Eastman Kodak

WASHINGTON, DC—April 2, 2008—The Print Council, a national business development initiative created to help promote greater use of printing and print media, announced that Mohawk Fine Papers Inc. the largest premium paper manufacturer in North America, has joined the organization. As a new member, Mohawk Fine Papers will work in concert with other member companies of The Print Council to help develop, maintain and expand the market for printed materials. Richard Schielke, National Business Development Manager of Mohawk Fine Papers, notes the importance of The Print Council’s mission for the industry’s future: “Commercial printing today must effectively compete more vigorously than ever against

New Perfector Pumps Up Production at Ultra Imaging BILLINGS, MT—Ultra Imaging, an AlphaGraphics franchise, reports a monthly average increase in print volume of 30 percent since recently installing its four-color Heidelberg Printmaster PM 74 perfector. The new press, which replaced an older two-color model, is being used to print general commercial products, including books, advertising and marketing materials for local clientele, as well as high-end reports for nonprofit organizations. Large-Format UV Press of Choice For Superior LOS ANGELES—Superior Lithographics, a supplier of high-quality litho labels, top sheets and folding cartons, has installed a new six-color, 64˝ KBA Rapida 162a sheetfed press with

Print Snafu ‘Teases’ Taxpayers PLATTSBURGH, NY—Taxpayers here thought they were getting a major discount when their bills arrived, but a printing error isn’t letting anyone off the hook. According to the Plattsburgh (NY) Press Republican, bills arrived at taxpayer homes with the option of making four installment payments or one lump sum payout, accompanied by corresponding coupons. However, the full payment coupon shows the amount for a 25 percent payment. The paper noted that the full amount is listed on the bill, two inches above the coupons. Cenveo Delays 10-K Reporting STAMFORD, CT—An internal review delayed Cenveo’s Form 10-K annual report filing as

ROCHESTER, NY—Mar. 27—Kodak successfully launched its “Connect the Dots” road show, an interactive forum designed to educate print service providers and business leaders on the best practices to achieve growth and profitability. Following the first event in Baltimore on March 12 and 13, which drew more than 100 attendees, the road show is moving on to many locations across the United States through early May. The event promises full afternoons of learning, networking, inspiration, and demonstrations. Business owners, CFOs, and anyone responsible for managing or improving a print-for-pay operation will benefit from the variety of presentations delivered by market experts, technical specialists, and executives

SEWICKLY, PA—March 27, 2008—Immediately following this year’s Offset and Beyond Conference, the PIA/GATF Digital Printing (DPC) and E-Business (EBC) Councils will host a special half-day long event featuring five engaging sessions on a variety of digital and Internet-enabled printing topics. Printing executives are invited to attend this open, interactive forum for the digital printing community to learn about the latest trends and innovations in VDP, 1:1 marketing, Web-to-print, and digital sales strategies. The Go Beyond with Digital event will take place on Tuesday, April 29 from 10 am to 3 pm at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center, Schaumburg, IL. The event

March, 2008—As processing direct mail becomes increasingly high-tech and complex in terms of design, printing, converting, logistics and shipping, Manuel Mataré, drupa’s project manager, explains why a visit to the world’s largest print media trade fair is so important for direct marketing professionals! Why is drupa 2008 so important for direct mail companies? Manuel Mataré: Direct mail activities serve a billion-dollar industry that is more technology-driven than any other printing segment. In the past, technical innovations were developed using dialog marketing concepts. But this situation forced lettershops and mail houses to constantly offer highly innovative solutions and cutting-edge technologies. Fortunately, drupa

DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY—Xingraphics is powering ahead with the globally launched FIT thermal plate technology. FIT X-tra was launched beginning of 2008 as a faster imaging positive working thermal plate to the highly successful and robust FIT Thermal plate and now Xingraphics will be launching FIT e-CO a true process-less thermal technology that leaps ahead of its competitors equivalent in the market. FIT X-tra is a positive working thermal plate that has same characteristics as FIT thermal plate in that it provides over 250,000 impressions unbaked and over 1 million impressions baked. Resolution is 1-99% @ 450lpi, spectral sensitivity is 830nm meaning it can be imaged

COLUMBUS, GA—Kodak broke ground on a 16,000-square-foot expansion of its plate production facility here. Kodak will use this third production line to meet the digital plate supply needs of print service providers in a wide variety of markets. The roughly $15 million investment in the new production line will enable the company to more efficiently…

ROCHESTER, NY—Mar. 4—Kodak announced its intent to acquire Design2Launch (D2L), developer of a collaborative end to end digital workflow solution for marketing and creative teams in the pharmaceutical, food and beverage, automotive, and consumer package marketplaces. D2L is a proven player in the rapidly expanding corporate solutions software market and is a pioneer of “Graphic Lifecycle Management.” The D2L System is a suite of integrated modules created to save time and money at every step of the graphics creation process, from project initiation, collaboration and revision to approval and production. D2L, a privately held company formed in 2000, is based in Stamford, Conn.

Prepress Upgrades Enhance Workflow DETROIT—First came the press, then came the upgrade to new prepress and platesetting technology. Crystal Clear Images runs a Heidelberg GTO press and wanted to update its workflow. Crystal and Anthony Mitchell, the husband and wife owners of the unionized shop, chose Heidelberg’s Prinect Printready prepress system and Suprasetter A52 platesetter. “When people heard that we were installing Heidelberg (prepress equipment), the amount of business influx was incredible,” reports Crystal Mitchell, who began her career as a school teacher in graphic design, before starting her own business from the basement of her house in 1995. The company, which has