Mainstream media do a poor job of explaining POD, although they insist it's the "most exciting thing" to happen in printing in decades. Too many basic questions about POD go unanswered. Until now.

I've enlisted the aid of an expert to provide information that will help everyone curious about POD, or Print On Demand.

Barry Reischling is the founder and president of RPI (Reischling Press Inc.) in Seattle, Washington. I asked Barry a series of questions about POD that I think most consumers would ask. Here's what he said:

MGD: I've been reading about POD for about 5 or 6 years now. What exactly is it, and how does it differ from other types of printing?

BR: POD means Print On Demand. Simply stated, digital POD printers offer buyers the economic benefits of speed by printing shorter-run high-quality B&W and full-color jobs faster than can most other printers. When one wants to avoid the space hassles of print inventory, or needs immediate inventory replenishing, or has a need for more print distribution, they should consider POD.

At RPI, we endeavor to print immediately for same-day or next, or 2-day or 3-day. In most cases, POD jobs reprint from stored original print files.

MGD: Does POD refer to specific printing equipment, computer technology, or a new process for getting things printed?

BR: Any printer can say they do POD. But most legitimate POD printers must first have expertise in and understand the significance of POD market applications. They'll need a fast T-1 internet connection to speed up transfer times of huge color files, extensive computer front-end systems, complete software libraries, automated pre-press production, and for back-up, a minimum of at least two high-speed B&W and digital color presses, not copiers. For production control purposes, their own in-house bindery including fold, saddle-stitch and perfect, is also mandatory. But most critically important, they must feature a standard 24/7 work ethic.

MGD: Are the terms POD and digital printing interchangeable?

BR: No. POD and digital printing do not mean the same thing. Many printers feature digital press technology. However, they are not POD printers. POD printers have the required press and bindery technology to turn jobs much faster than the majority of printers. Their POD service and 24/7 operation should be a normal part of their every day disciplines.

MGD: What kinds of jobs are best suited for POD?

BR: Our typical POD jobs are soft and hardcover books where publishers don't want the storage hassle and expense of inventory. Other products include appellate briefs, legal/financial documents, SEC corporate disclosures, venture capital private placement/disclosures, full-color marketing pieces, full-color real estate listings - or almost any job under severe time constraints, printed to meet just-in-time deadlines. Many of our POD jobs are short-run variable image where we can program different images to be printed for each successive impression.

MGD: Is there an optimum print run for a POD job to be cost-effective?

BR: Not necessarily. We even do one-offs periodically. Unit cost effectiveness is relative, so optimum print runs are seldom an issue. Usual POD runs are from 50 to 2,000 copies.

MGD: Are there other jobs/circumstances for which print run is not critical, yet POD makes business or marketing sense?

BR: Yes. We do much in the way of pre-published books. In the trade, they're referred to as galleys. But in this case, a galley is a sample of an actual book, completed to specifications, bound and trimmed to size, many with full-color covers. Publishers want to see POD short-run books in final form right now. Their editors are paid to read and judge whether that book is worth more POD runs to further test market acceptance, or a full web publishing run. POD runs are usually for new authors. We also POD full-color catalogs for design, color, layout, and product position issue critiques, prior to full web production runs.

MGD: Does a customer need special software for a POD job?

BR: 99% of our POD work comes to us via email in Adobe's PDF format, with separate source files for color. PDF is today's printing standard. We always email back a page-imposed composite PDF proof for an OK, prior to printing.

MGD: Is turnaround faster?

BR: POD is always faster when jobs are in PDF. Benefit? We never have to guess what's required. We don't have to tweak Word files or mess with wrong fonts.

As a rule, digital POD press runs are completed more than twice as fast as they would be using conventional offset lithography. Where offset requires negatives, plates, press make-ready, and ink drying waits before bindery, digital POD requires none of the above. But for quantities above 3,000, and where price is more important than turn time, offset may offer better value because offset's longer-run unit costs are lower.

MGD: Can one make changes easily when reprinting a POD job?

BR: Yes. If changes are minor, we make them on print files recalled from storage. If major, we ask customers to do their own text editing.

MGD: I think of a Xerox DocuTech as POD equipment for black and white jobs. Are there others?

BR: We feature four digital Docutech 600 dpi B&W variable image 6180s, and three digital Docucolor full color 400 dpi variable image 2160s. There are similar competitive machines on the market. We've looked at all of them. Spot color is done everyday on the 2160s.

MGD: How good is the quality for color work? Is quality dependent on machine or operator or the customer's file?

BR: Output quality is dependent on all three - the machine, the operator, and the integrity of the file. Without a glass, it's impossible for even the most severe chromo-critic graphic designer to discern the difference in quality between our 2160 full-color product, and that same job printed by conventional offset. The practical difference? Our short-run 2160 full-color jobs are completed in a fraction of the time and at half the price.

MGD: Are there paper or size limitations with POD?

BR: Yes. We cannot print press sheets over 12.6 x 19.2". Bleed maximums are about a quarter of an inch under this size. We have few text-weight paper limitations. Although our 2060 will print 10pt Kromecoat, there are many additional cover-weight limitations

MGD: Are there easy guidelines for knowing if your job should print POD vs. offset? How about page count - how much of a factor is it?

BR: Ask yourself, which is more important, time or money? Meeting the delivery date or job cost? Most of our POD jobs happen when time is more important. Better POD candidates are short-run, multiple-page, perfect-bound jobs. Many of our POD quantities are under 1000, but some have page counts exceeding 500. For single-page jobs, offset may be a better value.

MGD: How does a consumer find a quality printer who can do PODother than contact RPI, that is?

BR: I recommend the search engine Google for buyers looking for POD printers. Enter "Print On Demand" or "On Demand Printing" as the search subject. Many qualified POD printer-site ads will pop up to the right of your screen. Clicking on them will bring you directly to their Web site.

And there you have it: basic, valuable information about POD issues that will help any consumer. What a great primer! Thanks, Barry, for educating us. RPI's web site is www.rpiprint.com.