"It's a portal for the graphic arts industry, whether printer, buyer or service provider," said BPIF technical advisor Peter Vincent. "Our ambition is to make it the Google of the print industry."

The site, which was announced at Northprint,  includes sections offering the latest technology reports, industry standards, supplier sourcing and troubleshooting guides.

"We've made it as easy and efficient as possible to find info." said Vincent.

Different levels of information will be accessible to users. "Its priority focus will be to the BPIF membership though," he added.

Access for non-members will be limited to the home-page information, while gold and silver members will have access to the next level and platinum members will have full access. This will include technology reports and statistics on performance targets.

Both Spindrift e-magazine and Infotrends CapVentures support the service by giving data free to platinum BPIF members.

"The website will provide a living, growing source of vital information for the industry," said Vincent.

Story by Darryl Danielli