CIP4 Organization — Benefits of Membership
Executive Summary

CIP4 is an open standards association whose mission is to foster automation in the printing industry. Founded in Switzerland and with offices in Germany and the U.S., the CIP4 organization is a worldwide organization with members from over 30 countries.

Membership is organizational and all staff can get CIP4 password accounts. All members have access to a number of benefits, and one of which can easily justify the cost of annual dues:

“Our membership in CIP4 has provided us with a major tool to enable our business to integrate with MIS/ERP systems, resulting in a significant revolution in operations for our customers.” —

Wim Delagrange, EskoArtwork.

1. Full access to member working groups, documents, sample code, tools, CIP4 Wiki, and CIP4 draft specification and work in progress
2. Use of the “CIP4 Member” and “JDF:Profit Smartly” logos on marketing materials, product packaging and websites
3. Free listings in the JDF Integration Matrix, published monthly online and in print at major tradeshows
4. Free listings for products and services in the JDF Marketplace, published two to three times per year
5. Free CIP4 Cybermall listings (with multiple language support), a savings of $3,500 USD off of the non-member rate
6. Free staff member listings in the JDF Speakers’ Bureau, promoting themselves as thought leaders and subject-area experts
7. Eligibility for CIP4 leadership positions, including Advisory Board, Board of Directors, and working group chair and vice-chair positions.
8. Free JDF Bulletins six times per year, including the opportunity to include your JDF-related press releases, case studies, and white papers in the JDF Bulletin, an electronic newsletter distributed six times a year to members and others on a worldwide distribution list.
9. Discounts of $100 on the JDF Expert Certification program through IDEAlliance + IPA
10. Free JDF promotional materials from the CIP4 website, as well as JDF “Profit Smartly” pins, and CIP4 membership banners (at production cost) for display at tradeshows
11. Participation in members-only cooperative trade show programs designed to cost-effectively feature member solutions at major tradeshows.
12. Access to archives of all JDF doc uments, presentations, email threads and more - allows you to track down issues and answers.
13. For your marketing contacts that subscribe to the JDF_Marketing list, notice on unique and often one-time marketing opportunities.

“I have had very technical questions about different JDF systems from multiple companies and how they should work together. Through Japs- Olson’s CIP4 Membership I have not gotten answers from a help desk, but directly from people who are defining the JDF specification. This direct connection was amazing!” —

Dave Loeffelmacher, Layout and Planning Manager, Japs-Olson Company

Of course, like any association, the return on your investment in CIP4 membership will depend on your level of participation and the number of staff that get involved in the areas of activity that most interest them. However, if JDF is in your business plan, the decision to pay the dues in exchange for all of the above benefits should be a no-brainer; it's a great deal.

“Get involved with CIP4. They have a plethora of programs and documentation suitable for learning both the most simple and most complex implementation issues. CIP4 membership benefits serve the gamut from casual observers to high-level technologists who utilize JDF on a daily basis.” —

Brian Ray, Chief Propeller Head, Printable Technologies

Membership in CIP4 is organizational and CIP4 has three primary classes of membership: Partner, Full and Associate. If a company sells software or JDF-enabled systems of any type, they are only eligible for Full ($3,300 USD/year) or Partner ($15,000 USD/year.)

Printers, publishers, prepress services, consultants, distributors, integrators and educational institutes are afforded a significantly discounted rate on membership ($175 USD/year). The founders of CIP4 agreed that the input of printers, publishers and prepress services is critical to the success of CIP4 and its standards; hence, the significant discount.

If you have questions regarding CIP4 membership benefits feel free to contact either Mark Wilton of Wilton & Partners Consulting Inc. and CIP4 Membership Officer, via email at  membership_officer@cip4.org or via telephone at: +1 604 418 6421, or contact CIP4 Executive Director James Harvey via email at  executive_director@cip4.org or via telephone at: +1 410 451 5040.

Interested in joining CIP4? You can start the process by submitting an application for membership.

• JDF Brochure PDF