Hewlett-Packard

The three founders started it 6½ years ago with their life savings of $10,000 and say they have been profitable from Day 1. Tiny Prints has grown to have 1 million customers—and 250 full-time and 200 part-time employees—without spending any outside money. (It has received venture capital, but has not spent it.)

Tiny Prints’ initial focus was birth announcements. Hence the name, which refers both to tiny newborns and to the company’s underdog size at inception. But these days, Tiny Prints isn’t so small. At this time of year—the biggest season for all cardmakers—it has 28 Hewlett-Packard Indigo digital

NEW YORK—The advisory board of New York University’s Graphic Communications Management and Technology Program today named Thomas  Quinlan, president and CEO of RR Donnelley, the winner of the 2011 Prism Award. The Prism Award is presented annually in recognition of distinguished leadership in the graphic communications media industry.

The Unisource Worldwide Matching Challenge Grant has resulted in $100,000 of new financial support from the industry, along with adding 15 new supporters to the council ranks. “This additional support will fund new initiatives as well as support the ongoing programs of The Print Council, such as the Print in the Mix clearinghouse of print market research and the successful Print Delivers seminars.”

“Digital offset printing improves the performance of printed documents in marketing efforts, and we’re looking forward to bringing this new tool to our marketplace,” said William Duffey III, V.P. eProcurement, at the corporate brand identity and marketing solutions provider.

Frecklebox has been experiencing upwards of 200 percent growth in its personalized children’s gifts business. Progressive Solutions also will use its expanded fleet of HP Indigo digital presses to  support the launch of JaxInvites.com, a new subsidiary that offers stationers premium personalized invitations that can be mailed in full-color, digitally printed tubes instead of envelopes.

One of the biggest questions heading into 2011: Has the e-reader market peaked, having now been embraced by the most ardent bibliophiles, or is there reason to believe more market share can be cannibalized? Further, whither the future of the educational sector and its possible adoption of e-readers in lieu of textbooks?

Commercial printer company and personnel news from Printing Impressions’ December 2010 edition.

The following printing company profiles underscore the notion that there is hope for the industry and a clear vision toward success—and prosperity—for those firms unafraid to plan for success in an environment that calls for fear and inactivity. These three profiles offer more than a little hope that 2011 could mark a return to the "old normal" for companies daring enough to defy the economy.

Commercial printing industry news from Printing Impressions’ December 2010 edition, featuring items on Print 'N Copy Center and Vox Printing.

Consolidated Graphics, the world's largest user of HP Indigo presses, has purchased five HP Indigo 7500 digital presses. Three are being installed at PBM Graphics, another at CDS Publications and a fifth is bound for the company's European digital hub in the Czech Republic.