Printer News

Kodak Hero 5.1 printer-scanner multifunctional

2012-01-31T17:05:00.000+01:00

Kodak's Hero 5.1 is a new entry-level all-in-one printer and scanner, so you might expect a very basic device but it has plenty of features to satisfy most home needs. The simple control panel, which includes a menu navigation ring and seven other buttons, is straightforward to use. It is complemented by a flip-up 61mm LCD screen, which can show photo thumbnails, as well as menus.

HP makes printing from an iPad easier

2012-01-31T06:00:00.000+01:00

Hewlett Packard showed off a range of new printers at Macworld|iWorld 2012, largely aimed at the home office and small-to-medium business segments. However, a new feature of its latest printer models is what really caught our eye on the show floor. HP's Wireless Direct makes it possible to print documents and images from an iOS device via AirPrint without even knowing the name or password of the local wireless network.
All of HP's printers now include the company's ePrint feature, which enables options like wireless printing, sending documents to print via e-mail from anywhere in the world, and directly accessing documents in the cloud. These ePrint capabilities also enable support for Apple's AirPrint standard, according to Marketing Manager Annamaria Pardini, which lets iPhones and iPads to print to a networked printer without any setup, configuration, or driver installation.

Replacing Adobe Acrobat with Workshare PDF

2012-01-30T06:00:00.001+01:00

Workshare, a provider of document collaboration software, today announced that Gibbons P.C. is deploying Workshare PDF Professional to replace Adobe Acrobat across the organization. Workshare's PDF software makes it easy to create PDF files and interactive PDF forms, convert files to and from the PDF format and combine various documents, spreadsheets and presentations into one PDF file.
The firm, with offices in Newark, Manhattan, Trenton, Philadelphia and Wilmington, now has a cost-effective solution to create, convert and edit PDFs, as well as the ability to add rich content and streamline team collaboration. Workshare PDF Professional integrates with Autonomy Worksite and SharePoint 2010 allowing users to easily open, combine files into a PDF portfolio and save PDF files directly in the document repository.
The solution allows legal professionals to easily create ebriefs and PDF/A documents, prepare documents for court and electronic filings. It also includes the ability to redact PDF content so that it is no longer discernible and includes tools that allow users to search and redact multiple words, patterns and arbitrary masks such as zip codes or social security numbers.

TSP100 Printer Certified With RecTrac Software

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000+01:00

Star Micronics America, a leading worldwide manufacturer of point of service printers, has announced that their TSP100 is certified to seamlessly integrate with RecTrac software from Vermont Systems Inc.
RecTrac is a Parks and Recreation Management Software that has a global sales single receipt processing capability, which allows you to process any number of transactions using any combination of RecTrac modules and produce a single receipt.
The TSP100 is the first all-in-one receipt printer, which means all the parts and software are included in one box. Also included for an easy setup is an internal power supply, interface cable, power cable, complete mounting kits and a paper roll. The TSP100 offers a high throughput of 22 RPM (receipts per minute) and "Plug & Play" USB or Ethernet Drivers.
For a printer to become certified with Vermont Systems software, it must be able to work with Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 (32 and 64 bit). There also must be an easy-to-use methodology for loading logos in to the printer when they are to be used as receipt headers. Vermont Systems also considers ease of paper loading and print speed as well as number of standard interface options (USB, Ethernet, Serial, and Parallel).

A feature-packed iPad scanner

2012-01-27T06:00:00.001+01:00

DocScan HD can scan pages directly from the front or rear-facing iPad 2 camera or from existing photo albums. After the image has been selected, the user is guided to the editing suite, which allows users to crop the image, adjust the brightness and aspect ratio and even annotate on the picture. The resulting image can be saved as a new or to an existing PDF document, or pushed directly into photo albums on the iPad. DocScan HD really comes into its own when it comes to exporting documents, and supports Facebook, Dropbox, Evernote and Google Docs

A Printer That Can Print Cupcakes?

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000+01:00

Using a printer to bake cupcakes sounds as crazy as using a jigsaw to cut a meatloaf, but the technology is out there and could provide the answer to your laziness. One of the many techie-foodie goodies recently unveiled at the Consumer and Electronics Show in Las Vegas is the Imagine 3D printer made by Essential Dynamics. It can print food like cupcakes, chocolate and even cheese. OK, lets back up a little here. A device that can "print" food?

Smart PDF Creator Pro Delivers Optical Character Recognition Capabilities

2012-01-26T06:00:00.001+01:00

SmartSoft, the leading provider of innovative optical character recognition (OCR), document capture and conversion software solutions, has announced that Smart PDF Creator Pro now includes OCR capabilities. The application is part of SmartSoft’s portfolio of PDF management applications that includes Smart PDF Editor, Smart PDF Tools, PDF Bookmarks, PDF Stamps, PDF Watermarks, and the company’s top-selling software for PDF conversion, Smart PDF Converter.
Smart PDF Creator Pro enables consumers to easily and quickly create excellent quality PDF documents in only a few mouse clicks. The software includes powerful capabilities for encryption and document protection. Smart PDF Creator Pro allows users to additionally convert PDF to other document formats, including Word, HTML, RTF, TXT, JPEG, TIFF, BMP and PNG. The PDF conversion capabilities found in the Pro version are the same as that of Smart PDF Converter, one of the world’s most popular PDF conversion software applications. Smart PDF Creator Pro also delivers intelligent layout recreation so that the original document layout and formatting are excellently preserved in the output file.
Smart PDF Creator Pro has now been enhanced with the company’s powerful optical character recognition (OCR) technology, which enables users to convert PDF documents created from a scan into editable and searchable computer text. SmartSoft’s OCR technology is highly reliable and delivers accuracy levels of over 99.7 percent.
The OCR module is immediately available for all new users of Smart PDF Creator Pro. Existing customers who have subscribed for the Support and Maintenance plan will receive the upgrade automatically.

Thinxtream Upgrades Its Suite of PrintJinni Wireless Mobile Printing Apps

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000+01:00

Thinxtream Technologies, a global developer of software products for printing applications, announced enhancements to its family of PrintJinni wireless mobile printing apps. With PrintJinni v3.0 for the Apple iOS, PrintJinni v2.1 for the BlackBerry and PrintJinni v3.1 for the Android platforms, users can now experience improved Web page printing, printer discovery and support for multiple languages across all versions of the app.
Thinxtream's PrintJinni wireless mobile printing apps enable users of popular mobile devices including the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, BlackBerry and Android-based smart phones and tablets to print a broad range of file types directly from their mobile devices to any Wi-Fi connected, PostScript 3/PCL 5/PCL 6 compatible printer/MFP. These include Microsoft Office documents, Web pages, photos and PDF files.

Lantronix to Demonstrate New 'Plug-and-Print' xPrintServer

2012-01-25T06:00:00.001+01:00

Lantronix, Inc. will be a sponsor of MacIT at Macworld | iWorld 2012, held January 26 - 28, 2012 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif. The company will provide a live demonstration of its new xPrintServer at the Media Preview Reception and during the MacIT conference, a track within Macworld focused on educating the market how to implement Apple technology in enterprise environments. Additionally, Lantronix announced xPrintServer is in contention for the Macworld "Best in Show" award.
"Macworld, and specifically the MacIT track should prove to be an outstanding venue for building on our ever-increasing brand awareness for xPrintServer," said Mark D. Tullio, senior director of worldwide marketing for Lantronix. "The rate at which iPads and other iOS devices are making the leap from entertainment and media tools to true enterprise productivity solutions is staggering, and we are thrilled to be the first-to-market provider of a plug-and-print solution such as the xPrintServer."
The xPrintServer, roughly the size of an iPhone, is an easy-to-use hardware solution that utilizes the iOS native print menu and requires no additional applications, software downloads, or printer driver installations. With automatic printer discovery and no configuration, printing is easy and hassle-free. Simply open the box, plug the xPrintServer anywhere into the network, and print wirelessly from any iOS device running iOS version 4.2 or later, to virtually any network-connected printer.

New schedule announced for HP business-building events

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000+01:00

HP has announced that the HP Capture programme (Capture), the initiative to foster business success of HP Indigo, HP Scitex and HP Designjet customers, has expanded its offering and published its calendar of seminars and workshops to the Middle East and Africa.
The global growth of digital print has seen the installation of digital printing devices into the growing markets of the Middle East and Africa. As a result, the HP Capture programme is being ramped up in these areas to ensure the business success of HP customers.
Designed to help customers get the most from their presses and printers, The HP Capture programme comprises educational events and a comprehensive HP Capture website, available to all HP press and printer owners. Updated materials now available include: customer case studies; how-to-guides, market reports; vertical market guides; self promotion marketing templates and videos showing new technologies and techniques.

Used Scanner Found with Thousands of Stored Check Images

2012-01-24T06:00:00.001+01:00

According to The Hook, a Charlottesville, Virginia newspaper, an employee at the University of Virginia Claude Moore Health Sciences Library bought a surplus Canon document scanner (CD-4050N) on eBay for $500. He wanted to use it for some archival work. However, this person quickly discovered that the scanner's drive had not been wiped clean, and that it contained images of thousands of personal and business checks, one as large $500,000. A Canon brochure on the scanner says that its local disk drive can hold up to 20,000 pages of material which "...are easily retrieved on a local or remote PC."

VIP marks anniversary, adds equipment

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000+01:00

VIP Office Furniture and Supply (USA) will celebrate its 37th year in business this month with an in-store event. VIP will serve refreshments Jan. 26 at its store at 109 Central Ave. in Hinesville. Customers also will be able to view new additions to the business. The company recently purchased a Canon Image Prograf Large Format Copier. This copier enables VIP to extend their copy services to include blueprints, posters, banners, collages, city maps and more.

Improved Canvas Printing Service for Businesses

2012-01-23T06:00:00.001+01:00

New York Printer and Online Printing pioneer 4OVER4.COM has launched improved canvas printing options for businesses. The company now provides new high quality finishing options, as well as optional accessories and custom sizes for its canvas printing service. 4OVER4.COM provides digital and offset printing in the areas of poster printing, custom labels printing, business printing, canvas prints service, card printing, catalog printing, vinyl decal printing, corporate signage printing, and other custom printing applications.

3-D printers could recycle old plastic bottles

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow's homeowners may print out everything from utensils to furniture with 3-D printers — and they may not even need to buy raw materials. Instead, they could simply recycle milk jugs, shampoo bottles and plastic packaging into plastic filaments usable by the 3-D printers. Such a vision comes from a crowd-funded Kickstarter project aimed at making plastic recycling affordable for anyone with a computer and 3-D printer. The shoebox-size device, called "Filabot," grinds and melts the old plastic items to make 3D printing self-sufficient — another step toward a world where people can order or create any item and print it on demand.

iConvert Scanner for iPad

2012-01-20T06:00:00.001+01:00

Apple releases Brother printer driver updates

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000+01:00

Apple has released an update to its Brother printer drivers for OS X, which include fixes and enhancements to currently supported models along with drivers for new products from Brother. The update is a 149MB download from the Apple support downloads site, but this download includes the entire set of printer drivers that Apple offers.

Source launches innovative thermal barcode printers

2012-01-19T06:00:00.001+01:00

Source Technologies, a global leader in specialized printing solutions, introduced two new models into their ST Performance Series of innovative thermal barcode printers. The two new printers, the STp.1115 and STp.1125, provide the same industry leading design with rugged durability, fast print speeds and unequalled reliability. These printers are designed to support a wide range of applications for the manufacturing, transportation, logistics, retail, healthcare and government markets. The printers exceed partner and end-user requirements with the most advanced design, setting a new standard in thermal print quality: a 300dpi printer at a 203dpi price.

PC Magazine, Inc. Magazine, PC World and Better Buys for Business All Give OKI Recent Honors

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000+01:00

OKI Data Americas announces that its printers have recently earned a number of awards and top rankings from prominent industry publications, including PC Magazine's Extreme Performance Award for Fastest Color Laser-Class Business MFP -- a recognition given to products that "push the limits of the impossible and do what no others can." The award was given to OKI's MC561 and CX2731, which were praised for their exceptional speed and broad range of features. The OKI MC561 and MC361 were also selected for PC World's list of Top 10 Color Laser MFPs, placing at number five and number six, respectively.
Inc. Magazine ranked the OKI B730DN -- part of the B700 series of full-featured monochrome printers -- at number two in the publication's Top Six Gadgets of the Year, recognizing the B730DN for its extraordinary print speeds in a busy office environment.
The OKI B710, B720 and B730, also part of the B700 series, received the "2011 Innovative Product of the Year Award" in the black and white laser printer category by Better Buys for Business. The industry analyst group praised the OKI printers for being "strong machines" and for their ability to deliver impressive print speed. Each device in the B700 series is designed to increase productivity in demanding workplaces by providing powerful, cost-effective results.
"OKI is thrilled that its single function color and monochrome, and multifunction printers have been recognized by these top technology publications and industry analysts," said Carl Taylor, Director of Marketing for OKI Data Americas. "Each award demonstrates the functionality, speed and value of our printers. OKI continues to deliver high quality custom printing solutions to the marketplace through its broad portfolio of award-winning printers, and these accolades serve as testimony to that commitment."
OKI's full line of color and monochrome single- and multi-function printers provides reliable performance ideal for small- and medium-sized businesses. With high printing speeds, advanced printing capabilities and impressive results, each printer delivers exceptional performance and maximum efficiency.
All OKI products are built on parent company OKI Data Corporation's history of leadership and innovation in color printing, such as digital LED technology and Single Pass Color. This technology allows OKI Data Americas to manufacture products that require fewer moving parts for increased reliability.

Decrypt of Password-protected PDF documents inside Hot Folders

2012-01-18T06:00:00.001+01:00

Universe Software today announced an updated pdf-Recover Server for Mac OS X. The latest version of pdf-Recover Server supports the use of so-called hot folders. The user can specify the directories to be monitored automatically by the program. Furthermore, user passwords can be predefined, allowing even files that require a password to open the file to be decrypted.
PDF documents are often password-protected against alteration, addition, copying, printing or editing. This often presents but within the working process between companies - such as agencies, publishers, printers - significant disadvantages, as its for the processing of each individual PDF documents password must known.
The pdf-Recover Server Edition is a software for companies that receive large numbers of PDF files for further processing or printing, but can use this set because the password is not complete. The software removes the main PDF password fully automatically and without further restriction of each document is available again. The server version decrypts an unlimited number of PDF documents up to 256 bit AES.
And the software can do even more: Upon request, all the directories are scanned in accordance with all PDF documents, even in sub-folders, and decrypt. This eliminates lengthy searches and step-by-step decoding of the individual PDF files.
Furthermore, can automatically extract attachments and may be decrypted as well. The pdf-Recover - Server Edition works in the background on the server so that can be decrypted with a fully automatic batch processing of PDF documents in large numbers. Thus, the solution for companies with high-volume documents from different sources is highly efficient.

Zebra Technologies Expands Retail Offerings with Release of QLn220 Mobile Printer

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000+01:00

Zebra Technologies Corporation announced the release of its QLn220 mobile printer at the NRF 101st Annual Convention and Expo. Printing 2-inch labels for retail applications such as shelf-edge, price and return labeling where a smaller format is preferred, the QLn220 adds to Zebra’s breadth of products that allow retailers to streamline operations and improve the customer experience. The QLn220 is a new addition to the QLn mobile printer family unveiled in June 2011.

PDF Reader Pro Enters Top 10 Business Chart on the App Store Worldwide

2012-01-17T06:00:00.001+01:00

PDF Reader Pro, a document viewing application for iPhone and iPad, has entered the Top 10 business chart on the App Store in 65 countries, including China, France, Japan, the UK, and the US. The app has also won the title of the Best Business App of App Store Rewind 2011 in Australia and New Zealand. As one of the essential business apps promoted on Apple's website, PDF Reader Pro is recognized for its ability to read various file formats and convert them to PDF for further usage. Users can later highlight, add shapes, create notes, or sign on the converted documents.
Its developer,YUYAO Software, has been constantly adding new features to PDF Reader Pro to provide a richer reading environment. This is evident from its support of user-requested functions as highlight and save-to-PDF. Along with its friendly user interface, PDF scanner features, easy file download and upload, and powerful annotation tools, PDF Reader Pro continues to be the most full-featured and cost-effective PDF solution for mobile devices.
"The next update of PDF Reader Pro will hit the market in early February, with support to iCloud, iOS 5 built-in dictionary, as well as Google and Wikipedia search options," said Po-Chou Su, CEO of YUYAO Software. "We have focused on providing the best mobile office applications for iOS users, and that's what makes us succeed in the highly competitive app industry."

Latex Ink Jet Technology Goes Mainstream

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000+01:00

Latex ink jet ink technology was introduced by Hewlett-Packard in 2008 for wide format graphics printing applications, and after an extended period of beta-testing and an economic recession it went mainstream in 2010. During the last 18 months in particular unit placements have continued to gain strength, now totaling over 10,000 placements wordwide at the end of 2011. Plotting the history of HP’s latex printers against a time line, the real insight one gains is the momentum of growth and the importance of broad worldwide distribution.

New Web-Based Tool for Xerox iGen4 Platform

2012-01-16T06:00:00.001+01:00

To keep print operations productive, managers need access to on-the-spot information about the condition of their presses. Enter Xerox Corporation's new web-based tool that gives owners of Xerox iGen4 Presses real-time intelligence for maximum productivity -- information that's available anywhere, anytime via a PC, Mac or tablet.
Xerox's Production Information Management System (PIMS) lets printers know instantly the production performance of all iGen4 presses in their shop. PIMS tracks information, such as machine status and productivity metrics, from any number of iGen4 presses regardless of physical location, giving printers access to information from a central location.
Using PIMS, operators can better balance printer loads to move projects smoothly through the shop. PIMS also helps identify bottlenecks and production issues to improve workflow, and provides historical data that can be used for trend analysis.
PIMS is the latest addition to the iGen4 platform, which continues to gain industry attention with the iGen4 EXP Press. Users report immediate productivity spikes fueled by the press' color management capabilities and largest sheet size in its class. Xerox's FreeFlow Process Manager(R) to increase automation throughout its operations.

MakerBot unveils its new 3D printer, the Replicator

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000+01:00

The folks at MakerBot Industries have not exactly been resting on their laurels since causing a stir at CES last year with the Thing-o-Matic 3D printer. Even though the original small object creation device would still see the jaws of most people dropping in wonder, the company has unveiled a new model at CES 2012 called the Replicator that is not only capable of fabricating much bigger objects than its predecessor, but can also do so in two colors at the same time.

MMM Group Selects Bluebeam PDF Revu as Enterprise-Wide PDF Solution

2012-01-13T06:00:00.001+01:00

MMM Group Limited – an industry-leading Canadian program management, planning, engineering and geomatics firm – has selected Bluebeam PDF Revu as its enterprise-wide PDF solution to replace Adobe Acrobat. The company will deploy Revu CAD, Revu Standard and Revu eXtreme to meet the needs of nearly 2,000 users.
Bluebeam PDF Revu enables users to create, markup and edit PDF drawings and other design documents using customizable, industry-standard markups and measurements. Additionally, Revu provides advanced features for automatically comparing drawings, tracking markups, calculating materials costs and collaborating in real time with Bluebeam Studio. Together, these features enable project teams to create efficient, paperless processes for workflows including design reviews, bids, estimates, submittals and punch lists.

CES: 3D printing comes to the home

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000+01:00

3D printing has always been a technology that has seemed out of reach for the regular consumer thanks to the expensive and bulky equipment you need to make it happen. But that’s all about to change. Demonstrating a 3D printer for the home at CES 2012 was 3D Systems, the company that created 3D printing 25 years ago. Named the Cube, it is the first ever consumer 3D printer and is ready to print your designs straight out of the box. It comes with a membership to Cubify.com, a website where consumers and designers alike can share their 3D designs, and a place to get inspiration and guidance if you’ve never designed one yourself before.

Oce Brings Advantages of Production Black & White Printing to GlobalSoft Digital Solutions

2012-01-12T06:00:00.001+01:00

Oce announced that GlobalSoft Digital Solutions recently installed the Oce VarioPrint 6160 Ultra production printer with Oce PRISMAprepare software to substantially improve the cost model of their black and white printing spanning variable data campaigns, collateral, manuals and books.
For their direct-to-patient communication programs, GlobalSoft uses the Oce solution to automate the complex supply chain requirements in this highly regulated market and reliably deliver variable data campaigns to 300,000 clients. In another scenario, the modular capabilities of the solution allow them to adapt for extra capacity in peak retail seasons.
Oce VarioPrint 6000 Ultra systems print both sides of a sheet of paper simultaneously. As a result, duplex jobs print faster and more reliably. The line-up of high volume duplex printers also comes in four speed bands, from 166 to 306 letter images per minute.

Copiers Refurbished Reveals the Truth About Copier Warranties

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000+01:00

Car warranties aren't always the best deal, but when it comes to copier warranties you should always get one, says Copiers Refurbished, a leading nationwide dealer of certified used and refurbished copiers.
In their new article, "Why Should I Purchase A Refurbished Copier With A Warranty?" Copiers Refurbished reveals the truth about copier warranties, and why they are a must-have.
"If you are looking to purchase a new or used copier but are concerned about the quality of local service, a copier warranty such as ours is the only way to ensure peace of mind with your purchase," said a Copiers Refurbished representative.
Every Copiers Refurbished copier comes with a "same as brand new" complete 90 day on-site parts and labor warranty. Their two year extended warranty covers all major circuit boards, motors and scanning units for two years, and if a used copier is under a local service contract then it will be covered under that agreement. They also provide user manuals and network drivers on CD format for all of their copiers.
Copy machine warranties ensure that your pre-owned copier is better than new - especially because the copiers from Copiers Refurbished are sold at discounts up to 75% off MSRP, and have been used less than three months as rated by their manufacturers recommended monthly usage table. Additionally, although their copy machines all come from short term rentals, off-lease contracts, sales demos and corporate downsizing, they still insist on putting each certified used copier through their award-winning 93-point refurbishing process.

Epson opens up market for in-house proofing

2012-01-11T06:00:00.001+01:00

Epson teams up with a leading RIP provider EFI, to offer a complete package for all in-house designers, agencies and advertising departments to support their proofing needs. With the new Epson Design Editions, covering three key products within its range – the SP-WT7900 (pictured top), the SP-4900 (centre) and the SP-3880 (bottom) – Epson delivers a complete one-stop-shop for all in-house proofing needs.
For busy departments or agencies who don’t have time to research, benchmark and purchase each element individually, the Design Editions represent a quick and cost-effective investment. Simply select the Epson printer to suit and, via one of its channel partners, Epson provides the entire package of hardware, and RIP software from EFI – its popular Express Edition – along with a set of Epson media profiles. Users can also add the SpectroProofer if they have the need for automatic and highly accurate colour calibration and measurement.

Magnetic Notepads Printing

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000+01:00

New York Printer and Online Printing pioneer 4OVER4.COM has launched magnetic notepads printing as part of its menu of quality online printing services. Magnetic notepads can be used as work tools for simplifying tasks and creating reminders. They also make great corporate gifts for PR and marketing. 4OVER4.COM provides digital and offset printing in the areas of company printing, creating brochure services, poster printing, custom labels printing, business printing, canvas prints, card printing, catalog printing, vinyl decal printing, http://www.4ove r4.com/printing/company-signage [company signage __title__ company signage] printing, and other custom printing applications.
4OVER4 now offers magnetic notepad printing in convenient sizes with 25 sheets per pad and .030" high-strength magnet. Printing options available from 4OVER4 include 70# uncoated text notepads and sizes of 4" x 5", 4" x 8" and 3.5" x 8.5". Customers can also get between 25 and 5000 prints per order.

NewspaperDirect Delivers New Replica Editions for New York Times

2012-01-10T06:00:00.001+01:00

NewspaperDirect, Inc. announced that The New York Times has selected its SmartEdition platform as the technology for delivering the Replica Editions of The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and the International Herald Tribune. The New York Times Company was one of the first publishing collaborators of NewspaperDirect when it joined the company’s global Print-on-Demand network. For the past 10 years, The New York Times has been one of the most-requested publications of the more than 2,000 titles delivered by the 1,200 print stations NewspaperDirect operates in more than 100 countries.
The two companies have now expanded their relationship to include the design, development, hosting, technical/customer support and payment processing for the Replica Editions of The New York Times Company’s flagship publications. The new Replica Editions will be available to existing print and digital subscribers and will be included in The New York Times and The Boston Globe Newspaper in Education (NIE) Classroom Subscription Programs for K-12 teachers and students.

Canon affirms Thai ties

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000+01:00

Canon Hi-Tech (Thailand) Ltd will continue to pour 6 billion baht into building a new copier factory in Prachin Buri, despite facing losses from a flooded plant in Ayutthaya. President Kazuhiro Kitamura said the factory would have 280,000 square metres of space, similar to an existing copier factory in China. The company expects to begin operating the plant in April 2013 as a new export hub along with two other factories in China and Japan. Production capacity will serve the export market entirely.

CES: MakerBot teases 'next generation' of 3D printing

2012-01-09T06:00:00.001+01:00

MakerBot Industries chose a unique way to tease its upcoming CES announcement: an original text adventure. The Brooklyn company, known for its 3D printer kits, commissioned the game from award-winning writer Andrew Plotkin. Key Features takes place in the distant future, with the player, having wandered away from a MakerBot tour group, locked in a room with only a replicator and a few cryptic clues.

ShopKeep.com Releases Kitchen Printing Capability for iPad POS

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000+01:00

The ShopKeep.com iPad point of sale system now provides quick serve restaurants, coffee shops, retailers and other small businesses the ability to efficiently print orders from an iPad to the kitchen, barista, or other remote location.
Complete with the ability to pop a cash drawer, process credit cards and print customer receipts, ShopKeep iPad POS now prints orders to the kitchen. "By adding remote printing to our iPad product, we're adding a whole new level of efficiency and functionality for customers in restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, retail, and other businesses," says Jason Richelson, small business retailer and co-founder and CEO of ShopKeep.com. "At peak times, for example, employees can now take orders from customers waiting in line using an iPad, and using wireless printing merchants can instantly and efficiently relay orders to the kitchen or barista."
The ShopKeep iPad POS kitchen printing feature also includes Smart Memo modifiers, which allows cashiers to type notes such as "skim milk, one sugar" and prints a ticket to the remote printer in red ink. For quicker order entry, Smart Memo also utilizes sophisticated predictive text, suggesting previously used notes as orders are entered.
Linking an iPad running the ShopKeep Register to a wireless printer takes just seconds thanks to the app's built-in printer detection. The new kitchen printing features work with the Star Micronics SP700 impact printer , which is available through the ShopKeep.com hardware site.
Existing ShopKeep iPad POS users can access these new features by simply updating their iPad app and new users can download the Shopkeep Register through iTunes or the iPad App Store. The full ShopKeep point of sale solution is available for an affordable monthly subscription of $50/month which also includes unlimited live support and unlimited immediate upgrades.
No other iPad POS system provides back end functionality comparable to the ShopKeep BackOffice. Providing inventory tracking, employee management, real-time reporting and more, ShopKeep is just as powerful as conventional POS systems costing thousands.

GstarCAD2012 Has Built in PDF2DXF for Converting PDF into DXF

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000+01:00

Gstarsoft has built PDF2DXF functionality into a tightly integrated add-on to GstarCAD2012 called PDFtoDXF. This function significantly expands the scope of the applicability by enabling users to convert Adobe PDF format drawings directly into .dxf in GstarCAD2012.
PDF2DXF is an ideal function developed by Visual Integrity for users who frequently need to convert PDF-based vector CAD drawings into .dxf format, which can be opened as well as edited in GstarCAD2012. Once opened in GstarCAD2012, the .dxf file can be easily saved as .dwg format file.
All CAD entity types such as text, diagrams, images, and so on can be accurately extracted with high fidelity without errors. For raster PDF file, the function can also generate exact image which can be used as a tracing layer in the target application such as GIS and mapping. What’s more, by applying built-in batch mode, users can quickly and easily convert multiple PDF files to .dxf format at one time.

College Book Store Serving Ohio University Latest University to Offer Ink Refills

2012-01-05T06:45:00.001+01:00

Ink-O-Dem announced it has installed its highly popular Cartridge Refilling System at the College Book Store serving Ohio University to meet a demand for affordable, green, integrated printer ink refilling services. Ink-O-Dem's Cartridge Refilling System can refill 146 different inkjet cartridges including the latest cartridges from HP and Canon. Ink-O-Dem's Cartridge Refilling System is designed to provide students, alumni, faculty and campus neighbors access to convenient, eco-friendly, quality printer ink that is half the cost of a new OEM inkjet cartridge.
Six other Ink-O-Dem locations in Ohio include: Ace Hardware in Wauseon; Ben Franklin in Bowling Green; Micro Center in Columbus, Mayfield Heights and Sharonville; and WiredOut - The Tech Store serving Ohio State University in Columbus.

Mineways lets you export Minecraft models for 3D printing

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000+01:00

3D printing is becoming more affordable, and you don’t even need your own 3D printer to create printed objects. Instead, you can use Shapeways, which allows you to upload your own 3D models and have them printed and then shipped to you. Shapeways is a great service on its own, but it has been made even better over the Christmas and new year period by Eric Haines. He has created the free to use program Mineways. Mineways allows you to export anything created in the game Minecraft in a model format that Shapeways can use to print it.

TransAct Technologies Announces Technology Integration and Development Agreement With Leap Forward Gaming

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000+01:00

TransAct Technologies Incorporated announced the successful technology integration of its Epic 950 printer and EPICENTRAL Print System into the game-changing SaffariNet wireless ecosystem created by its strategic partner, Leap Forward Gaming (LFG) of Reno, Nevada.
Now that it is fully integrated into the SaffariNet wireless ecosystem, the Epic 950 printer and the EPICENTRAL Print System can not only communicate directly with existing casino gaming machines, but also independently of the gaming machine, empowering casino operators to quickly and easily generate coupons and other player-specific offers from the system.

Opportunities In Mobile Printing Solutions

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000+01:00

With mobility defining the trend for today’s entrepreneurs and businessmen, the need for portable devices is on an upswing. Mobile printers and scanners are gradually finding a place in various sectors including BFSI, telecom, education, event management, advertising, pharma, travel and law. “The total addressable market of mobile scanners in India is Rs 10 crore and mobile printers Rs 2.5 crore,” says Nitin Hiranandani, Director, Laserjet Enterprise Solutions, IPG, HP. “With potential growth at a CAGR of 15 percent, we see a clear utility of mobile printers and scanners to capture customer information for processing applications and providing quotes or receipts to clients on the spot. At the end-customer front, the mobile printer can act as a photo printer on the go. Executives can print business plans to discuss with their stakeholders. At the same time, they can scan any important document for later reference.”

Canon Seeks Delisting of Oce

2012-01-02T06:00:00.000+01:00

Canon Inc. intends to realize a delisting of Océ N.V. (“Océ”) from the Amsterdam stock exchange NYSE Euronext, following the acquisition of the ordinary shares held by Orbis Funds (“Orbis”) in Océ (“Orbis Shares”), bringing Canon’s ownership in Océ to 98.83 per cent of the entire issued share capital (including cumulative preference shares). This increased percentage allows Canon and Océ to start discussions about the delisting procedure and the timing thereof, taking into account all regulatory requirements. Canon will also commence statutory buyout proceedings under Dutch law in due course to effect the purchase of the remaining minority shareholdings. The acquired Orbis Shares represent approximately 10.8 per cent of the ordinary share capital and 8.8 per cent of the entire issued share capital of Océ (including cumulative preference shares).

Exploding HP Printers Turn Out to Be Not So Explosive

2011-12-30T06:00:00.000+01:00

It was an image so sensational it was destined to make headlines. "Could a hacker from half-way around the planet control your printer and give it instructions so frantic that it could eventually catch fire?" asked MSNBC's Bob Sullivan in November. That's right: your seemingly harmless printer, sitting innocuously beside your desk, was a ticking time bomb. So was it all much ado about nothing? Yes and no. It probably was unlikely that HP printers were ever going to burst into flames and burn down your house due to the malicious actions of a hacker across the world. But there's an underlying lesson to be learned here: that certain of our connected devices are often less well protected than others, and that we would do well to begin to take their security seriously. As

3-D printing becoming affordable

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000+01:00

University of Washington professor Mark Ganter sees the future, and it's printing apple pies. And maybe vital organs, furniture and buildings. Ganter experiments with using alternative materials to print three-dimensional objects, part of growing efforts to make 3-D printing more diverse and accessible to consumers. The machines print layers of material to produce the models. Some printers add layers of powder and liquid binder, while others melt layer upon layer of plastic.

Easily View TIFF/TIF Fax Files on iOS

2011-12-28T06:00:00.000+01:00

Corporate Smalltalk Consultingd. has announced Fax Viewer 1.8.7 for iOS, a feature update to their document viewer app that allows the user to either view the TIF files generated by standard office fax machines, or convert them to PDF documents for other apps to use.
As faxes are increasingly emailed to save on paper costs, Fax Viewer works by supplementing the existing document display logic found in iOS 4.x and 5.0, which will only display the first page of a fax but not allow access to subsequent pages. The app includes newly enhanced page manipulation features to allow the sizing and rotation of pages as fax pages sometimes arrive in various orientations, tap areas for paging, and adjustments to swipe to scroll. Bookmarking support is provided on a page basis to allow navigation within the document, but also external bookmarking allows for opening an existing fax to a page by tapping a custom URL received in the Mail.app or copy/pasted into Notes.app.
Fax Viewer enables viewing of multi-page faxes by first importing the entire file into its storage area. Once imported, the file undergoes one-time pre-rendering that ensures the fax is optionally re-scaled to be optically correct and to provide the fastest possible rendering when viewing as a multi-page document. The user can copy documents into Fax Viewer by using iTunes to copy files into, delete, or copy them out of the app, or a manual process to move files from Mail.app into Fax Viewer. Fax Viewer 1.8.7 is $4.99 (USD) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Utilities category.

HP LaserJet Firmware Update Now Available

2011-12-27T06:00:00.001+01:00

On Nov. 29, HP announced that the potential existed for a certain type of unauthorized access to some HP LaserJet printers and confirmed it has received no customer reports of unauthorized access. HP now has built a firmware update to mitigate this issue and is communicating this proactively to customers and partners. No customer has reported unauthorized access to HP. HP reiterates its recommendation to follow best practices for securing devices by placing printers behind a firewall and, where possible, disabling remote firmware upload on exposed printers.

Vomela Specialty Company Achieves G7 Master Certification

2011-12-26T06:00:00.000+01:00

Specialty Company has achieved G7 Master Certification status. G7 Master Status is earned by printers who "use the most modern technology, techniques, proofing and press controls, and standards required to produce a close visual match from proof to print." G7 Master Printers are certified annually by IDEAlliance. G7 Master Status indicates that the printer's facility has calibrated its equipment and systems to G7 gray balance and neutral tone curves and is capable of delivering G7 proofs and print products.
"We consistently strive to provide our valued customers with the highest quality products. Now; with our color management systems calibrated and qualified using G7 methods, we provide an even greater level of assurance that critical print projects or brand creative will delight customers and consumers" said Mark Auth, President of Vomela Specialty Company in statements made today.
For Brand Owners and Print Buyers, G7 Certification indicates a printer's ability to consistently hit and maintain predictable results when color matching during the print process. With Vomela, its recent G7 Master Certification is supplemented by its long standing certification as a 3M Scotchprint Certified printer.
Vomela Specialty Company and affiliates, with annual revenues of $135,000,000, is based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and employs 700 people in manufacturing and/or sales operations in 18 cities in the United States and Canada.

Students make computer design 3-D reality

2011-12-23T06:00:00.001+01:00

What do Yoda, the Tower of the Americas, a block of cheese and a snowflake have in common? Students at St. Luke's Episcopal School have been able to “print” small sculptures of each with a Thing-O-Matic 3-D printer, one of the few in use at San Antonio campuses, according to the school. Mark Reford, who heads the school, and Michael Zeigler, the school's technology director and a teacher, said a new course marries the worlds of art and technology for middle school students, promotes higher-order thinking and gives kids insight into the future of manufacturing.

Kindle iPad Update Adds Print Replica Textbooks, PDF Support

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000+01:00

Amazon has updated the Kindle app for iPhone and iPad, adding some basic improvements to the standard assortment of reader functions. These include the addition of “print replica” textbooks so students can follow along with the paper copy in class as well as improved PDF support and a personal document system that lets you send files to an Amazon address for conversion.

A technology awaits its iPad moment

2011-12-22T07:40:00.003+01:00

The idea of creating your own plastic objects using a 3D printer is very cool. Imagine, for example, being able to print Christmas gifts at home. Looking for a special toy? No need to visit the toy store when you can download that race car design file from a library of toys on the Internet and send it to your 3D printer. Or perhaps you'd like to customize the item first by opening the file in a simple 3D modeling program and add a few personal touches. That's the vision. The reality is a bit different.

TransAct's Epic 950 Printer Selected Exclusively by Revel

2011-12-22T06:00:00.000+01:00

TransAct Technologies announced that its Epic 950 printer was selected exclusively by Revel in Atlantic City, New Jersey to be installed in all of the casino's 2,389 slot machines. Revel will be the first new resort to open in Atlantic City in nine years, with a scheduled grand opening date of May 2012. Bart C. Shuldman, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of TransAct Technologies, said: "Revel chose our Epic 950(R) printer for its advanced technology and features which include quick disconnect, reliable ticket burst, low ticket sensing and the proven casino industry quality."

Indian printer market grows further

2011-12-21T06:00:00.001+01:00

The combined serial inkjet and page printer, copier and multifunction product (MFP) market in India totalled 666 859 units in the third quarter of 2011, a 2.4% increase over the year-ago period, according to research firm Gartner, reports The Economic Times. “Business activities in the banking, financial services and insurance, manufacturing, IT and IT-enabled services sectors, and notably the government sector, lead to a growth of peripheral devices like printers and multi-functional devices,” Gartner research analyst Amrita Choudhury says. Overall, HP, Canon, Epson and Samsung continued to be the top four vendors accounting for 93% of the total India printer market in the period under review.

Foxit Launches PhantomPDF 5.1

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000+01:00

Foxit Corporation, a leading provider of solutions for reading, editing, creating, organizing, and securing PDF documents, today announced PhantomPDF 5.1, the newest release of business-ready PDF software which allows users to create professional documents and forms quickly, affordably, and securely. Foxit PhantomPDF comes in three different editions to meet the diverse needs of our users -- PhantomPDF Express, Standard, and Business. This new release provides more PDF creation and customization options, converts to additional file formats, and provides support for Bates Numbers.
New capabilities provided in PhantomPDF 5.1 include: PDF Conversion In addition to supporting PDF to Microsoft(R) Word conversion, PhantomPDF 5.1 adds conversion of PDF to the entire Microsoft Office suite of applications, Rich Text Format (RTF), and Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) formats. Bates Number Support Used in many vertical markets such as the legal and medical industries, Bates Numbers are identification numbers used on images and documents as they are scanned or processed for identification and protection purposes. And PDF Creation and Customization Enhancements allow users to easily customize PDF documents to create a consistent look and feel.

Edmonton Commercial Printer Builds Business with Kodak Press

2011-12-20T06:00:00.001+01:00

When Henk DeJong's father announced that he would soon retire from leadership of DeJong Printing, Ltd., in Edmonton, Alberta, DeJong knew that the time had come to make some significant choices for the family business.
"We were faced with the decision of whether we would continue in the printing business, dwindle down, or sell," DeJong explained. After decades of leading the local market in offset printing, DeJong Printing had not yet made a serious move to digital. "We had a small digital printer for a number of years -- just a glorified laser printer," he said. "We tossed ideas back and forth, and eventually we decided that in addition to our traditional services, we needed to be able to produce the best digital printing in town."
DeJong and his 15-member staff did their homework, and all of their research led them to one conclusion: the KODAK NEXPRESS SX2700 Digital Production Color Press, with the award winning KODAK NEXPRESS Fifth Imaging Unit Solutions, would provide them with the advantage they needed to differentiate DeJong Printing from its competition and realize their digital goals.
The KODAK NEXPRESS SX Platform can help printers drive more jobs per shift and more profit per page by consistently and reliably producing market-leading image quality from job-to-job and day-to-day. Its long-sheet option -- up to 26 inches -- allows printers to print six-page brochures or three-up letters, and the optional expanded feeder and in-line finishing modules help printers complete jobs in fewer steps, maximizing productivity while minimizing waste. In an independent study by SpencerLab, the KODAK NEXPRESS SX Digital Production Color Press achieved an overall highest rating in print quality, demonstrating the best all-around performance across the majority of attributes.
The NEXPRESS Fifth Imaging Unit makes it possible for DeJong to provide unique in-line dimensional coating, gloss and spot color, in-line watermarking, or coating in a single pass -- a range of applications and options that no other printing company in Edmonton can currently match.
"Our customer base is heavily ad agency-oriented, and they are very excited about all the options the NEXPRESS Fifth Imaging Unit Solutions give them," said DeJong. "They're particularly interested in the dimensional clear option, which prints a raised 3D image in clear ink instead of just a flat spot varnish -- and it does it right in the first pass. We can also offer RGB color for the most accurate spot color matching, in addition to the standard CMYK. We're considering the red fluorescing ink feature for some security and transit clients."

Kodak announces a new family of Premier Papers

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000+01:00

Kodak announced a new family of silver halide-based media, KODAK PROFESSIONAL ENDURA Premier Paper and KODAK PROFESSIONAL ENDURA Premier Metallic Paper, which leverages advanced breakthroughs in Kodak imaging science research. This media yields a new cyan dispersion and enhanced emulsion technology and as a result, offer benefits for both portrait and commercial labs. Benefits include a larger color gamut with the capacity for more saturated color, while at the same time maintaining accurate skin tone reproduction, highlights and shadow detail.

Panasonic Introduces Two Laser-Class "Fit Anywhere" Multifunction Printers

2011-12-19T06:00:00.001+01:00

Panasonic System Networks Company of America today introduced the KX-MB1500 series of value-priced A4-format Multifunction Printers (MFPs). Offering fast, high-quality monochrome laser printing and copying, full-color scan to PC, and paper/paperless faxing(1), the KX-MB1500 and KX-MB1520 share a slimmed-and-trimmed form factor that reduces the space and volume needed for installation and operation by approximately 25 and 40 percent respectively.
Both the KX-MB1500 and the step-up KX-MB1520 are highlighted by a reduced-size print engine, an inner paper-exit tray, front-panel access to consumables such as toner and paper, and a side-mounted power connector. Taken together, these features deliver a lightweight (20lb.), small footprint, All-In-One workhorse which can be installed flat against a wall on a crowded desk, or upon a shelf, bookcase, or file cabinet.
"According to the most recent Census Department figures, more than 14 million Americans are currently operating a business from their homes, with about 4.5 million of them generating 100 percent of their income from those businesses," Bill Taylor, President, Panasonic System Networks Company of America, noted. "Even more surprising, the Census Bureau also reports that the annual median family income of a home-based business owner is $17,000 higher than that of the general population working traditional jobs."
"That is a huge, constantly growing market that deserves -- and is demanding -- office products designed for a business environment where the kitchen doubles as a conference room and the 'printer stand' might be one end of a shelf holding balls, bats and skates," Taylor added. "With its space-saving design, robust feature set, and Panasonic durability-by-design build quality, the KX-MB1500 series is the latest example of our commitment to providing Fortune 500-quality office machines to entrepreneurs with small-business budgets."
Using Panasonic's proprietary Easy Print Utility, a no-cost software bundled with each KX-MB1500/1520, end users sitting at their PCs can merge files created in different applications into a single print job, rearrange the order of pages immediately prior to sending them to the print queue, and instantly reformat the whole document to print multiple pages (up to 16) on a single sheet of paper.
They can also add headers, footers and/or watermarks to their pages before deciding whether to send the job directly to the printer or output it as a PDF file.

Google Cloud Print Connects 6M Printers Via Chrome

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000+01:00

Google said Google Cloud Print has connected more than 6 million printers via the Google Chrome Web browser, the first time the search engine giant-turned business computing provider has released statistics for its Web-based printing service. More importantly, the new Chrome 16 build lets anyone using the browser on Windows, Mac and Linux computers will print any webpage to Google Cloud Print. Previously, this capability was only available via Chromebooks.

Foxit Reader Safe From Latest "Zero-Day" Vulnerability

2011-12-16T06:00:00.001+01:00

Foxit Corporation says its Foxit Reader is not vulnerable to the latest zero-day (CVE-2011-2462) vulnerability. Users who are concerned about this much publicized issue should feel safe in downloading the Foxit Reader to meet their PDF reader requirements. The CVE-2011-2462 malware has been reported by users to crash their PDF program and open up a new file which attempts to make registry changes and contacts an external URL. The malicious code also tries to take control of the affected computer. The issue has been reported by Lockheed Martin's Computer Incident Response Team and MITRE.

Océ JetStream 1900 printing system offers speed, versatility and minimal footprint

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000+01:00

Océ has extended its continuous feed portfolio with the launch of the new Océ JetStream 1900printing system. This innovative printer is part of the Océ JetStream Compact series, offering highest versatility at minimal footprint.
The Océ JetStream 1900 system offers a printing speed of 127 mpm in digital full color. A member of the scalable Océ JetStream Compact series of high-volume duplex printers, the Océ JetStream 1900 expands the range from two field upgradeable speed bands of 75 and 100 to even faster 127 mpm by increasing productivity by more than 25%. This makes the Océ JetStream 1900, the high-end product of the Océ JetStream Compact series, the ideal solution for cost-effective personalized, full color printing.
For print jobs with short production windows and tight cost constraints, the performance mode of the Océ JetStream 1900 operates at 127 mpm (417 fpm), which translates to 1,714 A4 (1,818 letter) images per minute, at 600 x 480 dpi resolution and multilevel dot modulation. For top quality requirements, the premium mode enables printing at 1,200 dpi perceived image quality with 100 mpm (326 fpm) or 1,350 A4 (1,428 letter) images per minute.
Transactional applications, direct mail documents or short-run newspapers are often characterized by tight production windows and very high peak loads. This is where the Océ JetStream 1900 reveals its strengths and economic advantages. For cost-effective production, the performance mode facilitates substantial ink savings. Users also benefit from the reliability, print quality and media range associated with the Océ JetStream family.

Gold Competency Status for Server-Based PDF Creation, Conversion & Development Tools

2011-12-15T06:00:00.001+01:00

activePDF Inc. has attained Gold Competency status in the Microsoft Partner Network in the ISV/Software Solutions category. This status recognizes activePDF's expertise and impact in the marketplace for its enterprise PDF developer tools and solutions. activePDF has demonstrated expertise with Microsoft technologies and proven ability to meet customers' needs, and thereby receives a rich set of benefits including technical services, software and developer resources, training, and sales and marketing support, giving them a competitive advantage in the channel.

Lantronix Launches xPrintServer

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000+01:00

Lantronix, Inc. announced the launch of its new patent-pending xPrintServers, the first Apple iOS print server compatible with the iPad 2, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, and virtually any device running Apple's iOS mobile operating system. The xPrintServer is available for pre-ordering now at store.Lantronix.com. The product will begin shipping in the first calendar quarter of 2012, and will also be available on Amazon, NewEgg, Buy.com, and MacMall websites. Lantronix will be showcasing the xPrintServer at Digital Experience on January 9, 2012, the evening prior to the 2012 International CES in Las Vegas.
The xPrintServer, roughly the size of an iPhone, is an easy-to-use hardware solution that utilises the iOS native print menu and requires no additional applications, software downloads, or printer driver installations. With automatic printer discovery and no configuration, printing is easy and hassle-free. Simply open the box, plug the xPrintServer anywhere into the network, and print wirelessly from any iOS device running iOS version 4.2 or later, to virtually any network-connected printer.
Current market estimates peg iPad users at more than 73 million around the world today, with more than 50 percent using the device for business purposes. With more than 900 million iPads forecasted to be deployed globally by 2015, the xPrintServer is designed to close the loop on the missing print function for driving business usage and productivity for the iPad and iPhone community in office settings.
The xPrintServer currently supports thousands of printer models from leading printer families including HP, Brother, Epson, Canon, Dell, Lexmark, and Xerox. In addition to in-house testing at Lantronix and third-party testing, validation was conducted by QualityLogic, Inc., a provider of software quality test tools and testing services for printer and printer-related companies including HP, Canon, Dell, Microsoft, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, AT&T and many more companies. As new printer brands and printer models become available, Lantronix will post updates on www.Lantronix.com .

Printer cartridge investigation stepped up

2011-12-14T06:00:00.001+01:00

The Australian Primary Industries Department has hired a private investigator to get to the bottom of a printer cartridge scandal. There are 41 South Australian Government agencies embroiled in the scandal over purchase of printer cartridges at heavily-inflated prices in exchange for gifts. A State Parliamentary committee has heard Primary Industries staff have identified 134 invoices from suspect suppliers over four years.

Xerox offers printer management service

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000+01:00

Sick of forgetting to order toner or cartridges for your company’s printers and multifunction devices? Xerox has created a managed service that reminds smaller companies when its time to replenish supplies. The free service, called Xerox eConcierge, works with networked devices — and its doesn’t matter whether that hardware comes from Xerox or another printer hardware vendor. The application can be downloaded to either a Windows or Macintosh system. Once set-up, it seeks compatible devices on the network, captures the part numbers and starts keeping tabs on the state of all the consumables that printers and all-in-one multifunction devices use on a regular basis.

Black Hawk County officials buy copier for state agency

2011-12-13T06:00:00.001+01:00

The purchase of an office machine left some Black Hawk County (US) supervisors grumbling this week. Board members voted unanimously Tuesday to buy the $7,995 copier and scanner for the Iowa Department of Human Services in the county's Pinecrest Office Building. But they questioned why county property taxpayers must pick up the tab for a state agency's office equipment.

Google Patent Application Details Cloud Printing Service

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000+01:00

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has published a patent application from Google that seeks to secure the rights to a cloud printing service. The document, which was filed in March of last year, describes the Cloud Print service as one that is integrated into Google's Chrome web browsers. "A print server may include an application manager configured to receive a print request over a network from an application executing on a device, and configured to provide, over the network, a print dialog to a user of the application […] A print job router may be configured to route the print job over the network from the print server to a print client associated with the selected printer, for printing by the selected printer, using the printer-specific format."

Fraudsters Now Using 3D Printers To Make Authentic Looking ATM Skimmers

2011-12-12T06:40:00.000+01:00

What looks like the card slot from a Chase Bank ATM is actually a sophisticated card skimmer removed from a branch in West Hills, California. And police believe a 3D printer may have been used to create it. Those green bulbous card slots that were supposed to make it very difficult for a card skimmer to be attached to an ATM have turned out to be just a minor inconvenience for sophisticated thieves. Investigators believe this skimmer—which perfectly fits over the ATM's regular slot— was created from a mould that came from a 3D printer. Which means those behind this particular ATM scheme had some very expensive tools at their disposal.

BellHawk Cloud-Based MES System Adds Automated Barcode Label Printing

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000+01:00

BellHawk Systems announces the availability of an improved product labeling module for its BellHaw Cloud-based web-mobile Manufacturing Execution System. One of the major issues with moving Manufacturing Execution Systems to the Cloud is how to efficiently print out barcode labels on barcode printers in local manufacturing plants from a remote server, which is running the MES system, over the Internet. With the release of BellHawk V6.2 this problem has been solved. BellHawk uses BarTender Automation from Seagull Scientific for label layout and to provide the print drivers for a wide variety of barcode printers. This is installed on a Windows 7 Professional computer in each plant and can serve a number of barcode printers.

NASA Looks to 3D Printing for Spare Space-Station Parts

2011-12-09T06:24:00.000+01:00

A first step toward space factories may come from NASA's recent selection of a U.S. startup's proposal to build a 3D printer for the space station. Such printing technology could build any number of objects, layer by layer, based on designs uploaded from mission control. Astronauts would only need "feedstock" material, such as plastic or metal, to make new tools or spare parts on the fly.

Avery Dennison App for Easy and Convenient Label Printing

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000+01:00

The Office and Consumer Products Group of Avery Dennison, a global leader in office products, unveiled a new app for use with the iPhone mobile digital device. Avery Templates Everywhere makes it easy for consumers to import contacts from an iPhone to place on Avery mailing, shipping and return address labels.
Users can simply choose which Averylabel to use and select the desired contacts from the contact list in their iPhone-- the address labels or shipping labels are then automatically formatted into the correct layout for their Avery product.
The AveryTemplates Everywhere app makes it easy to add new contacts as well, since users can scan addresses from envelopes, business cards and more quickly update their address book. This is a great way to update holiday mailing lists by scanning the return addresses on holiday card envelopes.
The easy-to-use app offers the flexibility of printing directly with a compatible printer, saving the project online to a MyAvery account for printing later, or sending the label project by email for later use. Avery Templates Everywhere is available free at the AppleApp StoreSM online store.

Printer Reliability and Satisfaction: Not Good

2011-12-08T06:00:00.001+01:00

Not one printer maker stood out in a PC World survey of readers about their experiences with printer reliability and their satisfaction with features. Samsung received high marks for its printers’ reliability and copy speed, but poor ones for photo and graphics printing quality. Participating readers esteemed Xerox for its machines’ printing speed and network connectivity, but bashed it for their poor reliability. Only Canon, Brother, and Epson had especially strong showings in both reliability and feature satisfaction; and of those three, only Canon also graded high in service and support.

Inkless printing company Zink receives funding

2011-12-08T06:00:00.000+01:00

Zink announced Tuesday a $35 million funding B series, led by investors Genii Capital. Former board members Mary Jeffries and Ira Parker have also been hired as co-CEOs of Zink, in conjunction with this recent investment. Founded in 2005, Zink's research and development labs arebased in Bedford, Massachussets, with a manufacturing outlet in Whitsett, North Carolina.

Realize Inc. Expands Stereolithography Capabilities With iPro 8000 Printer

2011-12-07T06:00:00.001+01:00

With the addition of an iPro 8000 SLA Production Printer, Realize Inc. continues to emerge as a leader in the rapid prototyping industry. "The 8000 gives us more large part capacity," said Todd Reese, President of Realize. "It also allows us to expand our material offerings for large pieces."
Based near Indianapolis, Realize creates customized rapid prototypes of products for clients in numerous industries, including consumer electronics, automotive, health care and education. The company has created prototypes for a vast variety of products -- from gaming figurines to wind tunnel automobile models and intricate machine parts.
Customers use these prototypes for design verification; they can use the custom model created at Realize to determine if their design is valid before incurring the expense of going into full production.
Realize has become a national leader in Stereolithography (SLA), which involves using lasers to selectively and successively cure thin layers of specialized liquid resins -- creating a precise, custom prototype reproduction of the 3D modeled design. The company's new iPro 8000 is a state-of-the-art SLA machine that increases the company's production capacity, including the ability to react more quickly to aggressive delivery requests.
Realize now has a total of 11 Stereolithography machines in its SLA lab, each affectionately named after a supermodel. These machines include seven Viper SLA systems, two SLA-5000 Systems, the iPro 8000 and an iPro 9000. While the iPro and SLA-5000 systems handle larger parts, the smaller Viper systems can reproduce small parts with extremely fine detail, and are capable of a high resolution mode that can reproduce even finer detail.

Kodak Launches Document Cloud Printing App

2011-12-07T06:00:00.000+01:00

Continuing to make printing from smartphones and tablets easy and accessible, Kodak launched its free KODAK Document Print App for Android OS Devices. Consumers can now send documents from their ANDROID OS device directly to their KODAK All-in-One Printer using Google Cloud Print.
Supported files include web pages, MS Office documents, PDF and text files, as well as image files. In addition to printing files that are located locally on an Android device, files can be accessed on Google Docs, Dropbox and Evernote sites. Web pages can be accessed using the KODAK Document Print App's built-in browser.

Recycle your used printer toners

2011-12-06T06:00:00.001+01:00

What do you do with your printer toners after they run out of ink? For most of us, it’s straight to the trash for these spent cartridges. But did you know that they can be recycled and re-made into useful products? To encourage such a practice, five major printer brands – Brother, Canon, Dell, Epson, and Lexmark – have come together in a joint initiative to offer collection points for these used inks and toners. Called Project Homecoming, the initiative is supported by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and National Library Board (NLB). The collection boxes will be placed at public libraries island-wide, starting immediately at these 13 branches:

Fujifilm next-generation inkjet digital press

2011-12-06T06:00:00.000+01:00

Fujifilm announced the launch of the next-generation inkjet digital press Jet Press 720 for the Japanese market. Fujifilm Jet Press 720 is the first printer in the world that achieves high-speed printing with 4-level grayscale at 1200dpi on B2 sized sheet (maximum paper size: 750mm x 530mm), delivering image quality exceeding offset printing.

Folded Business Cards Printing for Small Businesses

2011-12-05T06:00:00.001+01:00

New York Printer and Online Printing pioneer 4OVER4.COM has launched folded business cards printing for small businesses. Folded business cards allow businesses to get creative and do more or say more with their business cards because of the extra room. Another advantage of the folded cards is the fact that they are more stylish and eye-catching that traditional business cards, and are more likely to be retained by prospects. 4OVER4.COM provides digital and offset printing in the areas of card printing, poster printing, custom labels printing, vinyl decal printing, corporate signage printing, and other custom printing applications.

Enolsoft Upgrades PDF to TEXT for Mac with OCR Capability

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000+01:00

Enolsoft PDF to Text for Mac is a simple yet useful tool which specifically tailored for Mac users to reuse and edit contents from PDF files to get a head start on new projects with no Acrobat or Acrobat Reader applications required. Just add the PDF files to Enolsoft PDF to Text for Mac and hit “Convert”, Enolsoft PDF to Text for Mac will convert the PDF files to Text at high speed and with good accuracy. Besides, it also supports to batch convert multiple Adobe PDF documents at a time, as well as convert any specific pages.

PageTech Announces Release of its New PCLMagic Printer Drivers

2011-12-02T06:00:00.001+01:00

PageTech, the leader in PCL print stream transformation, extraction, and re-engineering software, announced the release of its new PCLMagic Printer Driver. It embeds searchable text into PCL print streams before the printer driver generates them, saving all the text in its natural unscrambled state. Both the monochrome (PCL5e) and color (PCL5c) PCLMagic drivers call our custom programs to insert Unicode and UTF-8 text values into the print stream to circumvent the way in which Windows printer drivers "scramble" the text in PCL print streams.
"Our exclusive ability to extract text before it's scrambled and use it to create text searchable PDF files from complex PCL is what truly sets us apart from the competition," says Robert Pooley, president of PageTech. "The PCLMagic driver enables us to capture text in any language and extract it later downstream for file splitting, auto-indexing, converting to fully text searchable PDFs or re-purposing into TransPromo documents".
Our PCLMagic printer drivers are included in PCLTool SDK v11.61 and install as the PCL2PDF and PCLPrint drivers for demo purposes. PCLTool SDK v11.61 live evaluation is available from the pagetech.com website.

3-D printer creates bone-like material

2011-12-02T06:00:00.000+01:00

U.S. researchers say they've optimized a 3-D printer to create a bone-like material that can be used for orthopedic and dental work. Washington State University researchers said they used a ProMetal 3D printer with an inkjet that sprays a plastic binder over a bed of powder in layers about half the width of a human hair. The printer creates a channeled cylinder the size of a pencil eraser that can act as a scaffold for actual bone to grow on.

The Little Printer

2011-12-01T06:00:00.001+01:00

HP Smacks Down Printer Fire Report

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000+01:00

Hewlett-Packard has refuted what it called "sensational and inaccurate reporting" suggesting hackers could use a newly discovered security vulnerability to spark a fire in some HP LaserJet printers. Even the Columbia University researchers who discovered the security flaw said today they were not able to set a printer on fire. The researchers do believe the vulnerability could potentially be used to disable printers and steal personal information. HP acknowledges a security problem, but says no customers have reported unauthorized access to its printers. The company is working to close the hole.

Amtrak tests e-ticketing

2011-11-30T06:00:00.001+01:00

Mirroring an airline practice, the rail company is testing e-ticketing that allows customers to print their tickets at home or have them e-mailed to their smartphones as a PDF file. Using a mobile device, the conductor scans a bar code on the PDF file to confirm the ticket. The trial, which started this month, is limited, and available only to the customers of Amtrak's Downeaster service, which runs between Portland, Maine, and Boston.

Océ Expands High Volume Color Printer Portfolio

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000+01:00

Océ announced that the Document Printing Systems division of Océ North America, a Canon Group Company, has begun selling the Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE C9075S/C9065S PRO color multifunctional printers. Developed jointly by Canon and Océ, the new series combines Canon’s imageRUNNER ADVANCE platform with Océ PRISMAsync controller technology to deliver powerful functionality to light production environments.
The first imageRUNNER ADVANCE models to emerge from the joint Canon and Océ innovation pipeline, the imageRUNNER ADVANCE C9000S PRO Series combines high performance Canon color print technology with unique and award-winning Océ PRISMA® workflow technology to maximize machine running time and greatly improve CRD and print center productivity. With Océ PRISMAsync operation management, users can schedule up to eight hours of jobs at a time.
“The imageRUNNER ADVANCE C9000S PRO Series demonstrates another step in the ongoing integration between Canon and Océ by seamlessly integrating each component of the print operation to meet customer demands and deadlines,” said Sam Yoshida, Vice President, Imaging Systems Group, Canon U.S.A.
The imageRUNNER ADVANCE C9075S PRO delivers output speeds of up to 75 ppm in black and white and 70 ppm in color, while the imageRUNNER ADVANCE C9065S PRO prints up to 65 ppm in black & white and 65 ppm in color. The input trays have a maximum paper capacity of 9,300 sheets, and both paper and toner can be replenished on the fly to keep jobs running uninterrupted. An operator attention light signals upcoming operator interventions, such as media refills, before action is required, allowing time to help prevent a halt in production.
In addition to the devices’ robust capabilities and high print quality, the imageRUNNER ADVANCE C9075S/C9065S PRO multifunctional printers utilize fusing technologies and pQ toner that help reduce a customer’s overall energy consumption by minimizing power requirements. To further reduce, users’ impact on the environment, certain components on these devices are constructed from plant-derived bio-plastic or 100% recycled plastic from retired products.

Germany Goes Out of Print as Manroland Descends Into Insolvency

2011-11-29T06:00:00.001+01:00

Germany, which invented the printing industry more than 500 years ago and dominates the market to this day, has lost its talent for making money from the presses. Manroland AG, the biggest maker of newspaper printing machines, filed for insolvency on Nov. 25, threatening the jobs of more than 6,000 workers. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, the world’s largest printing-press maker, has lost more than 500 million euros ($667 million) in the last three years. After thousands of job cuts and a botched merger attempt, the onset of a second credit squeeze has hastened their decline.

Inkjet printing used to create graphene-based circuits

2011-11-29T06:00:00.000+01:00

Using graphene in printed circuits isn't new, but now researchers at the University of Cambridge have found a way to produce them with a consumer-grade inkjet printer. The team adapted an Epson Stylus 1500 and a matching S020049 cartridge and were able to use them to create circuits on a silicon film for far less than the cost of industrial machinery. The "ink" in this setup is where the real innovation lies. The researchers created it by applying a solvent called NMP to larger flakes of graphene, producing a liquid solution that can be loaded into a printer without clogging it.

Arlington trustees try to ease copier problems at high schools

2011-11-28T06:00:00.002+01:00

High school teachers were grumbling about budget cuts that forced the Arlington school district to make changes to class schedules that eliminated a 90-minute teacher conference period and robbed them of precious preparation time. To make matters worse, instructors were losing even more hours waiting to make copies on outdated machines. The answer to fixing part of this problem? Spend almost $400,000 -- about $300,000 to buy 24 new copiers and $90,000 to hire six clerks trained by the copier company to correctly run and maintain the machines.

iStonsoft PDF to Image Converter is Available Now

2011-11-28T06:00:00.001+01:00

iStonsoft Corporation, a professional multimedia software developer, launched PDF to Image Converter which is especially designed for Windows users. This product's release indicates their technology breakthrough on Windows. The new released PDF to Image Converter can help users to convert PDF to images like JPG, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, BMP, GIF etc. with 1:1 output quality, and it remains the original text, font, layout etc. In that way, you can print PDFs as you like. This software supports any PDF format version and doesn't require any additional software or libraries to perform conversion.

Z Corporation 3D Printing Helps University of California Berkeley Speed Development of Lifesaving Medical Device

2011-11-25T06:00:00.000+01:00

The University of California Berkeley is using Z Corporation 3D printing technology to accelerate the evolution of a new medical device that promises to deliver safe, non-invasive angiography. Called X-space Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI), the technology will let doctors look inside the heart and brain without the dangers of radiation, iodine, guide wires or catheters, according to Patrick Goodwill, University of California Berkeley research associate and developer of both the theory and first x-space MPI scanner. The MPI scanner detects nanoparticles spotlighted by benign iron oxide tracers injected into the bloodstream.
Goodwill and a team of graduate engineering students in the Conolly Laboratory use the ZPrinter® 150 3D printer to create parts for MPI scanner prototypes that can image small animals. These devices are precursors to human-scale scanners.
Goodwill purchased the ZPrinter after trying Dimension 3D printers, which were expensive -- costing up to $1,500 per part in materials -- and time consuming, taking as much as 20 hours to make a single part. The ZPrinter creates parts in half the time, at a fraction of the price, and even produces multiple parts in each build cycle. "We can build 30 parts for the price of one," Goodwill said.
3D printing creates physical models you can hold in your hand from 3D digital data, much as a document printer creates a business letter from a word-processing file. ZPrinters are the fastest, most affordable 3D printers and the only ones capable of simultaneously printing in multiple colors.

Kodak Pulls 'Hat Trick' of Printing Industry 'Most Innovative Technology' Awards

2011-11-24T06:00:00.000+01:00

Kodak has pulled a "hat trick" of honors, winning the German printing industry's prestigious Innovation Award for the third year in a row. Previously, the KODAK NEXPRESS Dimensional Printing System took the award in 2009, while last year the KODAK TRILLIAN SP Thermal Plate in the Prepress category and the KODAK PROSPER 5000XL Press in the Printing category took Innovation Awards.
Now, in 2011, the KODAK NEXPRESS SX Digital Production Color Platform, with the long sheet option, has been honored with the 'Most Innovative Technology' (Gold Award) in the Printing category.
The latest award winner was chosen in an internet poll by readers of Deutscher Drucker and Grafische Palette, two leading German trade journals, and print.de, from a total of 30 technologies nominated by the publications' editors.
The system helps print service providers across the world to differentiate their offering and drive revenue by enabling them to create unique, value-adding products. New features of the NEXPRESS SX Platform include speeds of up to 131ppm, a longer sheet size (26"/660 mm), smaller ink particle size with the new KODAK NEXPRESS HD Dry Inks, new KODAK NEXPRESS Light Black HD Solution, and a new matte printing option.

Stratasys First to Offer Monthly Lease for Complete 3D Printing Package

2011-11-23T06:00:00.000+01:00

Stratasys said it will begin leasing bundled 3D-printer packages that include new special edition uPrint 3D printers. The uPrint SE 3D Print Pack and the uPrint SE Plus 3D Print Pack are complete 3D-printing packages that include the 3D printer and everything needed to print 3D models. Besides the printer, the 3D Print Packs include startup supplies, a support-removal system, and cleaning agent. Monthly lease packages are USD $290 for uPrint SE and USD $380 for uPrint SE Plus. The monthly lease price is lower than the average cost of a single outsourced model.
The uPrint SE and SE Plus machines replace the original uPrint and uPrint Plus. The new machines are available without the bundled package, and they are priced at USD $13,900 and $18,900 respectively.
The new uPrint special edition machines offer a substantially increased material capacity, with 40 percent more material per spool than the original uPrint series. Material spools contain 42 cubic inches of material instead of the 30 cubic inches previously available. This allows longer unattended print runs than previously possible and requires less frequent spool change.
Both 3D printers use SR-30 soluble support material, which enables faster support removal and therefore faster part production than previously possible. The material dissolves up to 50 percent faster than the previous support material in an agitation tank.

Rural Wisconsin monks fold printer supply business

2011-11-22T06:00:00.000+01:00

They were dubbed the Millionaire Monks, a small monastic community in rural Wisconsin feted around the world for its wildly successful Internet business selling laser printer inks and toners. As recently as 2009, the Cistercian Abbey of Our Lady of Spring Bank was projecting annual sales of $3.5 million for its for-profit business, LaserMonks Inc. And their prior and chief executive officer, Father Bernard McCoy, was talking expansion - of both the company and the abbey.

The 3-D Printing Free-for-All

2011-11-21T06:00:00.000+01:00

Downloading — quite often stealing, in the eyes of the law — music, movies, books and photos is easier than bobbing for apples in a bucket without water. It has kept legions of lawyers employed fighting copyright violations without a whole lot to show for their efforts in the past decade. You think that was bad? Just wait until we can copy physical things. It won’t be long before people have a 3-D printer sitting at home alongside its old inkjet counterpart. These 3-D printers, some already costing less than a computer did in 1999, can print objects by spraying layers of plastic, metal or ceramics into shapes.

Nitro plans cloud-based personal document manager

2011-11-18T06:00:00.004+01:00

Nitro is building on the success of its PDF creation, reading and editing software. A cloud-based personal document manager is under development for a mid-2012 launch. With over two million Nitro Reader users and at least 400,000 paying customers for Nitro Pro, the Australian born software company (though now San Francisco based) Nitro PDF claims one of the largest user bases among independent PDF software vendors other than Adobe.
Nitro recently released Nitro Pro 7, its $US119.99 (but currently $US99.99) alternative to Adobe Acrobat for creating, editing and sharing PDF files. New features include redaction and the ability to edit text in paragraph chunks (especially handy for making minor changes). The user interface and overall performance were improved.

PDF Reader for iOS Updates

2011-11-18T06:00:00.000+01:00

Kdan Mobile has released PDF Reader - iPhone Edition 3.8.2 and iPad Edition 1.6.2, major updates to its powerful mobile reading application for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. To further enhance users' mobile reading experience, new versions of PDF Reader are now equipped with a more user friendly interface and optimized annotation tools, such as highlight. Top-ranked in the Utilities category of App Stores throughout the world, the app has already proven itself to be the ultimate mobile reading solution for iOS devices.
PDF Reader's improved console bar supplies users with a variety of editing tools at a touch. Highlight, underline and strikeout effects can be applied with ease throughout users' PDF files. In addition, users are now able to save scanned photos directly to the Photo library, copy text straight from a PDF file, and increase on-screen workspace by hiding the navigation menu at the tap of a finger. The new version also comes with features such as WebDAV support and full compatibility with iOS 5.
The greatest strengths of PDF Reader, as pointed out by various reviewers and users, are its fast file rendering speed and easy navigation interface. Both strengths enable users to scroll through pages effortlessly when viewing all major types of files. Furthermore, PDF Reader offers a way to transfer files easily and a handy built-in scanning tool, improving work efficiency of users from all walks of life. For students, PDF Reader makes it less of a hassle to take notes and work on team assignments. For sales or contractors, PDF Reader supports PDF signature and PDF form filling that give users greater convenience.
Kdan Mobile also revealed its future plan to release an enterprise version for its much-praised PDF Reader series in late November. "More and more businesses are adopting the iPhone and the iPad to fulfill professional needs, and it's our responsibility to provide an ideal mobile working environment for users in that community," said Wen-Wei Lin, CTO of Kdan Mobile. According to Mr. Lin, the Enterprise edition of PDF Reader will be branded as PDF Connoisseur, building on the original app with support to various professional functions catering to suit specific business needs.

The Ridley School Board approves copier lease

2011-11-17T06:00:00.001+01:00

The (Delaware) Ridley School Board approved a lease agreement for the buy-out and replacement of all district and school building copiers. Existing copier leases will be consolidated into one lease through TD Bank at an interest rate of 3.15 percent. The financial benefit of the proposed lease agreement is estimated at $279,287 over a five-year period. The new copiers will provide scanning, printing, and copying services. Monthly reports will be provided to building administrators to track copier usage. Donald Otto, director of network services for the district, said this will result in an anticipated reduction in paper consumption as the district strives toward a greener environment in Ridley.

Consolidated Graphics Purchases KODAK PROSPER 5000XL Press

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000+01:00

Consolidated Graphics, Inc. has purchased a KODAK PROSPER 5000XL Press for its Automated Graphic Systems (AGS) facility in White Plains, Maryland. AGS is using the PROSPER Press to extend its technology leadership position in the market and provide full-color, on-demand publishing to its broad range of clients.
Consolidated Graphics first installed the press in November 2010 as part of the PROSPER Press pioneer program and has been evaluating the device in a production environment with outstanding results. The PROSPER 5000XL Press joins the more than thirty KODAK NEXPRESS Digital Production Color Presses installed in multiple Consolidated Graphics companies to deliver versatile digital printing options across a wide volume range, all with high quality.
"High-volume, variable data, production inkjet printing technology is a key ingredient in our current and long-range plans, and the PROSPER 5000XL Press gives us the quality and productivity we need to move the business forward," said Ric Davis, Executive Vice President, Purchasing and Operations, Consolidated Graphics. "We have been impressed with the performance and reliability of the press, and know that this is a smart investment for our company."

AutoDesk Brings 3D Printing to Your Desktop

2011-11-16T06:00:00.001+01:00

You've probably heard about 3D printing, a way of converting a computer file into a solid, physical object using a specially designed printer. Now it's coming to your desktop, courtesy of AutoDesk, a developer of sophisticated software known as CAD (computer-aided design). AutoDesk this week launched two impressive software applications: One allows you to convert a picture (actually a whole bunch of pictures) into a digital file that can be printed as a solid plastic or metal model, while the other is used to convert a computer model into a sort of three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle made of cardboard or other materials.

Photo printers with digital frames are less than the sum of their parts

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000+01:00

If you're looking to display and print your digital photos -- and who isn't, really -- there are a few products that attempt to do both. The Epson PictureMate Show (*Est. $230) and the Sony DPP-F700 Digital Photo Frame/Printer (*Est. $200) both combine a compact photo printer, which can print out snapshots directly from your camera, with a digital photo frame for showing off your photos in slideshow format. But can either one really handle both jobs?

Hanging Printer Clears Up Your Desk

2011-11-15T06:00:00.001+01:00

The I’m Hanging Printer is a concept design by Marc JuHyun Cha. Instead of setting it down on the table, why not hang your printer on some empty space in the wall? It saves space and looks pretty modern and futuristic, so it won’t look too weird or out there on your office wall.

Fax Still Popular Among UK Small Firms

2011-11-15T06:00:00.000+01:00

New research shows the fax machine is still popular among the UK's small business community, just like other traditional office staples such as printers and ink and toner cartridges. Research by chip maker Intel found that the fax machine – which came to prominence in the early 1980s – is used on a daily basis by 40.5 per cent of IT users. The study suggests while there are a plethora of technologies that allow firms to send documents quickly and electronically, many of them aren't being put in use by small firms.

PDF Standard Growing Lawyer-Friendly

2011-11-14T06:00:00.001+01:00

The ubiquitous PDF file type is becoming more attuned to lawyers' needs, and changes in that direction will happen gradually in the next two years, PDF Association Vice-Chairman Duff Johnson said. PDF 2.0 is the next major version of the standard. It won't be official until early in 2013, but it's already noteworthy for planned new features, such as annotations, digital signatures, and document compression, Johnson said.

ShoeBox lets you use iPhone as a photo scanner

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000+01:00

A new smartphone app will help you transition your old paper photos into the digital age. Called ShoeBox, the free app lets you use your iPhone’s camera as a photo scanner. An Android version is coming soon. ShoeBox comes as social media giant Facebook is preparing to launch its new “timeline” feature. Timeline essentially turns user profiles into an online scrapbook for the most important moments of their lives. As such, it encourages users to add photos from their lives before Facebook. ShoeBox creator Rudy Adler says that’s where ShoeBox comes in.