DIGITAL digest 1-01
Xeikon, Chromapress User Groups Unite
LAS VEGAS—Xeikon digital press users came together recently to hold the first annual meeting of the Xeikon Digital Printing Association (XDPA). Activities included the election of a board of directors for the new group, which was formed through the consolidation of the former Chromapress Printing Association (CPA) and the Xeikon Users Association (XUA).
The primary reason for the merger was Xeikon N.V.'s acquisition of Agfa's Digital Printing Systems business unit. As a result, Xeikon America and Canopy LLC, Xeikon's North American distributor, took over responsibility for supporting Chromapress users.
"XDPA brings together two groups that share common goals," notes Charles Martin, chairman of XDPA Vegas 2000. "Exchanging variable color printing and e-commerce strategies as one group benefits members with an expanded base of ideas and resources. The combined Xeikon and Chromapress user base is a powerful resource for XDPA members and for the entire digital printing industry."
More than 100 Xeikon and Chromapress users attended the inaugural conference.
The new officers and members of the XDPA Board of Directors include: President John Matyasik, Media Graphics, Chicago; Vice President Lori Pool, Watchdog Print Media, Cypress, CA; Secretary/Treasurer Paul Hudrick, New Dimension, Bristol, PA; Val DiGiacinto (CPA Past President), The Ace Group, New York City; Susan Kinney (XUA Past President), Castle Press, Pasadena, CA; Ray Baggarley, Digital Quickcolor, Irvine, CA; Maria Elliott, Knight Press, North Charleston, SC; Ken Heba, Quality Images, Jacksonville, FL; Barry Levine, Concept Printing, Miami; Charles M. Martin, Harper House, Dallas; Nicole Olszewski, K/P Graphics, San Ramon, CA; Ken Seaman, G.S.D.L., Asheville, NC; Doug Smith, Merlin International, Rochester, NY; David Tobman, Automation Printing, Los Angeles; and Steve Trerotola, Alfa Color Lab, Gardena, CA.
For more information, visit www.xdpa.org.
DIGITAL BYTES
DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY—The previously announced IMPRINTA 2002, scheduled to run in June 2002, has been postponed until February 20 to 25, 2003. The move reportedly was made in response to exhibitors' concerns about the timing in relation to the IPEX show scheduled to run April 9 to 17, 2002, in Birmingham, England.
As a related consequence, the IMPRINTA 2006 installment has been moved up to February of that year, instead of the original June dates. (www.messe-duesseldorf.de)
RYE, NY—Mitsubishi Imaging has been appointed the North American master distributor for Purup-Eskofot's small offset line of digital platesetters. The company already had been distributing Purup-Eskofot's DPX System and DPX Genesis platesetting systems since 1997 under a non-exclusive agreement.
This new agreement gives Mitsubishi Imaging the distribution rights to these two systems, as well as the DPX5080 and Dotmate 7500 platesetting systems. (www.mitsubishiimaging.com)
NORTH HAVEN, CT—Bryon Ramseyer, president of LTC Group/Gamma One, passed away recently. Ramseyer, 53, was one of the initial small group of people who founded the Hell Users Group (HUG) in 1989. HUG was a precursor to the current Heidelberg Digital Imaging Association (HDIA). Ramseyer also was extremely active in the International Prepress Association (IPA), serving on the IPA's Executive Committee until his passing. He was a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology.
According to HDIA President Chris Jackson (Harper House, Dallas), who first joined the association's board during Ramseyer's presidency, "Bryon was an inspiration to many in the industry. His dedication to his company, to his industry friends, to innovation in management and, most of all, to his family, made Byron a role model to us all."
SIOUX FALLS, SD—CCL Labels is the owner of the 500th Fujifilm Sumo Luxel F-9000 imagesetter to be installed worldwide. According to CCL Label representatives, the unit's fast output speed is a key feature of the device. The eight-up, internal-drum imager is offered in single-, dual- and triple-beam laser configurations for increased productivity. (www.fujifilm.com)
JACKSONVILLE, FL—After a year of doing research, Olympus Printing has made the transition to CTP-based production with a Screen PlateRite 4000 thermal plate recorder. "We were doing 100 percent of our work on the PlateRite within three days," says Tommy Zaccour, company president. "There was no need to keep running both film and plates. Our prepress department saves an average of half an hour or more per job."
The company produces a variety of work, from four-color brochures and newsletters to letterhead and forms. (www.screenusa.com)
SEATTLE—K/P Corp. is installing a Xeikon DCP 50D eXpert Plus color digital press system at its Silicon Valley Division in Milpitas, CA. The new equipment will complement the company's existing black-and-white on-demand printing services. K/P had been subcontracting out its on-demand color work. The Silicon Valley division primarily works with high-tech customers to create and deliver complete technical documentation packages and training materials.
The system, which is being installed by Canopy LLC, includes the press, a Canopy Internet-enabled print server and the PDF ProofStreamer on-screen proofing system. (www.kpcorp.com)
SAN BRUNO, CA—xpedx, a national distributor of graphic arts equipment and supplies, has signed an agreement with RealTimeImage to distribute its RealTimeProof Classic online proofing solution. The client-server software package enables users to stream high-resolution files directly from their Local Area Networks (LANs).
It is based on Pixels-On-Demand streaming technology, which uses a free, downloadable plug-in to access images through a Web browser on a PC or Mac. The Classic product reportedly can interface with a user's existing digital asset management system. (www.xpedx.com or www.realtimeimage.com)
MIAMI—Building on an earlier agreement between Océ Printing Systems and Agfa-Gevaert N.V. for the marketing of the Agfa Chromapress, Océ Printing Systems USA now has signed a memorandum of understanding with Xeikon America to market the Xeikon-branded digital color presses with IntelliStream digital front ends. The companies reportedly will work together on solutions for integrating each other's workflow systems.
Under the terms of the agreement, Océ will become the single point of contact for sales, installation, support and service for Xeikon color solutions. As a result, the company has announced plans to complement its current national sales and service support structures with color system specialists. (www.oceusa.com)
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK—Purup-Eskofot and Caslon IT have entered into a distribution agreement for the latter's workflow product, CaslonFlow. The agreement enables Purup-Eskofot to offer the product through its distribution channels worldwide. CaslonFlow is said to automate and streamline the creation and validation of PDF files using standard, off-the-shelf components.
It can serve as a front end to the Purup-Eskofot NewAge output management system. (www.caslonflow.com or www.purup-eskofot.com)
SKOKIE, IL—Great Lakes Graphics, a full-service commercial printer serving the greater Chicago area, has installed a DesertCat 88 thermal computer-to-plate system from ECRM Imaging Systems. The eight-up device also can produce imposed, eight- or four-page digital color proofs that are said to replicate the dot shape, structure and color density in the final printed piece. (www.ecrm.com)
NEW YORK CITY—Expanding its display graphics supplier network into San Francisco and Santa Clara, Photobition Group has acquired Eurocolor Corp. California (ECCC). ECCC services include large-format conventional and digital output, color duplication, design services and digital asset management.
Jacky Andrews, formerly president of ECCC, has been appointed vice president of sales and marketing for Photobition, and now heads its U.S. sales and marketing team. (www.photobition.com)
WESTBORO, MA—Apex Press has installed a Heidelberg Digimaster 9110 digital printer, reportedly making it only the second firm in the state to have the machine. The company serves the business community west of Boston.
Able to produce up to 110 black-and-white cpm, the Digimaster also offers in-line finishing options. (www.heidelbergusa.com)
BRENTWOOD, TN—American Color has consolidated its New York and New Jersey area facilities into a central facility in midtown Manhattan (469 Seventh Avenue). It offers conventional and digital premedia services, including color imaging/retouching, pagination, color proofing, digital asset management and a photography studio.
NEW YORK CITY—Built on a digital foundation when it opened in 1991, Graphics Service Bureau (GSB) has continued to expand its capabilities, most recently with the addition of an Indigo e-Print Pro+ digital color press.
The press is on display through a street-level window in the firm's high-profile Park Avenue location. Open 24 hours a day, GSB offers four-color sheetfed and web digital color printing, black-and-white reproduction, large-format printing and finishing services. (www.indigonet.com)
ROCHESTER, NY—Heidelberg Digital has announced a technology development agreement with Objectif Lune of Québec, Canada, a developer of variable-data printing software. The agreement is said to allow for Heidelberg digital imaging systems to be optionally configured with Objectif Lune's PlanetPress variable-data printing software. The software is an open solution that works across products from many manufacturers. (www.heidelberg.com)
BOONTON, NJ—MEDIA-LOGIX, a multi-disciplinary digital imaging firm, has installed a Heidelberg Primescan 8200 upright drum scanner. This new technology is an outgrowth of the manufacturer's line of DC3000 horizontal drum scanners. (www.heidelbergusa.com)
GIBBSBORO, NJ—Maxwell Graphic Arts has installed a Cymbolic Sciences Plate Jet 8 CTP system and DuPont WaterProof digital proofer. The imaging device reportedly was selected in part because of its ability to handle film and plates, while the capability to simulate PMS color was the key feature in the proofer. (www.cymbolic.com)
