Industry Profile & Economics

Printing industry facing tough times - consultant
Radio New Zealand
A business consultant says the printing industry faces tough times as the 900 mostly small companies face increased competition from the dominant player, Bluestar. Bluestar underwent a change of ownership and acquired the assets of Geon printing, which ...

There is a new "Pre-Magnetized" laser-compatible stock available.. curious if anyone else has experiences with it?

Nekoosa Coated Products- Digital MagneCote

I can give my little experience running it... it is an interesting twist on printing media to say the least. It comes *Pre-Magnetized*, which makes it very interesting that even runs at all. The material we received was their 13pt 12x18. I had a small run to print on our brand new Xerox J75s. I determined the following necessary for operation:

Stock doesn't come with a GSM rating on the packaging, researching Nekoosa's website, 13pt is 688gsm! Well out of spec for most digital machines, out of spite I ran it anyways!

Must be fed out of a air-assist tray
required a custom paper designation:
-Coated
-300gsm
-Air assist set to "miss-feed table"
-Image Transfer set to MAXIMUM

Expect a miss-feed on the last sheet (due to it being magnetically held in the tray), pray your machine does not "stop" the other sheets mid printing.
Expect transfer issues on the first .33-.5" from the lead edge, in the case of a 11x17 full bleed you would need to shift the image to the limits of the page edge and cross your fingers.

Jam in your Fuser? Your Fuser is probably TOAST, the magnetic material melts off in quick order and adheres to the fuser roller(s)
-Keep spare fusers

Have short runs where it would not be cost effective to oursource? Worth Trying
Would I run this stuff all day long? NO
Would I ever tell my vendor that I run 600+ gsm? Or place a service call about feeding/IQ/Etc? NEVER

Stock quality:
Holds an image very well, besides the transfer issue on the lead edge
Magnet seems "weak", but would suffice to hold a sheet on a fridge or car body pannel

Cutting:
Cutting this on a Polar cutter is interesting
-Place a sheet of cover stock under the stack to keep them from magnetically adhering to the machine
-Cuts just like cover stock (no observable blade damage/chipping)
-Magnetic poles will cause shifting/de-jogging of your stock, so hold it in place with a block or pre-clamp it.

Greetings!

My employer recently purchased the pitstop server/Switch combination. I love it so far, but am having trouble resizing jobs properly. What I need it to do is the following (pitstop action):

1. Remove crop marks (which I can use the action already in pitstop for.)
2. Cut off any bleed (if there is any) at the trim edge.
3. Resize the content so it will fit in a 8.5 x 11 page with .5 inch white border. This has to be variable because content is anywhere from 11x17 to 6x9. I would prefer if it didn't enlarge, just shrink proportional.

I have tried this several ways, but centering content doesn't work as many of the files have invisible words or bleed that extends too far to make centering work. I have used several of the tools, and I get close but not quite there. I am probably missing something obvious. Any ideas?

Thanks much!
Jen

Hi! First time post. I'm getting an E-2 error on an ABDick 9995. The Electrical Service Manual says this is a poor encoder z phase input. The machine jogs fine and doesn't cause an error. When pressing the start button (at any speed) the machine will crawl - slower than the normal jog - for a few inches and then give the error. Pressing the stop button clears the error. Continually starting the machine at the slow jog and clearing the error will eventually get the machine running.

I've tried doing the timing procedure where you put the machine in service mode, put the timing wheel on 0 deg and loosen the encoder and adjust until the buzzer goes off. This doesn't make a difference.

I've taken the motor off and had it serviced (they just replaced the bearings). They said it looked fine.

The incoming voltage to the inverter is 208. The voltages coming off sp + and sp - match the book. There is a 0.08 volt drop when measuring from sp + & - to the inverter wires 2 and 5. Not sure if this is anything or not.

I'm not sure why it eventually starts working. Any ideas of what to check?

Thanks,
Mike Wallace

Published on May 20, 2013
RubberNews.com
In a move to attract even more attendees, ITEC is returning to Akron and the heart of the North American tire industry, with the tire manufacturing conference and trade show taking place at the John S. Knight Center Sept. 9-11, 2014, according to David ...

Custom Labels and Stickers Make Products Timely, Attractive and Beach-Bag Friendly

Custom Labels and Stickers Make Products Timely, Attractive and Beach-Bag Friendly

Lightning Labels, a custom label and sticker printing leader, reminds manufacturers and consumers that although spring weather may have just kicked in, scorching summertime heat is just around the corner. What better way to celebrate the season and keep products cool than printing custom labels and stickers?

"Summertime means a lot of things to different people - beach weather, vacations, breaks from school, events that encourage people to spend time outside - so manufacturers have to make sure their products are ready for their consumers' desires in the coming months," said AnneMarie Campbell, Business Development Manager at Lightning Labels. "Product marketing and brand updates are important for seasonal items like lip balm and sunscreen, but it also makes a world of difference on non-seasonal products that could benefit from a summertime label upgrade."

Custom Lip Balm Labels Remind Consumers to Purchase, Protect

Now more than ever, people are reminded to take care of themselves during the warmer months - a caution that can be promoted and communicated on custom lip balm labels. Manufacturers can first attract consumers to lip balm products by adding elements reminiscent of warm weather. For instance, colors that remind consumers of the beach and water. But it's important to include label and warning information that builds consumers trust and shows them a company cares about their well-being. Manufacturers can do this by being diligent in including warning information, ingredients listings and facts about use and sun protection, if applicable.

Consumers who will host summertime shindigs may also consider giving timely favors or prizes at their events, and nothing screams summer weather quite like customized lip balm labels. Using custom labels allows party-throwers to include event details like dates, times and/or hosts names and related colors inspired by the invitation and fun pictures or graphics that will remind guests of the event every time use lip balm.

Create Custom Lotion Labels to Serve Consumers' Needs and Wants

When people are asked what comes to mind they think of summertime, it's likely they will mention swimming pools or beaches before anything else. Manufacturers that make bath and body products people tote in their beach bags - be it sunscreen or tanning lotion -  can give these products a summertime makeover with custom lotion labels.

Much like custom lip balm labels, custom lotion labels serve several purposes that make stellar design, consistency and honesty imperative. Not only must the copy and graphics be eye-catching among the hundreds of competitor products lining store shelves and online, but the information must tell consumers exactly what is in the product, including sun production factor, ingredients, directions and necessary warnings.

"Manufacturers have a responsibility to not only promote their products this summer, but ensure consumer protection and give all the necessary information upfront," Campbell said. "If this isn't achieved, people will not only be less likely to buy the products in the future, they may lose trust in the brand."

Lightning Labels is currently running a Memorial Day Sale, offering 10 percent off online orders through May 27, 2013, using promo code MDAY10 at checkout. The maximum discount is $1000 and this offer does not apply to reorders. Free ground shipping applies to regularly priced orders shipped only within the United States and Canada. This offer cannot be combined with any other offers or promotion. Visit LightningLabels.com for details.

About Lightning Labels:
Lightning Labels uses state-of-the-art digital printing technology to provide affordable, full-color custom labels and custom stickers of all shapes and sizes, and now offers a full line of custom packaging products. From small orders for individuals, to the bulk needs of big businesses, Lightning Labels is equipped to handle and fulfill sticker, label and product packaging projects of all types. Best of all, like the name implies, Lightning Labels provides a quick turnaround to every customers' labeling and product packaging needs. Uses for Lightning Labels custom product labels and custom stickers include food packaging and organic food labels, wine and beverage labels, bath and body labels, and nutraceutical products, such as vitamins, essentials oils, and herbal remedies, as well as event stickers, adhesive window stickers and more. Lightning Labels strongly supports the development of environmentally friendly printing materials and carries EarthFirst PLA, a new kind of green label material made from corn instead of petroleum. While operating as a high-tech printer, Lighting Labels prides itself on its personalized customer service. Lightning Labels provides one stop shopping for all of your label and product packaging needs. For more information and to place orders online, visit LightningLabels.com. For the latest in packaging news and labeling promotional offers, find Lightning Labels on Facebook, Twitter (@LightningLabels), Pinterest, Google+ and LinkedIn.

The 10-second takeaway Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Mentor Graphics's revenues will compress -9.2% and EPS will drop -83.3%. The average estimate for revenue is $225.2 million.

we have a 5500 and a new 7000 and we cant seem to get as good registration, both front and back and single side, as we did on our 5500. please let me know.

thanks

cei Wins FTA Excellence in Flexography Awards for Wide Web Printing - AZoM
Azom.com
The FTA is the world's leading professional society dedicated to the advancement of the flexographic printing industry. The Excellence in Flexography Awards is highly esteemed as the industry's most prestigious and coveted, recognizing the best and ...

Making its global debut at North Print & pack last week, the latest version of the developer's colour management software includes a raft of new features designed to improve user experience and to greatly improve colour accuracy.

Most notably a Paper Adaption Tool has been added, which is designed to help printers avoid colour mismatch between the paper tint on proofs, according to different standards, and the substrate to be printed. Version 4.8 allows the user to select a susbtrate colour and ColorServer adapts the data to match the proof.

GMG's director of business unit packaging Victor Asseiceiro said that the new capability would be a huge advantage to printers. "Colour mismatch is a huge issue for many printers and a lot of time can be wasted over it, but this really will get rid of the problem and help them to be much more efficient and accurate."

ColorServer 4.8 also contains new RGB to CMYK separation profiles.

Additionally the latest version of ColorServer can output files from a PDF hot folder directly to any Windows printer.

New PDF file conversion features include improved image compression, allowing flattened images to be treated with either Zip or Jpeg compression to reduce file size, more precise sharpening capability and the separation of spot colours to a late binding CMYK enabling accurate conversion of spot colours into a large printer gamut.

GMG also used last week's North Print & Pack for the UK debut of its OpenColor packaging proofing system and GMG CoZone, its cloud-based colour management product.

The developer claimed that OpenColour was the industry's first application to offer precise and predictable spot colour simulation, by analysing ink behavior in relation to the substrate's colourmetric properties, and that it would "greatly extend colour control and repeatability".

GMG UK managing director said: "GMG OpenColor is designed to specifically produce extremely accurate digital proofs for printers using spot colours without the overhead of extensive press fingerprinting."

Meanwhile cloud-based CoZone is a modular system designed to align colour management, proofing, communication and approval processes on different output formats through the supply-chain.

Please suggest me any research topics in offset printing area.
It can be based on any problem you have faced or currently facing in your offset press or your new idea that will help us to improve our offset press. Your all thaughts will be appriciated.

Research project topics in offset printing technology



Please suggest me any research topics in offset printing area.
It can be based on any problem you have faced or currently facing in your offset press or your new idea that will help us to improve our offset press. Your all thaughts will be appriciated.

Please suggest me any research topics in offset printing area.
It can be based on any problem you have faced or currently facing in your offset press or your new idea that will help us to improve our offset press. Your all thaughts will be appriciated.

Aggie jumps into 3-D printing start-up business
Bryan-College Station Eagle
The idea for grain 3d grew out of Mehlman's desire to get in on the 3-D printing industry before it's fully developed by creating a business that can be relevant to the average consumer getting in on the technology. He was introduced to the ideas when ...

The Xeikon Café will be held in Toronto next month.

The newest Workshop will be held in Plymouth, MN, USA in June.

GMG gave a UK premier to its OpenColor packaging proofing and CoZone cloud-based management systems at last week’s North Print & Pack 2013.

Tenza Technologies has promoted Sarah Chaplin to the position of quality manager in an effort to operate and maintain a quality management system in line with ISO 9001:2008.

Printtek 2013 will be concurrently held on May 17-22, 2013, at Tuyap Fair Convention and Congress Center Istanbul / Turkey.

A lot of printing companies will attend the exhibition and display new products at Printtek 2013.

One of the important printing films is BOPP film. You can see functional BOPP films, such as Co-extruded thermal film, glueless lamination film, BOPP matt lamination film, BOPP gloss lamination film, BOPP pearl label film, BOPP holographic film, BOPP super clear tape film, BOPP anti-fog film, new BOPE labeling film, lighted PE film and so on.

Address:

Tüyap Fair Convention and Congress Center,
E - 5 Karayolu Üzeri, Gürpınar Kavşağı 34500 Büyükçekmece - İSTANBUL / TÜRKİYE