Dell to go through distribution

Dell has revealed it is in detailed discussions with Australian distributors to release its printer portfolio through the channel within the next six months. Dell president of SMB for South Pacific, Amit Midha, was in Sydney to attend the Forbes Global CEO conference. He told ARN Dell's printer range would be the first to go through distribution, but added that a final contract had not been signed.

Evolis Enhances Its Card Printers with UHF Gen 2 RFID Encoding Capabilities

Evolis, a global leader in solutions for plastic card personalization, introduces the ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) Gen 2 RFID encoding option within its top-selling card printers, Pebble and Dualys. Evolis further demonstrates its commitment to offering innovative and reliable solutions by now integrating UHF Gen 2 encoders to its single and dual-sided models -- Pebble and Dualys. This new option will allow organizations to implement efficient yet secure identification and access control RFID systems.
The Gen 2 UHF RFID technology -- already widely used in asset management -- brings security, speed and convenience to any identification process. Gen 2 ID cards offer a wider read range and allow multiple card reads at the same time. Extremely secure, Gen 2 is an internationally recognized standard that allows for significant flexibility in many applications when integrated in an Evolis card printer. The Evolis Pebble and Dualys card printers proudly carry the stamp of Evolis' strong commitment to reliability. Ready for integration, Pebble and Dualys offer unmatched quality along with a pioneering 3-year warranty (with unlimited number of printed cards).

Sign Xtreme install their 2nd HP L225500.

Sign Xtreme in Miami on the Gold Coast have operated an HP L25500 Latex Ink printer for about five months and have just installed their second machine. The second machine was installed since they recently had to complete a 1000sqm self adhesive print job with a short turn around without disrupting their already busy schedule. Greg Nettle, the proprietor, explained that all the prints needed to be printed on the same printer for consistency and in the past given the short turn around he would have had to sub the job out to another company. In this case it would have cost him at least $30psm rather than his production cost on his HP L25500 printer of less than $10psm

Dell launches new series of LED and colour laser printers

Australia’s SMBs can now invest in a printer that will save them energy and space, with Dell launching its new range of LED and laser colour printers today. Dell, a technology solutions company, launched its Dell 1000 series printers in an effort to combine greater space efficiency, energy savings and easy maintenance without compromising on print quality

RISO to feature next generation of inkjet printing at Graph Expo

RISO, Inc. will feature the next generation of inkjet printing with three RISO ComColor models, the 9050, 7050 and 3050, at Booth 3111 during Graph Expo 2010 at McCormick Place South in Chicago, October 3-6. "At speeds up to 150 pages-per-minute and full-color running costs as low as two cents per page, this range of high-speed, full-color inkjet printers is so fast, affordable and dependable, customers have found great cost savings in direct mail, transactional documents, and many other commercial applications," said Todd Deluca, president and chief operating officer of RISO, Inc.
The three ComColor models showcased at Graph Expo will be shown printing a unique transpromotional MICR application with embedded digital security pantographs, variable data envelopes, newsletters, booklets, and more. The combination of ComColor inkjet printing systems, production level accessories from Kirk-Rudy, and transpromotional applications from GMC Software Technology provide unique value-based applications to help commercial and transactional print service providers open unmatched areas of revenue growth and profitability in the industry. Customers stopping by Booth 3111 will also be registered to win an Apple iPad, with one iPad awarded following each show day.

HP to Create and Deliver Paul McCartney’s Digital Library via Private Cloud

HP and McCartney Productions Limited (MPL) today announced an agreement to digitize and deliver the library of legendary musician Paul McCartney via a private cloud.
 McCartney has one of the most comprehensive libraries of any artist, much of which has never been viewed before. His library includes images, artwork, paintings, film and videos, as well as masters of some of the most popular songs ever written. Additionally, during his successful career, he has accumulated iconic imagery, including the cover artwork for the multimillion selling No. 1 album, “Band on the Run.”
 Under the agreement, HP will work closely with MPL to digitize the material and design and build a state-of-the-art content management system. McCartney’s library will then be delivered through a private cloud environment. Portions of the library will be made available to fans so they can have a personal and unparalleled glimpse into McCartney’s work. “I’ve always been interested in creative ideas and new ways of reaching people, so this is a really exciting initiative for me,” said McCartney. “I hope it will allow people who might be interested to access parts of our archives they might otherwise not be able to. I’m looking forward to working with HP on this project.”
The agreement marks the first time that HP has collaborated with an artist in this way. In addition to changing how fans and artists will interact, the digitization of McCartney’s library will help preserve the history of one of the world’s most loved artists for future generations.
“Paul McCartney has always been a trendsetter in the music industry and HP has been at the forefront of technology innovation,” said Tom Hogan, executive vice president, Sales, Marketing and Strategy, Enterprise Business, HP. “We are proud that he turned to HP as a trusted partner to help him preserve his legacy and set a new vision for the industry.”

Expanding the Creative Horizons of Your Printer

In many homes these days, the printer sits ignored. It gets a little bit of exercise around tax time, perhaps. But as more people rely on their cellphones for maps or use high-resolution tablet screens to read articles, they print less. But the home printer can do more. Did you know that your home printer is also a custom textile manufacturer? It can also churn out board games, 3-D models and hardcover books.

How to designate a slip sheet tray on a Ricoh Aficio MP7001 copier

On many Ricoh copiers, you have the ability to insert a slip sheet - a sheet that already has text or images on it - into a copy job. One of the main reasons for using a slip sheet is if you only have a black and white copier, but you need to put a page with color on it into the booklet, pamphlet, or handout you're copying. If you have copies of the color page (from a color copier or printer) you can insert them anywhere into your black and white copy job as slip sheets.

Document Management Roll-up

Document management this week has been dominated by the release of a number of document viewers including two that make it easier to view and share documents in SharePoint 2010. Xerox has also been busy with the release of mobile printing software, while eFileCabinet has upgraded its document management software to v5.0

Fisher’s Document Systems Partners with Konica Minolta

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta), a leading provider of advanced imaging and networking technologies for the desktop to the print shop, today announced that Fisher’s Document Systems of Boise, Idaho has become an authorized dealer partner of Konica Minolta. Founded in 1936, Fisher’s Document Systems will now offer Konica Minolta’s complete line of award-winning office systems, digital presses, printers, as well as an extensive portfolio of document management and workflow solutions.
With 50 employees, Fisher’s Document Systems currently services more than 3,500 customers in and around Idaho’s Treasure Valley. Over the past 70 years, Fisher’s Document Systems has established themselves as a premier provider of solutions designed to meet the needs of their clients’ in document imaging, creation, storage, management and distribution. In recognition of its efforts, Fisher’s Document Systems was recently named an Elite Dealer by “Office Dealer Magazine.” Additionally, Fisher’s won the Perfect Image award from Imaging Network for “Best Implementation of Technology,” and was on the “Inc. 5000” list of fastest-growing companies in the United States.

HP Proves Printers Don’t Have to Be Boring

A couple of weeks ago HP invited me to a preview of 11 new printers, enough to populate a very large boardroom table. I don’t normally find printers totally mesmerizing—and I hope you don’t either—but two were definitely worthy of a little rubbernecking. For starters, I’ve never seen a printer like the $249 HP Envy 100 e-All-in-One. It looks nothing like a printer: There’s no unsightly paper trays or feeders, no awkward pop-up LCDs or even the slightest glimpse of a drive roller.

Canon plans Thai inkjet printer plant

Canon Inc plans to build a 15 billion yen ($175 million) inkjet printer plant in Thailand amid soaring demand in Asia, the Japanese camera and office equipment maker said on Tuesday. Canon's second Thai inkjet printer factory, due to start production in October 2011, will be located in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima and will employ about 5,000 workers, the firm said.

Copier Reps Sound Off

Brady Spencer wants to give office managers everywhere the upper hand the next time the copier sales rep comes around. He is offering AMMO. The enemy's playbook. A one-of-a-kind strategic buyer's guide for the copier hustle. Promising that he can save customers $5,000+ over the life of their copier lease and service agreement. Copiers are the most expensive machine in any given office 95% of the time, and Brady is uncovering, long-hidden, well-protected industry secrets that have been kept close to the chest and never published before -- not even online.

Canon Announces the Resolution of Two Patent Infringement Lawsuits

Canon in a press release announced the resolution of a patent infringement lawsuit against Polek & Polek Inc., concerning certain Polek & Polek's toner bottle products and a patent infringement lawsuit against Copylite Products Corp. and Copylite Products, LLC. ("Copylite"), concerning certain Copylite toner bottle products, both sold for use in Canon copier and multifunction products (MFPs).
As a result of the lawsuit, Polek & Polek has discontinued US sales and manufacturing of its PP1221, PP1225, PP1244 and PP1245 toner bottle products, which it previously marketed for use in certain Canon imageRUNNER copiers and MFPs (including model numbers: 2230; 2270; 2830; 2870; 3035; 3045; 3530; 3570; 4570; 5070; 5570; 5570N; 6570; 6570N; 7086; 7095; 7105; 5050; 5055; 5065 and 5075) pursuant to a stipulated injunction entered by the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia prohibiting Polek & Polek, during the life of Canon's US Patent No. 7,647,012, from selling such products and otherwise infringing Canon's patent.

Hurd gets HP's all-clear for Oracle job

Hewlett-Packard Co.'s settlement with ousted CEO Mark Hurd clears the way for him to lead Oracle Corp. in its push to take business from his former employer. The deal announced Monday will cost Hurd $14 million in stock that was part of his HP severance package. But he's not hurting: He's already profited richly from his forced exit from HP, and stands to make millions of dollars more than he's giving up.

HP to debut mobile-app printing

It used to be that printers were viewed as a necessary extension of the desktop PC. If you bought a computer, you probably got a printer to go with it. Today, as more people and companies store their information on smartphones or the Web, Hewlett-Packard wants to make sure they keep buying its printers and ink. HP is planning to announce a host of new printer models today, all with the ability to print directly from the Internet without going through a PC. It's part of a strategic shift by a company that has been the world's biggest seller of computer printers and doesn't want to lose that position.

Web offset awards now accepting entries

The Web Offset Association (WOA), a special interest group of Printing Industries of America, is now accepting entries for the 2011 WOA Annual Print Awards Competition. These awards have 38 categories, from coldset printing on newsprint to coated product catalogs, so any web or offset printer can enter a division they are comfortable in.

SugarHouse Casino Selects FutureLogic's GEN2 Universal Printers

FutureLogic, Inc., a leading manufacturer of thermal ticket printers for cashless gaming, announced today that it has signed an agreement with SugarHouse Casino, stating that FutureLogic's GEN2 Universal printer will be the exclusive printer used in the new casino's gaming platforms. Scheduled to open to the public on September 23, 2010, SugarHouse Casino's 45,000-square-foot gaming floor will feature 1,600 slot machines and dozens of table games. According to SugarHouse Casino, their selection of GEN2 Universal printers was based on a proven track record of success at Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Riverwalk Casino in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Toshiba Announces National Managed Print Services Dealer Makeover Sweepstakes

For several years, Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. (TABS) has been focusing its efforts on helping dealers thrive by developing successful Managed Print Services (MPS) and Professional Services (PS) programs. As part of this effort, Toshiba today announced the launch of a national MPS Dealer Makeover Sweepstakes. All authorized Toshiba dealers are eligible to win and can enter by submitting a persuasive and creative three- to five-minute video or written entry explaining why Toshiba should partner with them to either ramp-up or transform their MPS business. Toshiba is looking to reward the dealer who is most passionate about, and committed to, building an outstanding MPS offering for their customers

Will USB 3.0 Speed Up My Printer?

USB 3.0, dubbed "SuperSpeed USB," boasts transfer speeds of up to 4.8 gigabits per second. That's pretty darn fast. In fact, it's faster than most consumer hard drives can handle. Unfortunately, that means you don't receive the full 4.8 gigabits per second when transferring a file from your computer to an external USB 3.0 drive. Now, What About a Printer?

Admiral Group sells copier business to Danwood

Office technology reseller Admiral Group revealed it is to sell off its copier division to the Danwood Group. The agreement will see the transfer of all Admiral’s copier operations to the Danwood Group with effect from 10 September 2010.  The move, says Admiral IT’s MD, David Stanton, will allows the group to focus on its “core strengths” of specialist communication, including telephony, IT systems and videoconferencing. Its comms vendors include Avaya, Mitel and Polycom

Illinois businessman sentenced in $28M scheme

A judge has sentenced the owner of a suburban Chicago printer repair company to 10 years in federal prison in a $28 million Ponzi scheme. In a Monday statement, the U.S. attorney's office said Matthew Scott was also ordered to pay nearly $5 million in restitution. Prosecutors accused the owner of Northlake-based Gelsco of swindling around 75 people. Some lost their life savings.

Primera Announces World’s First On-Demand Color RFID Label Printer

Primera Technology Inc., the world’s leading manufacturer of CD/DVD and Blu-ray DiscTM Publishers, today announced its RX900 Color RFID Printer. The announcement was made at the Labelexpo Americas trade show in Chicago, IL USA. “At Intermec we pride ourselves on driving the industry forward through innovation, and with Primera we are proud to be a part of delivering yet another industry first”
.RX900 is the world’s first and only full-color RFID “on demand” full-color RFID label printer. Labels are printed, encoded, verified and dispensed one at a time, making the printer ideal for applications where one or more labels at a time are required. All popular linear and 2D bar code symbologies are supported.
The built-in RFID reader/encoder module is supplied by Intermec. It is compliant with EPC Global Gen 2 Class 1 and ISO 18000 –b and –c specifications for the widest range of deployments in real-world applications. Print resolution is best-in-class at up to 4800 dpi. Separate cartridges for cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink make label production highly economical since only one color at a time is replaced. Full-color print speeds of up to 4.5” (114mm) per second make label production fast and convenient. “Printing full-color RFID labels and tags adds a new, value-added feature to the technology,” said Mark D. Strobel, Primera’s vice president of sales and marketing. “Now, you can add color coding, high-resolution color graphics and even photo-quality images to RFID labels and tags. In many applications you’re adding an extra level of accuracy and safety such as in medical file folder labels, full-color photo wristbands and specimen tracking labels.”
Supported substrates include matte and gloss inkjet papers, vinyl, polypropylene and polyester. A high-degree of water, smudge and smear-resistance is achieved through advanced dye-based inks and the print surfaces of inkjet labels such as Primera’s TuffCoat™ labels. Most popular inlays from major RFID companies can be integrated into labels.

Barron’s magazine: Xerox stock could double

Xerox Corp., the copier maker that’s expanding in business services, jumped the most since April in New York trading after Barron’s magazine cited analysts and investors saying the stock could double.  Xerox acquired Affiliated Computer Services Inc. this year for $6.2 billion, its biggest purchase ever, and gained operations for processing background checks and automating student loan payments. The company gets about half its revenue from services, which has higher margins and steadier revenue because of multiyear contracts.

Apple Releases Printer Driver Updates

Apple has released driver updates for seven printers and scanners. Mac OS X version 10.6 users will be able to download these updates from the AppleWeb site, but can use the Software Update program to ensure they have the proper version for their printer or scanner.

Printer files patent suit against HP

American printer RR Donnelley has confirmed it has filed a suit against HP over patent infringements around variable and fixed data printing technologies. A recent article in Information Week claimed the "nasty patent spat" alleged HP's violations of a number of RR Donnelley patents were "willful and deliberate", and sought costs and treble damages along with an order to prevent HP selling products that make use of the inventions.

US Printer Manufacturing Analysis: 400 Companies

The US printing machinery and equipment manufacturing industry includes about 400 companies with combined annual revenue of about $3 billion. Major companies include Canon USA, Goss International, Hewlett-Packard, Presstek, and Xerox. The industry is concentrated: the 50 largest companies generate about 70 percent of revenue. The printing machinery and equipment industry doesn't include textile printers or home and office printers connected to PCs or small office/home office desktop publishing systems. Home and office printers are covered in the Computer Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing industry profile.

Cleaning a Colour Laser Printer

Laser printers are not difficult to clean, if you know what you’re doing. Cleaning your printer on a regular basis can make a huge difference to the lifespan of your printer as well as its performance during that time. Cleaning the printer at regular intervals will help to increase the quality of each print document. Since the cost of a laser printer, and the costs involved in running it, is still for the most part more expensive than ink jet printers, it makes sense to pay extra care and attention to your printer. Dusting and cleaning the roller and glass is recommended, at least on a quarterly basis.

Riva buys Dutch printer Roto

Riva Investments plans to take Dutch printer Roto Smeets private through an agreed buy-out bid at 14 euros per share, the companies said on Wednesday, valuing Roto at some 46 million euros. The share jumped 20 percent at the opening to 13.8 euros.

BCT expands offset and digital print capabilities

BCT, the largest wholesale only printer in North America, has added digital and offset print capabilities to its existing facilities in many major markets throughout the U.S. and Canada. "Prior to this expansion BCT already had offset four-color capabilities in 25 major markets throughout the US and Canada, making our wholesale four-color footprint among the largest in North America" according to Peter Posk, President of BCT.

Indian printer and copier mkt grew 40%

The combined printer, copier and multi-functional product (MFP) market in India grew 39.9 per cent in the second quarter of 2010, totalling nearly 0.8 million units.  "The end of the recession, combined with a surge in end user confidence and availability of better credit, contributed to most of the major vendors experiencing a significant shipment increase in the second quarter of 2010," Gartner Principal Research Analyst Vishal Tripathi said in a statement.

The public image: Xerox

Whenever two men wearing ties walk into a television commercial and the voice-over at the end talks about things like “automating your global invoice process” or “designing and producing direct mail”, there is a serious risk that viewers will reach for their remotes. Xerox largely gets away with it in a new campaign designed to breathe life into a venerable corporate brand. But this effort to reposition itself as a services company, following a big acquisition last year, is only partially successful.

Cost-Cutting Printers

When you're shopping for a new printer, of course the price is important. But Consumer Reports says a cheap price doesn't guarantee you'll save money. In its latest tests of more than 60 all-in-one printers that scan and copy, too, testers were able to pinpoint real money-savers. Mike Traina sells printer ink cartridges and says his customers often experience "sticker shock."  "They're blown away by the cost of the inks," said Mike Traina.

Pdf creation, the cheap way

Have you ever needed to create your own PDF documents? You probably thought that you needed Adobe's Acrobat software to do it but when you saw the $700 price tag you cringed and gave up on the idea. Yes, you can create PDF's using the software but who wants to fork out that much cash when there is a perfectly functioning piece of software that can convert virtually any kind of document, image or spreadsheet into a PDF quickly and easily without spending a cent?

EFI launches UV LED digital label printer for flexible packaging

EFI has created what it claims is the first full UV-curing digital label printer that can print on flexible packaging substrates. The Jetrion 4830LED, which also features a newly developed ink set, can print on both heat-sensitive and unsupported materials, such as shrink-sleeve substrates.

Pandigital Personal Photo Scanner/Converter PanScn06

Scanners that scan to a file without needing a computer are nothing new, but they're rare enough to be noteworthy. In the case of the Pandigital Personal Photo Scanner/Converter PanScn06 ($149.99 direct), that's doubly true, since Pandigital dares to ship it without any application software to let you work with the scanned files. The focus here is on ease of use, primarily for scanning photos as large as letter size into JPG format without having to worry about—indeed without having the option of—changing any settings except

Brochure printing advice for first-time companies

Printing brochures for the first time may be a challenge for some entrepreneurs, with multiple design elements to consider. Dan Jacobs, a print expert, recently offered advice to business owners printing their first brochures in a LonAd.com article. The most important thing, says Jacobs, is to identify the objective of a brochure. This includes deciding the intended audience and the overall purpose of a brochure. A piece that is intended to sell products to consumers should read differently from one meant to attract potential investors to a startup. Additionally, deciding a brochure's intended audience will enable business owners to design the piece more effectively.

Datamax-O'Neil Offers Extended Warranty Service Agreements for Its Entire Printer Portfolio

Datamax-O'Neil, part of Dover Corporation's Product Identification Group and global provider of label and receipt printing solutions, announces the availability of extended warranty agreements and value added service options to its North American and European partners. Similar programs are being tailored for partners in other regions, and will be announced in the near future.
The standard one-year warranty can be extended in increments of 1, 2 and 4 years, making the total available warranty coverage period at 2, 3 and 5 years. Because the microFlash and PrintPad printers come with a standard 2-year warranty, an additional 1-year or 3-year warranty can be purchased, increasing the total warranty coverage period to 3 or 5 years, respectively. In addition, there are three service options now available. (1) Priority is an expedited 2-day turnaround and return freight on warranty repairs when speed is a top consideration (standard warranty is 5-day turnaround via ground freight). (2) Comprehensive provides "no fault" comprehensive coverage on parts and labor, giving customers assurance that Datamax-O'Neil will handle the cost of repairs. (3) Printer Express is an overnight exchange program through a managed pool of customer-owned inventory that ensures printers are available when needed.

11 new models of the "Mymio" multifunctional ink-jet printer

Brother Industries Ltd and its subsidiary, Brother Sales Ltd, announced 11 new models of the "Mymio" multifunctional ink-jet printer Aug 31, 2010, in Japan. One of its new functions is the "wireless printing," which transmits data from a PC to the printer.

Kodak All-in-One Printer

Kodak announced the newest addition to its innovative line of All-in-One (AiO) Inkjet Printers- KODAK ESP 9250. The Kodak ESP 9250 Printer features an intelligent bar code system that optimizes settings for superior printing performance using Kodak’s versatile proprietary pigmented ink system.

HP still printer sales top dog in EMEA

The EMEA market for the humble printer is on the up, but reflecting trends in similar markets, it is experiencing slow growth. It's bad news for environ-mentalists who are looking forward to a print free society, the kind of thing that in reality won't happen for some time. Context's report says overall printer sales are up 8.8 percent in EMEA and all-in-ones are dominating the market.

Canon Device Management Application is Now Available to Océ Customers

Océ, an international leader in digital document management, today announced the availability of Canon imageWARE Enterprise Management Console software, along with additional plug-ins for added functionality to Océ North America, Document Printing Systems customers. This highly scalable web-based management solution is capable of monitoring multiple Canon and third-party networked print and MFP devices. Additionally, an Accounting Management Plug-in and an Access Management System Plug-in allow an administrator to configure and control users, groups and output costs. This solution provides the scalability, adaptability and automation that large corporations demand today.
imageWARE Enterprise Management Console allows users to achieve greater organizational efficiency and helps control costs by informing users of where their devices are and how they are used. Using the plug-ins, administrators have the ability to manage and set controls for items, such as color usage and costs for charge back usage. In addition, the ability to view real-time device status puts less strain on IT departments by enabling them to monitor device status and receive email alerts if errors occur.
The web browser-based software application offers users a streamlined, central point of control for all devices installed across their business. To simplify device identification, imageWARE Enterprise Management Console enables users to search devices by feature configurations or finishing options and allows administrators to enter special data, such as device location, asset tags, contact numbers or lease end dates. A floor plan can also be loaded onto the imageWARE Enterprise Management Console server to provide a visual aid in locating and connecting to networks MFPs within a work environment. For improved productivity, imageWARE Enterprise Management Console can be set up to automatically discover devices at regular intervals and sort them into device groups. To reduce help desk calls, device settings, such as IP addresses, locations and contact information can easily be retrieved or reset to default conditions. imageWARE Enterprise Management Console also enables users to reboot single devices or groups of devices remotely.

Australian Internet Retailer Implements FindMyPrinter.com

What can be more annoying than running out of printer ink in the middle of an important project? Perhaps not knowing which replacement cartridge is needed for the printer.With more than 5000 models in operation, the average computer user might not know the right cartridges and supplies for a specific printer, which can be frustrating and time-consuming. And as every business knows, the time the printer is out of service is not just inconvenient, it can be costly with missed deadlines and slowdown of productivity.
Thriftyink.com.au, an Australian online retailer, recognizes the reality that not everyone who comes to their site knows the right cartridge part number that fits their printer. To help make this process easier and more efficient, they recently began using FindMyPrinter, a patent-pending technology which will automatically find and list all the printers on the user’s computer or network, as well as the compatible toner cartridges.
FindMyPrinter eliminates confusion by showing the customer—with a single mouse click—the model of printer, what specific supplies that printer uses and then walks them through the entire online purchase process. In addition to increasing customer satisfaction, FindMyPrinter can save money in reduced returns and shipping costs.