FLAAR offers a variety of consulting services for people in the inkjet printing industry.  FLAAR consultant Dr. Nicholas Hellmuth can conduct his consultation services right on-location anywhere around the globe.  He has consulted in Japan, Latin America, Europe, and across the United States and Canada. 

Dr. Hellmuth was educated at Harvard, trained at Yale (Dept. of Art History), and received his Ph.D. in art history from Karl-Franzens Universität (Graz, Austria). He has worked in advanced digital imaging since the 1990's, starting in Japan.

Dr. Hellmuth consults primarily on wide-format inkjet printers, inks, media, lamination, top-coating, RIP software and color management. In addition, he is an expert in giclee, solvent, eco-solvent, mild-solvent, and UV printing, as well as in scanner consulting.  Dr. Hellmuth’s consulting services are valuable for manufacturers, distributors, dealers of any size, as well as print shop owners, operators, and individuals. 

The difference between reading the FLAAR reports and web site, compared to retaining Dr. Hellmuth for an on-site visit, is that he can provide fresh information not yet published in the written reports, or posted on the web site.  Therefore, an on-site consultation with Dr. Hellmuth is invaluable to keeping up with the latest trends and technologies in professional printing.

Listed below are a few of the topics our consultation services cover.  This list is not exhaustive and is only meant to highlight the services FLAAR has to offer. 

• Discussing which printer(s) are optimal for your business, franchise sign shop, museum, studio, university or compny's specific needs;
• Explaining of the pros and cons of piezo vs. industrial piezo vs. thermal vs. continuous inkjet technologies for your specific printing needs;
• Discussing which inks and media work in which printers (and which inks and media will not function in popular printers);
• Explaining inks, colorants, media, paper, substrates in a non-technical, easy to understand manner;
• Providing a follow-up list of key contacts within the industry, pertinent individuals in ink chemistry, media/substrates, printer technology, business-plans and strategy;
• Discussing digital image storage options, digital asset management software, computer platforms (Macintosh vs. PC);
• Discussing color management options, training, follow-up, software, color measurement tools;
• Teaching techniques for printing on ceramic tiles, wood, leather and metal foil (even onto solid metal);
• Understanding how to print art onto silk, cotton, and onto other fabrics with a wide format inkjet printer;
• Providing analysis of market potential for the market(s) your company is seeking to enter.

FLAAR on-site professional consulting services are available auf Deutsch, en Español, and in English. Consulting includes selecting one of three options that best fits your business needs:

Examples of what kinds of individuals or corporations come to FLAAR for consulting:

• Investment banks, investors
• Fortune 500 companies
• Individuals starting a second-business, retirement business
• packaging companies
• digital print shops
• screen printing and offset printing companies.

Option 1:  Arrive in your city the night before to settle in. Consulting begins in the morning anytime from breakfast onward and may continue into a working and/or social evening meal.  FLAAR consultant returns back to the university the following day (redeye flights into Toledo are not readily available).  Hence there are two overnights but maximized time for consulting and getting to know each other during the entire day of meetings.

Option 2:  FLAAR consultant(s) arrive the night before to settle in. Consultation meetings begin first thing the next morning. FLAAR consultant returns to the university the last available evening flight that day.  Hence there is only one overnight stay.

Option 3:  We fly in to your city on an early morning flight; return to the university on the last available evening fight.  No overnight accommodations.  Continuing consultation (by phone, e-mail, special reports specifically for your needs) is a flat fee per hour.  However in most cases we can solve your problems with a single visit to your site.  Our consultant(s) can sign non-disclosure agreements (NDA), provide exclusivity options, and can adapt themselves to your specific wants and needs.

Option 4: retainer for one to three months whereby Dr Nicholas Hellmuth answers your questions via Skype, conference call, or e-mail over a period of one to three months (instead of flying to your offices for a single day).

After we have visited your facility, met your key people, and have established a consulting relationship you may retain FLAAR staff as consultants via e-mail, telephone, or in-person.  More often than not, a one day consultation visit is ample time to provide all the tips, help, info, and consulting services.  This of course is dependent upon each individual business needs and demands.

Market Analysis, Marketing Survey Data, etc.

FLAAR also offers market survey information and product analysis for ink, media, hardware, and software manufacturers.  FLAAR’s market information can help your business focus on the features end-users are most happy with or would like to see improved.

If you wish to hire Professor Hellmuth as a consultant to come to your company, please write to ReaderService@FLAAR.org, in case you receive no answer, write CustomerSupport@FLAAR.org. We prefer all initial contact to be by e-mail, but if you are unsure whether your e-mail has gone through, use our VoIP / Vonage telephone # 1 419 823-9218.

FLAAR serves as consultant for Fortune 500 companies as well as companies who wish to reach that level.  Because about 100,000 people every month read the FLAAR reports on our dozen web sites it is not possible to respond to fax inquiries unless to establish a professional relationship on a fee basis.

If you are an individual, a small business, as well as a large company, we reply to the Inquiry-Survey Form usually within 48 hours, so submitting the form via e-mail is the best way to contact us.  There is no cost for FLAAR to send you the free reports that you request via the Inquiry-Survey Form..

Please understand that due to the size of the readership it is not realistic to handle inquiries by telephone unless we have a working relationship with your company initiated by your fax followed by a day of consulting at your place or at FLAAR’s home facility.

We can read Español, Deutsch, and English. But you can also write us in Italian, French, and Portuguese. We can respond (in writing) in Spanish or English but can read the rest. Consulting can be in Spanish, German, or English.

Any time you order three or more FLAAR Reports on UV printers, you can ask for as many of these June 2007 articles as you wish. The articles on UV printers are by Nicholas Hellmuth; the article on RIP software is by Mandy Daniel, color management expert who worked with FLAAR at FESPA and works with FLAAR as a trainer in color management.

Consulting for giclee, decor, fine art photography and scanning. (FREE Download)	For all wide-format inkjet printers, RIP, Ink & Substrates. (FREE Download)

Consulting for UV printer manufacturers, available to manufacturers only: ink, media, substrate, scanner, RIP software, printer manufacturers, integrators, parts manufacturers, please request this by e-mail from ReaderService@FLAAR.org	To obtain this PDF on consulting services for financial analysts and business strategy consultants, please request this by e-mail from ReaderService@FLAAR.org

FLAAR Schedule 2009-2010

Most recently updated Jaunary 12, 2010.

Previous updates: July 2, 2009, July 4, 2007; May 2, 2006.