Fight to Improve Your In-plant’s Image
When you compete against commercial printers for jobs within the parent organization, you often end up competing just to be heard. Commercial printers can paint a bleak picture of in-plants that colors the minds of upper management—and many in-plants don’t work hard enough to fight that image.

Don’t hide from management and assume this will save you from getting the axe. In-plant managers must try to create a better image of their department through attention to detail and communication, stressing the benefits of lower costs, convenience and consistent quality. You might even consider hiring a consultant or asking the company to bring in one of its own to bring the benefits of the in-plant to light.

Printing at the Olympics
As the Olympics wrap up in Beijing, Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group (GCG) is preparing to power down the on-site production center (a.k.a. in-plant) it has operated throughout the event.

The Official Imaging Sponsor of the Olympic Games, Kodak’s GCG operated a NexPress S2500 Digital Production Color Press with a fifth imaging unit to print photobooks, postcards, newsletters and poster-sized photo prints of key images from the games for display purposes. The NexPress also produced a Kodak Olympic Picture of the Day poster. Kodak Unified Workflow Solutions enabled variable data and static jobs to move seamlessly through the production center.

White Paper Offers Metrics for Digital Printers
PIA/GATF’s newest economic research, Management Metrics for Digital Printers, is now available for free download. The report is a compilation of metrics that lets digital printing executives compare their operations against industry leaders.

The findings are the basis for one of the sessions at PIA/GATF’s upcoming event, Converge Conference: Variable Data, Web Services, Cross-Media, which is expected to draw several hundred people to Phoenix, September 20-23.

Presstek Sues Spicers Paper
Presstek has added Spicers Paper to the list of companies it is suing for patent infringement.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has ordered that Spicers Paper be added to a pending action before the ITC as a result of Spicers’ distribution of printing plates sold by Israeli printing plate manufacturer VIM Technologies. VIM and its manufacturing partner, Hanita Coatings RCA, were sued in the ITC action earlier this year by Presstek for infringement of Presstek’s patent and trademark rights.

Goss, manroland Resolve Lawsuit
In other legal news, manroland and Goss International resolved patent infringement litigation this week involving web offset press sleeve blanket technology.

Neither would disclose terms of the agreement, saying only that the resolution was in the best interest of their companies and customers, and allows them to offer their full press portfolios to the worldwide marketplace.

Avanti Moves to Larger Quarters
Wednesday was a big day for Avanti Computer Systems. The Toronto-based provider of Print MIS solutions moved to a new location in the city.

The new facility is more than twice as large as the previous office and will enable Avanti to enhance its support of its growing client base.

New FSC-certified Line from Glatfelter
Glatfelter will launch a new FSC-certified digital carbonless line of products beginning September 8. Known as Xcelerator PLUS, the line is specially engineered to perform on digital equipment.

Xcelerator PLUS features Glatfelter’s NatureSolv, an environmentally responsible carbonless capsule technology. Xcelerator PLUS will be available on all digital products, both rolls and sheets.

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