Educational Guide: Communicating with Color
Colorful charts and graphs bring numbers to life, and photographs convey the look and feel of products, places, and people. Color text helps readers focus on the key points in a proposal or newsletter, and vivid presentations draw audiences into your ideas and message.
Despite these and other advantages, many businesses have limited the use of color in communications due to concerns about expense, consistency, and quality of output. You no longer need to be a graphics expert to take advantage of the latest tools for cost-effective, colorful communications. Powerful new enablers include LCD monitors that match the screen output to your vision and printing environment, pocket-sized digital cameras that produce professional-quality pictures, low-cost color laser printers, and ultrabright projectors smaller than a laptop computer.
Digital All the Way
Digital cameras and scanners let you use the power of pictures to enhance your presentations, website, and printed communications. The new 5-megapixel Canon PowerShot S500 Digital Elph (less than $500) is small enough to fit in a shirt or jacket pocket (3.4 x 2.2 x 1.1 inches) for instant access, yet produces publication-quality pictures. We put the S500 through its paces and found that Canon's sophisticated 3X optical zoom and advanced electronics delivered great images for a wide range of applications.
For about $650, the slightly larger Casio EX-P600 offers 6-megapixel-resolution, features a high-performance Canon 4X optical zoom lens, and a large, bright LCD for easy previewing.
Versatile scanners, such as Microtek's ScanMaker 6100 Pro, make it simple to convert 35mm slides, color photos, and other printed material to digital form. The new, sub-$300 unit delivers 6400 x 3200 dpi optical resolution, and has film holders that automatically detect slide or negative size and quantity. Software bundled with the unit includes ColoRescue for color recovery of faded old photos, and SilverFast Ai 6.0 for dust and scratch removal.
Color Matching
A computer display that is both accurate and easy to use is a crucial, yet often overlooked, element in the production of consistent, high-impact color communications. Samsung's SyncMaster 910t 19-inch LCD, ($799), features a new MagicTune setup "wizard" that lets even non-technical users quickly optimize the display for their vision, intended use, and even room lighting. This process works with a standard (sRGB) color reference, which makes it easier to match what you see on your display to the output of your printer or projector. Multiple settings can be saved for different people and situations--ideal for workgroups and round-the-clock workaholics. LCD monitors with sophisticated color control capabilities are also available from NEC-Mitsubishi and other manufacturers.
The Proof is in the Printing
The march of technology has also brought color laser printers, with their low cost-per-page, within the reach of every business and workgroup. Konica Minolta has incorporated its Photo ART technology into its new magicolor 2350 EN printer to ensure consistent color throughout the life of the printer. The sub-$900 unit prints color at up to 4 pages per minute (ppm) and B&W up to 18 ppm, at a resolution as high as 9600 x 600 dpi. The 2350 EN includes an Ethernet network interface, making it easy to share the benefits of cost-effective color printing.
Even though their cost-per-page is typically much higher than color lasers, photo-quality inkjet printers are a good bet for brochures and similar applications. The new HP Photosmart 7960 printer provides 8-ink color printing at resolutions of up to 4800 x 1200 dpi. The sub-$300 unit outputs color at up to 16 ppm, and at 0.9 ppm in its highest-quality mode. If you are in the market for a photo-quality printer, you should also take a look at the excellent large format Canon i9900, and the fast Stylus Photo R800 from Epson.
Specialized software and supplies make it possible to enhance the image of your company through customized, colorful labeling of handouts and discs. The latest Neato CD/DVD Labeling System from Fellowes (less than $20), works with most printers, and lets you produce a complete branded package for disc-based presentations and catalogs.
Presenting You
The development of Digital Light Processing (DLP) by Texas Instruments has resulted in ultraportable HDTV-compatible projectors that have excellent color reproduction and produce bright, crisp images. Using this revolutionary technology, several manufacturers have introduced projectors that can share a case with your laptop, but are powerful enough to fill an auditorium screen.
Toshiba's 5.3-lb. TDP-D2 projector, for example, delivers a superbright 2500 ANSI lumens of brightness--ten times that of many popular projectors of the last decade. The XGA (1024 x 768) unit measures only 3.5 x 9.8 x 7.9 inches and carries a price tag of $2,499.
NEC's microportable LT10 DLP projector utilizes Carl Zeiss optics for delivery of superior image quality from both computer and video sources. The 2.1-lb. XGA unit priced at $1,995, delivers 1100 ANSI lumens of brightness and a 2000:1 contrast ratio for vivid images. We tested the LT10 in a variety of environments, and it performed flawlessly in every one. Even in a brightly lit conference room, with a light brown cloth wall covering for a screen, the LT10 came through with a sharp, easy-to-read rendition of our PowerPoint slides.
The new DLP DDR chipsets created by Texas Instruments for these projectors have another color advantage over some older technologies; they maintain their consistent color reproduction for many years. The native XGA optical engine of the sub-$2,000, 5.6-lb., 1700-ANSI-lumen BenQ PB6200, for example, is designed to maintain its original image quality for a rated lifetime of 100,000 hours. Bulb life, though improved, is still in the 2,000- to 3,000-hour range.
Screen Gems
Projecting a slide show on a conference wall may be okay in an emergency, but can rob your presentation of much of its color and impact. Mobile execs can be assured of clear, colorful images through the use of a portable screen. The Da-Lite Presenter (about $250) comes in two sizes (40- and 50-inch diagonal), sets up on a table in seconds, and weighs about 5 lbs. The Traveller series of portable screens from Draper are suitable for both floor or tabletop use and are available in five sizes from 50- to 100-inches diagonal. The 50-inch model costs about $415 and weighs 13 lbs. including its integral aluminum transport case.
Ensuring the effective and accurate use of color in your business communications--all the way from concept through delivery--can help you deliver your message with full impact in any media.
KONICA MINOLTA Printing Solutions
An Affordable Choice for Every Business
There's never been a better time for you to add a color laser printer to your office equipment roster. An industry leader in affordable printing solutions, KONICA MINOLTA's award-winning color lasers deliver perfect prints for every type of business printing. From the home-office to a Fortune 500 firm, KONICA MINOLTA has laser printers that are priced right, user-friendly, and true workaholics. With exceptional color quality, KONICA MINOLTA color laser printers can significantly enhance your printed communications and help you gain an important competitive advantage.
For more information on how KONICA MINOLTA color laser printers can serve your company, call 1-800-523-2696 or visit www.buymagicolor.com
NEC
High-Performance, Affordable Projectors
The $895 VT46 projector is designed for the cost-conscious user in need of high performance, affordable projection technology. The LCD-based VT46 is easy to operate with color-coded inputs and one-touch setup and operation. Displaying 1200 ANSI lumens of brightness and SVGA native resolution, its superb video quality makes it an attractive option for low-cost home entertainment and multi-purpose use in addition to office and training applications.
With a brightness rating of 2000 ANSI lumens, XGA native resolution and lamp life of up to 3,000 hours in Eco-ModeTM, the DLP-based LT260K packs the projection power into a small 6.6-lb. package. Offering optional wireless projection technology, the LT260K is ideal for both portable and desktop business applications, yet versatile enough for low-cost installations.
For more information, call 1-800-NEC-INFO.
