New from Ricoh: the Pro VC60000 inkjet press

The Ricoh Pro VC60000 is Ricoh's  latest inkjet continuous feed platform. It is capable of printing more than 100,000 letter images per hour and uses Ricoh’s next generation drop-on-demand print heads and high density pigment inks. The new print heads can produce a resolution of up to 1,200 x 1,200 dpi, resulting in near-offset quality documents. Ricoh provides an optional undercoat unit for use on various stocks and an optional inline protector coating unit for scratch and scruff resistance. >> continued

Pioneer Press celebrates 120 years

Jim Edgar was only 16-years-old when he started working at Pioneer Press Ltd as an apprentice—13 years later he became the owner and has since been at the helm of the full-service printing house. 

Pioneer Press was founded in 1894 and is celebrating its 120th birthday this month. An open house has been planned for Thursday to celebrate with clients and employees—many who have been with the company for almost 30 years.


pioneerpressltd.com >> continued

Lowe-Martin commemorative envelope honours the Charlottetown Conference

The Lowe-Martin Group has collaborated with Canada Post again, this time printing commemorative envelopes to recognize the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference. 

Lowe-Martin printed 8,000 170mm by 155mm envelopes with an image of the conference of delegates on the steps of the Government in Charlottetown. The images used are from the public archives and records of P.E.I. 
>> continued

R.R. Donnelley eyes printed electronics market

Printing giant R.R. Donnelley & Sons is facing the necessity of re-engineering its business in the face of stalling print revenues. Its plan is to take on the market for printed electronic components and reduce its dependency on traditional. The Wall Street Journal recently took an in-depth look at the changing business model of this 150-year old company’s. Donnelley operates nine plants in Canada. Read it all at the source.  >> continued

Intertainment Media completes sale of Magnum Printing

Intertainment Media has announced the final closing sale of assets of Magnum Fine Commercial Printing limited to 1337478 Ontario Inc., an entity controlled by Media-Vision— a company that specializes in print, web, direct mail, displays and packaging, and premium and incentives work.

The sale transaction closed on Sept. 2 and all Magnum printing assets and employees have been transferred to Media-Visions’ head office on Passmore Ave. where production is located, Media-Vision CEO John Popovski said. >> continued

Rhino and R.P. Graphics form strategic alliance

R.P. Graphics and Rhino Print Solutions have entered into strategic alliance, the two companies announced Monday. There's two components to the deal: R.P. will buy Rhino's Toronto location, and also establish an alliance with Rhino's locations in Vancouver and Calgary—which are not included in the purchase—to provide printing services to national accounts. The goal is to provide coast-to-coast distribute and print model. 


(left to right) David Allan, George Mazzaferro >> continued

BL Litho's demise and rise

B.L. Litho, a sheetfed commercial print shop with a history going back decades, filed for bankruptcy on September 5, only to have the company bought and relaunched a few days later, PrintCAN has learned. 

New owner Stephane Marcil said B.L. Litho ran into  financial difficulty and was forced to shutter its doors and lay off its 45 employees. Marcil, whose brother-in-law works at B.L. Litho, came in and bought the company in its entirety, though he hasn't yet taken possession of all the equipment. He expects that to happen in a couple of weeks. "I was at the right place at the right time," said Marcil. "I approached [former owner] Richard Beaulieu, we talked and established a good relationship." >> continued

Let's get the industry talking on #IPD14

In an effort to get people talking about the world of print, Print Media Centre has launched International Print Day. On Oct. 8, web-savvy members of the global print community are encouraged to share information about print and integrated marketing on social media using the hashtag #IPD14.
>> continued

Shipments on the rise for 2014

There's a big jump in shipments this period but the news is a little too good to be true as sales in most of the country remain flat. The big difference accounting for the jump is that Stats Canada is now tracking Alberta shipments again, after an extended absence.

Shipments (in millions)	2014	2013	% Change
February	$592.8	$547.4	8.3
March	650.4	592.5	9.7
April	652.7	623.0	4.7
May	665.6	627.5	6.0

Year-to-date shipping numbers for 2014 are $3.15 billion. That's a 7.7% jump from the $2.93 posted for the same period in 2013. >> continued

C.J. Graphics hosts cancer fundraiser

C.J. Graphics Inc, CEO and president Jay Mandarino hosted a fundraiser at C.J. Skateboard Park and School, his non-for-profit organization— along with CIBC and Ontario Parents Advocating for Children with Cancer (OPACC).

CEO Jay Mandarino takes part in the festivities. Photo by Ian Kelso, Etobicoke Guardian >> continued