Training and Education

The Drupa innovation parc (dip) is best described as a “microcosm of innovations” and will feature eight different themed sections at the Drupa 2008 exhibition. It is particularly well-suited for startup companies and smaller-sized firms as an ideal venue to highlight their cutting-edge developments. Established companies will also have a strong presence, but there is an important prerequisite: They must be future-oriented and global. The products in this exhibition space will cover the gamut of printing solutions, from Web-to-print applications to workflow systems through to creative image retouching. Océ, the official print partner of dip, will provide the Drupa think tank with professional

IN A development of significance for graphic arts companies utilizing foreign talent, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently amended its regulations relating to the unlawful hiring or continued employment of unauthorized aliens. Specifically, the amended regulation describes the legal obligations of an employer that receives either 1) a “no-match letter” from the Social Security Administration (SSA) or 2) a letter regarding employment verification forms from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). An employer “no-match letter” (also known as an “Employer Correction Request”) is a written notice from the SSA that the name and social security account number submitted to the SSA for an

WILLISTON, VT—With the prime foliage season as a backdrop, KBA North America held an open house October 12-14 in its demo center here to showcase its wide range of 20˝ to 81˝ sheetfed offset press offerings, including the 20˝ Genius 52 UV, 29˝ Performa 74, 41˝ Rapida 105 and 56˝ Rapida 142 presses. Holger Garbrecht, newly named president and CEO of KBA North America, welcomed the 150-plus attendees. “We want to show you special applications because this is a segment where you can still make a lot of money,” he noted. During the three-day presentation, presses produced jobs on a variety of substrates, including canvas, lenticular,

LENEXA, KS—xpedx Printing Technologies opened its new 20,000-square-foot Ryobi press demonstration and learning center here in suburban Kansas City on October 22. The facility is designed to provide high-level education and demonstrations of Ryobi sheetfed press capabilities, as well as detailed information on the latest printing technologies such as UV, chemical embossing, spot metallic color and lenticular printing. Presses shown at the new center will rotate, enabling printers to see demonstrations and gain technical and business knowledge about specific Ryobi presses. At the grand opening, models on display included a five-color, 23x29˝ Ryobi 755 with coater; a five-color, 14x20˝ Ryobi 525GX with coater; a four-color,

NO DOUBT about it, the printing profession is far down the list of career options being considered by high school and college-age students. Chalk it up to a misconception among the general public and media outlets that print is dead. To the belief that television and, now especially, the Internet, have supplanted the printed word as the communication vehicle of choice for young Millenials and Generation X. To college guidance counselors who still think of printing as a “down and dirty” industry, not realizing the computer, electronics and information technology skill sets now mandated to perform many graphic arts industry job functions. Admittedly,

HUDSON, NH—Oct. 9, 2007—Presstek, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRST), the leading manufacturer and marketer of digital offset printing business solutions, today announced that President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Jacobson has been appointed to the EDSF board of directors. EDSF is the international, non-profit organization dedicated to the document management and graphic communications industries. As a charitable foundation, EDSF is dedicated to preparing the next generation of professionals for the document management and graphic communications marketplace. The organization supports the industry’s future by granting scholarships to students in support of their academic careers, providing a research grant/mentor program for colleges and universities, building career awareness, and recognizing

RESTON, VA—10/05/07—The NPES 2007 Annual Conference will be held November 3-5 at the Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego, California. Themed “Navigating the Winds of Change”, the program is designed to equip attendees with all of the knowledge, trend and market place data, and insights needed to strategically move their companies forward in the months and years ahead. Among the highlights of the conference will be keynote speaker Bo Burlingham, Editor-at-Large of Inc. magazine and author of Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big. Burlingham will reveal why a growing number of maverick companies have decided to pass up the growth

SOUTHBOROUGH, MA—Oct. 4, 2007—Printing Industries of New England, the region’s largest trade association for printing and graphic communications companies, will host its annual Industry Awards Gala Thursday, Nov. 1 at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel in Framingham, Mass. The Industry Awards Gala has grown to become the preeminent evening for leaders in New England’s $12 billion print marketplace to gather to recognize achievements over the past year. PINE’s Influencer Award, given to an individual who has positively affected the graphic communications industry, will be presented to Randy Davidson, president and founder of WhatTheyThink.com. The popular web site has emerged as a leading source of unbiased information for

THE ROLLER coaster twisted from one side of the Muller Martini booth to the other, an improbably long snake piercing the air in an exhibition hall mostly filled with floor-dwelling equipment. This machine was certainly no bottom feeder—more specifically, it was a top feeder, the Topveyor 365 overhead conveyor. At times an overhead conveyor was needed to circumvent the crowds choking the aisles during Graph Expo 2007 in Chicago. But the patron flow was volatile, and there were periods where one could walk down some of the back aisles of the McCormick Place South Hall without bumping into a poster-toting gawker. . .of which

In the years since the last Drupa, demand for increasingly diverse finishing work has gone hand-in-hand with the trend toward mostly small run sizes. Along with this, trends toward greater use of color and a general demand for higher quality products have gained momentum. Novel finishing solutions introduced back in 2004 have since become integral elements in the printing process. Techniques such as coatings, gold and silver inks, diecutting, embossing and foil application are now routinely used to add value to high-quality print materials. Machine and material manufacturers at Drupa 2008 will be introducing products and services in line with this market trend. Both