Sean Murray named CPIA chairman
Following the resignation of Gary Evans, Sean Murray has been named the Canadian Printing Industries Association’s chairman of the board.

Ontario to mirror federal tax break
Ontario plans to mirror the tax breaks for manufacturers that were included in the federal budget, Finance Minister Greg Sorbara said yesterday.
The plan would give companies another $400 million in relief over three years.

“The bottom line is that it not only saves manufacturing jobs, we expect that it will create new manufacturing jobs right across the province,” Sorbara said.

Owners can expect an increase in the CCA rate on manufacturing buildings, a straight-line write-off on manufacturing buildings and computers, as well as tax incentives for clean energy generation and usage.

Presstek intros new DI Press at grafik’Art Trade Show
For companies that are looking for a faster and more profitable way to produce high quality short-run color, a demonstration of the Presstek 34DI was a “must see” at the show. This 34cm four-color, two-page portrait format digital offset press produces up to 7,000 13.39 x 18.11 inch sheets per hour.

The DI offers the solution for the profitability gap that is found between conventional offset and toner-based digital presses. Users report that these highly automated presses are twice as profitable as conventional offset, and up to four times more profitable than copier-based technology for short-run color according to recent InfoTrends Inc. market data. DI presses help print service providers meet the demand for short-run, fast turnaround, high quality color printing at lower costs while improving their productivity, efficiency and quality levels.

Adobe ships Creative Suite 3
Adobe Systems Incorporated announced the immediate availability of the highly-anticipated Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium and Standard editions and Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Premium and Standard editions. This revolutionary release of brand-new, tightly integrated, design and development software unites the best of Adobe and former Macromedia product innovation to provide designers and developers worldwide with a broad spectrum of creative options.

Also available for purchase are new versions of the following stand alone Adobe creative applications: Adobe Photoshop CS3, Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended, Adobe InDesign CS3, Adobe Illustrator CS3, Adobe Flash CS3 Professional, Adobe Dreamweaver CS3, Adobe Fireworks CS3, and Adobe Contribute CS3. These new Adobe CS3 applications and Adobe Creative Suite 3 editions are available as Universal applications for both PowerPC and Intel-based Macs and support both Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista™. Customers will experience increased levels of performance and speed running Creative Suite 3 natively on Intel-based Macintosh systems and the latest Windows hardware.

Transcontinental Printing’s book group now offers 100% Recycled paper at price Parity
Transcontinental Printing’s Book Group is circulating a marketing brochure to book publishers today to promote its latest offering: a new paper made from 100% post-consumer recycled material.  While recycled papers have been available for some time from Transcontinental, this new offering is the first time it is available at price parity.

Known as “Enviro 100 trade”, this environmentally friendly choice can be used by trade book publishers with short, medium, long runs, or even in specialty publications. Until recently these environmentally friendly choices often meant having to sacrifice quality and were only available at premium prices.

“By giving our customers the choice to use premium quality 100% post-consumer recycled papers at price parity,” said Says Luc Desjardins, president and CEO of Transcontinental, “we are expanding the scope of our commitment to the environment and sustainable development with no sacrifice in quality or to the commercial success of our customers. The challenge of sometimes having to choose between quality and affordability versus sustainability has now been overcome. It is a true win-win.”

Many options are available to publishing houses including a choice of paper weight and colour. “Enviro 100 trade” paper is produced by Cascades and is either equal to or superior to its virgin paper counterpart. Publishers who would like additional information should visit their website at www.transcontinental-printing.com.

HP Canada Announces Premiere Sponsorship of the 2007 CONTACT Toronto Photography Festival
For the third consecutive year, HP Canada is the premiere sponsor of CONTACT Toronto Photography Festival. Festival goers will be able to enjoy a number of HP sponsored activities hosted at Waddington’s, including the HP Lecture Series with influential speakers covering the creative and technical aspects of photography and digital imaging, a special exhibit at the HP Gallery and the HP Print Centre featuring HP printers for the professional photographer. HP will also be printing the festival’s high-profile public art installations on display throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

“HP is very pleased to present an exciting lineup of world-renowned speakers as part of the HP Lecture Series along with an exhibit of extraordinary works of art created by imaginative and inspired photographers at the HP Gallery,” says Danny Ionescu, HP Canada’s vice-president of graphic arts. “HP has always prided itself as an industry leader in printing and imaging technology. Our commitment to image accuracy, fast printing speeds and unvarying colour reproduction allows photographers, from beginners to professionals, to consistently achieve amazing results.”

At an event on May 29 at the Drake Hotel, the Hewlett-Packard Prize for Photography will be awarded to the winning photographer. The prize will include an HP Designjet Z3100 professional photo printer and $3,000 CDN.

KBA Names Lawrence Robinson to Central and Eastern Sales Post in Canada
KBA North America, a leading press manufacturer based in Williston, Vt., is announcing that Lawrence Robinson has joined KBA North America as its district sales manager representing the firm in central and eastern Canada extending from Ontario westward to Alberta.
“When I think of KBA, I think of its innovation,” says Robinson. “In a very competitive print market, KBA is always bringing new presses and features to help their printer customers differentiate themselves and allow them to be able to offer value-added services.  KBA’s goal is to partner with customers and provide presses that increase production and gain efficiencies and, in the end be more profitable—we are extremely unique in our product offering and capabilities. I look forward to working with Canadian printers to find profitable solution for their customers”
”We are pleased to have Lawrence join our sales staff in Canada,” says Michael Mugavero, KBA’s vice president of sales for the East Coast and Canada. “Having a combination of sales, marketing, and customer support is a unique skill set that we believe will help propel our sales to the next level.”

Mitsubishi Diamond 16 Max-M Commercial Web Press adds power to Canadian publication printer’s communications
Ironstone Media Corp. believes firmly in the power of communications. The Pickering, Ontario-based company specializes in cross-media distribution of information through traditional printing, online publications and digital products and services. Ironstone Media’s heritage begins with the founding of one of its leading members, Web Offset Publications, in 1961, when it pioneered the web offset printing process in Canada.

In keeping with its longstanding traditions, Web Offset has now brought another technological innovation to the marketplace with the installation of Canada’s first Mitsubishi Diamond 16 MAX-M commercial web press. The five-unit press is expected to enhance Web Offset’s already solid reputation in the Canadian publication printing arena.

Ryerson University chooses Avanti to teach computerized print estimating and MIS solutions to students
Ryerson University’s School of Graphic Communications Management (GCM) is pleased to announce that, for the third consecutive year, Avanti has been chosen as the platform to teach computerized print estimating and MIS solutions to students of the degree program. Avanti has donated the software to GCM for use throughout this year’s course curriculum.

The system was also chosen in part because of its versatility and scalability. “Using software for educational purposes can pose a challenge for software vendors because of the large number of concurrent users,” said Avanti’s executive vice president, Stephen McWilliam. “We actually find that students represent a great beta test environment to stress test our software – fortunately, Avanti’s software is up to the test”
The choice to use Avanti at Ryerson was no coincidence for the GCM. “Being able to design meaningful lab assignments using real industry-specific application was an important requirement for the GCM program,” stated assistant professor Art Seto. Avanti’s cutting edge MIS solutions will help give students important knowledge and training needed to become successful in the print industry.”

WWF-Canada and Domtar announce ambitious agreement for forest conservation
WWF-Canada and Domtar have taken their partnership to new heights with an ambitious agreement that solidifies their joint commitment to ensuring the long-term conservation of the Canadian boreal forest, a globally significant forest region. Through this agreement, WWF-Canada—one of the world’s leading conservation organizations—will work with Domtar on the following areas:
•    To pursue FSC certification, the highest forest certification standard globally, for all  Domtar-managed forestland in Canada;
•    To identify important areas for protection on Domtar-managed lands;
•    To promote FSC-certified environmentally responsible papers, such as Domtar’s EarthChoice® line.
This agreement marks an important milestone for both organizations that serves as a testament to the impact of collaborative business-NGO partnerships, which benefit both business and the environment.

“Domtar’s commitment to sustainable forest management has long been one of the cornerstones of our business strategy,” affirmed Raymond Royer, President and CEO of Domtar. “This new agreement will enable us to bring our commitment a step further by working in partnership with WWF-Canada to continue implementing FSC certification, to protect the long-term health of these forestlands, and to encourage public adoption of FSC-certified products like the Domtar EarthChoice line of papers.”

Xerox Leads Industry In Pages Produced On Digital Production Color Presses
Xerox Corporation is the industry’s leader in the number of pages produced on digital production color presses, with its flagship Xerox iGen3 Digital Production Press and DocuColor Digital Color Presses producing more than 13 billion 8.5” x 11” (A4) equivalent impressions in 2006.
According to estimates by InfoTrends, a leading independent research firm, Xerox’s installed base of DocuColor and iGen3 presses accounts for approximately 50 percent of the total worldwide page volume printed by high-speed production color printers.
“This puts Xerox well ahead of other competitors in this space,” said Jim Hamilton, InfoTrends’ director of On Demand Printing and Publishing Consulting Services.

Hamilton noted that page share is determined using an independent, industry-standard definition of impressions. “To make sure we’re comparing apples to apples and examining production volumes in the most objective, independent way, we use 8.5” x 11” equivalent impressions, regardless of number of colors on the page.”

Isabelle Marcoux appointed Vice-Chair of the Board at Transcontinental
Rémi Marcoux, Executive Chairman of the Board of Transcontinental Inc., is pleased to announce the appointment of Isabelle Marcoux as Vice-Chair of the Board. Ms. Marcoux has been a member of the Board since March 2005.

Isabelle Marcoux joined Transcontinental in 1997 and has held the positions of Legal Counsel, Director of Mergers and Acquisitions and, since March 2004, Vice-President of Corporate Development. In addition to leading the Corporation’s merger and acquisition activities, she is responsible for the strategic planning process. She is also a member of the Executive Committee. Ms. Marcoux holds degrees in political sciences, economics, and law from McGill University and is a member of the Quebec Bar.

Xerox Redesigns Products For Lower Energy Use
Over the past two years, Xerox Corporation scientists and engineers have trained their sights on developing products that use significantly less energy. The payoff: More than half of the company’s office and production product offerings meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s rigorous new ENERGY STAR requirements that went into effect on April 1.

New Energy Standard
Previously the ENERGY STAR criteria for office copiers, printers and multifunction systems measured power consumed in standby and low-power modes. The new standard asks a different question: How much energy would the device use during a typical week? It measures the energy consumed if the system mimics the tempo of a normal office, running a sample job mix with downtime for lunch, overnight and on weekends. The result is a Typical Electricity Consumption (TEC) figure that must meet the EPA’s tough new requirements in order for a product to achieve ENERGY STAR status.

Patricia Calkins, Xerox vice president, Environment, Health and Safety, said, “The EPA’s new ENERGY STAR requirements raise the bar so significantly that only 25 percent of products in the marketplace were expected to meet the new criteria. At Xerox, we knew we could do better than the industry average, and we did with more than 50 percent of our current product line passing this tough test. Over time, the standards will get even tougher. We’ll remain focused on improving our entire product line to meet these evolving requirements. And, we expect to qualify more products over time.”

Cicci returns from Middle East
Jim Cicci has recently returned to Canada after four years of working in the Middle East. Prior to his departure from Canada in 2002 he was working with Heidelberg Canada since 1995 as National Product/Sales Manager for Direct Imaging.

In the Middle East, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai, UAE he founded and set up the Presstek Dealership, AGE Graphic Equipment with offices and showrooms in both Dubai and Jeddah. He also was responsible for the first successful installation of the QMDI in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and 10 installations of the Presstek Dimension 300 CTP.

Jim has now set up shop in Toronto, at AteCe Canada as the Canadian dealer/distributor for VIM Technologies. VIM Technologies manufactures an excellent performing and competitive Direct Imaging plate material for both Heidelberg DI and Ryobi DI.
Jim also has a sales/distribution agreement to sell, service, and support the Ryobi DI through his agreement with Man Roland.