Print industry news
Fastsigns adds new locations and seeks developer in Quebec
Fastsigns opened two new centres in Canada in the first half of 2017 , and has signed four more agreements to develop additional new locations in Calgary , Winnipeg and Oshawa in the coming months . Currently there are 36 locations throughout the country . “ Canada has been and will
Mark Jameson continue to be a huge growth market for
Fastsigns , so we ’ re excited about our expansion so far this year ,” said Mark Jameson , EVP of Franchise Support and Development . “ There are ample opportunities to strengthen our presence through franchise development in key markets – such as our continued expansion in Ontario , BC and Alberta , as well as planned aggressive growth in Quebec . We ’ re also looking for qualified single-unit and a Master or Area Developer for Quebec franchisees , to help us grow our footprint across Canada .” Fastsigns is the franchisor of 660 independently owned and operated centres in eight countries worldwide .
FTA launches FIRST 6.0 publication
The New-York-based Flexographic Technical Association ’ s latest publication is titled FIRST 6.0 ( Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications and Tolerances ). Commemorating 20 years since the initial release of FIRST ’ s Premiere Edition in 1997 , this how-to guide to statistical process control “ is the latest , most comprehensive collection of flexographic knowledge , set with current , stateof-the-art industry guidelines for printing quality and consistency ,” said the organization . It provides a foundation for the methodology of control , optimization , fingerprinting , characterization and process improvement throughout the printing supply chain . There ’ s also been expansion of standards in the appendix and major overhauls to the printing and prepress sections for streamlining and refinement of text . Updates to these areas allow users “ to access the knowledge needed to continuously improve the entire printing process .” Plesse visit www . flexography . org / shop .
Kodak releases Substrate Expansion Kit
Kodak is expanding the range of new applications that printers can offer to their customers with the latest update to its portfolio of the Kodak Nexpress Digital Platform . Now commercially available worldwide , the Kodak Nexpress Substrate Expansion Kit expands the types of paperboard and synthetic substrates that Nexpress presses can run . The kit will facilitate printing on paperboard substrates with weights graded up to 24 points / 610 microns . For synthetic substrates , the kit will give printers the option to print on materials with weightings up to 14 mil . These thicker substrates will open up new opportunities for printers , including short-run packaging applications such as labels , tags and small folding cartons , as well as differentiated commercial and publishing products , such as point-of-sale displays , retail signage , business cards and hospitality pieces , said the company . Adding the kit takes about two days and is supported by a full day of on-site training by a Kodak technician .
PIA Launches Spoilage Survey
The Printing Industries of America ( PIA ) will be investigating spoilage within the print industry by means of a survey distributed to printing companies . The aim is to better understand how spoilage is tracked , how statistics are calculated , and more importantly , the range and average of spoilage levels by size and type of shop . It also seeks to understand whether
James Workman
low spoilage figures correlate to other company dynamics , such as having standardized processes . “ The goal is to let managers benchmark their control of spoilage ,” said James Workman , PIA ’ s VP of the Center for Technology and Research . “ They ’ ll soon know if their company is a leader or a laggard .” PIA expects that the survey results will also provide insights into best practices for measuring and calculating spoilage . A summary of the findings will be sent to all survey respondents and a whitepaper will be shared with member companies . Companies can visit printing . org / spoilagesurvey to participate and learn more . For more information about the survey itself , contact James Workman at jworkman @ printing . org .
Presstek launches MY DI initiative
Presstek ’ s MY DI is an initiative designed to help DI owners become even more competitive with their Presstek DI Offset Press . The company has also formed a Global DI Program Team , featuring Presstek experts , to lead the MY DI program . The team , with decades of industry experience , includes : Randy Garrett , Western Region USA and Canada ; Rick Books , Central Region USA and Canada ; Tim Knight , Eastern USA ; Alan Shaw , Northern Europe ; and Emilio Mazuelos , Southern Europe . DI press owners are encouraged to visit www . presstek . com / mydi . htm to sign up . As part of program , Presstek ’ s team can provide one-to-one consulting and options to help DI press customers increase productivity and press utilization , reduce operating costs and boost profitability .
@ graphicarts GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE | November 2017 | 11