Project profile
Shift serves as the membership magazine for a Northern California nonprofit organization. Shift's original art director was able to secure permission to use images by top American artists and had invested in high-end, color accurate scans, but print quality had suffered in the organization's effort to save budget dollars. The book was not being press checked on a regular basis, and color was unpredictable from issue to issue.

Client Goals
Improve consistency of color and overall quality with a special focus on feature artwork and departments artwork

Maintain current production costs as closely as possible, adding in-person supervision on press for every issue

Provide hands-on technical assistance and production advice to organization's staff as needed

Results
Moved production to west coast facility where press checks could be done each issue, and mailing could be handled easily

Met art director's requirements for accurate and vibrant color, even while using heatset web printing on the magazine's interior

Newfound quality controls led to the decision to add gloss and matte varnishes on the book's sheetfed-produced covers, raising the overall look and feel of the book to a new level.

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