Hewlett-Packard

NORTH CHELMSFORD, MA—Courier Corp. has purchased a second HP T300 color inkjet web press, extending a highly successful HP T300 operation that produces offset-equivalent books on coated and uncoated papers.

Courier is looking to expand its capacity to produce offset-equivalent, digital books on coated and uncoated papers. Its first machine now operates three shifts a day, five days a week, producing textbook titles at lower run lengths. "There's real money out there for publishers using the HP T300 because it reduces inventories, reduces obsolescence and frees up working capital," said James F. Conway III, Chairman, President and CEO of Courier Corp.

PDF/VT enables reliable document exchange for variable data and transactional printing. It uses the Portable Document Format (PDF) based on the existing ISO PDF/X-4 and PDF/X-5 standards and will simplify VDP printing in a range of environments, from desktop printers to digital production presses.

The New York-based glossy magazine business may be in upheaval, with bellwether Condé Nast shuttering five of its titles, but the art of editing, writing and visually crafting an editorially coherent, beautiful and engaging experience is not dead.

Some of the foment is made possible by MagCloud, a Web-based print-on-demand service from Hewlett-Packard that dramatically lowers the financial barriers to magazine publishing. With MagCloud, there are no upfront costs for printing and distribution; a PDF file is uploaded to the MagCloud site, and each time a reader orders a copy, it is printed on high-quality paper and shipped.

The new digital press will allow Reid Graphics to retire three more flexo presses in addition to its older Indigo Omnius model. The company installed a first-generation Omnius press in 2002 and an HP Indigo press ws4500 a few years later, decommissioning eight of its 16 narrow-web flexo presses along the way.

Sun Devil Digital is a brand-new partnership between the ASU Bookstore and Hewlett Packard that can provide textbooks within minutes, provided that the bookstore has the correct digital files and permissions. HP has developed new technology that can print a perfect-bound book, with a laminated color cover, within minutes, and is rolling out the concept in a pilot program with three universities.

ASU, the University of Kansas and Portland State University are the only three places in the world where this technology is in operation at a retail location, said Dennis Mekelburg, associate director of ASU Bookstores.

The complexities of multi-channel marketing introduce new, sometimes daunting variables that print service providers must manage.

This webinar will focus on the array of different tools and technologies available in the market including Web-to-print templates, personalized direct mail, personalized URLs and customized landing pages, SMS texting and Quick Response (QR Codes).

You'll also hear specific examples from our panelists about where and how new media technology has been used (with amazing results!).

Listeners will learn the following:

·         about the latest new media technologies

·         how others are using new media to drive business results

·         recommendations for success

Less than a year into a technology alliance under which they planned to co-develop innovative commercial imaging systems, printing giant R.R. Donnelley & Sons and Hewlett-Packard are now embroiled in a nasty patent fight, InformationWeek has learned exclusively.

R.R. Donnelley filed suit against HP on Tuesday, alleging that its (presumably) erstwhile partner stepped on its patents relating to certain digital printing technologies. To boot, R.R. Donnelley, in papers filed in federal court in Illinois, claimed HP's alleged violations were "willful and deliberate."

As a result, R.R. Donnelley is asking the court to award treble damages...

For the most part, coated and uncoated offset papers run reasonably well on toner-based digital systems but, with inkjet, it's a whole different ball game. Inkjet inks have a high water content, and tend to soak into uncoated papers or sit up on coated papers where they may smear.

The first step is to determine what you want to accomplish with a print e-commerce offering. Think of it as a needs assessment for your shop, but, more importantly, for your customers. Would it make your clients' lives easier to be able to order print projects on a self-service basis (that's ultimately what most consumer-based, e-commerce stores offer)?