Digital Print 360

Xerox Color 800/1000 Presses Attract Industry Attention

Editor — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:00:00 +0000

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Xerox Corporation’s (NYSE: XRX) new Color 800/1000 Presses have made a great first impression as printers around the world install the devices to produce vivid images on a wide range of paper stocks.

The systems, printing 80 and 100 pages per minute respectively, are ideal for print service providers looking to expand their digital businesses to produce sophisticated, full-color applications including sales collateral and direct-marketing pieces.

“This is the first time that the ability to add a special effect, such as this clear coating, has been made available through a fifth imaging station in a Xerox production color product,” said Jim Hamilton, group director, InfoTrends’ Production Hardware Consulting Services. “I am sure customers will be able to use it to great advantage as they create and sell value-added content that goes beyond the four process colors.”

Recent installations of the Xerox Color 800/1000 Presses include:

* James River Press, together with Mailing Services Inc., will use the Xerox Color 800 Press to offer high-end variable-data print jobs to a broad spectrum of clients and prospects. The two companies, located in Richmond, Va., are producing a 5,000 piece three-part mailer with seven different versions and personalized imaging on both sides.

“All of this will be done in one pass on the Xerox Color 800,” said Easley Johnson, vice president, Sales and Marketing, James River Press. “There will be tremendous savings in time and costs running a job like this on the 800 versus offset.”

* The official printer of the Denver Broncos, Publication Printers, purchased the Xerox Color 1000 Press to broaden its digital printing capabilities. The full-service print company will use the press and its clear dry ink feature to enhance short-run color applications, variable-data print jobs and proofing web press applications.

“This new technology will amp up our digital capabilities and we expect an increase in business,” said Kerri Rosenberg-Hallet, director, Sales and Marketing, Publication Printers. “As the print-on-demand market grows, we need to constantly improve our arsenal of equipment and offerings to stay ahead of the pack.”

* Serbin Printing selected the Xerox Color 1000 Press after serving as a customer test site. “We had the opportunity to ‘kick the tires’ of the Xerox 1000 Press before it launched and we were impressed with what we saw; we knew the press could help drive our growing book business,” said Mark Serbin, president, Serbin Printing.

The Sarasota, Fla.-based full-service commercial print shop utilizes Xerox FreeFlow® Web Services and XMPie’s UDirect® Studio to enable more applications and new revenue streams. They have also found the Xerox ProfitAccelerator® Business Development Tools beneficial in attracting new customers.

* Sir Speedy Printing and Marketing Services located in eastern Tampa, is the first Sir Speedy franchise to purchase the Xerox Color 800 Press. Serving the business-to-business market, Sir Speedy will use the device to print booklets, postcards, door hangers, fliers and business cards. Personalized print jobs will be supported with XMPie’s uDirect Classic.

“We have a diverse customer base, and the applications coming off the Xerox Color 800 Press – particularly with its color quality and clear dry ink –will appeal to all of them,” said Steve Albritton, vice president, Sales and Marketing, Sir Speedy.

* Herts Display, a Xerox Premier Partner located in the U.K. and also a customer test site for the press, purchased the first two Xerox Color 1000 Presses in Europe. The printing and stationery company will use the machines to produce a wide range of applications including fliers, newsletters, brochures and variable-data documents.

“We expect the Xerox Color 1000 Press to have a massive impact on the digital printing world, giving users like Herts Display both a competitive edge and a superior product,” said Pete Watkins, director, Herts Display.

Newspaper Printer Achieves Goals in Transition to Digital with Kodak’s CTP Solutions

Editor — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:57:01 +0000

Rochester, NY, July 19 — Memphis, Tennessee-based The Commercial Appeal is realizing outstanding results in its print production operation with CTP solutions from Kodak. The newspaper installed a complete, integrated CTP system two years ago.

Established in 1841 and part of the E.W. Scripps Newspaper Group, The Commercial Appeal laid out specific goals in its search for a CTP solutions vendor after making the decision to switch from analog.

“We were looking to improve efficiencies, shorten deadlines, and improve registration on image quality,” said David Langlais, Production Manager, The Commercial Appeal. “Working with Kodak, we realized all three of those goals.”

The Commercial Appeal installed two KODAK GENERATION NEWS Platesetters, with KODAK NS Digital Newspaper Plates, KODAK SQUARESPOT Imaging Technology and KODAK MERCURY P-HD Plate Processors.

“The systems are so consistent and reliable,” said Langlais. “We’ll print off of three different presses and receive the same image quality from all three.”

The paper currently employs more than 400 people in Memphis. With such a large operation, even the slightest efficiency gains can make a large impact.

“With the new systems, start-up waste has been decreased by almost 1%, which is significant for us,” said Langlais.

The KODAK GENERATION NEWS Platesetter is a high-performance CTP device designed to meet the demanding needs of medium to large newspaper printers. KODAK NS Digital Newspaper Plates are designed specifically to increase productivity for newspaper printers. The KODAK NS Plate processes at an extremely productive rate of 1.5 – 2m/minute, increasing production output and enabling a very clean processing environment. In addition, the quality provided by the thermal CTP process and the robust nonimage, highly durable coating enables the elimination of slip sheets, reducing waste, saving space and removing the costs of labor, capital and maintenance associated with de-interleafing equipment. KODAK SQUARESPOT Imaging Technology allows printers to reach a higher level of stability, accuracy, and reliability in their printing operation. KODAK MERCURY P-HD Plate Processors are heavy-duty photopolymer plate processors designed to meet the demanding needs of the newspaper industry and high-volume commercial users.

KODAK Products are backed by KODAK Service and Support. KODAK Service and Support is made up of more than 3,000 professionals in 120 countries. It is a leading multi-vendor integrated services provider, delivering consulting, installation, maintenance and support services for commercial printing, graphic communications, document imaging, data storage and retail industries. KODAK Service and Support professionals are uniquely qualified to provide services that control costs, maximize productivity, and minimize business risk.
About Kodak

As the world’s foremost imaging innovator, Kodak helps consumers, businesses, and creative professionals unleash the power of pictures and printing to enrich their lives.

To learn more, visit http://www.kodak.com and follow our blogs and more at http://www.kodak.com/go/followus.

More than 75 million people worldwide manage, share and create photo gifts online at KODAK Gallery—join today at www.kodakgallery.com

Tipping Point: New Pitney Bowes White Paper Highlights How Companies Can Profit from Digital Color Printing

Editor — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:00:00 +0000

STAMFORD, Conn., July 19, 2010 – Pitney Bowes’s (NYSE:PBI) new white paper entitled “The New Economics of Color Print,” reveals technology trends in digital color printing offer potential cost savings and revenue generating advantages to organizations that choose to harness the power of color to enhance the value of their customer communications.

While the benefits of color print have been documented for decades, the economics have only recently tipped from black-and-white to color. “Affordable, color digital printing is a game-changer,” said Kevin Marks, a vice president of marketing for production print at Pitney Bowes. “Innovative printing technology can streamline workflow to generate personalized color documents at significantly lower per-page costs especially when you consider postage savings and elimination of pre-printed paper stocks. Companies can also capitalize on the high open and read rates of transaction documents by adding relevant, data-driven offers and promotional messages.”

Marks is hosting a webinar to discuss these findings on Wednesday, July 21, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Jim Hamilton, the group director of production printing and publishing for InfoTrends Inc., will be the guest speaker on the webinar. Registration and additional information is available online at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/373946203.

The white paper asserts that most cost-benefit analyses of color versus black-and-white printing focus too narrowly on the metric of cost per impression, in which color appears to be at a disadvantage. These analyses fail to account for the true, fully-loaded enterprise costs. For example, companies that print their statements in black-and-white on pre-printed paper stock must also account for the cost of ordering, printing, storing, managing and eventual obsolescence of the unique forms. Digital color printers, by contrast, can create a colorful impression using standard blank white paper stocks, which are lower cost and easier to manage. Additionally, considerable savings can be realized by grouping print runs in new ways that boost productivity and capture postal efficiencies.

Equally significant are the potential revenue opportunities that companies can realize with the effective use of color and targeted messaging. Adding promotional messages and other relevant information onto transactional mailpieces has become a major focal point for marketers and mailers in recent years – and with good reason. Transactional mail generally requires action by the customer, so it is significantly more likely to get opened and read. Digital print stream engineering enables businesses to incorporate “on-serts,” pinpointed messaging printed in color directly onto current transactional documents and envelopes. The white paper notes that a recent study of 1,500 consumers found that 69% said they were more likely to open a mailpiece with color text and graphics. Messages from companies that invest in color are more likely to rise to the top for discriminating consumers who are already saturated with marketing offers in every conceivable medium.

About Pitney Bowes:

Celebrating its 90th year of innovation, Pitney Bowes provides software, hardware and services that integrate physical and digital communications channels. Long known for making its customers more productive, Pitney Bowes is increasingly helping other companies grow their business. Pitney Bowes is a $5.6 billion company and employs 33,000 worldwide. Pitney Bowes: Every connection is a new opportunity™. www.pb.com

Agfa Graphics acquires Pitman Company USA

Editor — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 07:45:00 +0000

* Agfa Graphics strengthens its distribution power and expands its presence in the growing US industrial printing industry
* Acquisition boosts Agfa Graphics’ revenue in the US to over $500 million
* EBIT margin of acquired Pitman business is expected to be well in line with Agfa Graphics’ global 7 percent EBIT target
* Agfa Graphics enters the packaging and pressroom printing markets with a comprehensive product portfolio from a wide range of world class manufacturers
* Agfa Graphics gains unique opportunity to grow its industrial inkjet business with complementary product lines

Agfa Graphics announced that it has signed an agreement to purchase the assets of the Harold M. Pitman Company, a leading US supplier of prepress, industrial inkjet, pressroom and packaging printing products and systems.

The Pitman Company acquisition substantially increases Agfa Graphics’ revenue in the US to more than $500 million. The incremental EBIT contribution is expected to be well in line with Agfa Graphics’ global 7 percent target. After the closing, Agfa expects further growth of its US top line resulting from the combination of expertise available in both companies. Agfa also expects strong synergies to be delivered from the consolidation of sales forces and the reduction of G&A expenses.

Based in Totowa, New Jersey, the Pitman Company counts 502 employees and 16 locations throughout the USA. The acquisition will enable Agfa Graphics to significantly strengthen its position in the US printing industry. Pitman’s large customer base and knowledge of the industry will offer immediate and unique growth opportunities for Agfa Graphics’ industrial inkjet and prepress solutions. Agfa Graphics’ addressable market will increase substantially, thanks to the addition of numerous product lines to its offering, including flexographic printing plate solutions for the packaging industry, pressroom products and value added services. Moreover, Agfa Graphics will be able to complement its own developed industrial inkjet offering with the addition of a vast range of media, new inks and wide format printing systems.

” Pitman’s strong distribution network and broad portfolio of products and systems, combined with our leading technology, will provide us with promising growth opportunities in this strategically important region. One glance at Pitman’s extensive catalog is enough to understand that we will considerably expand our scope,” said Stefaan Vanhooren, Agfa Graphics’ president. “One of the main drivers behind this decision was the fact that we gain a unique opportunity to significantly grow our inkjet business.”

Pitman’s Chairman of the Board, Paul (Peter) F. Schmidt, Jr., stated “Our family built the Pitman Company into an industry leading graphic solutions provider and for over 50 years we have been strategic partners with Agfa. I feel very confident about this new chapter in the history of the Pitman Company and I know that it is the combined force of Pitman and Agfa that will drive this company to the next level by providing present and future customers a greater value package of goods and services.”

Unit Safety Signs of Japan Gains Speed and Flexibility with Agfa’s :Dotrix Modular UV Inkjet Press

Editor — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Agfa Graphics today announced that Unit Safety Signs (USS), a large Japanese company specialising in the design and manufacture of safety signs and products for the safety industry, is able to handle shorter run lengths and expand its media assortment thanks Agfa Graphics’ Dotrix digital UV inkjet press. The company, which has been operating since 1968, has seen the market for safety signs growing in recent years, and the competition getting tougher and tougher.

That’s what prompted the company to purchase and install Agfa’s Dotrix UV inkjet press. One challenge for USS has been dealing with the trend to shorter run lengths and quicker turnaround times requested by their clients. USS have also seen reductions in demand for signs printed on rigid media and board, with the growth seen for signs printed on roll or flexible sheet material. otrix handles them all for USS.

“We also need the ability of the otrix to ‘print on demand’ and reduce inventory of finished product by turning work around quicker than was possible before. Having efficient production equipment like the otrix in-house is a major advantage for us over our competition”, said Mr.Keijiro Kuroda, Production Manager of USS. “We can complete work very quickly compared to traditional print methods. Unlike the silk screen method the otrix doesn’t need a drying oven – this is another cash/energy saving and one that is good for the environment”.

Traditional silk screen production is good for producing certain types of print work but it is slow and labour intensive. Analogue silk screen plates are made manually, which takes too much time. For USS, Agfa’s otrix works so much faster, and is still able to produce high-quality print using vivid, durable UV inks on a wide variety of substrates.

“USS have clear goals for their otrix. They will be able to reduce the money they spend on subcontracting work to external suppliers for short-run jobs. Additionally, they will be moving more and more work away from their old silk screening production and onto the otrix. USS’ non-digital competitors in the safety sign market will find USS setting the pace in their industry”, said Tojo Yoshimitsu , General Sales Manager Agfa Graphics Japan.

The:Dotrix digital UV inkjet press, with a printing width of 63cm, is the most productive UV, single-pass printing press in the industry. otrix is the only digital press able to print with high production capacity on a wide variety of substrates ranging from flexible foils, 20 micron over self-adhesives, to folding cartons up to 600 micron. With its modular construction, traditional UV flexo printing stations that can serve as coating and varnishing alleys can be added to the roll-to-roll basic configuration. Slitting and die-cutting as well as sheeter installations can also be integrated to complete the system.

Kodak Announces Expanded Relationship with xpedx as Primary National Dealer in the United States

Editor — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 13:12:01 +0000

Rochester, NY, July 7 — Eastman Kodak Company announced today that it has named xpedx as the company’s primary U.S. national authorized reseller for Kodak’s suite of commercial prepress products.

“Kodak is expanding its relationship with xpedx because we believe it will support the best interests of our customers,” said Don Whaley, Director, Channel and Key Account Development, Kodak, North America. “Our top priority is to ensure that our customers have steady, seamless access to Kodak’s unmatched product portfolio and xpedx is the best national partner to deliver speed and excellence on a local level.”

Separately, Kodak has notified Pitman Company that Kodak is terminating Pitman’s right to distribute all Kodak products. This termination will take effect at the end of business on October 5, 2010.

“We have already begun working with our customers to ensure a smooth transition to an alternative source of supply,” said Vic Stalam, Director, Commercial Sales, Kodak, North America. “Meanwhile, we have set up a dedicated customer number—1-800-929-9209—to handle questions and concerns on product delivery, availability and transition details.”

As the world’s foremost imaging innovator, Kodak helps consumers, businesses, and creative professionals unleash the power of pictures and printing to enrich their lives.

To learn more, visit http://www.kodak.com and follow our blogs and more at http://www.kodak.com/go/followus.

More than 75 million people worldwide manage, share and create photo gifts online at KODAK Gallery—join today at www.kodakgallery.com

In the graphic communications market, Kodak offers the broadest portfolio of integrated solutions to help customers grow their business. For more information, visit www.graphics.kodak.com. For downloading photos and videos from Kodak’s image library, visit www.kodak.com/go/gcgimages.

The Future of Inkjet

Editor — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Agfa Graphics announced today that the company has teamed up with the International Sign Association (ISA) for “The Future of Inkjet” webinar being held Thursday, July 8th, 2010 from 2:00pm to 3:30pm (EDT). “The Future of Inkjet” webinar will be an interactive discussion on the latest trends in the marketplace. The discussion will also highlight the availability of growth opportunities via inkjet technologies such as textile printing, POP/packaging, interior design, retail applications and more.

Deborah Hutcheson, Agfa’s director of marketing for North America, will moderate the webinar. Plus, Bob Murray and Dennis Oliva of McRae Imaging, a leading dye-sub and fabric printer based in Mississauga, ON, and Tony Morrone, president of Signco, Inc., a Chicago-based sign company, will offer their real-world perspectives and experiences with inkjet.

For more information about the webinar, visit the ISA website’s events page, at http://www.signs.org/Events/EventsCalendar.aspx.

About ISA

The International Sign Association (ISA) is a 2,300-member trade association, the members of which are manufacturers, users and suppliers of on-premise signs and other visual communications products from the 50 United States and 54 countries around the world. ISA supports, promotes and improves the visual communications industry, which sustains the nation’s retail, distribution, service and manufacturing industries. For more information, visit the association’s web site at http://www.signs.org.

Japs-Olson Company Purchases KODAK PROSPER S10 Imprinting System, Plans to Install 24 New Printheads

Editor — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:42:01 +0000

ROCHESTER, N.Y., June 30 — In the largest purchase to date for the KODAK PROSPER S10 Imprinting System, the Japs-Olson Company has signed for 24 PROSPER S10 Imprinting System printheads to upgrade its hybrid printing operations for high-volume direct mail and other variable data applications. Minneapolis-based Japs-Olson, one of the largest commercial printing and direct mail production companies in the United States, will use the PROSPER S10 Imprinting System to enhance high-quality, high-speed inline digital printing on its web offset presses with industry-leading 600 dpi capability.

“Japs-Olson is committing to the PROSPER System technology as the future platform for high-quality and high-production variable printing,” said Michael Murphy, company president. “Seeing the PROSPER S10 Imprinting System in action confirmed that this technology will take hybrid printing to the next level.”

The KODAK PROSPER S10 Imprinting System, which can be seamlessly integrated inline into a variety of web offset presses, operates at speeds of up to 1,000 fpm (305 mpm) with a resolution of 600 dpi, saving time and money over a traditional, two-step variable data process that combines offset pre-printed forms and offline laser imprinting.

For many years, Japs-Olson has relied on a full range of KODAK Solutions, including KODAK MAGNUS 800 Platesetters imaging KODAK THERMAL GOLD Plates, KODAK APPROVAL Proofing Systems, KODAK VERSAMARK DS9100 and DS5300 Printing Systems, KODAK PRINERGY Workflow System with KODAK INSITE Software, KODAK UPFRONT Software, and KODAK PREPS Software.

Japs-Olson Company, founded in 1907 by Barney Japs and G.F. Olson, owes its success in the direct mail industry to equipping highly skilled employees with state-of-the-art tools, and total dedication to the needs of the customer. The company, which started out as a modest job-shop printer, has evolved over its history through constant innovation and refinement of production processes. Since the early 1990s, Kodak has been Japs-Olson’s leading solutions provider.

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About KODAK PROSPER Solutions

Based on innovative KODAK Stream Inkjet Technology, KODAK PROSPER Solutions deliver digital without compromise, enabling print service providers to produce offset class output in terms of speed, quality, and cost for their clients.

The family of KODAK PROSPER Products includes the KODAK PROSPER S10 Imprinting System, for direct mail, catalogs, magazines, newspapers, inserts, and transactional documents; KODAK PROSPER 1000 Press for books and direct mail; and KODAK PROSPER 5000XL Press for books, direct mail, catalogs/inserts and magazines. For more information, visit www.prosper.kodak.com.
About Japs-Olson Company

Japs-Olson Company, founded in 1907, has been at the forefront of the commercial printing and direct mail production industry for over 100 years. Based in Minneapolis, it is one of the 10 largest commercial printing and direct mail production firms in the country thanks to its highly skilled work force and ongoing investment in equipment and technology. Japs-Olson is a charter member of the PIM Great Printer Environmental Initiative, holds the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification and has achieved the SAS 70 Type II Certification.

For more information, visit the web site at www.japsolson.com or call 800-548-2897.

Signs Now Increases Speed and Sales with Agfa’s :Anapurna M4f

Editor — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Agfa announced today that Signs Now (Marietta, GA), a sign and graphics franchise shop, has increased turnaround time and experienced an influx of new accounts and repeat business since purchasing and installing the :Anapurna M4f from Agfa Graphics in the fall of 2009. Signs Now produces outdoor and indoor posters, exhibit graphics, vehicle graphics, magnet signs and more.

According to the owner of Signs Now, Feroz Fatehali, “Sales continue to improve, especially in retail signage for malls. We use 24 point card stock with the :Anapurna M4f. We couldn’t sell that before. We have also discovered that maintenance costs are low with the Anapurna M4f. Overall, this is a great time for my business.”

The :Anapurna M4f is a wide-format industrial UV inkjet printer designed for rigid media, providing photorealistic quality POP, displays, posters, exhibition panels, stage graphics, ad panels and more. It features a print resolution of 720 x 1440 dpi and a maximum printing width of 62 inches.

“Mr. Fatehali saw several demonstrations of the :Anapurna at industry trade shows and at Agfa’s demo center in New Jersey before making the purchase,” said Deborah Hutcheson, Director of Marketing, Agfa Graphics. “As a result, his customers are no longer waiting days for their projects. Instead, Signs Now completes many of them in a few hours. Additionally, Mr. Fatehali and his staff have more time to handle incoming jobs and new business development.”

StylePrint Purchases Second :M-Press Tiger from Agfa Only Five Months After Installing Its First

Editor — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:00:00 +0000

“Since the acquisition of the first :M-Press Tiger our customers like the quality so much that the demand for the high-quality prints has gone up to the point where we clearly see the need for a second engine,” said Andrew Woodhouse, who heads production at StylePrint. “Our customers do not just ask us for print, they specify ‘Tiger Prints.’ A Tiger Print is becoming a new definition in Australia.”
“StylePrint is a true digital pioneer in screen printing. Their success is so pleasing to us because it is additional confirmation that :M-Press delivers the results for which it was designed,” said Tom Cloots, Agfa’s business unit manager for :M-Press.

Developed jointly with Thieme, Agfa’s :M-Press Tiger combines the printing expertise of both companies: screen printing from Thieme and digital inkjet printing from Agfa. The :M-Press Tiger can print up to 700 square metres per hour including loading and unloading, with no make ready, films or screens. It can handle substrates up to 10 mm thick. It features a colour gamut better than ISOcoated V2, the offset gamut. It also enables variable data printing.

“The ability to offer our clients photo quality as well as variable data is what our business is all about-opening up new opportunities for our customers,” added Woodhouse.

Employing 60 people, StylePrint, which was founded by Terry and Elizabeth Woodhouse, is one of Australia’s most respected screen printers serving advertising and retail clients with posters, point-of-sale (POS), indoor and outdoor displays and more. It was their sons, Andrew and Michael that took the company into the digital era.

“Agfa’s M-Press Tiger is the first true production digital machine that really bridges the gap between speed and quality. It is economical and the quality is unbeatable,” said Michael Woodhouse. “it’s been designed in a way that mimics screen systems, so it suits operations like ours precisely.”
The Woodhouse’s also appreciate the “Green” aspect of the :M-Press Tiger. “Digital does not require screens, films, chemistry and water, so it is easy for us to be more environmentally responsible,” added Michael Woodhouse.