EFI

EFI’s Margaret Motamed Takes Helm as CEO of CIP4
October 26, 2006

FOSTER CITY, CA—Oct. 26, 2006—EFI announced that Margaret Motamed has been elected as Chief Executive Officer of CIP4, the industry organization responsible for JDF. Motamed has been active in the graphic arts and printing field for over 20 years in various marketing, technical and research positions, and currently serves as EFI’s director of software platforms. She has held the position of CIP4 marketing director for the past four years. In her new role, effective today, Motamed will serve as the chair of both the CIP4 Advisory Board and the CIP4 Board of Directors, and has the primary signature authority for the organization in both financial

The Print Council Offering Brochure on the Value and Effectiveness of Print
October 11, 2006

WASHINGTON, DC—October 11, 2006—The Print Council, a national business development initiative dedicated to the promotion of greater use of printing and print media, today announced the publication of a new, 24-page marketing brochure demonstrating the extraordinary value and effectiveness of print communications. Titled “Why Print? The Top Ten Ways Print Helps You Prosper,” the full-color brochure marks the launch of an ongoing series of strategic activities by The Print Council designed to make a major impact on media decision makers, significantly elevating their awareness of, and appreciation for, the value of print. The first copies of “Why Print?” will be released

UPFRONT
October 1, 2006

Lee Sheds Commercial Assets DAVENPORT, IA—Lee Enterprises is divesting its standalone publishing and commercial printing operations in the Pacific Northwest and a twice-weekly newspaper in Oregon via asset sales to different buyers. The deals involve three buyers and were expected to be completed by early this month. The aggregate price of the Pacific Northwest properties (which include several Websites) is approximately $51 million. Three Printers Join Forces MARLBOROUGH, MA—Three independent printing firms—Pendleton Printers, Reservoir Printing and Apex Press—are being merged into a new company called Synergy Graphic Solutions. The company is owned by Doug Pendleton, president of his namesake company. Pendleton Printers and Apex Press will move

PERSONAL bests
October 1, 2006

Personalized Flyer Is Picture of Success Sales of student photos have been on the decline across the country for years, when measured as a percentage of parents purchasing packages. Inter-State Studio and Publishing (www.inter-state.com) sought to buck this trend and find a more effective way of presenting image treatment options, which increase the dollar value of orders. For decades, the company had been using the tried-and-true method of creating sales flyers by affixing two unique photographic prints from a child’s photo onto a conventionally printed, stock flyer (Inter-State Commercial Printing is another division of the company). This was the standard marketing method used by

EFI Obtains Jetrion from Flint Group
September 29, 2006

FOSTER CITY, CA—Print management solutions provider EFI has agreed to acquire Jetrion LLC, a subsidiary of Flint Group for roughly $40 million in cash. Jetrion specializes in ink-jet printers, inks and custom printing systems for the label and packaging industries. The transaction is slated to close during the fourth quarter of 2006.

EFI to Acquire Jetrion LLC
September 27, 2006

FOSTER CITY, CA—Sept. 27, 2006—EFI (Nasdaq: EFII), the world leader in digital controllers, superwide format inkjet printers and inks, and print management solutions, today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire privately held Jetrion LLC, a subsidiary of Flint Group Incorporated, for approximately $40 million in cash. Jetrion is a leading innovator of inkjet printers, inks and custom printing systems for the label and packaging industries. EFI expects the transaction to close in the fourth quarter of 2006, subject to certain closing conditions. “Jetrion’s advanced technology and very talented team are great additions to our inkjet business and are a key element

WEB-TO-PRINT — THE NEW FACE OF THE WEB
September 1, 2006

IT USED to be that, when a printer had a “Web-facing customer interface,” it was primarily offering file upload and transfer. Maybe online estimating, ordering and job tracking. Perhaps some digital asset management but, beyond the basic interface, there was little going on behind the scenes. Affordable, off-the-shelf tools were simply too limited. The flexible, robust solutions—not to mention customer-specific solutions—necessary for developing the kinds of Web-to-print applications we know today were reserved for larger print shops that could afford custom builds. Over the past several years, however, the playing field has changed dramatically. Software providers have developed Web-to-print solutions offering a wide

SUPPLIER news
September 1, 2006

Open House Event Deemed a Success LINCOLNSHIRE, IL—Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses (MLP U.S.A.) hosted a technology open house recently at the company’s headquarters here. Billed as “Diamond Days,” the event focused on the theme “New Technology Opening New Worlds,” exemplified by the latest advancements in the Diamond series 40˝ sheetfed press lineup. Highlighted were the Diamond 3000LX press, the Diamond 3000TP Tandem Perfector and the new Mabeg RS 104 in-line reel sheeter. Wausau Paper announced several new hires in the marketing department for its Printing and Writing sector. Jennifer Cox has joined Wausau as product manager. Andrea Alstad takes over as brand manager for the

GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO 2006 — Pre-show Preview
September 1, 2006

Gämmerler will launch the BL 408 bindery stacker for use behind saddlestitchers, perfect binders, folders and inserters. Features wide format range, two-stage stacking system and a low copy drop height. The infeed is equipped with four top belts and eight bottom belts. Visit www.piworld.com/infocenter and enter number 381 Goss International will unveil its Pacesetter 2200 and 2500 saddlestitchers. The systems feature servo-driven hoppers and excel at quick makereadies. The Pacesetter 2200 system completes up to 22,000 books per hour. The Pacesetter 2500 model features a dual stitcher and a 25,000 books per hour capacity. Visit www.piworld.com/infocenter and enter number

The New Print Production Mantra: Unified Offset/Digital Workflow
September 1, 2006

With digital printing in its various forms having been in the marketplace for more than 15 years, most industry pundits agree it has reached a level of maturity. Buyers of printed product, who once may have had objections to the quality or price of digital printing—or both—now no longer voice those objections for most projects. And as they have come to understand the advantages of digital printing— the ability to economically produce high quality short runs of full color materials on demand and its unique capability to deliver one-to-one communications—the face of printing has changed forever. No one is suggesting that offset printing is