You may have noticed some subtle changes this month to the
magazine’s look and name. And perhaps you headed here, in search of
enlightenment. Beginning this month, we have changed the publication
name to Printed Circuit Design & Fab. And much like Readers Digest, Sports Illustrated
and other subscription magazines, each issue will feature multiple
covers – one version highlighting design, the other focused on
fabrication. Your job function, as indicated on the subscription form
you filled out, will determine which version you receive.
But
be aware that the variance is only skin-deep: The editorial contents
are identical. We will continue as the industry’s strongest advocates
of design and fabrication.
For those of you with a
decade or more in the industry, the light bulb has probably already
gone off. But newcomers who don’t know the history of the magazine
might be wondering about the new name and look.
Here’s the backstory. Through March 2003, Printed Circuit Design and PC FAB were two distinct magazines. (In fact, PC FAB began as Printed Circuit Fabrication and morphed over the years.)
Prior
to 2003, each magazine had its own specific readership, and there was
little crossover. But, as we know, the lines between design and
fabrication were blurring. To help spur the process, UP Media Group
took the early lead in supporting communication between these
professions by folding these two leading brands into one dynamic
product.
During this same time, the world was
changing rapidly, and many of the large North American fabricators
moved offshore or simply went out of business, sharply reducing the
domestic industry on the fab side of the house. America’s loss was
Asia’s gain. Readership abroad climbed as the magazine spread to a new
body of engineers in China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and elsewhere. At the
same time, printed circuit design continued to thrive, and designer
subscriptions grew. Today, the magazine truly has a global reach.
The
fusion of design and fab has really caught on, as our steady growth in
readership on both sides of the printed circuit equation readily
supports.
The mission of Printed Circuit Design & Fab
is to combine the best of both disciplines – design and fab – into a
family of products that provide electronics industry professionals with
a single source for all their technical, news and market requirements.
Through
the reintroduction of the PC Fab identity into the magazine’s brand, we
are revitalizing our overall message of balanced design and fab
content. Take heed: We are not overhauling the content. Rather, we are
striving to underscore a message that was getting lost: that
fabrication is a vital part of our editorial package.
Our readers – be they designers or fabricators – appreciate the education and communication opportunities that Printed Circuit Design & Fab
creates within the supply chain. To paraphrase veteran designer Kelly
Dack, “Get the fabricator and designer talking, and they can rule the
world.” We know, as you do, just how critical a common platform – be it
the circuit board or this magazine – is for product and program success.
P.S.
Alert readers will also notice the ad for Virtual PCB (pg. 42), the
industry’s first virtual trade show, where PCB design, fabrication and
assembly equipment and materials buyers can interact with fellow
attendees and exhibitors without the hassles and expenses of traveling.
We have been researching virtual shows for seven years, and the
technology has finally caught up to where it actually looks and feels
like a “real” show. While we don’t intend for Virtual PCB to replace
the face-to-face experience, it will greatly expand readers’ ability to
keep up with what’s going on in the industry.
