Print Production Weekend Notes

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- A printshop announced it is installing a wind turbine to generate electricity to drive its production systems. Phoenix Press, of North Haven, CT, hopes to use the turbine to provide one third of the power it needs to run its Kodak DigiMaster 9110, Canon imageRUNNER 7095 and imageRUNNER C5180 units.

- Hewlett Packard announced it sold two Indigo 7000 production color systems to Capitol City Press of Tumwater, Washington.

- Hewlett Packard announced it sold an Indigo 5500 to ProGraphics Communications of Atlanta, GA.

- Hewlett Packard announced it sold an Indigo 5500 production color system to Positive Images of Mitcham, Surrey, England.

- Ricoh launched a new production color system, called the PRO C720 system offering:
- Slowed down, cheaper version of the slow selling C900
- Offers a top speed of 72ppm versus 90ppm of the C900
- Maximum duty cycle of only 320K/month
- Runs at same speed, regardless of paper weight, like the C900, up to 110lb. cover
- Uses same EFI Fiery as C900
- finishing options are limited to saddle stitch booklet maker and standard finisher

- Xerox announced it has sold a Xerox Nuvera 288 production b/w system to CFH Total Document Management of Somerset, England.

- Xerox announced it has sold a Xerox Nuvera 288 production b/w system and an iGen3 production color system to Hamilton Printing Co. of Castleton, NY.


-=Cheers=-

Weekend Print Production Notes

Printshop revenue for month of November in the U.S., was a total of $7.38 billion a decline of 8% compared to last year. It was the first November to be below $8 billion since 2003.

Heidelberg, the large German offset press maker, now supported financially by the German government, is looking to get back into the digital printers market according to Business Week magazine. Apparently, it is even considering partnering with Kodak. As you may recall, Heidelberg sold its digital press business to Kodak, after buying it from Kodak a few years earlier. This division includes the DigiMaster b/w systems and the NexPress color systems.


Memjet, the company that has been promising a high speed color inkjet copier, announced it has hired a new executive. Len Lauer, former COO of Qualcomm, will be the new Memjet President and CEO, working out the San Diego office. (Memjet has 2,600patents related to technology developed by Mr. Kia Silverbrook of Australia)

Direct Color Systems Inc. launched the Millenium 700, which can produce a full color plastic name badge in 25 seconds. Purchase price, and cost per card were not announced.

-=Cheers=-

Ricoh Launches Pro C720/C720s Color Production System

Ricoh Launches Pro C720/C720s Color Production System

New Light Production Digital System Offers Affordable Alternative for Color Printing, Scanning, Copying and Document Storage
WEST CALDWELL, N.J., Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Ricoh Americas Corporation, a leading provider of digital office equipment, announced today the official launch of the RICOH® Pro C720/C720s, a production class multi-functional color system, the latest addition to Ricoh's Pro series of products, designed specifically for the production environment. This flexible system is targeted at corporate and commercial professional print environments with demanding application needs. The Pro C720/C720s has a robust duty cycle of 320,000 images per month, and runs at 72 pages-per-minute (PPM) regardless of paper weight.

The RICOH Pro C720s allows customers to complete a wide range of applications within one system. The Pro C720s offers high-resolution scanning, copying, and automated distribution to multiple destinations, including e-mail, URL, and FTP. It also allows customers to store files on a document server so you can reprint them without re-ripping the files.

Central to the operation of the RICOH Pro C720/C720s is a server-based EFI Fiery® Print controller. The Fiery platform optimizes the Pro C720/C720s with top speed, quality, advanced color management, and integrated work-flow utilities that provide the customer with complete control over digital file processing at every stage of production. The Fiery is an open, flexible solution addressing the demanding requirements of Commercial Printers, In-Plant Print Shops, and Central Reproduction Departments (CRDs). The Fiery controller is a standard component of the Pro C720/C720s and includes a number of value-added workflow and job automation utilities such as Fiery Graphic Arts Package, Standard Edition, EFI Hot Folders, Fiery WebTools, and more.

Additionally, the RICOH Pro C720/C720s offers a wide range of advanced in-line finishing options that can be configured to customers' exact requirements, providing enhanced flexibility and efficiency. Options include a high capacity stacker which enables longer unattended print runs, and an array of document handling and finishing options.

The Pro C720/C720s is engineered to provide maximum uptime and reliability to customers in demanding print environments. It is ideal for print-for-pay shops, CRDs and other environments that need to take on more color jobs, increase revenue, and lower cost. The Pro C720/C720s incorporates Trained Customer Replacement Units (TCRU's) that enable operators to replace key components of the system, providing improved productivity. In addition, Ricoh bundles remote diagnostics, troubleshooting and online consumable ordering through the included @Remote diagnostic solution.

The Pro C720/C720s feature large capacity trays that incorporate air-assist paper feeding for sheets up to 13" x 19.2". The Pro C720/C720s handles media basis weights from 16lb bond to 110lb cover and prints at rated speed regardless of basis weight.

"With the economy still on the rebound we're continuing to develop cost-effective solutions that help our customers improve their bottom lines. We've had very good customer experiences with the C900, and the Pro C720 builds on the reliability and quality of the same platform," said Carl Joachim, vice president of Marketing for PPBG, Ricoh Americas Corporation. "We've made good inroads in the production color market over the past year, not only with the Pro C900, but also with our solutions and professional services that address emerging applications such as Web2Print and VDP."

Order taking for the C720/C720S will be effective immediately, with availability scheduled for February 2010. The product will be available through US channels of distribution that include Ricoh Business Solutions, IKON and authorized independent dealers. Additional distribution within the Ricoh Americas group is planned through Ricoh Canada Limited and Ricoh Latin America.

For more information on the C720/C720s and other PPBG products and solutions, please visit www.ricoh-usa.com/ppbg/.

About Ricoh's Production Printing Business Group:

The Production Printing Business Group (PPBG) of Ricoh Americas Corporation is dedicated to delivering state-of-the-art, high-speed production systems that provide efficient document workflows with high-volume production printing and finishing. Incorporating superior engineering, service, reliable technology, and extensive software and finishing options, PPBG helps production centers to cost-effectively modernize and streamline their operations to meet today's rapid turnaround and high-quality demands.

Ricoh Americas Corporation, founded in 1962, is headquartered in West Caldwell, NJ and is a subsidiary of Ricoh Company Ltd., the 73-year-old leading supplier of office automation equipment and electronics, with fiscal year 2008 sales in excess of $20 billion.

Information about Ricoh's Production Printing Business Group can be accessed on the World Wide Web at www.ricoh-usa.com/ppbg/.

All referenced product names are the trademarks of their respective companies.

Ricoh Web Site: www.ricoh-usa.com

-=Cheers=-

Printing decreases for first time in U.S.?

Printing decreases for first time in U.S.? According to researcher, Jake Wang, of IDC:

- “Starting with the fourth quarter of 2008, we saw a definite drop in printer page outputs”
- IDC uses computer software to monitor the use of 700,000 printers and MFPs in the U.S.
- “It was like going over a waterfall.”
- Total of 1.5 trillion pages for the year, or 5,000 sheets of printouts per man, woman & child.
- Predicts drop of 10% in 2010.
- “When an economy sheds million of workers, there are that many employees who aren’t
doing the printing”
- “I’m thinking fewer contracts are signed. Fewer documents sent from one person to another”
- Expects increase in 2011 after the recovery.
- Forrester Research predicts that electronic bank statements will start declining in 2010.
- In 2007, the Securities & Exchange Commission stopped requiring corporations to mail out printed annual reports to shareholders.

Weekend Print Production Notes

- Staff at three Sappi paper mills went on strike in Europe. Union workers in Finland and The Netherlands are upset over allegations of serious safety issues, and demand a one year wage increase of 1.5%, despite the poor economy.

- According to Jim Cohen, Executive VP of Consolidate Graphics:
- print shop revenues are down 25%-50%
- Before, 9/11/2001, there were 50,000 printing companies
- By 2003, there were only 35,000
- Predicts that by 2010, there will only be 20,000
- Own 70 different printshops
- 66 of the printshops they own, have digital presses
- Own 70 HP Indigos
- Own 30 Kodak NexPress’s
- Own 25 Xerox iGen’s
- Own some Xeikon’s

- Kodak announced it sold a NexPress S3000 production color system to Contac Services, a print shop in Canada.

- Fuji claims it has 41 iGen production color systems installed now in Australia.

- According to Tenon Recovery, an insolvency specialist, 9 out of 10 printshops are in danger of collapse due to the economy.

-=Cheers=-