EFI

THIS SPECIAL editorial section was produced to tie in with the upcoming sixth annual PIA/GATF Variable Data and Personalization Conference, to be held November 3 to 6 in Phoenix. The event will feature two dozen sessions to help companies leverage variable data for success. Attendees will hear riveting case studies and participate in sessions selected directly by prospective attendees during online voting earlier this year. As one attendee said last year, “This is the type of conference that puts all the variables of variable printing into one comprehensive program. I learned more at this conference than I ever expected.” Sessions for decision makers include

PREPRESS USED to be a tightly defined process. Its evolution into “workflow” made the boundaries less clear cut, and they have been further blurred by the introduction of digital printing, variable data, Web-to-print and JDF into the production mix. Developments on all fronts could be seen around the show floor at Graph Expo 2007, along with a new potential wrinkle—Microsoft’s XPS (XML Paper Specification). Delivering on announcements made at last year’s show, a couple of vendors released upgrades to their workflow solutions that implement the Adobe PDF Print Engine (APPE) technology. It implements native PDF rendering, faster file processing and further JDF integration. Agfa’s

SAN JOSE, CA—August 16, 2007—The Color Management Group, headquartered in San Jose, CA, will be among the top organizations demonstrating color management, digital proofing, prepress workflow and G7 related solutions for the graphic communications, prepress, commercial and package printing markets at the upcoming GRAPH EXPO, September 9-12, 2007, at McCormick Place South in Chicago, IL. This event is the largest and most comprehensive exhibition and conference of its kind in the Americas – with over 600 firms exhibiting. “We’re thrilled to be participating in this top-ranked show with our 20x30 booth. No place is more important for gathering information on the newest techniques and technologies

CONTRARY TO the crooning of Kermit the Frog, being green has not only become easy, but popular. Especially in the business sector. Perhaps it is the fallout from Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” but environmental sustainability initiatives have become trendy—and the printing industry is certainly au courant with the greening movement. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has bestowed certification upon a number of printers, industry manufacturers and other related vendors in recognition of eco-friendly operating practices. Schawk Inc. is all about responsibility. The Des Plaines, IL-based company, with 151 operations and 3,500 employees scattered across 12 countries in four continents, recognizes its obligations to

PART OF effectively marketing your firm is a clear understanding of what your business is about—what are your market differentiators, why do customers buy from you rather than someone else, and what would attract new customers to you rather than the guy down the street or the Internet storefront at their fingertips? In his keynote address at EFI Connect 2007, Apple Fellow Guy Kawasaki’s advice, among other things, was to define your innovation or differentiation with a two- to three-word mantra, like Nike’s Authentic Athletic Performance, FedEx’s Peace of Mind, eBay’s Democratize Commerce. This is a good approach that makes it easy for your

Here’s an exclusive, PRE-SHOW PREVIEW showcasing new products submitted by many of the exhibitors that will be displaying their wares next month in Chicago. Colter & Peterson will showcase the BASA 3, which features an automatic jogging system that can automatically form layers of printed sheets, align them accurately and transport them to the subsequent cutting process. The BASA 3 is appropriate for paper from 16-lb. bond to 125-lb. tag, and is effective when combined with a modern, rear-table-feeding system. Existing gripper transport systems can be retrofitted. Visit www.piworld.com/infocenter: enter #377 MBO America will introduce the Super KTZ, featuring a knife-folding unit that

ROCHESTER, NY—June 12, 2007—PODi, the Digital Printing Initiative, announces the call for submissions for the 2008 Best Practices case studies collection. Each year, the competition draws dozens of the most innovative examples of digital printing success. Entries can be submitted for any program that involves the use of digital printing, including print-on-demand books, direct mail, collateral, web-to-print, transaction applications and more. There is no fee for submitting case studies for the competition, and no limit on number of submissions. The deadline for entries is July 31, 2007. Submission forms and instructions are available at www.podi.org/casestudy/bpsubmission. All case studies accepted for the online Best

Cunningham, CGI Reunited JERSEY CITY, NJ—Michael Cunningham has returned to the organization he helped start. Cunningham was named CEO of The CGI Group, the successor to Cunningham Graphics International, which he founded in 1989. He will report directly to CGI Chairman Peter Furlonge. Cunningham has served as a professor at San Diego State and is a research professor at Cal Poly, as well as an adjunct professor at New York University. American Banknote Buys Firm FORT LEE, NJ—American Banknote, parent company of ABnote Group, finished a deal to obtain Arthur Blank & Co., of Boston, for an undisclosed amount of cash and stock. Arthur Blank & Co.

Viewing On Demand BOSTON—Changing locations continues to be part of the story from the On Demand Conference & Expo, which last month completed its 2007 run at the (nearly) new Boston Convention & Exposition Center (opened in 2004). The event first moved from its long-standing home in New York City to Philadelphia for a two-year stint and now on to Boston through 2008. Close to 200 exhibitors had booths in the On Demand portion of the show floor, which the event continues to share with the AIIM Expo. New, or at least now commercialized, color printing systems added up to the largest category

MAN Roland Hosts Printers for Press Premier OFFENBACH, GERMANY—The world premier of a “next generation” sheetfed printing platform isn’t an everyday occurrence, so MAN Roland extended its recent festivities to more than a week to allow for bringing in several groups of select printers, journalists and its own employees from around the globe. The stars of the show were HiPrint and DirectDrive versions of the new Roland 700 sheetfed printing platform. To make the most of the trip, the contingent from North America was additionally treated to tours of a local DirectDrive beta site, MAN Roland’s foundry and its manufacturing/assembly facilities for sheetfed presses.