BD: SIGNING OFF

Sample from New Camera - Hugh Anderson at the Greybeards.

No - You don't get rid of me that easily. It was my pleasure to be charged with signing off the proofs for July KIWIRIDER last night. 

All the players are on assignment or working up-country and printing was brought forward so we can have the latest magazines on hand for the upcoming field days. 

So I had a go. The process involves heading out to GEON in Highbrook, late at night, and casting an eye over bundles of digital printouts.

Since the lovely Linda has been proofing our pages Vege hasn't been calling us into the office and using bundles of the magazine, with the typos highlighted, like the telephone books in a Police interrogation scene from a B-grade movie any more.

Last night's job is more about making sure the pages are up the right way up and in order. (Wait till you see the AMPS advert - Dave was not drunk m'okay). I'm a good man for this job because the pain of a duplicated page three in 10,000 copies of the the Foodtown magazine still burns bright.

But this KR is going to be a stunning edition. If you haven't picked up the magazine for a while it's worth another look.

We subscribe to mags from all over the world over at Chez West Harbour office. There always seems to be a lot of Greek and German ones on the tables. In the last nine months we have gone from drooling over the production values of the European glossys to being ahead of them. Seriously. 

I can't objectively comment on the content, other than to say it's as good and professional as we can make it, but in terms of paper stock, print quality, readability, perfect bound, laminate cover, along with the quality of Osborne's and the other contributors photography we are as good as any in the world to feel and look at.

Last month we were printed on 90gsm sumo paper, a step up from our usual 85gsm stock. Because the printer couldn't supply the full print run in the standard paper - they upgraded us.

When we saw the results we all said 'Vege! Ian! give us some of that!' And they have.

We're on the really nice 90gsm sumo stock from now on too.

Personally I'm stoked. I have a stunning new Nikon D90 camera with a 18-200 VR lens and it is cranks out some pretty interesting images. 

Can't wait to see them on paper.

Roll on the Field Days - we'll be there doing a promotion with The Road/Dirt/ATV Guides.

The rest of the mag content looks great too. The Ed & Campbell have done the new ABS Hondas side by side. New Ducati with traction control is featured, my bits on the Yamaha XVS 950 and CR1125 Buell, Stretch has a Speedmaster bit and there are numerous Off road bits that caught my eye.

The place, GEON is amazing for any of you graphics people. They have a room full of huge direct-to-platemakers and around a dozen macs in the art department. 2 x A1 proofers running flat out.

The presses are all state of the art too. A bank of them - one large 6 colour blocked the view of several others. Huge things - and as clean as office equipment these days. 

 The mag will be on sale shortly. They are printing now.

BD