. The image is created on the photoreceptor belt, by charging, imaging it and recharging the photoreceptor for each separate color (Xerox Video). A scorotron charge is then released onto the photoreceptor belt. After this occurs, a laser will release the toner onto the belt, which is then developed. This occurs for each color in the order of Magenta, Yellow, Cyan and Black respectively (Xerox 7). The image is developed by a cloud of toner in between two donor rollers, which are then transferred to the photoreceptor belt (QDoxs Video). The donor rollers help to protect the toner on the photoreceptor belt, allowing for all four colors to be printed with out disruption of another toner layer. The transfer step occurs when the Pretransfer Erase Lamp exposes the belt to loosen toner and then a “hybrid Air Knife removes carrier beads and agglomerated toner particles from the belt” (Vogl Lecture). What is known as the pretransfer belt then uses a charge to help remove the toner from the photoreceptor, and a “Transfer Assist Blade presses substrate to the photoreceptor belt” (Vogl Lecture). What is known as the Detack Dicorotron applies a negative charge underneath the substrate to ensure limited friction between itself and the photoreceptor belt. The image is then transferred in a reverse order of KCYM. A front erase lamp erases any residual charge on the photoreceptor to ensure a clean area for image creation for the next pass. Finally, the image is fused using a contact fuser to create a final product.

Ricoh Pro C550EX

Of all the print engines explored in class, the Ricoh Pro C550EX truly encompasses the original electrophotography process. This is printer is geared towards small business and small print on demand jobs, so it is more user friendly and closer to electrophotograhpy.

The first step in the C550 EX is the charging of the photoreceptor. The printing process uses a scorotron charge to create a uniform charge on the photoreceptor (Ricoh Video). Using a laser, the image area is then selectively discharged just as was shown in class. The toner is then taken up with carrier beads and adheres to the image area. Ricoh has a unique system of toner that allows for finer details – “Sharpen every image with new PxP toner technology. Smaller toner particles ensure smooth, even distribution, which enhances edge definition, coverage and density while improving color matching” (Ricoh 3). This actually appears to be a major selling point of this printer according to many print blogs online (ESRI Forums Web). Also, within the development stage, the C550 runs a “parallel calibration to ensure consistent color quality over long job runs,” to assist with correct color management (Ricoh 3). The image is then developed. The next step in the process requires a transfer of the image to the substrate. The transfer of the image occurs on a belt system to make sure that the substrate receives toner is a smooth and efficient fashion. During the transfer stage, the printer is equipped with a registration sensor to make sure that paper stays in line when the substrate moves through the machine (Gregor Communications Video). This carries through to the fusing process, where the “system incorporates a smaller, more precise mechanism for moving paper in and out of the fuser unit” (Ricoh 3). By allowing for this, heaver stocks of substrate are able to move more easily through the fusing unit, which allows for more of a variety of jobs to be done on this machine.

Creative Business Cards for the Small Budget

September 9, 2011 | Arianna Valentini

In preparation for GraphExpo (yay!), many of the RIT students are busy printing their first ever business cards. Everyone is in a quest to standout from the norm and be remembered with a small 2″x3.5″ piece of paper. However, the real problem with business cards is that it always seems that when you “Google” creative business cards that you find cards that if you do the math in your head would cost a student their grocery budget for two weeks! My love for these cards are super strong, don’t get me wrong (I look forward to the day when my business card can be made into a spork, it does exist and it is awesome). But for now, I thought I would demo three more expensive cards paired down for a smaller budget.

The Fold

This card from Signa is really interesting it not only has a dye cut on it but it folds to reveal more information! For this style of card with a fold the price would be pretty hefty since not only are you paying someone to fold the card but also you have to deal with a custom dye cut cost. To get around this, you could make a trifold card which would be three business cards “stacked” together. This allows you have more space and fewer cuts come press time. Also the folding can easily be done by hand if you are only making a few. The best part is…you get to put more information about yourself. Maybe you could add your goals, an abbreviated resume or an example of your work…the possibilities are endless!!

Screen shot 2011-09-09 at 3.55.12 PM — These great cards are from Bethany Flannery a graduate of RIT! Check out her site: http://bethanyflannery.com/

The Embossed

Embossing is so wonderful! It adds that extra punch to many printed products even business cards and this card by John Henry is not exception. As usual embossing costs money and for those short on cash and equipment, it can really be a pocket drainer. Yet if you look at the card closer you can see other design elements being used within the card. For example, scale of the initials, typographical contrast and positive and negative space. By playing off these elements and using them as the driving force of the design you can easily imitate the general feel of the design.

307428_1955753978340_1377420062_31685676_686612161_n — Chris Little a senior in SPM at RIT's card

The Dye Cut

The coolest business cards are usually the dye cut ones. They feel different in your hands and look really cool. However, I have noticed they do get lost a lot easier in the shuffle since they are usually smaller but hey to each their own. The card done by Timebomb Custom Letterpress is AWESOME but considering they are a print shop they probably have a dye cutter on hand and made these pretty cheap. However, if you were to order these from someplace…it’s another story. There is hope and it is called AC Moore. If you go to AC Moore they have dye cutters that run from about 14 to 20 dollars each allowing the every man to have their own dye cut business cards. If you do it yourself you can really save on finishing costs from a shop. Fair warning though make sure you make the cards a bit bigger to compensate for the dye cutter!!