DIGITAL digest
The company was started in 1877 by Lodewijk van der Grinten, who was a pharmacist, not a printer. He developed an edible coloring that gave pale winter butter and margarine the attractive yellow color of summer butter.
Its roots in printing trace back to Lodewijk’s grandson, Louis van der Grinten, who invented a new ammonia-free diazo process for copying technical drawings that became very popular, according to van Iperen. He added that the company’s acquisition of Siemens Nixdorf Printing in 1996 was also a significant development.
Looking to the future, van Iperen said the new Document Services Valley will focus on the research and development of document related services. “Here we will work together with prestigious partners such as IBM, the RaboBank, the University of Maastricht and the German Fraunhofer Institute. Starting in 2008, the Valley will employ approximately 50 document specialists, and we expect that number to grow rapidly.”
digital bytes
ROCHESTER, NY—Xerox Corp. has launched an updated Website (www.xerox.com/freeflow) showcasing its line of workflow offerings for digital printing operations. Highlights include: a comparison of print operations before and after the implementation of an effective digital workflow solution, case studies and examples of revenue-generating digital printing applications.
MORTSEL, BELGIUM—Agfa Graphics has formed a partnership with Technique Group to offer an integrated workflow solution that combines Agfa’s Delano project management and the ApogeeX prepress applications with Technique’s modular management information system (MIS). The combination, which implements CIP4-compliant JDF and JMF, will be available this year.
BURLINGTON, MA—HubCast has closed a round of funding, totaling $8.1 million, intended to support expansion of its global printing capabilities. The company connects service providers into a certified global network of digital and offset print operations.
ESCONDIDO, CA—Sign-A-Rama, located here, has purchased an Anapurna XL2 wide-format ink-jet printer from Agfa Graphics to further develop several niche markets, including real estate signage and POP.
