July 10. 2007 20:15

This whole Adobe/FedEx Kinko's thing has created a tremendous backlash in the print industry. It was interesting to read your post and see the benefit a customer might see from this arrangement. Ironically, as a printer (we specialize in helping authors self-publish) I wasn't too concerned about this FedEx Kinko's button as I see it will have little if any affect on my business.

But as I thought about it more, I began to see how this button might cause confusion for the average consumer and actually be a disservice. The printing industry is highly specialized. Kinko's has its specialty, ZDocs has its speciality and 40,000 other print shops have their speciality. Adobe should remove the button just to respect the other 40,000 or so print shops, but I think they should also remove the button to better serve the millions (if not billions) of people who use Acrobat.

Philip Davis

July 19. 2007 15:01

Don't any of your printers have an FTP service for large documents and files. (I'm assuming your manuals are very large.)

My son sends his 212mb files to the local Minuteman Printer remotely...actually, very remotely. He does it from work in the next county, accesses his files on his server at home and sends them by e-mail or delivers to their FTP server.

F Martin

July 19. 2007 17:31

July 17, 2007

PrintOwners News Group - Dallas, Texas

MEMBER ALERT

Adobe Systems (ADBE)

In an incredible move, a few days ago Adobe seemed to gamble everything it has by imbedding a "print this at Kinko's" button inside new editions of its free Acrobat Reader. Kinko's has 1600+ stores but don't be impressed by that number. By imbedding this "button for cash deal" in Acrobat and Acrobat Reader, Adobe has effectively spit in the faces of more than 36,000 heretofore loyal independent and franchise print and copy shops who are Adobe software users. This does not count thousands of graphic artists who also use Adobe and depend on print brokering for their incomes.

There is furor in the print industry. Leaders of the major print franchises and trade organizations have already demanded that Adobe remove the inappropriate link to Kinko's.

This news is only just beginning to trickle out. Adobe CEO, Bruce Chizen, admitted to several print trade organization executives in an emergency meeting yesterday that "he blew it" by putting a Kinko button in Acrobat and Acrobat Reader. Chizen posted a soft apology on the Adobe Partners website but it has already backfired as he offered no alternative. In protest, print shops by the tens of thousands must now consider boycotting Adobe software license renewals.

It has been reported that some in the industry have already begun to sell Adobe's stock... short. That's how big this Adobe misstep is. It is a serious matter for every independent printer's future. As it stands, Adobe has inappropriately singled out and favored one of its customers over all others by having Acrobat Reader direct user PDF jobs exclusively to Kinko's for printing.

This will spell trouble for Adobe and well it should.

We expect this Adobe gambit will be fully "outed" and known by all commercial users by the end of the month no matter how hard Adobe tries to keep it under wraps. If you have Adobe stock... right now might be a good time to re-evaluate it before this really hits the fan. If you use Adobe products in your printing business, good luck.


PrintOwners News Group
Dallas, Texas

George Croft

January 18. 2008 21:19

The whole Adobe/FedEx Kinko's thing has created a tremendous backlash in the print industry as all other printers are feeling strong competition from that little button which is exclusive to Kinko. Althought Acrobat reader is a free software, but it should promote healthy competitive markets that will benefit the Printing Industry. The Adobe's approach should be based on sound just principles, which are applied objectively and consistently. Anyway, Adobe have start to post info in removing that button from the software.

Keng Swee