Manufacturers

Headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., Hewlett Packard (HP) announced the availability of the Digital Color Toolbox it has developed in partnership with Pantone, Carlstadt, N.J., to further enable accurate reproduction of Pantone colors with HP Indigo digital color presses. The Pantone and HP Indigo Digital Color Toolbox includes the Pantone Color Bridge swatchbook, as well as the CMYK and HP IndiChrome on-press color guide. Together, the two swatchbooks offer a convenient way to compare solid Pantone Colors with their simulations in offset four-color, HP Indigo four-color and HP IndiChrome on-press six-color processes. The Pantone Color Bridge swatchbook enables users to determine how a

To achieve partnerships that directly benefit your distributorship, work with a manufacturer offering the following services, as suggested by John McKillip, CMO/partner, USA/Docufinish, Plainfield, Ill.: • Specialized service. Be sure the company you’re dealing with specializes in the product(s) you need. This will go a long way to ensure you’re receiving attention to detail and quality from a company that understands the product(s) your project requires. Ask if the manufacturer is making the products in-house. If not, find out who the manufacturer partners with when hiring an outside vendor, and thoroughly research that vendor’s products and knowledge. • Satisfaction Guaranteed. Only deal with a company that

Victor Printing, Sharon, Pa., has installed a six-color Komori Lithrone S 29 offset press at its commercial print facility. Featuring six print units and an inline aqueous coater, the LS 29 opens new market opportunities and offers a greater range of applications for Victor’s distributors. Packed with the latest technologies, the LS 29 offers higher print quality and consistent reproducibility, and prints up to 32 pt. board. In addition, it facilitates shorter runs, and is fortified with functions that improve make-ready, while decreasing environmental impact. The LS 29 offers extraordinary mechanical rigidity and smooth, consistent high-speed operation. Reproduction powers will satisfy even extraordinary demands

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PIA/GATF (Printing Industries of America / Graphic Arts Technical Foundation) will host its annual Presidents Conference in conjunction with the Binding Industries Association (BIA) Conference on March 2 to 6, 2008, at the Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach Hotel in Cancun, Mexico. Print and bindery executives are tackling more challenges than ever. Faced with competition and decreasing revenues, they must seek new ways to market while reducing costs. The Presidents Conference is an annual three and a half-day program focusing on management issues currently affecting owners, presidents and senior executives in the industry. Highly acclaimed, notable speakers and consultants from the industry

In 1767, Anne Catherine Hoof Green became a widow—and the owner of her late husband Jonas Green’s printing press. Hoof Green ran H.E. Green Press, the 94-year publisher of the Maryland Gazette, until her death in 1775.* H.E. Green wasn’t the only 18th century woman-run printer, however. On July 10, 1776, Mary Katherine Goddard printed the Declaration of Independence in the Maryland Journal, according to the Library of Congress, which also recorded approximately 30 female printers in operation at the time. But, times change. And while women have always had a hand in the publishing industry (usually in creative or editorial capacities), their roles

The Center for Women’s Business Research released economic estimates in its “Women-Owned Businesses in the United States 2006” fact sheet. Most figures are based on United States Bureau of the Census information, and apply to private organizations. • There are approximately 10.4 million private businesses with an ownership that is at least 50 percent female, whose sales account for $1.9 trillion and 12.8 million employees. • Firms whose ownership is at least 51 percent female comprise 29.7 percent of all businesses, are responsible for $1.1 trillion in annual sales and provide 7.2 million jobs. • Between 1997 and 2006, businesses

As part of the company’s continued expansion, Brandt Affixing, Carrollton, Texas, recently relocated its operation to a larger facility, located at: 1432 Wainwright Way, Suite 116 Carrollton, TX 75007 The new 35,641 square foot facility contains more than 13,000 square feet of warehouse space and 18,000 square feet of air conditioned production space. The office space includes plans for a multi-media conference room suitable for hosting customer training, on-site educational programs and subsequent plant tours. According to company spokesman Ed Brandt, “The additional space enables us to have room for future expansion, as we respond to the ever changing needs of

Des Plaines Printing, Des Plaines, Ill., has purchased the assets of Des Plaines Publishing Company, creating a leading full-service commercial printer. “We believe there are tremendous opportunities for those printers who offer customers a complete range of print and print-related services available with today’s technologies,” said Kent T. Lyons, senior vice president of sales. “Our decision to purchase the assets of Des Plaines Publishing Company creates a unique, market-leading business, positioning Des Plaines Printing as a significant printer with a low-cost operating platform, and the capacity and flexibility to handle both small and large print jobs, with short lead times for customers of all sizes,”

Competition is tough all around. Even quick printing chains, which seemingly pummel their competitors, face off against a host of small commercial printers, whether they be chains, franchises or independent businesses. But, profit and growth remain viable for both quick printers and small commercial printers. According to Quick Printing magazine’s 2007 Annual Franchise Review, the industry’s total 2006 sales were up 21.6 percent over 2005. And, as larger commercial printers expand their services, quick printers and smaller commercial printers are finding similar avenues to retain a competitive edge. To get an overview of today’s quick printing market, BFL&S spoke with John Giles, an industry

Lewis Run, Pennsylvania-based McCourt Label has added a new Nilpeter FB3300 press. The state-of-the-art press has a 13" web width, and eight UV curing stations. It prints up to eight colors, and is servo-driven for superior flexographic printing, as well as silk-screening and cold-foil stamping. The FB3300 press has a web speed that is among the fastest in the narrow web industry, and it is exceptionally easy to make-ready and operate, enabling fast set up and job-cost reductions. As a result of the expanded production capabilities, new products are available. They include “no-label-look” labels; scratch-off tickets and labels; four-color process prime labels; one-color silk