Sometimes “going green,” means getting back to the basics. And the best, most basic way to deal with waste in your production processes is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Call it a “mulligan,” a “make-good,” or a “do-over,” customer disappointment can be a considerable source of waste for digital press facilities that produce photo books and other photo memorabilia. And some of that waste comes from  misunderstandings between the customer and the digital press book designer. But what if the customer could do his or her own design (or at least kibitz while the photo book comes together)? The job could be spot-on before it went to press – without the need for an approval proof (saving materials, time and even more money). That's where Mohawk Maestro software comes in. This new, flexible, user-friendly design tool from Mohawk Digital Technologies Group (MDTG) is designed to make the organizing and layout of photo books and other image-rich products fast and easy. MDTG calls its product “a robust software solution for digital press owners that supports entry into the press printed photo book, card and calendar market.” In short, the software (onsite or offsite) allows a customer to design one of many image-rich publications quickly, working within production constraints of the digital press, as set forth by the production facility. Mohawk Maestro software comes in three flavors:

• Standard – Providing pre-designed product templates that customers can use to create photo books, cards and calendars;
• Custom – Allowing digital press owners to add and edit their own product templates, customize the software for their brand, and add their own product photos.
• Storefront – A web interface that can be added to either the Maestro standard or custom offering, allowing customers to create photo products online.

MDTG, which was formed Mohawk Fine Papers Inc. acquired LabPrints, a company known for its innovative photography and photo lab software, sees a big niche for its new photo-merchandise-design software. According to a recent report conducted by the market research firm InfoTrends, the total revenue of the photo merchandise industry is expected to double to nearly $2.2 billion by 2014, presenting considerable profit opportunities for digital printers and photo labs. MDTG has even put together a white paper on the topic, “Capitalizing on the Opportunity in the Photo Merchandise Industry.” Developed to allow digital press owners and photo labs to take advantage of the burgeoning photo-merchandise market, Mohawk Maestro is probably green by accident, rather than intent. But if it keeps material out of the waste stream while it's helping to build profitability, we on the green side of the street will take it.