I'm "left behind" typesetter with knowledge of the print side; I utilize Q__rk, CS3 on a daily basis.  I operate a small and shrinking business out of my home, serving brokers and small printers with prepress clean-up and various typesetting.  Not a designer.  NO web development experience, little knowledge.

A broker customer has been requested by a current client to bid on creating a website (and providing printing) where their agents can go to order stationary and sales aids, providing personalized information for the print items.  The agents number about 1,000 nationwide.

The business wants this to function without their day-to-day involvement.

The broker has less knowledge of the web than I do.

Our goal is to add a link to the business's website to a separate website where the agents would make their selections of print items and input their specific variable information.  The order would be emailed to me, artwork created and sent out for proof approval.  Upon approval, I send the artwork to the printer.  I need to consider the billing at some point... right now I'm not sure who will actually pay... I believe the company.

My question here is the website.  I've looked at a couple of the web hosting sites which provide the capability to create the website online.  But is this too simplistic... though cheap. Should I look for a local website developer to do this?  Any recommendations in the Kansas City area?

Any input would be appreciated... I know I need some facts... but I really don't know what's out there now.

I visited Vista Print's site and thought "how can we compete with this"... but this particular broker has a knack for surprising me with his closing ability!

Thanks, Chuck

20"  Gluntz & Jensen DevoTec 51/20 Film processor, early 2000s model. Excellent condition, little used over its life. Call 816.842.6621 or PM.


SOLD!

Gent in St. Louis I know is looking for a used film processor to pick up cheap. 14 to 20" would be great.

We're going to scrap our Panther Plus imagesetter (no surprise there, huh?).  A friend is into e-scrap processing, so we're going to tear it down.

Any problems with capacitator or laser having a electrical charge?  It's been unplugged for a week.

Thanks!

I have a client that wants to use a fillable PDF (created from a press-ready PDF) to distribute to 10 locations, have those locations complete the changes (in lieu of typesetting) in the fillable PDF, save the PDF (probably using Acrobat Reader) and using the results as press-ready PDFs (or at least the basis of a press-ready PDF).  Changes would be made quarterly.

The original PDF is created in Indesign.  The document is tabloid, 2 colors, 2 sides, in individual 8.5x11 pages.

This arises as a solution to the many revisions (and much cost) that the locations made in the most recent version ($5,000 of typesetting, mostly alterations).  One location went through over a dozen proof cycles!

My role would be to create the fillable PDFs and possibly bring the resulting PDFs to a press-ready status.

I have created fillable PDFs from my own original layout program files using Acrobat 6 and 8.  These were intended for completion online for web use or local output only, not presses.

Would this scheme work?  Has anyone ever used a fillable PDF in lieu of typesetting?  I assume the operators at the locations would be your standard office folks as opposed to graphic arts software knowledgable (excuse the poor choice of words).

Thanks in advance for your help.