Kim's Corner
Page 8 of 18

Another print is working on the printer - each of the 6 commercially produced UV ink cartridges costs approximately $250 each.
Click here for a much larger version of this picture
(1024 X 768, 97,029 bytes)

Print on Demand - Hard-Wired Art

I first met Peter Moger, Director of the Art Group during the Official Disneyana Convention at the DLR last year. And after a few minutes talking to him - and completely enjoying his British accent as he’s based in London but spends a good deal of his time flying to California, so much so that his hand print is scanned into the US Immigration system which gives him a sort of fast-pass through the process and into the US - thought that he would make a great interview for LaughingPlace as there was a whole lot of computer and digital technology involved in the PoD system and it’s advantages to the Disneyana marketplace would be nothing short of amazing.

Free shipping is offered by FedEx - shipping partner of the DLR.
Click here for a much larger version of this picture
(500 X 759, 64,875 bytes)

And then when I began to hear whispers that the system was being integrated into the Disneyland Gallery I knew that it would be a great partnership of Disney Art and printmaking technology. PoD is riding the wave of print technology in the art market, much as other companies are finding an audience in the writer’s marketplace. It makes perfect sense to me - offering quality product at affordable prices by getting rid of the associated cost of storing and moving in-house inventory. It opens the market to writers and artists who don’t have the following or the finances to put a run of their product on the shelves and offers the marketplace the opportunity to purchase a wider range of product without production demands.

MM023 - "Big Game Mickey" with it's printed packaging slip, receipt Certificate of Authenticity.
Click here for a much larger version of this picture
(979 X 631, 73,629 bytes)

A closer look at the certificate of Authenticity for "Big Game Mickey" - it includes a brief history of he exhibit.
Click here for a much larger version of this picture
(1024 X 768, 104,118 bytes)

It’s a perfect partnership - PoD and the DLR. The Disney Company is built on a solid foundation of imagery and Pod can bring that imagery to the marketplace. It’s a win / win / win / win situation. The Company wins - PoD wins - the marketplace wins and the enthusiasts win. Peter explained the process of PoD and how it works in the Disneyland Gallery - which is the first - and only - gallery in the world to integrate the printmaking technology in combination with it’s image catalog.

It’s very easy - the guest comes into the gallery and goes to one of the two touch-screen kiosks - they choose their pieces and then check-out - that order is relayed to the main register until the order is confirmed and paid for - from that terminal it is relayed into the system in the print room where it is placed onto the print queue and sent to whichever of the on-line printers will be handling the job - the one loaded with paper or the one printing on canvas - from there the job is printed and quality checked and then the job is packaged so that the guest can pick it up later or have it shipped - free of charge - by FedEx, the DLR shipping partner.