SOURCES SOUGHT
T -- 2010 Census
- Notice Date
- 2/7/2006
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 323119
— Other Commercial Printing
- Contracting Office
- Government Printing Office, Paper and Specialized Procurement and Sales Division, Contract Management Branch, 732 North Capitol Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20401
- ZIP Code
- 20401
- Solicitation Number
- CSOD-01
- Response Due
- 3/7/2006
- Archive Date
- 3/22/2006
- Description
- The United States Government Printing Office is issuing this Request for Information as stated below: GPO Public Notice for industry comment as a continuing part of industry market research from 2004. Part of the mail out mail back campaign for the 2010 Decennial Census is to print and mail an 11? x 25.5? and an 11? x 28.5? questionnaire package to the U.S. public. A key requirement is that the questionnaire be ?respondent friendly? and ?data capture friendly? at the same time. A colored background is used to assist respondents in navigating the form and placing their answers. From a data capture standpoint, accurate and consistent color is critical in the sense that the colored background will be dropped out of the captured image during the scanning process. Therefore, the colored background must be printed within certain tolerances to facilitate dropout during automated data capture. For these reasons, one technology under consideration in the printing of these questionnaires is closed-loop color control (CLC). This process control and quality assurance tool could help to ensure that color tolerances are met. It is highly probable that the questionnaires will need to be printed with the short dimension (11 inches) parallel to the direction of the web through the printing press due to the finishing requirements of the questionnaire. The questionnaire will require two parallel folds and one perpendicular or cross fold for a finished questionnaire of 9? x 5.5?. We are aware that certain presses employ a 22? image cut off, making it difficult or impossible to incorporate color bars that would be trimmed off after printing. Presses with a longer cut off dimension could include color bars more easily. QUESTIONS TO INDUSTRY 1. What are the typical image cut off lengths seen on the installed base of heat-set web offset presses? Are different cut off lengths associated with different industry segments and press capabilities? 2. When CLC is used, how much density variation would typically be seen within a press run? How much when CLC is not used? 3. If press limitations restrict the use of a qualified color bar, can other features be designed into the questionnaire that a CLC system can be configured to read in place of the standard color bar? For example, an alternative might be a solid bar extending across the length of the questionnaire, which would most likely be in the long dimension of the questionnaire perpendicular to the press web direction. Would this approach work better, just as well, or not as well, as a standard color bar? 4. If a standard color bar is not used, and the questionnaire contains only flat tints with no areas of solid ink (i.e. there are no specific color control features designed into the questionnaire), can CLC be used effectively? Is it practical to print such a job at all? All responses should be submited by Close of Business March 7, 2006 at Print2010@gpo.gov. Telephone inquiries should be directed to Ms. Connie Linassi at 202-512-0258.
- Place of Performance
- Address: 732 North capitol Street, NW, Washington, DC
- Zip Code: 20401
- Country: USA
- Zip Code: 20401
- Record
- SN00982177-W 20060209/060207213350 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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