Please note that I recommend that K-Graphics be selected as the printer for the SIGGRAPH'87 conference proceedings at an estimated price of $193,920 for 22,000 copies of a 400 page proceedings.

K-Graphics has printed the proceedings for at least 5 years and retains considerable expertise about the procedures and standards of the SIGGRAPH community.

I received two additional bids for color separating and printing the SIGGRAPH'87 conference proceedings. Both of these bids quoted a web-press printing technique in which continuous rolls of paper are formed into folded signatures. The two bids were approximately $120,000 from Krueger and $125,000 from a consortium of Kedie/Orent for color separations and Webcrafters for printing.

These lower cost bids are due primarily to reduced press time and to elmination of a folding step. However, there is substantial uncertainty about the completeness of these estimates, especially when compared to a printer with several years experience with the SIGGRAPH proceedings, and some concern for the quality of color printing on web presses, something for which SIGGRAPH has consistently demanded the highest quality.

There were several omissions in my specifications for printing the conference proceedings that introduce concern about the accuracy of the lower prices. For example, the shipping window was not explained, the full details of the hinged binding were not included, authors reprints were not requested, typesetting and assembly of the ACM copyright notice on each paper was not specificed, and typesetting and assembly of running heads was not included.

Combining these uncertainties with my lack of confidence in the new printing process, I invoke the first-year rule and recommend continuing with the same printer. The estimated price is somewhat cheaper than last year.

I will endeavour to develop a more complete set of specifications for the conference proceedings in time for next year, and will attempt to compare the print quality of web-press printing of SIGGRAPH material.