• Graph Expo thought: Less about "speeds and feeds"

  10/29/2008 4:10:00 PM

  At Graph Expo, companies are talking less about “speeds and feeds,” and more about customer needs. Equipment specifications are still important, but more firms are focusing on ways to help printers enter new markets, maximize efficiency and become more profitable. Many companies at Graph Expo acted less like exhibitors this year and more like business consultants.

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  Darin Painter

• PIA/GATF: Print profits are falling

  10/28/2008 2:06:00 PM

  For the first time in six years, U.S. printers’ before-tax profits on sales decreased slightly—from 3.4% to 3.1%—over the past 12 months, according the 2008 PIA/GATF Ratios, which help printers evaluate their performance in the industry. The average 3.1% profit equals the rate earned in 2001 before falling during and after the last recession. At this rate, the industry will earn approximately $5.4 billion in total profits over the course of the year.

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  Darin Painter

• Graph Expo thought: This show is about middleware

  10/27/2008 10:12:00 PM

  At Graph Expo, more printers are keying on workflow solutions, integration and “middleware” to streamline efficiency. Data—getting it, organizing it, distributing it—is becoming ever-important in the graphic communications industry. For third straight year, management information systems (MIS) was named the most critical technology for printers to employ for success in this changing market. It topped a list of six “MUST-SEE ’EM” technologies discussed during the Executive Outlook conference, held in conjunction with Graph Expo. Some impressive exhibitors that showcased time- and money-saving software included Enfocus (its Crossroads technology is a community that pools vendors offering automation products for publishing workflows), Adobe, EFI, Press-sense, Hiflex, Responsive Solutions and Xerox-owned XMPie.

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  Darin Painter

• UK printers concerned about Amazon's move

  10/20/2008 2:09:00 PM

  Amazon, which faced scrutiny in the US when it stipulated that all print-on-demand (POD) books sold through its US Website be printed through its own in-house printer, Booksurge, is trying to quell fears overseas. Amazon recently launched a similar POD service in the UK that could impact sales of on-demand book printers such as Lightning Source and CPI Antony Rowe. But Amazon is stressing that its new service is unrelated to Booksurge, and that it will dramatically increase the number of books available to customers, and benefit publishers that don’t want to print large runs.

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  Darin Painter

• HP, MySpace Make Interesting Partners

  10/15/2008 2:07:00 PM

  Aiming to capitalize on the transformation of print from analog to digital, Hewlett-Packard executives announced key partnerships with brands such as social networking Website MySpace during HP’s annual Imaging & Printing Conference, held Oct. 6-9 in San Diego. The MySpace relationship will put Web-based printing software from HP into the photo sections of MySpace, which includes almost 4 billion photos. Interesting use of Web 2.0 technology!

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  Darin Painter

• Standard Register signs health care deal

  10/8/2008 12:00:00 AM

  Standard Register signed a three-year printing deal with St. Louis-based Amerinet, a national healthcare group purchasing organization. Standard Register is one of two suppliers addressing Amerinet members' document management needs. The agreement offers Amerinet members savings on a wide range of document and print management products, services and technology that includes commercial printing, custom and standard forms, label products, patient identification bands and on-demand digital printing services. Standard Register will also provide Amerinet members with print supply chain consulting and professional services that address total acquisition costs while driving standardization and process improvement.

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  Darin Painter

• American Reprographics makes deal

  10/2/2008 12:00:00 AM

  American Reprographics, Walnut Creek, CA, has acquired the assets of London-based The Reprographics Warehouse Ltd., a provider of document management, document reproduction, and related services to the architectural, engineering and construction industry in England. Interestingly, the company is ARC's first wholly owned reprographics company in the U.K.
  

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  Darin Painter

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