Printer News

Invented 80 years ago in central Wisconsin, the coated paper that gave the world glossy magazines, catalogs and books with sharp, non-pulpy photos and graphics remains at the center of one of the state's biggest industries.

But today that industry, which has employed Wisconsin workers by the thousands for generations and continues to produce millions of tons of glossy paper every year, finds itself in renewed flux.

Although the United States has registered more patents in 3-D printing technology than any other region or country, Europe is fast approaching parity with the States in terms of market value, with Asia also close behind and rising.

According to Alan Meckler, chief executive of Mediabistro, there will be anywhere between six and 10 IPOs of 3-D printing companies in Asia in the coming years, as the technology begins to resemble to growth of the internet. "It sparks the creative juices of entrepreneurs," said Meckler.

By some key mileposts, Eastman Kodak likely won't look much different this year than it did in 2013. But while sales and operational earnings will be flat to somewhat down, CEO Jeff Clarke said, where that money comes from will be changing radically.

"You see a transformation," Clarke told a Manhattan conference room of shareholders Wednesday as the company held its annual shareholder meeting-its first in three years.

Standard Register, Dayton, Ohio, has been awarded a patent for a chemically reactive security ink that helps mitigate or reveal certain types of document fraud by preventing the chemical alteration or "washing" of secure documents.

John McMullen has been named executive vice president and CFO of Kodak, effective June 15, 2014. The board of directors has elected McMullen a corporate officer of Kodak, and he will become a member of the company's Executive Council. McMullen will report to Kodak CEO Jeff Clarke.

Sixty Senators, U.S. Representatives or their staffs, including nearly one-third of the U.S. Senate, heard the printing industry speak with one clear and loud voice during the 2014 edition of Print's Voice Capitol Hill Fly-In.

Staples Inc., Framingham, Mass., announced last week its sales in the first quarter, which ended May 3, saw a $5.7 billion decrease. That equates to about a 3 percent fall—1 percent of which is believed to have come from foreign exchange rate changes and North American store closures during the year preceding the first quarter.

Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, announced that Canon has signed a global service agreement with German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen AG for the provision of multifunction office systems and solutions.

Printing Industries of America has announced the unveiling of its Integrated Learning Center, the latest offering of the Integrated Print Center. Designed to make training and development easy and affordable, the Integrated Learning Center provides online workshops on topics that matter most to graphic communication businesses.

While the counterfeiting business used to be specialized, these days it's easy for anyone with a printer to give it a try. And that's just what's happening in the United States. 

According to Bloomberg: "Statistics highlight the growth: In 1995, less than 1 percent of fake bills were produced on digital printers. In the last fiscal year, nearly 60 percent of the $88.7 million in counterfeit currency recovered in the United States was created using inkjet or laser printers, the Secret Service says."