Heidelberg

Kinko's Buys ImageX DALLAS—Kinko's has acquired ImageX for approximately $16.5 million in cash. ImageX finished the fourth quarter with $12.3 million in cash and total assets of $25.2 million. Kinko's will use ImageX's technology to enhance its DocStore and Kinkos.com offerings. Kinko's does not now offer an online system by which customers can order business cards or stationery. But that will change once the acquisition is completed. Watchtower Adds Web Presses WESTMONT, IL—The Watchtower Society of the Jehovah's Witnesses is set to install seven MAN Roland Lithoman web presses in July, with two going to the U.S. and one each slated for Mexico, Brazil, England, South Africa

Ricoh Corp. has aligned with UNIX and Linux software developer Codehost Inc. Ricoh will offer its customers and dealers BrightQT, Codehost's suite of Linux and UNIX-based printing tools, for use with Ricoh networked output devices. Creo Inc. has received ISO-14001:1996 certification for environmental management of its Canadian operations. This completes environmental management certification for both of the Creo design and manufacturing operations. Creo operations in Israel recently underwent recertification for ISO-14001—a standard first achieved in February 2001. KBA North America has promoted Evan Heise as its sales representative for a six-state region, including Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho and New Mexico. Heise is now

CALIFORNIA CARLSBAD—The Quebecor World location here has installed a six-color Komori Lithrone 40. CITY OF INDUSTRY—Printcafe's PSI print management system is now in use at Pacific Graphics. georgia ATLANTA—Graphic Response has implemented Printcafe's Hagen OA print management system. illinois CHICAGO—Rider Dickerson is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2003. It has expanded its facility over the last two years with the addition of a six-color, 40˝ Mitsubishi press with tower coater, computer-to-plate capabilities and Spectrum digital Matchprint. CICERO—E&D Web has successfully implemented the Printcafe Hagen OA print management system. OAKLAWN—Insert printer Atlantic Press has purchased a Tensor single-width press system consisting of three T400BE four-high

By Erik Cagle The trade bindery business is doing just fine, thank you, despite whispers of its imminent demise. Superior Bindery is proof positive that there is a viable place for companies that specialize in comprehensive, full-service binding and finishing services. For all the talk of commercial printers looking for ways to add value to their core competencies and becoming one-stop shops (right down through binding and finishing), the Northeast has become a fertile feeding ground for Hingham, MA-based Superior Bindery, owned by Donny Charlebois, the son of a successful Boston-based bindery operator. Just 20 minutes south of Boston, Superior Bindery realized more

BY MARK SMITH Maybe the time has come to start an industry support group. "Hello. My name is Tom, and my print shop has yet to install a computer-to-plate system." Actually, a large number of U.S. printing companies are still making plates conventionally. There are perfectly valid reasons for not having made the move to CTP-based production, but probably not since high school have printing managers felt so pressured by the notion that "everyone is doing it." With some fits and starts, CTP has gone mainstream faster than many predicted. Today's buyers include shops on their second or third generation of technology, along with

Colter & Peterson announced that Bill Dwyer has been appointed as its new manager in charge of dealer sales for Saber, Prism, Schneider Engineering and Maxima Plus paper cutters, as well as Knorr, Rachner and Schneider paper handling equipment. Van Son has appointed Robert Speijer as president of Van Son Holland Ink of America. Van Son's most recent president, Joe Bendowski, has decided to change his responsibilities and begin his transition toward retirement after 40 years with the company. Speijer comes to Van Son with more than 20 years of experience in management and marketing at the international level. In addition, John Sammis, as general

Printer Sees Repair Savings BLOOMINGTON, IL—Bloomington Offset Process Inc. (BOPI) was the first printer in the nation to use MAN Roland's E-Eyes remote diagnostic tool to eliminate the need for a service call. Thomas Mercier, CEO and president of the company says E-Eyes saved BOPI thousands in expenses and repair costs. california IRVINE—A six-color, 40˝ Mitsubishi Model 3F-16 sheetfed press with tower coater and extended delivery has been installed at Mybar Printing, replacing two six-year-old 40˝ presses at the $12 million, full-service commercial printer. Also on order is a four-color Mitsubishi Diamond 3000R perfector with coater. OXNARD—A high-speed Spartanics batching system has been

The broader trend toward convergence in the digital printing segment also is evident at the product level. Black-and-white and color printing systems are being enhanced and expanded to meet the needs of corporate and commercial users alike. The trend is reflected in the capabilities and features of the latest product introductions from leading vendors. To expand its market, Heidelberg introduced the Digimaster 9110m network imaging system that uses magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) toner and prints special fonts and characters. It said to enable data centers and transactional printing environments to also do print-on-demand work with normal toner by simply changing developer stations. The

By Caroline Miller In the era of earlier job deadlines, shorter runs, increased quality and more complex jobs, efficient postpress operations are imperative to a profitable printing business. All of the efficiencies and savings from state-of-the-art prepress and pressroom capabilities are lost if the finishing department is languishing in neglect. Upgrading your floor-model folding machine is just one area of the bindery that can offer significant benefits. By investing in a new folding machine a company benefits from new technology, ensuring much quicker job turnarounds, substantially reduced paper waste, the elimination of the need for high-priced, hard-to-find setup people, as well as a more

Workflow Patents Revisited as Henry Freedman Speaks SPRINGFIELD, VA—The October 2002 edition of Printing Impressions included an overview of recent developments related to the patenting of automated workflow methodologies and technologies. The article made reference to an earlier patent held by Henry B. Freedman (U.S. Patent 4,839,829) but, at the time, Freedman said he was constrained from commenting for the story. Having now gotten the go-ahead from his patent attorney, Freedman recently provided an outline of how he sees the "829 Patent" coming into play as the industry moves more toward computer-integrated manufacturing. As of December 2002, 58 other patents already reference the 829