DigitalEdge News: October 4-17

Orbus Partners with Donco Recycling Solutions
October 4, 2017

Orbus Exhibit & Display Group has partnered with Donco Recycling Solutions to recycle a large quantity of cardboard cores leftover after dye sub printing. The company reports that 180,000 pounds of material have been recycled and repurposed into book covers, board games, and boxes since May, and that 77.3 percent of the company’s total waste has been recycled so far this year.

Canon Now Distributes Contex Scanners
October 4, 2017

Canon Solutions America has announced a distribution agreement with Contex, a developer of large-format imaging solutions. Canon’s Large Format Solutions division will now offer IQ Quattro scanners, which can be used alone or paired with most Canon wide-format printers.

Features include workgroup usage, cloud-enabled Rainforest 365 service, adjustable paper guides, Contex CleanScan CIS, and more.

PrintFactory White Paper Explores Cloud-Based Automation
October 5, 2017

PrintFactory has released a study entitled “Redefining wide-format workflows to realize revenue at every opportunity.” The report examines the benefits to adopting cloud-based automation and explores possible reasons why, according to InfoTrends, 92 percent of North American print shops still rely on touchpoint technologies.

The paper cites the five factors that influence the pace and extent of technology adoption according to The McKinsey Global Institute’s “A Future that Works”: technical feasibility, cost of developing and deploying solutions, labor market dynamics, economic benefits, and regulatory and social acceptance. The authors find it’s this last factor that often becomes a sticking point.

Additional takeaways (data based on InfoTrends/Keypoint Intelligence’s “North American Software Investment Outlook”):
• Printers are only spending $35,000 per year on software.
• Most printers have not increased their spending in IT or software over the past two years.
• 31 percent of respondents recognized “investment in automation software as the answer to their productivity and workflow challenges,” and 18 percent say they plan to be fully automated by 2019; however, in 2015, only 9 percent of commercial printers said their workflows were 100-percent automated, and this figure dropped to 8 percent in 2017.

The full white paper continues on to explore opportunities and advantages of adopting automation despite the short-term investment of time and money.

FESPA Mexico Announces New Dates
October 5, 2017

FESPA has rescheduled the FESPA Mexico tradeshow for November 16-18 at Centro Citibanamex in Mexico City. The show was originally scheduled for September 21-23, but was postponed due to the earthquake in Mexico on September 19. Interested attendees can pre-register for the event at fespamexico.com.

MBE Acquires AlphaGraphics
October 5, 2017

MBE Worldwide, a global third‐party logistics, printing, and communications services network, has announced its acquisition of AlphaGraphics, a Salt Lake City-based printing and communications franchisor. MBE and AlphaGraphics both serve the business services industry, and MBE aims to expand its presence in the US and global markets with the move. AlphaGraphics will continue operations as an independent company, retaining its current management team and headquarters.

SGIA and NAPCO Media Partner for 2019 Event
October 9, 2017

The SGIA Board of Directors has announced that SGIA, a community for professionals in the industrial, graphic, garment, textile, electronics, packaging, and commercial printing communities, and NAPCO Media, a business-to-business media company, have partnered in a joint venture, Print United.

“The Print United experience will include an expansive and comprehensive display of printing technologies and supplies, education, programming, and services to take any printing business to the next level,” according to a release. The new event will cover industry markets such as signage and graphics, garment, packaging, commercial, and industrial printing.

The final SGIA Expo will take place October 18-20, 2018, in Las Vegas. Print United will launch in Dallas, October 23-25, 2019.

Nimlok Adds New Educational Resources
October 17, 2017

Nimlok has published three new educational resources for tradeshow exhibitors. A free e-book, video, and blog post aim to guide exhibitors through the process of designing and creating tradeshow booths. Nimlok’s entire library of educational resources is available online.

Durst Partners with Media One
October 17, 2017

Durst US has announced a distribution agreement with Media One Digital Imaging Solutions. Media One will now distribute Durst’s Rho, Rhotex, and Alpha printer lines.

“We expect to add significant value outside of the equipment in paper, fabric, sewing, and calendar finishing options,” says Media One CEO Jason Bartusick in a release.

SGIA Names 2018 Board of Directors
October 17, 2017

SGIA has announced the 2018 SGIA Board of Directors. Edward Cook Jr. of ECI Screen Print has been named chairman, with WestRock Merchandising Displays’ Thomas Cooper named first vice chairman and Holland & Crosby’s Scott Crosby serving as second vice chairman. Rich Thompson, Ad Graphics, will serve as immediate past chairman.

Additional appointments include James Gill (Fujifilm Dimatix) as associate vice chairman, Christopher Bernat (Vapor Apparel/Source Custom) as treasurer, Tom Davenport (Motion Textile) as secretary, and Tim Markley (Markley Enterprise) as chairman of the Specialty Graphic Imaging Foundation. New to the SGIA Board of Directors this year are HP’s Avi Basu and Fujifilm North America’s Brent Moncrief.