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News & Information About Print-Tech for the Digital Age
Online eNewsletter here's your June 12, 2020 eNews

Alon Gone From HP: How Did That Happen
It was sad to report Tuesday that Alon Bar-Shany had left HP. Many in the industry saw Alon as the face and heart of HP. His allegiance to the HP Indigo product line, its employees, and its customers is legendary. And, that loyalty seems to be what led to his surprise departure as HP management’s restructuring plan focused on firing hundreds…

Taking Individual Responsibility for Change
The events, emotions, and concerns around George Floyd have triggered a time of reckoning that seems to resonate with caring people of all political, economic, and faith communities. Join us in taking the No Place for Hate® Resolution pledge as a giant step toward solutions.

Idealliance Certified: UH Digital Media Student
Kelis Woods completed all the required color management professional “master” courses to be certified as a CMP Master. Kristen McKiernan’s AccuZIP, Inc. provided funding to allow Digital Media students access to Idealliance courses and certification. Kelis is the first of many future University of Houston students to be professionally certified.

Company Enhances Its Award-Winning Inkjet Portfolio
Ricoh introduced the new monochrome-only RICOH Pro VC40000. Customers have more options and value while increasing productivity at a reduced cost. "This newest monochrome addition is helping us reshape our operation for faster turns and greater cost efficiencies, to help us compete in tomorrow's marketplace," said Jeff Matos, Broadridge.

Can Designers Drive a Direct Mail Rebound?
Direct mail from 2017-2022 was projected to grow at 12% CAGR, and that emergent graphic arts section is expected to grow at a blistering 42% CAGR. However, any “look-back” statistics have to be considered in the context of COVID-19. Mailing rates for direct marketing campaigns dropped by nearly 50% in the 11 weeks beginning February 1, 2020.

Client Satisfaction Gets a Boost with Font Knowledge
Use modern fonts in your direct mail campaigns to have a fresh look and feel. Don’t miss the opportunity to make a distinctive first impression because of a lack of font knowledge. Successful printers deliver a full range of services, including graphic design that takes the latest styles and trends into account.

Developing the Business - Research Needed
How much better would our industry be operating if Research was continually updated and reported for our companies to use in self-promotion and customer education? Don’t our customers want an improved ROI on their self-promotions? Are any (major) suppliers listening? Armed with such compelling Research, would major ad campaigns change their strategies?

COVID-19’s Impact on Printing Manufacturers - Keypoint
As the earnings season winds down, Keypoint Intelligence has reviewed a selection of quarterly earnings figures to measure COVID-19’s impact on printing and imaging manufacturers over the 1Q of 2020. “The picture is not pretty, especially when considering that the arrival of the coronavirus was not felt in earnest until March,” writes Riley McNulty, director of Keypoint/InfoTrends’ Consulting Group.

Inkjet Summit Goes Virtual in 2020
The annual Inkjet Summit will be held virtually on August 17, 18, 20, 25. "We are pleased that our highly qualified, multi-faceted event platform is able to be offered virtually in 2020. This hosted buyer event has become a favorite amongst our partners, so we are looking forward to being able to feature the same powerhouse components, just in a bit of a different setting," said Inkjet Summit Event Director David Pesko.

Names in the News

Steve Jeffels
GIS is pleased to announce the appointment of Steve Jeffels to the Chief Financial Officer.

Dana Christensen
Acucote has appointed Dana Christensen to the role of Mid-West Sales Representative.

Ron Crowell
Mac Papers announced the addition of finance executive Ron Crowell as the company’s new Chief Financial Officer.

David Randolph
Phase 3 Marketing and Communications announced the addition of David Randolph as Senior Vice President of Strategy & Operations.

Joseph Hecht
Case Paper announces that Joseph Hecht has been added to the team as the Controller.

Good News Outside of Print

Barber Got a Donation to Help Save His Business
After three decades of cutting and coloring hair, dispensing advice and helping his clients celebrate myriad events such as high school graduations and weddings, Byron Woods thought he was finished until a customer gave him her stimulus check.

Industry News

o Augmented Print & the Virtual Classroom

o DATAMATX Achieves HITRUST CSF Certification to Safeguard Protected Health...

o Solimar Systems Launches ReadyPDF Prepress Server to Deliver Significant...