Canon U.S.A.

The move to a digital, on-demand platform was putting T.J. Keesler’s bindery in...well, a bind. Keesler, facility manager at Georgia Correctional Industries (GCI) in Buford, Ga., had to accommodate his customers’ needs for shorter runs and quicker turnaround times. “We just started out digital, on-demand printing about a year ago, and we realized that a lot of our customers wanted coil binding,” Keesler recounts. “We were farming this work out, or we were doing it at a much slower pace with some antiquated equipment and also some hand work. I wanted to automate the process.”

For years, producing commencement programs was a cumbersome task for Appalachian State University Printing and Publications. Printed sheets had to be moved by hand between stand-alone collating, stitching and folding equipment to create about 15,000 programs. “We hired temp employees for that type of work,” says Joyce Mahaffey, director of the Boone, N.C., in-plant.

AS RANDY Smith sees it, the only way his in-plant can ensure a quick response to its customers’ needs is by doing the work in-house—and that means having the necessary equipment on hand, ready for action. “I try so hard to do as much as I can under this one roof,” says Smith, director of University Printing Services at Texas Tech University. In pursuit of that goal, the 35-employee in-plant has added an impressive array of equipment over the last few months. At the top of the list is a new HP Indigo 5500. Installed in late July, it is the in-plant’s first digital color press.

It’s finally happened: we’re living in an age when cameras will, in certain modes, just shoot themselves. 2009 also looks like a year when things we once thought of as cinematic special effects, like the projection of Obi Wan giving Princess Leia her marching orders or Dick Tracy getting an assignment from his wrist phone, make their way into real-world mobile devices.

Canon's latest flagship camcorder, th Vixia HF S10, comes with a new "Video Snapshot" mode.

It's finally happened:  we're living in an age when cameras will, in certain modes, just shoot themselves. 

It's finally happened:  we're living in an age when cameras will, in certain modes, just shoot themselves. 

Tod Pike is the new president of Canon Business Solutions, a subsidiary of Canon U.S.A. He has been senior vice president and general manager of Canon U.S.A.’s Imaging Systems Group since May 1999.

Prior to serving in this role, he served as president of Office Equipment and executive vice president and general manager of the Imaging Systems Group at Canon Canada. Pike began his Canon career in 1993 as an executive vice president with MCS Business Machines (now part of CBS), and was promoted to president.

Our recent survey of insurance company in-plants may not have drawn a record response (just 28) but those who did reply run some very large operations. A third of them have more than 50 full-time employees. The median number of employees is 14 and the average is 50.

MARGARET KLING began her career in the printing industry rather unexpectedly three decades ago. “I had a week-old baby at home,” recalls Kling, “and my sister-in-law wanted me to help out for two weeks, part time...[type]setting some name badges.” Glad to lend a hand, the self-described “stay-at-home mom” took the temp job at First Capital Printing, in St. Louis. There she made a discovery: she had a knack for typesetting.  

While things remain bleak in the retail landscape this holiday season, there remains demand for consumer electronics- and in fact, a full third of customers say that they are either planning to shop for- or hoping to receive CE products for the holidays.

The Mallard Press is proud and excited to announce the purchase of American Graphic Specialties, a long-time provider of specialty products and services. In addition, key personnel from AGS will be joining the staff of Mallard Press.

Last Friday, Ricoh completed its acquisition of equipment distributor Ikon Office Solutions. Today, IPG learned that Canon has severed its retail dealer agreements with Ikon. Ikon will no longer be an authorized Canon dealer or service provider.

Though several in-plants’ Ikon dealers have reassured them they will see no cutbacks in service of Canon equipment purchased through Ikon, Ikon’s access to Canon’s higher levels of tech support may eventually be impacted. There may also be delays in getting Canon parts and supplies.

Printing Impressions' Across the Nation Commercial Printing News for November 2008

The focus at Graph Expo was on what’s available to buy today, especially with the deadline looming for the investment tax credit. Digital press vendors asserted that the current economic conditions play to the technology’s strengths. Shorter runs produced on demand combined with more targeted, personalized printing enable the industry’s end customers to make the most of their printing spend, the argument goes. And, it’s more sustainable to boot.

IT’S A good thing Catherine Chambers isn’t afraid of a challenge, because that’s exactly what she got when she accepted the position of manager of Printing & Mailing Services for the State College Area School District in State College, Pa. “I replaced an excellent manager [Gary Burris] who’d been in the position for 38 years,” she explains. “It was my job to take an analog print shop, complete with three offset presses, and bring it into the digital age.” And with more than 20 years of experience in managing print, copier and mailing functions in higher education and the private sector, Chambers was

FOR RODNEY Vessell, Missouri State Printer, working in the printing industry was never part of his plan. A native of Farmington, Mo., a town of about 10,000 people, Vessell graduated from Farmington High School in 1980 with one thing on his mind: basketball. In fact, he attended the University of Missouri on a full basketball scholarship, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics. Upon graduation in 1984, he started sending out résumés. One of them found its way into the hands of Gary Judd, the Missouri State Printer. Judd called him for an interview. “After college, I had no

Rajan Sen may be one of the most dedicated prosumer photographers in the country. The New Yorker rarely leaves the house without a camera strapped to his body. He often carries more than one camera, along with plenty of accessories, preparing himself to capture images of the city’s most famous landmarks in each season and in all types of lighting.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., recently announced that it will be instituting a new Canon Professional Services (CPS) program beginning in the first quarter of 2009. The new CPS program, which will require all existing members to reapply, will offer three levels of membership; Silver, Gold and Platinum; to qualifying members, with each level receiving better and more extensive service benefits. The new CPS program is designed to provide the appropriate level of service for each professional demographic and support members with faster service, loan equipment, and a range of other benefits to be announced in the coming months.  “A day without a camera is a

WASHINGTON, DC—10/06/08—The International Cooperation for the Integration of the Processes in Prepress, Press and Postpress (CIP4) organization and Graphic Arts Show Corporation (GASC) today announced details for the JDF Works Print Shop Live! program at GRAPH EXPO 2008. The JDF Works Print Shop Live! is designed to show attendees exactly what can be accomplished using today's print production automation technologies.