CHICAGO—Design Edge Canada recently visited Print 09 in Chicago, the print industry’s largest North American event in 2009 with more than 600 exhibitors. Here’s our take on seven noteworthy developments for designers:

Pantone iPhone app: This download ($9.99 U.S.) allows you to browse any of the Pantone swatch guides (e.g. PMS or Goe) and select up to five colours in a palette, which you can then email to yourself, colleague or a client. The palette opens in any popular graphics program. The idea: Say you’re commuting to work and see an interesting colour. Inspired, you quickly compile a palette on our iPhone and your next award-winning piece is well on its way. “It’s meant to be more fun and inspirational,” says Andrew Hatkoff, Pantone’s VP of technology licensing. Of course, iPhone screens aren’t colour calibrated—but that’s where your skills as a professional come in.

Kodak “dimensional printing”: Kodak has invented a digital printing unit that produces a raised image, kind of like thermography. The unit attaches to the end of a Kodak Nexpress digital printing machine, producing process colours, plus the raised image with a special clear ink, with full variable capability. “Nexpress Dimensional Clear Dry Ink creates a clear ‘raised’ layer on top of a page element and can be used to enhance graphics, text, or a full color image in materials such as photobooks, calendars, greeting cards, invitations, collateral, business cards, certificates or direct mail,” the company says.

Epson proofer/comp machine: For design shops that comp a lot of packaging work, this may be a must-buy. The Epson Stylus Pro WT7900 can print contract-quality colour proofs on a clear substrate (it has a high-tech “white” ink), on foil substrate, on the same substrate as the final job, and even on shrink-wrap material that can be heated and applied to a package mock-up. Bonus: costs run about one-half the costs of long-established Kodak Approval technology, and output is faster. Even Kodak supports the new device, offering (among other companies) colour software to run the machine. The WT7900 costs $8,495 U.S. and will be available in early 2010.

Gluon/Quark HyperPublishing System: For designers who work on large database-driven projects, such as directories, catalogues or newer forms of digital printing with variable data, this product from Gluon neatly integrates with familiar Quark page layout technology. Designers can “create customized, design-rich documents that can be dynamically changed or created on-the-fly using a web browser or via database automation.” It allows Quark templates to be updated using a web browser and creates final files in more than 20 formats including PDF and Flash.

Oris Press Matcher: With print output occurring on more and more devices–offset presses, digital presses, wide-format inkjet printers, and so on—brand management becomes a challenge for designers charged with policing colour. This system from Oris, which uses soft proofing, is designed to produce consistent results to industry standards such as G7 and SWOP, across any platform or location.

ColorQuick Veroproof: In another take on proofing, this low-cost system creates hard-copy, colour-accurate proofs using popular desktop Epson and HP printers. The secrets are a simple-to-use colour bar system, free colour software, and special 13” x 19” proofing paper for two-up proofs. The whole system can be set up for less than $1,000 U.S.

DirectSmile personalized images: We’re all familiar with personalized print pieces that include the recipient’s name, for example, in the document’s text. DirectSmile takes it step further by personalizing images at high speeds in large volumes on digital printing presses. Think of names on a birthday cake, for example, or a name drawn in the sand on a beach. The system marries databases with an ever-expanding image library and layout software. In addition to print, it can personalize images for the web or email. Applications include direct mail, book covers, magazine covers, brochures, pizza box covers, greeting cards and more.